Advice from VT mags?

[Moeghoul]

Jay: Bump for the Belfrey, Journey, the owners daughter, is a real sweetie behind the bar. For a cheap room, the Snow Line lodge is less than a mile from the base lodge, bfast included, but they must have a bad well cuz the water smells a bit farty. Jay Village Inn is another option with rooms and an inn wrapped in one.

MRG: Bump for the Hydeaway Inn. If you like something a tad grittier and stoner-like, check out the Slidebrook Lodge and Tavern, cheap rooms and a pub downstairs.

[Woodlandclown]

I think there's a d in that word.
Then again me spell engrish not best at somtimes times.

But i wasnt calling him that, that wouldnt be very nice to the learning disabled now would it?

[dumpy]

MRG: Bump for the Hydeaway Inn. If you like something a tad grittier and stoner-like, check out the Slidebrook Lodge and Tavern, cheap rooms and a pub downstairs.

I'll also jump on the Hydeaway bandwagon, didn't stay there, but ate there and the food was very good. Cool, laid back atmosphere and a good beer selection too. Not far at all from Sugarbush either.

[Helldawg]

Sorry to hear you're so dead set on VT this week, the crowds will be hellacious. The only truly good suggestion in this thread was the guy who told you to jump a plane to UT. They've been getting plastered with the goods for days.

But instead you will ski hardpack and glare ice with every schoolkid and soccer mom in the northeast. So to ease that pain, I will try to provide some useful non-skiing advice...

Don't miss the Alchemist. It's the shit. Get a t-shirt too, they are mad cool.

I'd forego Smuggs/Stowe and head right to Bolton to avoid the crowds.

Try to leave yourself a night to party in Burlington. And pop in @ Magic Hat to try their latest, and walk away with a growler or three.

I hope we're all full of shit and you have great conditions and no mobs. Go git 'em tiger.

[ex-powderbroker]

If you like that feeling of being places where skiing matters, you can't go wrong with the boltons and burkes, jay and mrg's.

or Mt. Rose if you're still headed out that way.

more advice: check out the EC roll call thread to see where people are skiing. It hasn't been mentioned yet, but that thread is awesome.

[From_the_NEK]

If you like that feeling of being places where skiing matters, you can't go wrong with the boltons and burkes, jay and mrg's.

or Mt. Rose if you're still headed out that way.

more advice: check out the EC roll call thread to see where people are skiing. It hasn't been mentioned yet, but that thread is awesome.

I second the Burke recommendation. There hasn't been a lift line there yet this year. Jay will likely be mobed during the holiday. It used to be pretty quite there during US holidays but now everyone goes there.

[paulster2626]

Alright I'm all set!

Tuesday - staying at Snowshoe Lodge near Jay, wake up and ski Jay Peak.
Wednesday - staying at Sun and Ski in Stowe (hot tub sold me). Wake up and ski Stowe or something close by.
Thursday & Friday - staying at Quittner's near MRG. Wake up and ski MRG or Sugarbush, depending on the conditions.

Also for those who say that my week will suck, remember the following:
-what is considered bad conditions for you is normal for me. I have been to VT several times when I was a kid, and it has always been icy. I am expecting nothing less.
-I live in very flat land, so the skiing here is very boring. Anything over 700' will be an improvement.
-I will bring the snow. Wait and see.

Next week's gonna kick ass, although it might be a little lonely at times. Hopefully I can get some good shots/vids and provide some entertainment to you all. I'll plan out how I'm gonna hit all the "don't miss" beer spots this weekend while I'm stuck at work. And if anyone will be at these places next week and would like me to give them a free lesson on how to ski properly, just let me know!

Thanks for the help everyone.

[paulster2626]

Well, the silly border guard actually let me in to the country. I have arrived at Jay, or more specifically the Snow Shoe Lodge. For $39 the room is pretty good!

If anyone is in the area and wants to ski tomorrow, let me know or come by for a beer (on me, of course!). Wish I brought the camera->computer cord so I could upload a funny photo.

Also, it appears that some snow may in fact be following me. But I will keep quiet on this for now.

[coreyb]

looks like you're gonna have a good time afterall...nice storm moving in... enjoy!

[paulster2626]

looks like you're gonna have a good time afterall...nice storm moving in... enjoy!

You ain't kidding - Jay was good today, it was rare to see anyone on a run. Got pretty icy after lunch, and I was tired from doing non-stop laps so I packed it in at about 2:30. The lift lines were so non-existent, I only rode on a chair with other people twice. Couldn't get the face chutes off the list though, as the conditions were not too good, and then the tram closed due to high winds. It was precisely Vermont skiing as I remember it.

