Opinions - Snow Skiing

[encarter13]

As a Georgia resident, I have only skied the icy slopes of North Carolina or the dry powder in Colorado.

I am thinking about changing it up this year and skiing the somewhere on the East Coast.

How does Vermont/New Hampshire skiing compare to Colorado?

Is the East Coast snow icy regardless of where you visit?

What about West Virginia?

[swils8610]

Killington in Vermont is great. Lots to do and a nice place to stay. Check out the website. Cheers


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[ltmgeller]

It's weather dependent, but does tend to be a bit icy on the east coast. Killington is huge and can be lots of fun.

[wantonebad]

It's great after a snow storm and for as long as it doesn't rain there afterwards. Some of the best skiing and apre ski is in Vermont, but I'm partial to Sunday River in Maine. Bethel is a fun town and you can always visit Portland ME on the way up and back down which is a GREAT food/beer town. parts of VT are too but VT is a lot more expensive and over run with NYers. That's why I prefer Maine. JMHO

[austinp]

You will likely be disappointed with east coast skiing since you've skied Colorado.

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[bobernet]

1. Utah
2. Colorado
3. Everywhere else

[GB-man]

I am not going to try and argue that east coast skiing lives up to the rockies but the overall experience can still be very enjoyable. We have better beer lol

[wantonebad]

Originally Posted by bobernet

1. Utah
2. Colorado
3. Everywhere else

Respect to you and your list, I will humbly present my own Personal list:

Canada (Black Comb & Whistler)
Wyoming (Jackson Hole)
California (Squaw Valley)
New Mexico (Taos)
Colorado (Telluride)
VT (Mad River Glen)
New Hampshire (Cannon Mountain)
Maine (Sunday River)
Colorado (Aspen)
VT (Killington)

Full disclosure I have never skied in Utah but have heard good things.

[brandrea]

Originally Posted by austinp

You will likely be disappointed with east coast skiing since you've skied Colorado.

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I tend to agree. Substitute any of the west coast destinations really.

[srvrf]

I’ve skied competitively in high school and college and have been able to ski a bit out east (VT and NH), West Virginia and North Carolina. I’ve been numerous times out West including California, Utah, Colorado, Montana and Canada.

I remember variable weather and snow conditions out east. I’ve also been to Snowshoe, WV when it was awesome and when it was a slush fest.

What I look for in a resort now is
1. varied terrain so that everyone in the group has plenty of choices
2. Less crowded so shorter lift lines
3. Modern high speed chairs
4. Fun ski village for apres ski

My favorites are clearly out west. The resorts are bigger and there are more runs. The weather is typically better and the skiing conditions are generally more favorable. I think time of year also plays a role. Places with heavy snowfall are better in the spring.


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[ckaynyc]

NE skiing is crowded so be prepared for that. Also a bunch of groomers that get chopped up throughout the day.

[envuks]

If you’re going to fly to go skiing go to the west coast. I live on and love the east coast. Been snowboarding for 25 years this season on the east coast and feel unless you’re used to it, your money is better spent traveling west.

[joeychitwood]

You don’t mention your skill level. If you are an expert backcountry skier, you may be disappointed by the lower challenge level in the northeast. If you are a beginner or intermediate skier, you can have great fun almost anywhere. I ski 60 days a year primarily in Minnesota, known for shorter, often icy runs. I enjoy every minute on the snow/ice and know that the repetitive runs down often challenging conditions here have produced skiers like Cindy Nelson, Paula Moltzan, Keri Herman, Kristina Koznick and Lindsey Vonn.

[mfm22]

skied back in the day - New York & VT - Good skiing, Conditions were always iffy & usually icy spots very common

Skied in Utah and it was Great ! different but great - more powder , access to back country or standard downhill , plenty of moguls lol - Deer park & other towns are the epitome of apres ski .... rugged mountains in the back drop to compliment the beauty in town
Expect crowds anywhere but people tend to be more polite around the Rockies

[77T]

I began skiing in the ‘70’s with the Atlanta Ski Club after moving here. Before you go up East, you should explore more of the West IMHO.

If you’ve skied all the Colorado slopes of Steamboat, Aspen, Copper, Vail & Beaver Creek, then Utah has many slopes to explore and California’s Tahoe region are two spots where you can stay in a single hotel and do day trips to several ski areas.

East is wetter, heavier snow in general due to the systems that hit - and this being an El Niña year coming up that trend ought to continue.




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[Cru Jones]

Lake Placid is a great East Coast option.... good skiing at Whiteface + a real village + history + lots of other things to do and see + some really fine lodging and dining options for all budgets.

[dukie748]

I live in Colorado - Killington is great but could well be the coldest skiing I have ever done - really depends on the weather / time of year / your good luck. The climate is damper so the snow can be heavier / icier, but the beer and people are great.

If you're used to 'big mountains' you may be disappointed, more like large hills in comparison to the high country.

