Best of the EC

[back bowl]

best place to stop before and/or after skiing: jana's cupboard, jeffersonville, VT

Janas has been gone for years now. Just an empty building.

[dumpy]

Ok I'll play, all are strictly opinions and I am by no means a knowledgeable person, I just play one on the interwebz

Best snow you've never skied (sorry, copped this category from a previous poster): Snow Ridge NY, too bad it's short and flat. Mega cheap and laid back though with some decent trees if you look for it

Best lift ticket deal (on a $vs. quality scale): Jay Peak if you have a seasons pass elsewhere

Best terrain variety: Sugarbush

Best lift: Green Mountain Flyer, quick delivery to the goods. Its worth the full body frost bite

Highest concentration of snowlerbladers: Greek Peak

Best place to get a bumper sticker for the Subaru if you're looking to be a walking stereotype: MRG

Best "I can show up in Carharts or a suit and get a good meal without feeling out of place" restaurant: River Garden Cafe near Burke Mountain

Best place to get dinner and then get sloshed: Lake Placid Brewing

I won't declare a best "small, relatively unheard of mountain", but in addition to the usual suspects (um Magic and now it sounds like Hickory), I have to add McCauley Mountain

[roark]

apres scene: Goniff's Den

[warthog]

Maybe not a category, but I find it fascinating how many kids from my tiny little home mtn are pro jibbers. Bristol Mountain in upstate NY. Tim Russell, Ahmet Dadali, and Will Wesson have made a career out of it. Andy Parry and Ahmets brother are amatuers teetering on being pro, I believe. There's a couple others I don't know from the same crew, and probably more on their way.

Yup- same for Holiday Valley and Kissing Bridge. Not much else to do on those small mtns. Bumps used to rule, but now it is park and big hits.

[JMO]

Best spot for cougar hunting - the bar at Stowe Mountain Lodge?

[Natedogg]

Best forum for internet geek 'skiers': TGR

[DoWork]

Dude, you should just say fuck the plain old "best of" installment. It's so played out, it really lacks the gravitas it should have. Every magazing out there has done it to death, and it's the same list every time. We all know the Jay cloud dumps the pow, MRG is teh gnar, The Bush is the shit, etc. etc. etc.

My suggestion would be a "Best you've never heard of" issue.

In which places like the VT Snowbowl, Hickory and Magic can get some ink time, and people will scratch their heads and say "Wait, where?" We all know the best is crazy far north like Jay, MRG etc but shit man- everbody already knows that so why bother saying it again? I hate waiting in line be it for a beer or a ride on a lift. Make an issue for me and dirtbag car campers such as myself.

Easy ways to save some ching like Jiminy's e-coupons or the like are a great way to save dough, and I'd spend some time researching the other easy ways to save a buck people might not know about.

Film companies (like that guys?) like FIS could get their shizz out there.

Ski companies like PMG, ON3P, Moment and Folsom could get some press.

Places to eat like BBQ Bob's on I think VT 100 (edit: yeah, the trailer on page 1!) could get some love, the New American Grill in L'derry, and The VT Pizza Stone in Chester are all small places that have HUGE bang for the buck factor and heady-ass food. I mean, who hasn't gotten bombed at the Wobbly or [insert name here] located at the base of [enter name of sick mt here]? In a big ski town there's obviously going to be a concentration of businesses near the mtn, but there's still got to be some hidden jems worth sharing.

Just my .02, carry on.

[Woodlandclown]

Best cloud that is not Jay: Lyon Mtn, NY

Best local apres ski: Steinhoffs on the beer:30 trail (new this year, but must know local to find it!) Runner-up - Lisa G's

Best beer: UBU at Lake Placid brew pub--done

Best mtn that has a cool local crowd of awesome skiers and less downstate gapers and no lift lines: WHITEFACE!

[lionelhutz]

Totally agree that the "best of" as traditional is played out. That was the whole point of my original post.

Really digging will find you some great info and actually do a service to your readers. They will find new places to explore and keep little know areas/bars alive.

[Woodlandclown]

Best place to get lost and love every second: High Peaks

Ha - maybe Wolf Jaws in particular??

[BestofShow]

My suggestion would be a "Best you've never heard of" issue.

Agreed. Or call it "EC Hidden gems."

[Woodlandclown]

Totally agree that the "best of" as traditional is played out. That was the whole point of my original post.

Really digging will find you some great info and actually do a service to your readers. They will find new places to explore and keep little know areas/bars alive.

I got your point!

[BigDaddy]

Okay JMO, sorry for the smart ass answer... now some more legit stuff (since you're a Pats fan and all!).