Got pretty drunk at the Snow Shoe last night - went down there at about 5 and left around midnight, started off by trying a pint of every beer on tap, then moved to shots of jaeger and jamieson's. Good people in town to talk to, as well. Room was actually pretty good too - highly recommend anyone passing through Montgomery make a stop there. They've got really good food as well.

Starting to snow here in Stowe now, just a few flakes but hopefully it picks up hard. Gotta ski Goat tomorrow.

[Dudley]

Sounds like you are scoring... glad the nay-sayers didnt hold you back.

[TBone]

You ain't kidding - Jay was good today, it was rare to see anyone on a run. Got pretty icy after lunch, and I was tired from doing non-stop laps so I packed it in at about 2:30. The lift lines were so non-existent, I only rode on a chair with other people twice. Couldn't get the face chutes off the list though, as the conditions were not too good, and then the tram closed due to high winds. It was precisely Vermont skiing as I remember it.

Got pretty drunk at the Snow Shoe last night - went down there at about 5 and left around midnight, started off by trying a pint of every beer on tap, then moved to shots of jaeger and jamieson's. Good people in town to talk to, as well. Room was actually pretty good too - highly recommend anyone passing through Montgomery make a stop there. They've got really good food as well.

Starting to snow here in Stowe now, just a few flakes but hopefully it picks up hard. Gotta ski Goat tomorrow.

Good stuff man, hope the weather delivers for you.

About Stowe, yeah, you gotta ski goat, but it usually sucks balls (ice, rocks, etc). Your best bet is to poke around the trees if you're up for it. Enjoy!

[coreyb]

tomorrow will be the day. enjoy it man... you're gonna wake up to a pretty nice gift...

[paulster2626]

Woke up to this. It's still snowing hard.




Time for a quick breakfast and then out to the mountain to kill it!

[paulster2626]

Alright, time to end this thread with where I went and what I did, for the benefit of someone who uses the search feature in the future. I'll apologize in advance for the lame photos, but since I was skiing alone I did not bring the SLR, and I find it hard to take good skiing pics alone. Full gallery is at http://gallery.me.com/pauloldershaw#100034

Anyway, here it is:

Started out on Tuesday driving out to VT from west of Toronto. After about 6 hours on the road, I can finally see some mountains on the horizon.



A couple hours, one smelly hitchhiker, and a curious border guard later, I arrived at the Snow Shoe Lodge in Montgomery. Went inside and paid Abe the $39 for the room, and was pleasantly surprised at the accommodations - not too bad for a cheap room above a bar!





Woke up hung over, and it was time to ski Jay. After a quick shower in my room above the Snow Shoe pub, I noticed that someone had left a secret message for me on the window:



Met up with Mark who was at the Snow Shoe pub last night, who would show me around for the morning. No fresh snow, but rumours of a storm or two coming our way had us excited. Time to get started on getting some demons off my list - today's mission, Green Beret.



Looks like I'm 0/1 so far, as the front face was closed due to icy conditions. High winds later shut the tram down.

At about 2pm, the hill had gotten pretty icy so I packed it in and started off for Stowe. I rolled in to the Sun and Ski Lodge, and found the people (lady) running the place kind of weird. They had no record of my request for a reservation, and acted like it was a big problem. It turned out that they had a ton of rooms available anyway, so WTF does it matter if I've got a reservation? Anyhow, they weren't mean or anything, just kind of weird. Room was clean and comfortable, and had a fridge and hot tub nearby, which was a treat. The famous Rusty Nail was only an 8 minute walk, so I headed out to check it out. Too bad it was closed though, guess there's not much party demand on a Wednesday night. Oh well, it was starting to dump - better to go to bed early anyhow.



Went down the street to the Sunset Grill, which was a great bar and had great food. Met Bob, the owner of the Fiddler's Green Inn up the street, and he was such a good guy to talk to. Perhaps I'll stay there next time...
Woke up to 6" of fresh snow. Who knows what I'd find on the mountain? Since today's mission included the front 4 at Stowe, I had better wear my "Extreme Skiing" underwear.



I then went over to get my free breakfast at the Sun and Ski, but the lady told me that breakfast wouldn't be served until 8:00. I told her that I'd be leaving to ski some fresh - good thing I packed those granola bars. As I drove the 15 minutes to the mountain, I wondered what time Bob would have breakfast ready at the Fiddler's Green Inn.
Got to the base of Stowe at 7:20, and to my surprise the lifts were already spinning. Parted ways with $89 and hopped on the Forerunner - excitement was looming!



