Hey all,

My family is doing a NE vacation this year for Christmas, and I'm going to do a few days of skiing (I'm the only skier) while we're there. This it's my first ski trip ever to NE. I've skied locally, Utah, Colorado, and Tahoe though.

I'll be doing a day at Sunday River for sure. I've always wanted to ski there. I also bought 2 days for VT on an Epic Day Pass, which I'll use on the Dec 24th and 25th.

We're staying at the Killington Mountain Lodge, but I won't be skiing it as the map looks like a convoluted mess to me. I probably would have done it of I had someone who'd been there before. But just me. Nah.

I initially decided on doing 2 days at Okemo, but then I got to thinking about using one of the days at another resort.

So it looks like Stowe, Mt Snow, and Mt Sunapee are all 90 minute from our hotel. What are your thoughts about giving one a try, and which day should I do Okemo?

Stowe's map looks a bit messy. Mt Snow seems line everything essentially runs straight down the face. I don't want to feel like I'm skiing the same run all day. I like to wander and I like variety. Sunapee seems to have an Okemo like set up.

Let me say I hate waiting in lines, so any thoughts there will be help. I'm guessing if they have single rider lines, I may be ok regardless.

Since I have to be dropped off, I'm thinking one of the others may be better Christmas Eve so they may have something to do in the area. Christmas Day, Okemo's only 40 minutes away so they could easily go back to the hotel.

Any thoughts and suggestions are appreciated, as well as tips for the resorts. Any places that have food outside or inexpensive places would be helpful too, as Vail's not allowing unvaxxed into quick serve/cafeteria style places (note: vaxxing is not the topic for discussion and I won't discuss it).

And any tips for Sunday River would be appreciated too.

Thanks!

Seems kind of a shame that you're staying 1/2 mile from Killington's chairlifts, but not skiing there?  That would be super convenient and make it worth exploring and figuring out the "messy" layout.  I don't think it's any more difficult to navigate than Sunday River, Stowe, Okemo or Mt Snow.  But if you've already got the two tickets for Vail resorts I guess you'll have to hit the highway.  Note that winter driving in Vermont can be challenging if foul weather blows in so you might pick the closest alternative in that case.  If you are driving on a fair weather day with some non-skiers in the car then Stowe (ski area for you, town for them) might be the best option to please both of you.  Your plan to go to Okemo on Dec 25 ought to work.  Hope you have a good trip!  

PS:  I haven't skied on Dec 24 and 25 in many years.  Hope you'll report back on how that goes.  I would think Christmas morning ought to have light crowds.

Since you'll already be north of Mt. Snow, no point to drive south.  I was going to check it out for a day during early season once, but the wind hold on the upper lifts during early season meant I went to Killington instead.  I skied off the gondola and had a good day trip from Boston.  My daughter was in school there that winter.

Okemo has plenty of fast lifts.  I know people who decided to make it their home mountain when they moved from PA to VT 15-20 years ago.  Haven't skied there.  They park at the secondary base.  Jackson Gore?

As for Stowe, it's really two separate mountains.  The easier and shorter trails are on the new side that is more geared to beginners and intermediates.  The Mt Mansfield side is the original ski area.  The runs off the gondola are nice and long.  The runs off the chairlifts have good variety.  Can get skied off by lunch time even when it's not that busy.  The town has lots to do and is not that far from the ski resort.  If anyone wants to go ice skating, the outdoor rink at Stowe is nice.  Assuming it's running, you might be able to make use of the bus between town and resort.  Parking is limited in town and at the base.

Don't make the family drive to Mt. Sunapee.  There is no village, just a few shops and a couple motels.

Sunday River takes a little while to figure out.  Once you get away from the base to a peak that's farther away, shouldn't be too hard to avoid lift lines.  I like SR.  Met up with Ski Divas a couple times who are regulars.

Where are you staying for skiing SR?

Stowe is much more interconnected now with the link gondola between Spruce Peak and Mansfield. Spruce also has some decent intermediate terrain on the Sunny Spruce side and some advanced stuff off the Sensation Lift (including tree skiing off the Sterling trail). Parking and crowds can be an issue on weekends. Midweek would be your best bet for Stowe.

