Am planning a Vermont trip for late Jan. or late Feb. am looking for input on resorts to ski. I am a strong intermediate skier. Wife and other couple are non-skiers, need input for possible places to go. Looking at Smuggs, Killington, Sugarbush, Okemo or Stratton. What say you?

There's good intermediate-advanced skiing all over up there. So, thinking about the non-skiers: Stratton has interesting shops/restos, etc at nearby Manchester. Stowe, of course, has town of Stowe, possibly best "charming" ski town in all of New England. Town of Ludlow near Okemo is somewhat interesting too.
Perhaps another top candidate would be North Conway, NH. Wildcat is nearby, which I think you would love providing weather is reasonably moderate, long scenic intermediate runs. There are a ton of outlets shops around N. Conway for the non-skiers and some charm in the center of town including an old train station. Cranmore, Black, and Attitash are nearby too, and have good intermediate-advanced terrain.

How many cars are you going to have?

If only one, logistics get to be a bit trickier w/ skiers and non-skers. One car, stay in Stowe which has a bus route. Waterbury (Ben & Jerry's, Vermont Cheese, Vermont Chocolates, etc.) is nearby. Stowe can be $$ for lodging and lifts.

Two cars, consider staying in Burlington where you can day trip to Stowe, Smuggs, Bolton Valley, Mad River, Sugarbush and even Jay Peak.

Vermont Teddy Bear Factory in Shelburne (just south of Burlington) is a good place to go around Valentine's Day. Magic Hat Brewery is (used to be?) in Burlington right on Route 7.

Plenty of good micro/nano breweries in VT if you ask around. Some only sell by the growler.

Forgot to add,

Didn't Jimmy teach you everything you need to know about Vermont?

Agree with John. Stowe is my place. I've driven, taken Amtrak, flown, etc. Having been to college there, Vermont is where I recharge my spiritual batteries. Burlington, you can't go wrong. It is one of the best small cities on the planet, sort of like a rural Greenwich Village with matching real estate prices. Incredible amount of culture. When you're in Vermont, you're really like in one of the college towns in Europe. And you can also ascertain the skiing conditions at the nearby resorts and pick and choose. About 25 miles from Bolton Valley, less than an hour from Stowe to the East, as well as Sugarbush and Mad River Glen to the Southeast, and Smuggler's Notch to the Northeast. Smuggs is literally on the other side of Mt Mansfield from Stowe, although the Smuggler's Notch road is closed in the Winter. Burlington also has a subsidiary to the NECI, the New England Culinary Institute, downtown, with great food. And if you want to enjoy total relaxation for you and your family while at the same time being one of the chosen ones to grade the future grand chefs of the US, you can stay at the Essex Inn, even closer to Smuggs, 15 minutes from downtown Burlington, a shorter route to Stowe, Bolton, Sugarbush and Mad River, and also, on the way to Jay Peak, one of the few Eastern resorts with 400-inch average snowfall. The Essex is a grand treat and a culinary treasure, being one of the top hospitality colleges, but yet, you can have rooms for as little as 140-odd a night. The quid pro quo is that you get a grading sheet and rate your waiter, chambermaid etc. and your rating counts as a part of their final grade. So you know they're going to treat you as a king...

If you want to stay on a resort, my favorite of all is Stowe. Period. You're staying in a post card. The skiing is outstanding for the East. If you want long groomers, you have them. And if you want to try the Front Four - or part of them, you can do that too. And plenty to do for skiers and non-skiers. Stowe exudes class, history and fun at the same time. If you want to economize, the Commodores Inn at the South entrance to the village is a bit dated but very competitively priced and their rooms include a hearty breakfast. It is also pet friendly if you want to bring Fido, with a pet sitting service across Route 110. If you want luxury, the Stoweflake or the Topnotch will do. If you want a quaint place, the Trapp Family Lodge (second version) is there. And if you want to feel like royalty, the Stowe Mountain Lodge is there for you with the corresponding haute cuisine.

Killington is a great mountain if you want to listen to loud music and get trashed. It is quite brash and besides a huge amount of skiing, it has a huge amount of night life along the access road. And Pico is next door too with a lot less crowded condition. Tons and tons of condos to stay in.

