Rachel's Reviews - MountainReviews.com

Timberline

Rachel reviewed Timberline on October 03, 2007

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I had the opportunity to ski Timberline in July 2007, and it was a lot of fun. There's basically only one run open, but 1500 ft of vertical on a 50-something degree day in late July is a pretty good time, if you ask me.

The snow is slushy, of course, but not bad, especially before 10am or so (the lifts open at 7am). The race lanes are salted better than the public lane, and once those open up later in the morning the conditions are even better.

The parks are the real draw here, I think. The public park was too big for me at this point, but it had a ton of rails and bunch of decently-sized jumps. There's also a public halfpipe.

Timberline is definitely worth a visit in the summer if you're within a 3-4 hour drive.

Bretton Woods

Rachel reviewed Bretton Woods on February 27, 2007

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Fantastic easier trees

We spent all day at Bretton Woods in the Rosebrook Glades and in the glades on West Mountain, and they were fantastic. The glades in Rosebrook were a bit tighter, steeper and generally more challenging than the glades on West Mountain, but we found them all very skiiable -- the perfect mix of challenging and fun (we're all upper-intermediate/advanced skiers). We were also fortunate enough to be visiting the weekend after the big storm on February 14th, so the conditions were really fantastic. It was easily the best tree skiing I've ever done in the east.

Also, the views of Mt. Washington from this whole area are really great. Much more impressive views than the VT scenery we're used to.

The only drawback of the immediate Bretton Woods area is that the dining/nightlife options are super-slim. If you're staying longer than a weekend either (1) be willing to dress up and spend big bucks at the Mt. Washington Hotel or the Inn, or (2) stay in a nearby town where there's more than one restaurant.

Brighton

Rachel reviewed Brighton on January 16, 2007

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Great for advanced intermediates

I had a really good time at Brighton - they just seemed to have a ton of terrain that was right at my level, keeping me challenged without being too intimidating.

There's lots of really fun easier tree skiing off the Snake Creek Express lift to the skier's right that's perfect for the aspiring tree skier. All of the runs under the Great Western Express were also a lot of fun. And if terrain parks are your thing, this is definitely the place to go.

Brighton is really popular with snowboarders, but they seemed to stay around the terrain parks more than anything. It's definitely a younger crowd than the rest of the Salt Lake City area resorts, but it didn't bother me. Brighton is definitely worth a visit for skiers and snowboarders alike.

Solitude

Rachel reviewed Solitude on January 16, 2007

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No crowds, something for everyone

The name says it all. We were at Solitude over a holiday weekend (MLK Day) and we still never waited in a lift line. On Thursday we practically had the place to ourselves.

As far as terrain goes, Solitude really has something for everyone. Plenty of challenging trees, bumps and steeps along with all levels of groomed runs. The lift layout makes it a little hard to get around, but it's not too bad.

Try the public race course if it's open -- it's a ton of fun. For $2 you get a gated start and a timed run down a basic course.

If you like Snowbird and Alta, try Solitude for much of the same skiing with fewer crowds.

Mount Southington

Rachel reviewed Mount Southington on August 29, 2006

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Good for casual intermediates and beginners

I grew up in central Connecticut and did a good bit of my early skiing at Mt. Southington. Overall it's nothing to write home about, but if you're a beginning skier it'll do just fine. There's not a lot of reason to drive 2 or 3 hours to a bigger mountain if you're going to spend all day on the bunny hill.

Once you make your way from beginner to intermediate, though, it's probably worth the drive to Vermont or New York for better snow and more challenging terrain. However, if you're a casual intermediate skier who only skis a day or two per season, there's probably enough for you here.

Also, be sure to time your vists around the weather. It's too warm in Connecticut to maintain the conditions reliably, and if it hasn't snowed for a while things get pretty bare pretty quickly.