Also, Stowe/Jay/Smugs/Bolton are in a different micro-climate than resorts to the south. They get a lot of snow when other places get skunked—recent storms are a case in point. A friend who skis Okemo every year (he has family there) thinks Stowe is much, much better for advanced skiers and riders.

johnfmh wrote:

Stowe is much more interconnected now with the link gondola between Spruce Peak and Mansfield. Spruce also has some decent intermediate terrain on the Sunny Spruce side and some advanced stuff off the Sensation Lift (including tree skiing off the Sterling trail). Parking and crowds can be an issue on weekends. Midweek would be your best bet for Stowe.

Also, Stowe/Jay/Smugs/Bolton are in a different micro-climate than resorts to the south. They get a lot of snow when other places get skunked—recent storms are a case in point. A friend who skis Okemo every year (he has family there) thinks Stowe is much, much better for advanced skiers and riders.

 Do you think trees off Sterling will have enough cover by Christmas?  OP is asking about Dec. 24-25.

I'll probably do a write up from the trip and send it to Scott if Jens willing to publish it.

We kinda ended up at Killington for the hotel because I found a deal I couldn't pass up.

As for skiing it, some of the decision came down to cost, I could get 2 days on the Epic Day Pass for a little more than a day at Killington. Christmas Eve is considered off-peak, so one peak and one off-peak day cost just over $150. That's less than 2 days at 7S would cost.

The "messiness" perception could just be on how SR and Killington display their maps. Sunday's just looks cleaner and the mountain looks easier to get around from the pics I've seen.  Granted, this is from a rather uneducated look not having been there.

I'll reconsider Stowe, especially if there's snow on the ground. I've heard that the town is pretty much what you see on a classic Christmas.

I thought about Pico. Had I not done the EDP, I may have considered it further.

What do you think about using tire chains up there? We're taking our van which is isn't particularly great in the snow, though we just put some new tires on it. My wife is somewhat mobility challenged - doing better these days but still can't do terribly long distances. So we have to take the wheelchair which doesn't fit in the SUV well and wouldn't have enough room for our son and his ground friend with it in there.

For hotels, we generally stay at Hilton properties as they allow the government rate for leisure travel. We'll stay in Nashua or Manchester the night of the 26th as picking up our son's friend at MHT to join us. There were some Hilton properties about an hour from SR we'll stay at before heading to Portland, Salem and Boston.

marzNC wrote:

johnfmh wrote:

Stowe is much more interconnected now with the link gondola between Spruce Peak and Mansfield. Spruce also has some decent intermediate terrain on the Sunny Spruce side and some advanced stuff off the Sensation Lift (including tree skiing off the Sterling trail). Parking and crowds can be an issue on weekends. Midweek would be your best bet for Stowe.

Also, Stowe/Jay/Smugs/Bolton are in a different micro-climate than resorts to the south. They get a lot of snow when other places get skunked—recent storms are a case in point. A friend who skis Okemo every year (he has family there) thinks Stowe is much, much better for advanced skiers and riders.

 Do you think trees off Sterling will have enough cover by Christmas?  OP is asking about Dec. 24-25.

 In a word, no. The Sterling trail itself is natural snow only and is generally one of the last marked trails on the mountain to open, often with thin cover. 

Your number 1 main concern is SNOW SNOW SNOW.

Okemo and Mt. Snow are no fun if less than half the mountain is open.  Stowe is a wildcard, since it can catch a storm that Southern VT misses (as an aside, it is why Killington is Killington - never mind the trail count, restaurants bars and hype- Killington gets a lot of snow - 150% more than Okemo). 

If the snow situation is decent at all three, definitely go to Stowe. Stowe is a fine dining experience.  Okemo and Mt. Snow are Cheesecake Factory. Not in a bad way - different strokes for different folks.

I can assure you crowds will be minimal both days.  If you happen to drive south on I-87 the 26th or 27th you will see the hordes of NY, NJ and MA SUV's with ski carriers headed north.  The crush really gets underway probably the 28th.  I was at Killington one year for New Year's, the snow was awesome, and all the ATM's on the access road ran out of money.

The connection between the 2 mountains at Stowe seems like a pain with having to walk a bit to either side. Also saw some complaints that you had to home uphil a bit to get to the lifts. It's that true?

Anyone ever do Wachusett? Saw it's about an hour outside of Vision Boston, and I'd get a discount with my Highlands Pass.

Their schedule seems weird, 4 4 hour sessions throughout the day. In guessing they didn't don't have an all day ticket?

superguy wrote:

The connection between the 2 mountains at Stowe seems like a pain with having to walk a bit to either side. Also saw some complaints that you had to home uphil a bit to get to the lifts. It's that true?

