The 2009/2010 East coast ski rankings
I have good news! The 2009/2010 ski rankings have been released. Ski Magazine and its sister publication, Skiing Magazine, published readers’ perspectives on the best ski resorts in North America. I will not go over the Western ski resorts but, instead, will offer my humble opinion on the Eastern resorts’ rankings: they are very entertaining but fairly useless for the purpose of deciding where to go on the next ski vacation.
I do not have any intention of criticizing the readers whose opinions were used to calculate the ski rankings, nor do I want to dispute every result. However, almost any ski vacation comes with a package. I am not talking about a hotel-plus-car type of a deal; my definition of a ski package includes a ski resort, your skills, preferences, the resort’s services, and Mother Nature’s mood – these factors can dramatically skew our perspectives and influence opinions.
For example, an unseasonal thaw in the New England region – though there is nothing unusual about rains in mid-February – can spoil a ski vacation regardless of the resort’s terrain and annual snowfall. The famous Front Four at Stowe is a fantastic option to challenge yourself but when moguls are covered in thick and hard ice, it is doubtful many will appreciate the narrow and steep trails. Throw into the mix an instance of bad customer service and, all of sudden, we can read: “The worst experience ever. The next time I will choose…”
On the other hand, a foot of fresh powder makes an enormous difference. For most winter sports enthusiasts skiing in Vermont, waking up in the morning and seeing falling snow outside the window is priceless. Sometimes they spend weeks waiting for that day and, when Mother Nature dumps a foot of snow, it generally does not matter where you ski. Last season, I had great powder days at Magic Mountain, Bromley, and Stratton ski resorts in southern Vermont. I also caught snowstorms while skiing at Sugarbush, Jay Peak, and Wildcat, to name the few. At the end of day, my friends and I could care less that a resort’s cafeteria was closed, the coffee was cold, or a lift operator was unfriendly. What mattered most was the snow – it brought out positive feelings and pushed back the negatives. “We had a wonderful experience skiing at Mountain X! It is unquestionably a top-five ski resort in Vermont!” would be a typical review. (And of course it would unquestionably affect any ski rankings!)
And then, there is always a question about your skills, preferences, and athletic abilities. I have seen people progressing from a bunny slope to beginner trails in one day. I also know people who spent a couple of days struggling to master first turns. There is no hard rule about how to designate trails. What might be a double black diamond at one Vermont ski resort is designated an intermediate trail at another. In other words, you could spend days polishing ski slopes with your rear and have your miserable experience relayed in ski rankings. Or you could have a blast skiing trails that perfectly fit your style and skills, and rank a ski resort at the top of a list.
Of course, some ski resorts in Vermont are better than others. However, I think we should approach the rankings issue from a relative, and not absolute, perspective. For example, Jay Peak resort might be the best backcountry and glade experience in the East, but Smugglers’ Notch will be at the top of family programs. Stowe is a place where a convergence of luxury style, classic trails, and a picturesque ski village creates a well-rounded Vermont vacation experience. And Killington resort offers seven mountains, 145 trails, and the highest point in New England reached by an aerial lift. Which resort is better?
I think it is not the ski rankings that direct you toward the ultimate ski destination. It is a total package that includes your style, skills, needs, and — most importantly — fresh snow that makes a ski vacation truly memorable experience.
Have a snowy 2009/2010 ski season!
2010 Eastern ski resorts rankings by Ski Magazine. Overall Satisfaction.
- Tremblant, Que
- Smugglers’ Notch, VT
- Sugarloaf, Maine
- Cannon Mountain, N.H.
- Jay Peak, VT
- Sugarbush, VT
- Wildcat, N.H.
- Holiday Valley, N.Y.
- Mt. Sunapee, N.H.
- Whiteface, N.Y
P.s. If you would like to see all rankings, get a copy of Ski Magazine or visit their site. They have 18 categories ranking resorts based on terrain, apres-ski, snow terrain parks, lodging and such.
P.s.s. In the final rankings – Stowe was ranked third, Sugarbush was #13, Jay Peak was # 19.
Jay Peak 19th??? wtf! Jay is one of the best spots in north east!