Alta

Rachel reviewed Alta on August 23, 2006

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Fun and challenging all around

I really, really like Alta. It has everything that's great about Snowbird (tons of snow, challenging terrain), while also throwing in some nice cruisers and more varied terrain in general for when you want to relax a little. Also, they don't allow snowboarders, which is either a positive or negative depending on who you ask.

I particularly enjoyed the area around the Supreme lift. Enough room to cruise, with lots of opportunities to cut corners, slip into the trees, etc to make things a little more interesting. I also really liked the runs off the Wildcat lift, though I wasn't quite a good enough skier to enjoy the stuff right under it.

I can't say enough about Alta. It really has something for everyone.

Park City Mountain

Rachel reviewed Park City Mountain on August 23, 2006

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Solid, but not my favorite

Park City has something for everyone, and the town itself is great. However, compared to the other mountains in Park City and the general Salt Lake City area, Park City isn't my favorite place to ski. I'm not sure why - the mountain just feels generally more crowded, and the intermediate/advanced terrain isn't as interesting to me.

I've never tried a lot of the most advanced stuff, though, and everyone I've talked to who's skiied the bowls off the Jupiter lift seem to think they're excellent.

My advice to people going to Park City (the town) is to stay in town for the restaurants and nightlife, ski Park City for a day or so, and make sure to catch the free buses to Deer Valley and The Canyons and spend some time at those mountains as well.

The Canyons

Rachel reviewed The Canyons on August 22, 2006

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Enormous, something for everyone

The Canyons is just so big. I skied there for one day in January '06, and I feel like I barely scratched the surface of what's there.

I really enjoyed the Snow Meadow area off the Dreamscape lift. I feel like this area is pretty unique to the Canyons - I haven't been to any other ski areas yet that have intermediate terrain like this. It kind of gives you a taste of bowl/tree/bump skiing without being too intimidating.

I think I would have really enjoyed the double blues and blacks off the Super Condor Express if I hadn't been so exhausted by the time we got there.

If you're just spending one day at the Canyons, I'd recommend not trying to cover the whole mountain; it's just too big. Pick a few sections and spend more time skiing and less time getting places.

Gore Mountain

Rachel reviewed Gore Mountain on August 22, 2006

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Decent intermediate mountain

I skiied Gore maybe 4 times from 2001-2004 as an intermediate skier, and always had a decent time there. I enjoyed the North Side a lot - nice rolling blues that are good for cruising, and that are less crowded than the rest of the mountain.

The blues that come down from the top of Gore mountain are very heavily skiied, and get icy pretty quickly. I'd recommend skipping the top unless you're a more advanced skier and are going to hit the blacks.

Powder Ridge

Rachel reviewed Powder Ridge on August 21, 2006

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Good for beginners or casual intermediates

Ah, Powder Ridge. I learned to ski here, so I can't say anything too bad about it. Powder Ridge is a great place to learn to ski. If you live in central Connecticut, there's not much reason to drive 2-3 hours to a bigger ski area to spend your day on the bunny hill.

Once you make your way from beginner to intermediate, however, Powder Ridge doesn't have that much to offer. It does depend what you're looking for, though. If you're a casual intermediate skier who only skis a day or two per season, there's probably enough for you here. If you ski more than that, though, or want some challenge, heading up to Vermont or over to New York is definitely worth the drive.

Also, be sure to time your vists around the weather. It's too warm in Connecticut to maintain the conditions reliably, and if it hasn't snowed for a while things get pretty bare pretty quickly.

Breckenridge

Rachel reviewed Breckenridge on August 18, 2006

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Fun, well-planned intermediate terrain

I was at Breckenridge 2 years ago, when I was barely an intermediate skier. From that perspective, I had a really good time. Peak 7 was *a lot* of fun - nice, rolling blue cruisers that get re-groomed at noon, perfect for learning to carve and just having fun. Also, you have to take a relatively flat catwalk to get there, so it's comparatively less crowded than the rest of the mountain and snowboarders are rare.

I also really enjoyed Peak 9, though when I was there it got pretty icy by the end of the day. Makes sense, though, given that it's very accessible and full of intermediate skiers/riders.

