The Skiers' Guide to Mount Snow

Located at the most southern tip of the Green Mountain spine, Mount Snow is Vermont’s closest ski resort with an elevation above 3,000ft to the NYC and Boston metro areas. With four mountain faces and two recent high-speed lift additions in 2022, Mount Snow is designed for you to easily toggle between your terrain preferences. The resort includes 601 acres of skiable terrain with 87 runs ranging in difficulty from beginner to advanced. Whether you’re a never-ever and deserve time on the magic carpets, or you’re charging Carinthia, the only terrain park in the East Coast to host the X-Games (2000 and 2001), the mountain layout is palatable, easy to understand and family friendly. Mount Snow is owned by Vail Resorts, which acquired the resort in 2019. As such, Mount Snow is part of the Epic Pass.

Before we point our tips and get into the skiing, you should be aware that certain parking zones require downloading an app and a quick $20 swipe. That said, if you’ve got a car full of groms, your move is the drop-off zone at Main Base Lodge, then go scout a spot (Lot D is the easiest free zone). If you want to be sneaky, park at Carinthia, which also offers a free zone, and is one ride up the high-speed quad to access the Main Face and Sunbrook.

From the Main Base you’ve got two high-speed summit lift options: The Bluebird 6-Pack (No, that’s not a Vermont IPA) and the Grand Summit Quad, which is the recommended route to avoid the lines if you’re chill without the luxury bubble’s wind protection. If you get a late start and there’s already lines for the Bluebird and Grand Summit, take the Canyon Quad and lap some playful blues/greens to get warmed up on Snowdance, Overbrook, Rollercoaster, and One More Time, which has some flowy trees if you dip in on the bottom half of skiers left.

Another move off the Canyon Quad is heading straight to the North Face from there, which is where you want to be for advanced groomers or on a pow day with the steepest pitches on the mountain. There’s over 7 black trails to choose from fed by two fixed grip triples that allow you to catch your breath and rest your quads. Ripcord is the signature double black that goes head to head with any steep bump run in the east with a pitch of 37 degrees, with two sneaky cliff drops in the trees on skier’s right about halfway down and then at the bottom of the pitch on skier’s left. Jaws is one of my favorite’s – A sneaky double fall line that plays well and doesn’t get skied off. If there’s bumps, the troughs won’t be too deep here. If you love trees and want to save the knees, waste no time heading to The Trials, off skier’s left of Olympic. Need more moguls? Head to Sunbrook and you’ll find a short double lift at Bear Trap to get your fix.

Don’t get me wrong, though, the Main Face offers a healthy mix of smooth and steep pitches for skiers and riders. Whether you’re lapping the relatively new Sundance 6-Pack or one of the summit lifts, you’ll want to arc ‘em wide on more open runs like Ridge Run, South Bowl, Lodge, Exhibition, and Canyon. There’s snowmaking on all and typically some of the best snow coverage on the hill.

The easiest way down from the summit is Long John. Take this with a grain of salt though and keep your head on a swivel because this is where beginners will be switchbacking their pizzas just trying to get to the base lodge in one piece. Speaking of Long John, the resort has a variety of easy, wider runs near the base with Launch Pad being another great run for beginners. The resort also caters well to intermediates and advanced skiers with well-divided terrain, ranging from smooth, groomed blues to bumpy black diamonds.

Moving onto the snow parks at Winter Park, Carinthia in the 2000-2010 era wore the crown as hands-down the top terrain park in the Northeast. Although Killington, Stratton, and Seven Springs have recently leveled the playing field, Nitro and Gulch are still standing with a killer park crew that lives and breathes freestyle. The designs in some of these builds are impeccable and the resort continues to invest in early season snowmaking to build a couple of 20-foot booters on Gulch and one of the longest park runs in the east with Nitro, which typically offers 10+ features and 6+ medium sized jumps. There’s a reason the Stratton Mountain School’s Freestyle Team trains here. Come and check it out!

