Just returned from a long weekend at Stowe and I have to say it was heaven. The storm that brought rain and ice to the mid-atlantic area was all snow in most of Vermont. Stowe's temperatures were really cold, 5 to 10 at night... It snowed Friday night and Saturday night, providing powder conditions on many trails, although the wind-swept top of the gondola became barren from the wind and a bit dangerous.

The gondola trails, other than the top, were in awesome shape. Chin Clip, Perry Merrill, and Gondolier were just a pleasure. On the quad side, the front four were in their max splendor.

I always dine at the Cliff House at least one lunch, at the top of the gondola. It is a memorable experience for anyone. They staged a St Antone dinner and decorated the place in an Austrian motif.

Stowe is also going ahead to develop an Adirondac style village where Spruce Mt is presently located. Very upscale... Lowest price for a 2-bedroom condo is 750K and the cheapest lot for a single-family is 1.2M... And with it, a new shopping village right at the base. All designed to keep Stowe as the queen resort of the East.

Since it was a point of reference on another thread in the site, I drove by the hostel and it still seems closed down. However, from talking to the locals, cheap lodging is widely available...

Awesome time...

I always thought stowe was a nice place, nice town, good skiing, ... I've always wanted to go back. Did you make it to the ben & jerry's factory tour? Ok, so that has nothing to do with skiing but that sticks in my mind for some reason!

;-)

Oh yes, Ben & Jerry's, Cabot Cheese Cooperative (or Commune, whichever applies), Harvest Market, the New England Culinary Institute, Oh well.... Why did I return?

Lou,

I've only skied Stowe around Xmas time (though in some very good snow years.) How wide is Upper Goat this time of year?

Not wide at all... These are New England runs, narrow, bending, with double-fall lines and absolutely great...

Actually, I was looking for a more specific answer. The only times I've skied Upper Goat have been early season, and the very top section (not yet getting that steep) was one or possibly two mogul troughs wide. There were a lot of exposed rocks and stumps on skier's right (higher side of the double fall line). Was this section filled in with snow?