Some Hidden Gems (great idea, btw):

Middlebury Snow Bowl: cheap tickets (I mean 1950's prices!), great family lodge/shop, never crowded and good skiing.

Best breakfast and/or lunch: Rochester Cafe, Rochester, VT. Just what you'd imagine for a down home Vermont cafe. No pretenses, GREAT food, and friendly waitstaff.

Best bakery: Red Hen Bakery http://www.redhenbaking.com/

Best cozy apres ski beers/burgers (where you will be happy): Purple Moon Pub, Waitsfield (All entres are EXCELLENT... right VT-F?)

Best informal/formal apres ski (where your wife and kids will be happy): Trax, the basement bar of the Pitcher Inn. Great food, the ultimate hunting lodge atmosphere, but cozy and intimate with lots of games (darts, shuffleboard, pool, etc.).

Best Pizza: American Flatbread, Waitsfield (no contest, but everybody already knows this.)

[IskiEC]

Best turkey club / ride home meal: Blackey's - Killington, VT

cranberry mayo is bliss

McKeever Melt baby!

[lionelhutz]

Ha - maybe Wolf Jaws in particular??

Pretty much. Though I'd add we never got lost- just didn't end up in the right spot. We knew where we were the whole time.

And does Steinhoff's have a new ownership? That place has been for sale forever. Like the entire lodge complex and 18 acres of land for 450K.

[JMO]

I understand the "bag the whole best of idea" sentiment. The fact is, we're not a ski mag - we're a mag dedicated to showcasing the best of the North Shore. In fact, that's our tagline. And skiing is a major part of what our readers do. Those readers are primarily older, wealthy, and like to go skiing up north. So, while other ski mags have done the best of thing to death, we've never done it and we think our readers want to know what we think about skiing in New England, hence the story.

All of these suggestions are awesome - please keep them coming. And Lionel, I'd love to mention famousinternetskiers.com as a weather source. Hell, that's where I go. Not to mention, there's some killer photography there, too (nice work, gpetrics et al.).

[Woodlandclown]

McKeever Melt baby!

Nice! I may have to head over there and get that.

[Woodlandclown]

Best Lift Ticket prices: Hickory Hill or Big Tupper--two resorts located in the Adirondacks that are re-opening after many years closed. these are two hidden gems for sure!

[BushwackerinPA]

Stowe Dogs in stowe - to this pittsburgher the maple and bacon dog was FKNA awesome.

best mountain south of New York

Blue Knob, Pa aka MRG south

[lionelhutz]

Question re: Big Tupper- They going to shut down the earn your turns too?

[MMP]

best breakfast in MRV - The Big Picture Cafe next to the movie theater in Waitsfield. Killer Bloody Mary's and food. Huevos Rancheros, Salmon Eggs Benedict. mmmmmmmmmm

Best party in the lodge after skiing all day- The Annual Gala at Mad River Glen. Cool people, rocking band, fireworks, $2.00 PBR's,

Best weatherman turned freeheeler- Lionelhutz

[Woodlandclown]

Question re: Big Tupper- They going to shut down the earn your turns too?

I can see not allowing during the day when lifts are running--beyond that I doubt they would have a problem. Same with Hickory. Even at Whiteface you can hike up when they are closed and noone bothers you. I am sure hickory and tupper will be the same. Just take it as a challenge.

[elevens]

Best summit chair when everywhere else is on wind hold.



Red chair, Magic. It's so sheltered in the trees your lighter always works on th 13 minute ride up.

Fixed it for you!!!

[Aldo]

Best place to "borrow" a lighter from a stranger - Magic of course.

[BigDaddy]

we're a mag dedicated to showcasing the best of the North Shore. In fact, that's our tagline. And skiing is a major part of what our readers do. Those readers are primarily older, wealthy, and like to go skiing up north.

JMO, my north shore friends fit that demographic, but tend to be Maine oriented. I've tried for years to get them to buy in VT, but it's a pain for them to connect to 93, as opposed to shooting up 95. Just thinking, you may want to focus on the 4S Club (feel free to use that, I just made it up)... Sugarloaf, Sunday River, Shawnee Peak and Saddleback. Most have younger kids too, so kid friendliness is important.

Saddleback has grown, but is virtually empty. I think (as well as my north shore friends) that it would be a great place to buy a house now. Great skiing and there are also lots of great lakes. Unless you're going all the way up to Burke Mt., there aren't many ski areas in VT that are close to good lakes, too. Anyhow, I hope that helps you, but that's the direction I'd probably head.