Tourist Office

Stowe Mountain Resort
5781 Mountain Road
Stowe
Vermont
USA
VT 05672

Telephone: (802) 2533000
Email: info@stowe.com
Website: www.stowe.com/

Description

With skiing on Mount Mansfield, the highest peak in Vermont, Stowe is one of the best known resorts in the world, and one of the most picturesque. Lift-linked to Smugglers Notch. The world’s fastest eight-passenger gondola opened here in 1992 and there is a full service ski and snowboard shop with demos from many manufacturers. Night skiing is also available. Stowe frequently receives top ratings in US ski and snowboarding magazine reader surveys of East Coast resorts.

Review

With skiing on Mount Mansfield, the highest peak in Vermont, Stowe is one of the best known resorts in the world, and one of the most picturesque, although with a bit of a traffic problem at peak times. The ‘quaint old New England village’ with its white spired church is one of a handful of North American ski centres which merit the name ‘classic’ and can be listed along side other early winter sports meccas such as St Anton, St Moritz, Gstaad and Chamonix. Indeed the resort’s ‘European feel’ is thanks in part to the fact that many of the local lodge owners are from Europe, and the village’s skiing history began with the arrival of Sepp Ruschp from Linz in Austria.

The resort is still a classic and frequently top rated by North American ski magazine reader survey.. Stowe is perhaps the only north American mountain resort that has welcomed tourists since the 1800s. The first recorded descent of Mount Mansfield on skis took place in 1914 and the first trail to be cut specifically for skiing was created in 1933. The first rope tow was added in 1937 but it wasn’t until 1940 that what was then North America’s longest and highest chair lift opened.

More than 50 years later Stowe was still underlining its world class status, opening what was, until recently, the world’s fastest eight-passenger gondola in 1992. It had built the world’s first high speed detachable quad in 1986. Also unlike almost all of North America’s other top resorts it has escaped purchase by one of the big resort owning chains and kept out the big bland hotel chains in order to maintain its unique ambience.

Stowe is well into an 8 – 10 year revitalisation plan, during which the resort is investing over $400 million in new lifts, trails, snowmaking, a hotel, performing arts centre, spa, retail shops, restauraunts and real estate making up a dynamic Alpine village at the base of Spruce Peak. An exciting part of the changes is a transfer lift that better connects Mount Mansfield and Spruce Peak.

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Mount Mansfield, Stowe, Vermont, Green, USA

Tourist Office

Stratton Mountain Resort
Stratton Mountain Access Road
Stratton Mountain
Vermont
USA
VT 05155

Telephone: (802) 2972200
Email: skistratton@intrawest.com
Website: www.stratton.com/

Description

Owned by the Intra West Company (which owns Tremblant and Whistler in Canada amongst others) Stratton is the epitomy of full-service ski resorts, currently undergoing major further improvements. It installed the first high-speed six-seater detachable chair in 1995 the American Express. Stratton offers a profusion of fun-packed activities and events for everyone in the family including nordic skiing, ice skating, sleigh rides, Sports Center with pool … Summit adventure center offers snowshoes, Snowblades, snowboards and telemark skis. Stratton’s slopeside Village is lined with an eclectic mix of shops and restaurants that will entice and enchant you. Stratton is committed to superior snowmaking and grooming. Experience “Stratton Unplugged”, multifaceted mountain adventure parks for skiers and snowboarders of all ages and abilities. Features include terrain gardens, woods trails, carving parks, over 70 acres of glades, bump terrain, pocket playgrounds and Stratton’s Top Ten Hits. Just a short drive away, scenic Manchester offers different kinds of attractions: from Armani and Ralph Lauren to Timberland and Brooks Brothers with over 70 fine designer outlets and an abundance of fine dining options.

Review

Southern Vermont’s highest peak, Stratton Mountain is a long established southern Vermont resort with a cosmopolitan atmosphere that’s rarely found in New England. A good illustration of the fact is the selection of quality French champagne stocked in the resort’s general store. The 40 year old ski centre had always been planned as a mountain community, again in contrast to most other New England ski hills, where the idea of adding a resort base tends to be a new one.

Purchased by Intrawest, famously owners of Canada’s Whistler, Stratton is now enjoying a makeover, with millions of dollars spent on improveding snowmaking, fast high-capacity lifts, a reshaping of the resort base and new or refurbished lodging. The corporation bought Stratton in 1994 and greatly enhanced its central pedestrian mall, most famous for its under-cobble heating system that melts any snow which falls on it, although in truth it’s the sophisticated architectural design and planning thought that really matters, even if that’s not what you notice (the idea is you don’t notice, just enjoy, after all).

The fact that snowboarding was born here a few decades ago may seem slightly incongruous with the smooth corporate image and designer stores of Stratton today, but knarly or not, Jake Burton was here in the early 80s, hiking up hill with his prototypes. So Stratton remains one of, if not the longest established ‘boarders welcome’ resorts, has an unrivalled range of pipes, terrain parks and all other amenities a ‘boarder could dream of, and is home to the world’s longest running annual open snowboarding championship.

Stratton is one of the easiest major New England resorts for New York City and Boston residents to reach, with large numbers arriving at the weekend. Its lack of international fame outside snowboarding circles is surprising compared to some other Vermont ski areas – this may well change in the next few years.

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Stratton, Vermont, USA

Tourist Office

Sugarbush Resort
RR#1, Box 350
Warren
Vermont
USA
VT 05674

Telephone: (802) 5836300
Email: info@sugarbush.com
Website: www.sugarbush.com

Description

Skiing over two mountain areas (taking in New England’s three highest peaks), now linked (since ’95/’96 season) by the world’s longest, fastest, high speed detachable quad, which takes nine and a half minutes to cover the 11,000 foot length. Sugarbush has long had a reputation for advanced level and exciting intermediate standard terrain.