Anyone ever do Wachusett? Saw it's about an hour outside of Vision Boston, and I'd get a discount with my Highlands Pass.

Their schedule seems weird, 4 4 hour sessions throughout the day. In guessing they didn't don't have an all day ticket?

 Wachusett is a great little mountain for someone who is in Boston.  I skied there several times when my daughter was in prep school in Weston.  The fact that all the main lifts are high-speed detachable is a factor.  The Session ticket idea is new.  Probably created to space people out last season.  Since Wachusett has RFID, easy to enforce time limits.  There are double sessions to creat an 8-hour "session."  Night skiing is a big deal at Wachusett.  It's an urban ski area with lots of racers.  Midweek mornings there are lots of local seniors.  When school is in session, lots of buses show up with school groups in the afternoons.  That's when my friend who has a pass and skis midweek heads home.  Wachusett will be very busy during Christmas week.

You are over thinking Stowe based on a few comments.  It's a destination resort that's been running for decades.  You know how restaurant reviews on Yelp always include people who have major complaints even when the average rating is 3+?  The people who know Stowe well and enjoy skiing there aren't going to bother to post comments.

In general, in the northeast it's often an uphill walk from the parking lot to the base of the nearest lift.

superguy wrote:

I'll probably do a write up from the trip and send it to Scott if Jens willing to publish it.

We kinda ended up at Killington for the hotel because I found a deal I couldn't pass up.

As for skiing it, some of the decision came down to cost, I could get 2 days on the Epic Day Pass for a little more than a day at Killington. Christmas Eve is considered off-peak, so one peak and one off-peak day cost just over $150. That's less than 2 days at 7S would cost.

The "messiness" perception could just be on how SR and Killington display their maps. Sunday's just looks cleaner and the mountain looks easier to get around from the pics I've seen.  Granted, this is from a rather uneducated look not having been there.

I'll reconsider Stowe, especially if there's snow on the ground. I've heard that the town is pretty much what you see on a classic Christmas.

I thought about Pico. Had I not done the EDP, I may have considered it further.

What do you think about using tire chains up there? We're taking our van which is isn't particularly great in the snow, though we just put some new tires on it. My wife is somewhat mobility challenged - doing better these days but still can't do terribly long distances. So we have to take the wheelchair which doesn't fit in the SUV well and wouldn't have enough room for our son and his ground friend with it in there.

For hotels, we generally stay at Hilton properties as they allow the government rate for leisure travel. We'll stay in Nashua or Manchester the night of the 26th as picking up our son's friend at MHT to join us. There were some Hilton properties about an hour from SR we'll stay at before heading to Portland, Salem and Boston.

 I drove my NC 2WD minivan all over New England for several years doing ski safaris.  You should be fine without chains.  Pay attention to the weather forecast and radar before you head north.

As I remember the Killington trail map is confusing.  That's not that uncommon when there are multiple peaks.  But for early season, K'ton is where people in the northeast go because there will be more open terrain than anywhere else.

superguy wrote:

For hotels, we generally stay at Hilton properties as they allow the government rate for leisure travel. We'll stay in Nashua or Manchester the night of the 26th as picking up our son's friend at MHT to join us. There were some Hilton properties about an hour from SR we'll stay at before heading to Portland, Salem and Boston.

 Are you thinking about staying in North Conway?  That's another nice ski town.

If you haven't made hotel reservations yet, best to check on availability.  You'll be competing with lots of families who live in the Boston area.  As well as people who live in Rhode Island and CT who like to head north for snow.  Although those who are regular skiers are likely to stay home during that week to avoid the super crowded slopes.  Even the larger mountains won't be 100% open yet.

Denis wrote:

Something to keep in mind is the lack of east-west roads in northern New England.  You pretty much have to choose your state and stick to it.  Don’t try to squeeze too much into one trip.  Sounds like you are trying to talk yourself into a second trip, or becoming a regular.

 I think the OP's trip is about visiting people and touring New England with the family during the Christmas break.  With a little skiing for him as a bonus.  Having done that several times, it can mean doing somewhat oddball driving.