At the resort, our top recommendations are The Bullwheel at the summit for a hot sandwich and soup, Tony’s Pizza for a big slice or the Iron Loft at Carinthia for wings, fries, or even an NY Strip – It’s better than the cafeterias. And yes, there’s even a waffle cabin at Main Base.

On your drive in, stop at Sticky Fingers for their crafted, maple iced coffees and mind-boggling cinnamon rolls. Another good move is to pick up a sandwich at Snow Mountain Market or River Valley Market, which usually has the food truck, Nomad Chefs, open for a ramen lunch.

If you’re celebrating or just want to treat yourselves to a nice dinner, head to Two Tannery – the place has been there for 20+ years and the menu is timeless. The Hermitage Inn is a beautiful spot with sophisticated food and wine options and is well worth the higher price tag. Alpenglow, located in Wilmington is right up there with some of the best cuisine in the valley offering European-style cuisine.

Got kids? Go to Last Chair because their arcade keeps them busy for hours while you catch live music at the bar with another menu that doesn’t miss and has been in the valley for 10+ years.

Looking for casual bites with immaculate vibes... Everything starts at DBAG’s. That’s the Dover Bar and Grill, which is also our top après spot. The kitchen stays open ‘til 10pm, the crowd is filled with a mix of locals and traveling skiers alike, just here for the weekend on the Epic Pass. The smashburger, tacos, and $2 PBR are our favorite.

The two breweries in town, Valley Craft Ales and Snow Republic, will also be bumping on weekends. Valley Craft Ales, at the traffic lights in Wilmington, makes out-of-this-world New Haven style pizzas and crispy, delicious craft beer that pair perfectly after a day in the cold. There’s often live music with a mix of country, indie and other alternative rippers. It’s an easy spot to post up with kids, too, and make sure you get the meatballs to start, and gelato at the finish line for a victory lap.

We’ve already awarded the après gold star to Dbag’s, which is just a mile from the resort and stays open ‘til midnight. At the mountain, Cuzzins Bar & Grill is easily #1 with the classic Bruce Jacques Show on Saturdays - a plethora of sing-along cover hits and more outfit changes than beers you’ll drink. The Station Tap Room is a nice hideaway, which is also located in the Main Base Lodge and offers live tunes once the lifts shut down.

Snow Republic’s craft beer selection is also a great move for après with a mixture of chilled reggae playlists and local live performers. A nightlife classic is the Snowbarn Series. Every Saturday night they put on concerts ranging from 5-piece classic rock to Daft Punk cover bands, it’s a fun vibe to bob your head and catch a show.

The short answer is yes. Accommodating families has been a part of Mount Snow’s DNA for decades, and their reputation lives up to the vibe you feel when interacting with resort staff. Mount Snow definitely has more of a family vibe when compared to Killington and Stratton. The ski schools and daily instructors are great and there’s an extensive training program ranging from racing, freestyle, and snowboarding which former Olympians Kelly Clark and Devin Logan call home.

The Grand Summit Hotel is owned by the resort and features ski-in, ski-out with an outdoor heated pool and hot tubs, but comes at a premier price point. Other options for an upper scale stay include The Hermitage Inn, Sawmill Inn at Farm Road Estate and The White House. For the best bang for your buck, check out The Kitzhof Inn or take the rental route with plenty of options available, catering to all budgets via Airbnb, VRBO and Rentals Only.

As Mount Snow is part of Vail Resorts, it is part of the overarching Epic Promise. Setting their sights on zero, here are the commitments:

• Zero Net Emissions by 2030.
• Zero Waste to Landfill by 2030.
• Zero Operating Impact on Forests and Habitat.

Pros

• One of the closest options with an altitude above 3000feet within a 2-4 hour drive from NYC, CT, and Boston areas.
• 480 hectares of snow making
• One of the best Snow Park setups in the Northeast
• Year-Round events like Brewer’s Festival, Summer Block Parties, and Sink or
• Skim
• Down to earth vibe (for a Vail resort)

Cons

• Lift lines, especially at The Bluebird Express on weekends
• Paid parking in most zones. Read the signs when you pull in, or plan ahead
• Most of the steep and challenging terrain is on The North Face (could also
• be viewed as a pro)