[Blaner]

Originally Posted by envuks

If you’re going to fly to go skiing go to the west coast. I live on and love the east coast. Been snowboarding for 25 years this season on the east coast and feel unless you’re used to it, your money is better spent traveling west.

Agree 100 percent. Grew up at Mammoth and Big Bear in CA, went to school in VT and spent plenty of time at the VT resorts, and now will only go out west to UT, CO, WY, and occasionally Whistler.

East coast is garbage - colder, cloudier, crunchier...if i can't get there in a car, I'm going to the Rockies, Tetons, etc.

[SwedishPar]

Born and raised in Sweden. Hated snow and cold so much I moved to Virginia never to see that awful stuff again.
Y'all crazy

[JasoninDenver]

All I can say is a roommate of mine ski patrolled and bar tended for five years in Stowe. When Stowe closed for the year, he travelled to Colorado for the last few weeks of ski season here. He never went back to Stowe. Literally. He had his buddies box up his stuff and ship it to Breckenridge.

[encarter13]

So many good opinions. Thanks everyone.

To answer a few a questions - I am an intermediate skier, but I am accustomed to long blue runs from the tip top of the mountain to the base.

Most of my west coast skiing has been Steamboat. I know the mountain and area well. I was leaning west, but I wanted to hear a few opinions.


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[joeychitwood]

No one has mentioned Montana, but Big Sky and Whitefish are both great mountain resorts too.

[Laszlo]

Originally Posted by swils8610

Killington in Vermont is great. Lots to do and a nice place to stay. Check out the website. Cheers


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Ditto outstanding skiing there.

[cruise_bone]

I grew up in upstate NY and moved to Atlanta when I was 24. I skied a ton before moving South.
East Coast skiing if very weather dependent.

Not sure anyone mentioned this, but Mount Tremblant in Quebec may be the closest to West coast skiing that you can find, and Quebec is awesome all on it's own. Other east coast resorts are not near big cities and can be rather boring at night.
Killington is Big and it's OK, but it is just OK.
Okemo is usually in much better shape from a snow condition/grooming standpoint and is known as a great family resort.

Other good VT resorts - Mt. Snow, Smugglers, Sugarbush, Stowe, Jay Peak - all of which I prefer way over Killington.

Or you can try a great little resort with the best ski slogan of all time - Mad River Glen - Ski it if you can!

Other Non VT resorts - Whiteface near Lake Placid, NY (Two time Olympic host), Sugarloaf in ME.

Tremblant would be my pick.

But, why not go out West? The skiing is FAR superior.
WY has the best snow by far. Jackson Hole, Grand Targhee
MT - Big Sky, Whitefish
UT - Way too many great places to Mention
CO - Same as UT

Since moving South in 1990 I have never once skied again on the East Coast, and have not missed it a single day while skiing out West. Flying to Albany or Montpelier is not cheaper or easier than flying to Salt Lake or Jackson, and the skiing out East just doesn't compare.

[cruise_bone]

Originally Posted by joeychitwood

No one has mentioned Montana, but Big Sky and Whitefish are both great mountain resorts too.

Boom! Love them both. Just listed them in my response.

[cruise_bone]

Originally Posted by encarter13

So many good opinions. Thanks everyone.

To answer a few a questions - I am an intermediate skier, but I am accustomed to long blue runs from the tip top of the mountain to the base.

Most of my west coast skiing has been Steamboat. I know the mountain and area well. I was leaning west, but I wanted to hear a few opinions.


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East Coast skiing typically has very narrow trails as the norm (even on blues and greens) as opposed to wide open glorious blue cruisers out West. Not even a fair comparison really. Not my favorite mountain but look at Snowbasin in UT. They have some of the most amazing blue cruisers I have skied, and I have skied every major resort in the US and Canada. The blues under the Strawberry Gondola as simply amazing. You do have to go to the top and weather can make visibility iffy at the very top but it is totally worth it. Also, blues under the Needles gondola are also amazing.
Snowbasin is a bit out of the way from Salt Lake City, but that also means no lines, ever. And the amenities as on the same level as Sun Valley, ID, as the same person owned both resorts.

[Blansky]

My opinion is that skiing was invented for people who aren't coordinated enough to play hockey.

There I said it.

[TheWatchmen]

Grew up in Atlanta, now live in Denver and have skied most of my life. IMO, if you ski the East coast Vermont has some of the best runs.

But NOTHING compares to CO and UT, its apples to oranges and there is a reason ppl come from all over the world to ski the Rockies...not to mention the Olympic ski / snowboard teams are out here (in the Winter at least).

[GolfJunkie]

One word: Montana

[Mrfish]

By the time you get in a plane, you may as well go skiing in Europe or Japan. If you get a recommendation which suits your style of skiing / eating / shopping / partying you will not regret it. Who are you skiing with? What are their priorities?