All runs were open at Stowe, and a local mag was nice enough to PM me some directions to good stuff in the woods. I somehow found myself skiing what I think is the hairiest line I've ever skied - steep chute in the woods funneled me in to a 6-foot waterfall that had me stop and plan out my route fora coule minutes. Bonus is that after this, things flattened out a little, and it was nothing but more deep snow in the woods for the next 1500'. I hit these lines all day, and made National, Liftline, Starr, and Goat my new bitches. Found some excellent stuff in the woods to skier's left of Goat, there was more than snow to be found in there.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hzpZPqGfjrY

Still lots of untracked goodness after lunch, which I enjoyed to the fullest. I'd guess there was about 10" of new snow that fell that night. I had an issue after a few runs though - somehow my lift ticket fell off in the woods. Props to the guest services staff at Stowe though - they had a new one ready for me in 2 seconds. Remember to always buy lift tickets with your credit card!



After a long tiring day at Stowe, it was then off to the Mad River Glen area. Next stop was Quittner's Stark View Lodge, a B&B reccommended by someone in this thread. As I drove there, I saw the famous Alchemist and wanted to stop for a beer, but it was closed for some reason. Oh well - I'm sure I'll hit it next time.
I was a little earlier than I had told Al when I'd be arriving, so I had to wait for him to let me in - only 5 minutes though. Al was a super-nice guy, and really made me feel at home in his place. It felt like I was staying with a friend, and I forgot that the place was costing me money.
Woke up on day 3 to ski Mad River Glen, and once again the snow had come overnight. Another 6" or so on the car, which means 8"+ on the mountain. Al made us the biggest breakfast I'd had in a while, with french toast, eggs, fruit, and bagels and english muffins to boot. He kept stuffing me with food, which would later turn out to be a great idea as it would easily carry me until 1:00. Al even wrapped up some banana bread for me to take as a snack. What a guy!
After a few warmup runs in some large, soft bumps and a few laps in some fabulous woods, it was time to find Paradise. This run really lived up to it's name - steep, narrow, and soft, this run was amazing.



Anytime I get the opportunity to hit Beaver, I take it:


At about 4:00 I was to meet up with Al for a beer at the pub at the bottom of MRG, and it just started to dump. That bar there is great - perfect mountain vibe, and smiles everywhere as people enjoy the live music and tell stories about the excellent ski day we all just had. The Single Chair Ale was delicious!

Left and went back to Al's B&B, and since it was really starting to snow I didn't want to go out and drive somewhere for dinner. Al threw together a pretty tasty pasta meal for us, and I provided some leftover pizza I had in the car from the day before.
Had another great sleep, and woke up to a ton more snow. Sadly, it was time to leave. If I am to be able to take these spontaneous trips in the future, I'd better get back home to the wife as planned...



So, all in all I'd give this trip a 10/10. The Snow Shoe Lodge and Quittner's Stark View Lodge were top-notch places to stay. People said I shouldn't go, as there would be crowds. They were wrong - aside from the single chair at MRG, I came across 2 lift lines the entire trip! People said I shouldn't go, as the snow conditions would suck. Well, it's still dumping out there from what I hear, so that was wrong too (I told you it snows wherever I go!). Bottom line - if anyone is reading this and is questioning a trip out to VT - just go! If you want more advice, just let me know.

Thank you everyone who helped me get this trip dialed in. I really appreciate all the advice that was given.

I can't wait to go back.

[paulster2626]

Bumping my old thread since I'm out tomorrow morning for a repeat of this trip. My old man is coming this time, and it looks like I'm bringing more snow with me (this always happens...).

If anyone wants to hook up for a beer and/or some skiing, here's my plan:

Tuesday - Drive to VT, staying at Snow Shoe Lodge near Jay.
Wednesday - Skiing Jay, heading down to Stowe for the night (staying @ Fiddler's Green).
Thursday - Skiing Stowe, heading down to MRG area (Staying with Al @ Stark View).
Friday - Skiing MRG
Saturday - driving home, but if it keeps snowing then it's another day at MRG/Sugarbush.

So it's on, bitches - if anyone will be hitting these spots over the next few days let me know. PM me with your cell # and I'll send you a text.

[ikkin]

Bump the Alchemist ...That place istop notch. Good food, better beer and good people. I have very fond memories...

My favorite in Stowe is definitely The SHED...It's a VT classic...not to be missed.

yep yep. alchemist and shed.

shed burger, mountain ale, and b+j brownie sundae. best post-ski meal in the world. sit in the pub. much better vibe and free popcorn.

[gpcharles]

ROCK ON! awesome report... looks like you were living the dream! make it happen again and again!