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New England Skiing

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New England skiing is a very different animal from Colorado skiing, and all western U.S. skiing in general. Most of the differences come from the fact that you are skiing the Appalachian Mountains rather than the Rockies, which means altitude of four thousand feet instead of fourteen thousand. Surprisingly, New England ski areas do have levels of vertical rise similar to Rocky Mountain ski areas.

New England ski resorts are much smaller than Rocky Mountain resorts, so you have fewer trails to ski and less lodging in the area. In addition, the temperatures are gradually colder, but the snow is less predictable. Thus, you should bundle up to ski, and be ready for snowmaking, which most resorts employ. Artificial snow is often indistinguishable from the real deal, but it can still be discouraging for purists.

Even with these drawbacks, New Yorkers and Bostonians love having ski areas within a morning’s drive. In addition, New England skiing does have some advantages over Rocky Mountain resorts.
• Price: New England skiing isn’t cheap, but lift tickets are generally ten to fifteen dollars less expensive than those at western resorts.
• Wooded Skiing: Cross-country skiing is still popular in New England, and there are still many resorts with both cross-country and downhill trails that wind through trees.
• Crowds: New England resorts are crowded on the weekends, but on the weekdays, they are much more manageable than are western resorts.

The most famous New England skiing is in New Hampshire and Vermont. Northern New Hampshire resorts, on the White Mountains are especially popular, and Bretton Woods resort is one of the best. Vermont is likewise beautiful and also has several great resorts, including Killington, Smuggler’s Notch, and Sugarbush.

New Hampshire and Vermont have the reputation for New England skiing, but there are hundreds of resorts in other states as well. New York alone has more ski areas than Colorado and Utah combined. Whiteface/Lake Placid is owned by the state of New York and has twice hosted the Olympics. Maine’s ski resorts are less accessible than are New York’s, but they are equally memorable; Sugarloaf is one of the best. Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Jersey, and even Rhode Island all have ski resorts as well.

Sources:

http://away.com
http://utahskiing.com
http://utahskiguide.com
http://gorp.away.com
http://new-england-vacations-guide.com
http://visitcalifornia.com
http://www.tahoebest.com
http://info.quikbook.com

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