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Oct 13 2009
Just got back from southern Vermont. Foliage is still there albeit it slowly fading away. Many resorts have huge discounts on lodging, free scenic rides and pre-season sales – it is a good chance to pick up new or used gear at a great price.
Fall foliage at Mount Snow. Snow Tree village.
1) You can view our Mount Snow photostream on Flickr
2) Follow us on twitter.
2) Mount Snow resort review is here.
Oct 07 2009
“If you ski 10 + days per season, don’t miss your chance to buy a season pass and save big on lift tickets!” proclaims a widely popular advertising pitch. It is somewhat correct: buying a season pass makes sense when you log a lot of days. The question is: How many days do you need to break even?
We already covered Bromley Mountain, Stratton and Okemo Mountain Resort – all located in southern Vermont. Now, it is a turn for another southern resort – Mount Snow. Located in West Dover, Mount Snow ski resort is within a relatively short drive from NYC and features 250+ snow fan guns, 87 trails and numerous terrain parks. Considering such impressive package, it is not surprising that Mount Snow attracts a lot of skiers and snowboarders. And if you plan to frequently visit it, here is a breakdown of an adult Nor’easter season pass numbers.
We strive to be as accurate as possible, however, if you notice a mistake, please let us know and we will correct it.
Mount Snow season pass and lift ticket calendar
Q: How much does it cost to by a peak pass at Mount Snow Resort?
A: If you buy it by October 12, it will cost $1,015.43 including taxes.
Q: How long does it take to breakeven if I buy a pass by October 12?
A: It takes about 13-14 peak (13.54 if you want to be precise with numbers) days to breakeven.
Q: What is a total number of the peak days at Mount Snow?
A: There are 17 peak days in the 2009/2010 ski season. (If you buy a regular peak lift ticket. )
Q: What is the holiday lift ticket rate?
A: $75.00 for a one-day peak lift ticket.
Q: What if I ski all 17 peak days using my Mount Snow Nor’easter pass?
A: You will pay approximately $59.73 per day.
That’s it for today. Next time we will visit Magic Mountain. Stay tuned.
1) View our Vermont Photostream on Flickr.
2) Follow us on Twitter.
3) Read a review of Mount Snow here.
4) Compare this deal with adult unlimited pass at Killington Ski Resort .
5) Compare this deal with adult premier pass at Ascutney Mountain Resort .
6) Compare this deal with adult season pass at Magic Mountain Resort .
7) Compare this deal with adult full pass at Mad River Glen.
) Compare this deal with adult peak pass at Okemo Mountain Resort .
9) Compare this deal with adult standard pass at Stratton Resort .
10) Compare this deal with adult seasons pass at Bromley resort.
Sep 30 2009
A stuffed turkey or a ski vacation? I faced this dilemma a week before Thanksgiving. “Hmm, we can combine a Thanksgiving dinner with the early ski season vacation in Vermont! Mount Snow anyone?” I came up with a solution and immediately sent out emails trying to lure my friends into joining me. I promised to take gravy and cranberry sauce and hoped to have enough people to split the cost of lodging.
Those who know me well tend to take my ideas cautiously – I am a big proponent of skiing at Mount Hood in June and driving seven hours to Jay Peak for one day of powder skiing. But this time around, I had no problem selling the early ski package. Perhaps I was lucky, or maybe my friends felt it was a good time to get out of NYC. In any case, we packed an old Ford Taurus and hit I-91 in pursuit of skiing happiness.
Mount Snow in November
Most ski resorts have some terrain open by the end of November. They also offer attractive discount packages that make it a lot of sense to visit ski resorts early in the season – at least for those who can ski intermediate and advanced terrains. But we had a couple of beginners and, soon enough, I realized that convincing friends was easier than finding a ski resort that would work for all of us.
I scratched Tremblant because nobody wanted to spend a day at JFK airport. After all, it was Thanksgiving — when traffic and flight delays are as traditional as turkey and cranberry sauce. Jay Peak was very tempting; it offered huge discounts and the customer- service person sounded very optimistic about the possibility of having green trails open. However, nobody (except me) wanted to drive for seven hours, which steered enthusiasm away from Jay Peak and toward the Stowe ski resort. Stowe customer representatives sounded confident that a skating rink would be open no matter what; they weren’t sure about having beginner trails by the opening day.
Just when I thought that things were going south, my Internet search led me to an unlikely candidate located in southern Vermont – Mount Snow. The Mount Snow ski resort not only offered reasonable rates, but already had a bunny slope and one green trail open. Plus, it was just three and a half hours away from NYC. It worked for us and addressed all of our needs, so the decision was made and a condo was booked in Snow Trees Village — along with lift tickets.
We arrived at Mount Snow early on Thursday, and soon enough realized it was not easy to find someone who could help us locate our condo. Though a bit frustrated, once we finally found the condo, all logistical issues faded away. And how could they not? The one-bedroom place was spacious, had a deck, grill, and a fireplace. Plus, we brought with us a collection of fine spirits, turkey, and cranberry sauce.