One year I planned to fly to Boston for a long weekend to see my daughter in a dance performance on a Friday night.  But a blizzard changed the plan.  I ended up flying to Boston a few days early, drove to Jiminy Peak, skied for a couple days, then got back to Boston on Friday afternoon.  Drove to Jiminy Peak after landing at 6:30pm.  I knew if I didn't go that evening, I wasn't going to make it.  The snow started the next morning.  Getting around was pretty difficult in the Berkshires for about 36 hours.  Saturday morning I drove a couple hours to Tenney Mountain to get first tracks.  Had to leave at lunch time to get back to Boston in time to meet up with my daughter for dinner.  Flew home on Sunday.

marzNC wrote:

Denis wrote:

Something to keep in mind is the lack of east-west roads in northern New England.  You pretty much have to choose your state and stick to it.  Don’t try to squeeze too much into one trip.  Sounds like you are trying to talk yourself into a second trip, or becoming a regular.

 I think the OP's trip is about visiting people and touring New England with the family during the Christmas break.  With a little skiing for him as a bonus.  Having done that several times, it can mean doing somewhat oddball driving.

One year I planned to fly to Boston for a long weekend to see my daughter in a dance performance on a Friday night.  But a blizzard changed the plan.  I ended up flying to Boston a few days early, drove to Jiminy Peak, skied for a couple days, then got back to Boston on Friday afternoon.  Drove to Jiminy Peak after landing at 6:30pm.  I knew if I didn't go that evening, I wasn't going to make it.  The snow started the next morning.  Getting around was pretty difficult in the Berkshires for about 36 hours.  Saturday morning I drove a couple hours to Tenney Mountain to get first tracks.  Had to leave at lunch time to get back to Boston in time to meet up with my daughter for dinner.  Flew home on Sunday.

You are correct. This isn't a ski vacation but a family vacation where I'm trying to sneak in skiing where I can. Since our kids are pretty much grown and we only have one at home at the moment, we decided to do something different this year. We aren't really stopping on RI or CT on the way home.

So my skiing is revolving around areas where my family wants to visit. My wife really wanted to do VT for Christmas because of Bing Crosby's White Christmas. So I'm taking advantage of it as typically Christmas Eve and Christmas Day were historically lower crowd days IME.

I'm doing SR on the 28th as they have some events and fireworks going on that the fam would like to see. SR is the one place I was insistent on going as I've always wanted to ski there since I was a teen. We'll see a few sites in Portland and spend the rest of the trip in Boston and Salem as my son's a history buff.  I looked at Wachusett and Jiminy to see if either was close. Wachusett fit that and has alternate transportation, plus I'll get a discount with my 7S pass.

We'll see how it works out.

Some info on Wachusett:

https://www.dcski.com/articles/1602

dcski.com

Both trips were made in December. Weekends are crowded but mid-week is great. Wachusett is about the size of Timberline.

With regard to the Stown connector gondola, it’s a gondola so skis come off. There is a bit of uphill trudge at both ends but nothing major. This is an article about Stowe done in 2018 (not much has changed since then):

https://www.dcski.com/articles/1542

Thanks. I'll check those out.

I'm thinking New Year's Day may be a good day. People will recovering from the previous night. 😄

If you make it to Wachusett, stopping in the original CCC lodge that is now mid-mountain for a cider doughnut is a must!  Can get a doughnut in the base lodge, the the stone building with two fireplaces is quite cool.

I attended Concord Academy back in the 1970s.  If you get to Concord, a stop at Walden Pond can be worth considering.  Lots of historical sites in Concord.  Feels quite different than being in Boston or Cambridge.

We'll be driving they Concorde on the way to Manchester. We'll check it out!

The cider donut and hit cider seemed really yummy! Where's the waffle place that's mentioned on the hill?

Is all of Wachusett lit for night skiing?

superguy wrote:

We'll be driving they Concorde on the way to Manchester. We'll check it out!

The cider donut and hit cider seemed really yummy! Where's the waffle place that's mentioned on the hill?

Is all of Wachusett lit for night skiing?

 I'm not sure Wachusett is 100% lit, but I'm pretty sure all three of the fast lifts run during the night session.  Even the two long greens (far left looking up the hill) have a detachable quad.  The lift in the center serves the steepest terrain.  A day after a powder storm, can find untracked on the sides of the lift that has blue trails.

The Waffle Hut is at the base.

Getting to the Bullock Lodge requires a little planning.  Especially with low snow coverage.  Best to scope it out from the lift.  Lower 10th Mountain only works when there is plenty of snow in the trees.

https://www.newenglandskihistory.com/cccskitrails/Massachusetts/wachusett.php