Sugarbush Ski Resort – Classic Vermont Skiing
Come on, it’s only an hour and a half drive!” I tried to persuade my friends to drive with me to Sugarbush ski resort. They hesitated, and I understood why—who wants to squander time when three ski areas lie within a 25-minute drive from our place in southern VT?
“They have fresh natural snow—just an hour and a half from our Vermont ski cabin.” I kept pushing images of fluffy powder. An indisputable argument could have been made that we should stay put on local frozen granular; however, the promised powder was tempting enough to sway objections. Although my friends got cantankerous halfway to Sugarbush resort, all their arguments and pleas were too late at that point. When we finally arrived—after two hours and twenty minutes—I felt the need to hide somewhere; that feeling of guilt lasted until we made the first run—fluffy powder covered the trails, and a snow-starved skier will pay any price for fresh snow.
Sugarbush ski resort in Vermont
Sugarbush is a huge mountain with 111 trails, 16 lifts, breathtaking views, and lots of pure Vermont skiing and snowboarding fun. It is a popular Vermont ski resort and attracts many skiers and snowboarders, but multiple ski lifts—including a scenic lift between Lincoln and Ellen Mountains—help ease any waiting.
Beginners should head toward the Gate House Express Quad lift; it serves a couple of easy green and blue trails and seems the ideal launch pad for mastering ski turns. A black diamond trail is also marked—quite easy judging by the way a friend with intermediate skills handled it—as well as a glade to test your skills. In addition, a couple of the beginner trails are located on Mount Ellen.
If you’re comfortable on your skis or snowboard, you have many more options to explore. For starters, take the Heavens Gate triple lift to the top of Lincoln Peak. The views are breathtaking, and Jester is one of the best cruisers not only at Sugarbush ski area but also in the entire East. If you are up to serious physical exercise, I wholeheartedly recommend taking the Paradise or Ripcord double black diamond trails. The gigantic moguls, when coupled with icy crust, will push your stamina to the limit. Another good choice is Egan’s Woods, a very dense glade where you will have plenty of time but narrow spaces in which to work on ski turns. A note of caution: if you ski in wooded areas, do so with a couple of friends. It is very easy to make a wrong turn, hit a tree branch, and sink in deep snow.
If risk taking and adrenaline are must-have ingredients in your “best day” formula, head toward Castlerock Peak. If you approach it from Lincoln Peak, a very short but steep and moguled trail leads to the Castle rock double lift chair serving the area. If you can’t make it down that trail you really should not be on that double chair—stick to intermediate trails. Once you get to the top, breathe in, breathe out, and hit the narrow twisting trails. A couple of runs—with never-ending moguls—on that peak will be a good physical test for your legs.
If your style calls for Vermont backcountry skiing, a guided tour of Sugarbush Slide Brook Basin is a unique feature worth exploring. Not only you will test runs of more than two thousand vertical feet—all in the woods—you will also have the chance to learn about winter survival skills. And, finally, they have the only cabin cat in New England.
- Sugarbush ski resort in Vermont
Our first day at Sugarbush Mountain resort came to an end very quickly. Five hours of nonstop ole good Vermont skiing and snowboarding had flown by, and we had to head home. I looked at my friends’ faces while trying to gauge their feelings and the potential consequences of my brash decision.
For a second I allowed myself to relax a bit—after all, most images painted by me in the morning have lived up to expectations by the end of the day. The problem was coming up with new ones, because we had another drive of more than two hours on dark and narrow Route 100.
“Come on, it’s just an hour and a half drive.” I started another round of make-me-feel-good speeches. “We have a hot tub, and an excellent local deli sells good food and micro-brews. They’ll be closing right before we get home—at 10 p.m.” I was talking to my friends while clutching the wheel and trying not to fall asleep. Hearing no response, I cautiously looked over my shoulder—they were all sleeping, perhaps dreaming about fantastic snow conditions and a BBQ.
“Damn it! Who really wants to squander time when three resorts are available within a 25-minute drive?” I thought, fighting off sleep and the annoying sound of snoring from the backseat. Oh well, there is a price for everything—including fresh snow.