Mount Snow early season skiing
The next morning — in good spirits but with heavy hangovers — we drove to the base lodge and, finally, hit the slopes. Certainly, frozen granular, occasional bare ice patches, and a limited number of trails made it difficult to enjoy skiing a whole day. But frankly, it would have been naïve to expect prime season conditions at the end of November. Sure, we hoped for an unexpected snow storm; however, having a great time with friends certainly helped to outweigh the limited November skiing at Mount Snow.
September is now almost over and the 2009/2010 ski season is not that far away. There is always a hope that Mother Nature will bless us with an unexpected blizzard. But even if she does not, it should not terminate your early season plans – just be realistic about certain aspects. Pick a resort that offers various amenities: an outdoor swimming pool, saunas, hot tubs, and a skating rink are great alternatives when the weather turns ugly. And, most importantly, round up a great company of friends!
Sep 04 2009
Mount Snow resort got its name for a reason: The snowmaking crews there make a lot of snow. The Mount Snow resort has more than 250 snowmaking fans, the most fan guns in the entire North America. When the ski season starts in November, they start coating the mountain’s four faces, 87 trails, and 12 freestyle parks with white powder. Add 156 inches of average annual snowfall, and you will get a Vermont ski resort with huge snow base depths and varied terrain – all just four hours away from NYC.
Mount Snow resort
Mount Snow prides itself on opening early in November and closing in late April. My first visit there came over Thanksgiving weekend a couple years ago, and I can personally attest to the fact that they do everything possible to have decent early season runs. The caprices of the weather in the northeast can make skiing conditions quite unpredictable, so make no mistake about it – icy crust is very common here. However, for a snow-starved skier in the northeast, icy corduroy is better than no frozen granular at all, and the management at Mount Snow resort seems to understand it by having 10 to 15 trails open during the very early season.
On my consequent ski trips to Mount Snow resort, I encountered various snow conditions but for the most part had quite positive experiences. There is plenty of terrain for all skills and levels; however, intermediate and advanced skiers should have a better choice. While the green trails are generally wide and gentle enough for beginners, icy conditions often make the trails quite challenging. Also, consider the length of certain trails. For example, Long John and Deer Run are very nice cruisers running from the summit; however, they are quite long and could be strenuous on total beginners armed only with the “pizza pie” stopping technique. Knowing how to control your skis and speed is extremely helpful in these situations and you should not overestimate your skills when it comes down to alpine skiing or snowboarding.
At the same time, there are plenty of trails for skiers and snowboarders comfortable in linking turns and taking on all levels of the beginner and intermediate terrain. The Main Face is a home for many signature trails including Snowdance, Standard, and above-mentioned Long John and Deer Run. However, if you are desperate to push the limits – and your luck – there is the whole North Face to do that. The majority of the trails are kept ungroomed for those who need extra adrenaline, steep pitches, and moguls. Aside from the famed Ripcord, an often icy and steep double black diamond trail, there are five glades for skiers and snowboarders preferring ripping through the wooded areas.
And, of course, freestylers will enjoy 12 parks, rails, boxes, and tree skiing areas at Mount Snow resort. On the top of it, there is a mini-pipe for those learning tricks, and a super-pipe build for big air stunts. Needless to say, Carinthia is a freestyle heaven for freestylers who want to learn first Tailgrab or master Frontside 360 Nosegrab. Finally, the Sunbrook area is the place where you can find the scenic cruisers and music blasting from chairlift towers along the Beartrap trail.
Mount Snow resort
At the end of a day, there are many ways to relax. The Mount Snow Grand Summit Health Club is open until 9 p.m.; they have various spa services and a heated outdoor swimming pool that I was told “is an extremely relaxing and romantic thing to do on a quiet starry evening.” There are also dozens of restaurant and bars in the area, including the Snow Barn bar that has a reputation for the best pizza in the valley.
While the Grand Summit Hotel is a nice place to stay, it is also pretty expensive lodging option. If you are on a budget, consider the condos and townhomes. I stayed in a very nice one-bedroom condo at the Snow Trees complex and can say only positive things about it. It had everything that you might need on a ski vacation: a fireplace, deck, privacy, and access to all amenities offered through the ski resort. It was relatively cheap and a short drive to the main lodge. There was only one problem with that particular lodging option: the roads around Mt. Snow resort. On a day when it rained – welcome to the northeast – and Mother Nature was in a bad mood, slush and mud made certain local roads quite challenging for a regular car.
Yet, having rain, sleet, and snow – all in one weekend – is not unusual for Vermont. The caprices of the weather can make a ski vacation in Vermont akin to a gamble, but 250+ fan snow guns, 80+ trails and just a 4-hour drive from NYC is a risk worth taking.
1) You can view our photostreams from Vermont on Flickr.
2) Follow us on Twitter.
3) Check out 2010 adult season pass deal at Mount Snow.
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