Stratton, to the South, is on the snow belt and as an Intrawest resort, has both pluses and minuses. The pluses are unbeatable grooming, great restaurants and top-notch accommodations. And about 100% massive snowmaking, so you're guaranteed the white stuff. The minuses, I may sound jaded, but IMHO, it is normally full of crass Manhattanites and since it's not on national land but on private property, it has an exclusive club where the members can cut in line in front of you, although they're more than happy to take your money if you choose to dine at their club...

Mad River Glen has no lodging as a cooperative - actually I believe the only skier-owned coop in the continent, but if you're in Burlington or Stowe, you can have a great time there. No grooming. Perhaps the most challenging skiing in the East. Very, very New England format. The ski area is actually on the National Historical Register. Long, narrow, windy trails with lots of moguls. It is a skier's purist dream, with one of the few single chairs left on the planet and a parking lot where the "Obama '12" and "Grateful Dead" stickers are plastered in most of the cars, and Crosby, Stills and Nash and Phish music is heard everywhere... Absolutely NO snowboarders allowed.

Smuggler's Notch is awesome. I learned skiing on the slopes of Madonna mountain, one of the three mountains in the area. Very accessible from Burlington and Essex. Excellent skiing. And probably one of the finest family destinations. The resort takes great pains to ensure family comfort for skiers and non-skiers alike.

If you want to be in the middle of nowhere, with your non-skier family leaving you, go up to Montgomery Center and stay at Jay Peak. More snow than you can handle but yet, a wonderful ski area... And the snow is for real - the largest natural snowfall in the Eastern US. About 1.5 hours from Burlington. It also has wide mountain skiing, glades, tree skiing and trails. The interesting thing about Jay Peak is that a lot of the nice lodging places are actually across the border in Canada, so you may want to bring your passport or passport card if you have one.

Stowe w/o a doubt. Burlington nearby. Ben & Jerry's on the way. And, of course, the skiing....As stated by others - a bit pricey but, you get what you pay for.

Jay (my favorite) has two new hotels, indoor water park, full service ice rink and, the best snow but, it's a bit isolated and, to thoroughly enjoy the skiing you have to feel comfortable in the trees.

Smuggs is nice but many of the lifts are old and slow. My view is that Stratton or $towe would be your best bets.

Smuggs is our favorite by far... My family has a mix of skiers, riders and non-skiers and every year everyone wants to come back here. Challenging terrain, good out of bounds in the pass off Sterling, can even easily go across the pond, ski or ride down Sterling Peak, buy a pass and have a day at Stowe! Lodging is great, food is good, activities at night are really fun (more so if kids are under 15). Easy drive to Burlington. For non-skiers, loads of activities from chocolate or wine tasting to bus trips to Montreal. Even have a zip line. Also have indoor pools, gyms in most buildings, etc. Snowshoeing, XC skiing.... list goes on and on!

Another Smuggs lover here. They generally have a mid week trip to Canada which can be nice outing and Burlington is short drive for day off slopes. Must admit I have been considering a trip to Stowe simply for the village après ski.

Don't leave if it's snowing, that's all he got from me .

Group is 4 adults, one skier? You'll find plenty of fun at any of the resorts you mentioned you've seen the s show at Killington so I'd leave that for another time. I think you should look into what type of lodging and nearby amenities you want and decide where to go based on that. Do they want to stay slopeside? That might be easier for you if they're taking off to tour. Hotel, condo, B&B?

My wife who is a non-skier and I spent a week at Smuggs last January and it was a great trip. For skiing, Smuggs has great terrain for all levels. The lifts are slow, but then the lift ticket prices are low comparatively to Stowe and Stratton as well. It's a nice place to relax and you'd be right at the slopes so the non-skiers could take the car and explore.

The other place that jumps to my mind is Stowe. I never skied there, but my wife and I drove through the village one day and there is a lot to do there. I'd say it all comes down to your budget and what you want.

Thanks for all the input, I justed booked Smugg's for the end of Feb.