I look forward to heading back to Breckenridge to try some of the harder stuff, particularly the new Imperial chair.

Deer Valley

Rachel reviewed Deer Valley on August 14, 2006

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Cruising Paradise

Deer Valley's the place to go when you just want to cruise. They're known for their grooming, and it shows. Pretty much every run is an invitation to just lay back and carve big sweeping turns all the way down the mountain.

The runs off the Sultan and Mayflower lifts on Bald Mt. are steep enough to keep intermediate/advanced skiers happy. If you're looking for bowls, bumps or other less-groomed terrain, though, then Deer Valley's probably not for you. There's some of that over in Empire Canyon, but not too much.

Keep in mind that Deer Valley is for skiers only.

Snowbird

Rachel reviewed Snowbird on August 11, 2006

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Unbelievable snow, great for advanced skiers

Over the 3 days we were at Snowbird they got almost 3 feet of snow. We woke up on the first day to the sound of avalanche blasting rattling our hotel room. From what I've heard since, this is a pretty typical Snowbird experience. :)

From my perspective as a solid intermediate skier, Snowbird was incredible. The powder was more than I'd ever skied in, and it allowed me to ski harder runs than I would have been able to otherwise. I'm not sure how the mountain would be for beginners and less confident intermediates... it seems like you'd be very limited in what you'd be able to ski. However, the Gad 2 lift was closed when we were there, so we weren't able to get at a good chunk of the intermediate terrain.

Overall, I'd recommend Snowbird without hesitation to any advanced/expert skier, or to any intermediate skier who wants to be challenged. For others, I'd say get the Snowbird/Alta combination pass so you can head over to Alta and ski some easier cruisers if you need to.

Hunter Mountain

Rachel reviewed Hunter Mountain on August 11, 2006

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Decent mountain, but gets very crowded

Hunter, for its location (Catskill region of NY), is a solid mountain. A respectable vertical and a good number and variety of trails, with enough to keep more advanced skiers entertained for a few days.

However, since it's pretty much the closest major mountain to the metro NYC area, on weekends it gets very, very crowded. On a weekend, I'd recommend driving the extra 1.5 hours or so and trying one of the mountains in southwestern VT. On a weekday, however, Hunter is definitely worthwhile.

Mount Snow

Rachel reviewed Mount Snow on August 10, 2006

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Great for beginners and intermediates

Mount Snow is a good mountain to go to if you just want to cruise. The terrain is mostly intermediate and not particularly interesting. The North Face, billed as the advanced section, definitely isn't as challenging as other advanced terrain in Vermont (with the notable exception of Ripcord).

Since Mt. Snow is an easy 4-hour drive from NYC and even closer to Boston, it gets quite crowded on pretty much any weekend all winter, and the mountain's not really big enough to get away from the lines.

All that said, Mt. Snow's a fine place to spend a weekend if you just want a laid-back few days of skiing.

Killington

Rachel reviewed Killington on August 10, 2006

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An overall solid mountain

People seem to find a lot to dislike about Killington, but there's also a lot of things about it that are the best you're going to find in the East.

Yes, it gets crowded, but it's big enough that you can always find areas without crowds (Canyon Quad, North Ridge Triple, South Ridge Triple). It's expensive for a day lift ticket, but you can buy a Bronze-level All East Pass and have the cheapest season pass around (pays for itself in 6 visits).

As far as snow goes, they make more than any other resort in the East, and have one of the longest seasons in the area as a result. And when there are warm months and other southern VT resorts have bare patches, like in January '06, you hardly even notice at Killington.

There's also a ton of variety as far as the terrain goes. They've got something for every ability level.

So, I'd say ignore most of the terrible things you hear about Killington, but have reasonable expectations. If you want a solid mountain that has something for everyone, can keep you entertained visit after visit, and has the best conditions possible given the unreliable weather of New England winters, give Killington a try.