Taking advantage of the frigid temps and non-stop snowfall, 13 friends and I drove north for a weekend at Sugarbush Mountain. This was our furthest drive for a ski weekend to date, it’s about 5.5 hours north of NYC and I can see why people make the drive. We’ve been to mountains slightly closer to NYC but there is a definite difference with Sugarbush.
Sugarbush is made up of two mountains and six peaks with 111 trails adding up to 53 miles; it’s known to have some of the best terrain on the east. The weekend we went happened to have insanely good conditions. It started snowing when we arrived late Thursday night and pretty much continued until after we left on Sunday. We rented a house about 15 minutes from the mountain. The house was gorgeous with views of the mountain.
[so. much. snow]
The only downside to the house was a steep and tricky driveway, leading to a lot of car issues.
But that aside, once we actually made it to the mountain, it was awesome. Sugarbush is made up of a main mountain area and then a secondary, steeper but smaller mountain nearby, Mt Ellen. You can take a chair lift between the mountins (about 14 mins) but it only runs if it’s above a certain temp, about 15 degrees I believe. The first day we were there the temp was around 2 degrees so we stuck to the main mountain.
First off, let me say I’m VERY proud of myself for skiing through 2 degrees. I’m always cold and this was no exception but I couldn’t go in knowing the conditions were so good. There were a few inches of fresh snow every day, making it feel like you’re skiing out west. We spent Friday on the slopes and because it wasn’t yet the weekend, it was empty with no wait at any chairlift. The slopes were unique at Sugarbush, there were some really cool trails that we ventured onto, including ones with a sprinkling of trees in the middle (not as scary as it sounds) and we even challenged ourselves with a double black diamond. The skiing at Sugarbush offered some of the most beautiful trails I’ve seen on the east coast.
[can you see the pain in my eyes?]
We only lasted a couple of hours because it was FREEZING (and we didn’t go to sleep until 4am the night before, whoops). I had to take a hot chocolate break mid-day to get feeling back in my toes.
[insider trick: mix ½ hot chocolate and ½ coffee for a mid-day pick-me-up]
Towards the end of the day I met up with a press rep from Sugarbush and took a few runs, getting insider info on the mountain and the surrounding area. For major cities like NYC and Boston you have to pass different mountains to get to Sugarbush but still people flock to the mountain because it’s just that good (I don’t disagree). Once we were ready to break for the day we grabbed beers and nachos (can’t go skiing and not get nachos) at the bar in the main lodge.
That night we went to the Common Man for dinner and it was super delish, i highly recommend it. Get the octopus appetizer.
On Saturday we hit the main mountain again, this time battling the crowds. We found some lifts that weren’t so packed and didn’t end up waiting in line for too long. Again, there was fresh powder and ideal conditiions, plus it was slightly warmer. We made a lunch stop for your typical ski foods- chicken fingers, french fries and a bread bowl chili, yum. I don’t hold back during ski weekends. Afterwards we stopped in Wunder Bar which is towards the bottom of the mountain and was completely packed. Because of the crowds, we didn’t stay long but it seemed like a fun spot.
That night we stayed in, cooking a big group dinner.
[an evening at the house means a happy pup and baby time]
For our last day at Sugarbush we gave Mt. Ellen a try. If you are only going to that mountain, the lift tickets are a bit cheaper and there were no lines. The slopes on this side mountain were just as great, just the mountain doesn’t have the same frills as the main mountain. There is a lodge but it’s much smaller and more low key.
Sunday after a few hours on the slopes we headed for home. Unfortunately because of the continued snow it was a really long ride, We got home around 1 am, which is a rough way to start the new week. Despite the extra hours in the car, Sugarbush is an excellent east coast spot and worth the drive. If you’re making the drive I recommend staying for longer than a weekend to make all of the hours in the car worth it. It’s probably the best east coast skiing I’ve experienced so drive yourself out there and enjoy the fresh powder.
