Planning the logistics of an EPIC R/T with a few questions. 2 drizving up, 2 flying uz. This is sorta a repeat of our fantastic trip last year to Stowe, Attitash and Wildcat. In the mix (to get a few more "Checks in the box" are Mt Snow, Crotched, Okemo, and Sunappe. A few questions for you guys:
Who else has tuned and waxed their skis in anticipation of the upcoming season!
Looks like it might be possible to arrange a ride from Okemo to Burlington.
Getting from Boston to any Vermont ski resort by public transport is unlikely.
Good luck with public transportation in VT - it is one of the most rural states in the US. Immediate Burlington area is a bit of an exception. From Snow, you could drive the person to Brattleboro for Amtrak - amtrak.com - south to BDL in Windsor Locks, CT is your best plane bet.
‘Moose. What is the attraction? North of Burlington, they are a common occurrence.
You can trip over them in Jackson Hole. Best to let ‘em be.
I echo JohnL’s comments about transportation in Vermont. Last season, I tried to book a cab from BTV to Stowe. I called/emailed multiple companies, and either got no response or got a “sorry, no availability.” I ended up renting a car, which I used just twice during my week at Stowe—once to get from BTV to Stowe and a second time to get back to the airport. Waste of money.
I used the very efficient free Mountain Road shuttle exclusively for local transportation around Stowe. Worked great and spared me all the parking hassles at Stowe. I generally got on and off at Spruce, and used the very Spruce Camp Lodge for booting up.
It would be nice if Vail considered running Epic Mountain Express Service to Stowe and Okemo from BTV.
JohnL wrote:
Good luck with public transportation in VT - it is one of the most rural states in the US. Immediate Burlington area is a bit of an exception. From Snow, you could drive the person to Brattleboro for Amtrak - amtrak.com - south to BDL in Windsor Locks, CT is your best plane bet.
‘Moose. What is the attraction? North of Burlington, they are a common occurrence.
I did a similar road trip last year and on our off day we snowmobiled. Moose sighting might be fun too. Don't see too many "mooses" in Herndon, VA.
johnfmh wrote:
I echo JohnL’s comments about transportation in Vermont. Last season, I tried to book a cab from BTV to Stowe. I called/emailed multiple companies, and either got no response or got a “sorry, no availability.” I ended up renting a car, which I used just twice during my week at Stowe—once to get from BTV to Stowe and a second time to get back to the airport. Waste of money.
I used the very efficient free Mountain Road shuttle exclusively for local transportation around Stowe. Worked great and spared me all the parking hassles at Stowe. I generally got on and off at Spruce, and used the very Spruce Camp Lodge for booting up.
It would be nice if Vail considered running Epic Mountain Express Service to Stowe and Okemo from BTV.
Thanks for the thoughts on public transport. One of the flyers won't stay the whole trip so we may have to creatively sequence around to different resorts so a drop off doesn't impact us too much. I love the variety of skiing options in the NE.
I've spent about 4 seasons in Burlington for the winter, so I can get at least give you a few details - never really went over to NH since the skiing is better in VT for the most part, so I can't tell you much about that.
While Burlington itself is well-serviced with public transportation (and has a fantastically close airport that is within city limits), there is ZERO chance of getting out to any of the resorts through public transportation unless you happen to be school-aged Chittenden County child who participates in after-school activities. You may find rideshare willing to take you there, but be aware that the closest resort (Bolton Valley, which is not Epic) is 30-40 minutes away - and good luck finding a return ride. Stowe is an hour away on low tide weekday (at best). On a powder day? Good luck! The mountain road is a narrow two lane road and can get backed up for hours.
There is zero cheap accommodation in Stowe. My recommendation would be to rent a car and stay in Waterbury, where there are (more) reasonable lodging options. You could take the bus from Waterbury to Stowe (the town) but then you'd need to transfer from Stowe (the town) to Stowe Mountain Resort. Waterbury has plentiful food and drink options nearby, and is also serviced by the Vermonter Amtrak line.
The Amtrak station in Burlington (technically in Essex Junction) is not within walking distance to the airport, but you should easily be able to find rideshare if you don't want to ride the bus.