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Sugarbush, Lincoln Peak, Mad River Valley, Vermont, Green, USA

Tourist Office

Killington Resort
4763 Killington Road
Killington
Vermont
USA
VT 05751

Telephone: (802) 4223333
Email: info@killington.com
Website: www.killington.com

Description

The largest ski resort in Eastern USA, Killington boasts North America’s largest single-mountain lift system in terms of number of lifts. They include twelve quads, a further six triples and what was the world’s fastest gondola with the world’s first heated (and brightly painted) cabins. Famous for snow making, with capacity doubled between 1997 and 1999 as part of a $50 million development program, but averages six metres of natural snow anyway.

Review

It seems that when you try to describe Killington you end up talking numbers – the resort is one of the most impressive in the world in some respects and in the US market in many more. It seems unfair not to try
to describe the place a little before giving vent to those figures. Killington is very much a ski area rather than a resort (although that is changing), hotels, restaurants and other facilities are spread out for several miles on the three lane road up to the resort’s main base at Snowshed.

The ski area itself extends for a massive 18km (11 miles) over seven mountains from Sunrise to Pico, the last is a small ski area in its own right, all of the rest is fully lift linked. It’s difficult to resist the temptation to quote the figures, so here goes. Killington is the largest ski resort in the Eastern United States and it seems it always has been, it operates more than 1,400 snow cannons and is famous for having one of the world’s most powerful snow making systems. In past times this allowed it to open trails in October and keep them open through to late June in cold years (the record is June 22nd). It averages six metres of natural snow anyway.

Killington is one of only a dozen resorts in the United States to have a vertical drop greater than 950 metres (and of only two in the East that do, the other being Whiteface) – tantalisingly close to the 1000m mark that means much to the European market.

The resort is keen to point out that, because of the number of its trails and lifts, it is in every way a comparable resort to the big centres out West – with as much trail length if not the acreage. Indeed Killington is one of the few US resorts to measure trail length as well as resort acres, knowing that if a lot of the ‘big acre’ Western ski areas dared to publish their prepared trail length stats they wouldn’t look much by comparison.

Killington’s trails also compares favourably with most ski areas in the Alps and is therefore an increasingly popular destination resort for skiers from Europe and further afield who recognise that Killington is the exception for those who dismiss East Coast skiing as low-hill small-area weekend retreats for the residents of the local big cities.

A few final fascinating facts – Killington has the longest trail in the East (Juggernaut, 10km/6 miles in length) and Outer Limits is the steepest mogul slope in the region also. Although the 12 quads, half of them high speed detachables, is not a record it’s still a pretty impressive uplift, with six triples on hand also.

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Killington Resort, Pico, Killington Peak, Pico, Rams Head Mountain, Snowdon Mountain, Skye Peak, Bear Mountain, Sunrise Mountain, meTICKET, Vermont, USA, Greeen Mountains

Tourist Office

Mount Snow Ltd
West Dover
Vermont
USA
VT 05356

Telephone: (802) 4643333
Email: info@mountsnow.com
Website: www.mountsnow. com

Description

One of Eastern USA’s largest resorts and Vermont’s closest big mountain to the major metropolitan areas ( 2.5 hours from Boston, 4 hours from New York City or 1.5 hours from Albany ). The resort took over operation of Carinthia ski area in ’86 and Haystack in ’91 and was taken over itself by the American Skiing Company in 1996. The resort hosted the 2000 and 2001 ESPN Winter X Games.

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Carinthia, Green Mountain, Haystack, Mount Snow, Vermont, Windham, USA

Tourist Office

Okemo Mountain Resort
77 Okemo Ridge Road
Ludlow
Vermont
USA
VT 05149

Telephone: (802) 2284041
Email: info@okemo.com
Website: www.okemo.com

Description

Rapidly expanding Okemo Mountain boasts the biggest vertical in Southern Vermont and has one of the longest beginner trails in North America. It is a modern resort by a traditional New England town. The ski area incorporates two terrain parks and moguls, cruisers two half pipes and a race arena.

Review

With 97% snowmaking coverage (Vermont’s most extensive coverage), Southern Vermont’s highest vertical (2,200 ft.), a modern & efficient lift system and a vast trail network of steeps, glades, cruisers, bumps and novice
terrain, Okemo is big mountain skiing and riding.

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Okemo Mountain, Vermont, USA, Berkshires

Tourist Office

Pico Ski Resort
Killington Road
Rutland
Vermont
USA
VT 05751

Telephone: (802) 7754345
Email: info@picomountain.com
Website: www.picomountain.com

Description

Pico is one of Vermont’s largest mountains with more vertical drop than 80% of the downhill ski areas in New England. Those 1,967 feet are spread over 50 trails and 214 skiable acres, with lots of choices for all abilities.
One of Pico’s most enjoyable attributes is that it is undeniably a big mountain with a small ski area’s personal touch. There are mogul trails, glades, and groomed steeps, but all the trails lead back to the same base area.
The Pike, Pico’s longest trail, begins at the summit and terminates right outside the base lodge. From the summit, skiers and riders can also try the (intermediate) 49er or the winding and narrow black diamonds Summit Glades, Upper KA, and Sunset 71. If you`re up to it, take a shot at the mountain’s steepest, most difficult trail, Giant Killer — it`s called that for a reason. Pico also has two new tree skiing areas – Birch Woods and Doozie.

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Killington, Pico, Vermont, USA