 Poster: A snowHead
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As the title says, has any skied this resort? Difficulty?
Good experience, night life?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@1969jma, not skied Stowe, but skied elsewhere on East coast, and can't see the point flying there just to ski...
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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I skied Stowe a few years ago for one day during a business trip. I flew from Chicago to Burlington, VT picked up a car and then drove to Boston stopping at Stowe and Killington for a day each.
I wasn't impressed. It was windy and bitterly cold. Skiing was just ok and quite a way outside Stowe. Of the 2 Killington was better but my view is that I've done them and wouldn't go back.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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I did Killington a while ago. Expected it to be very cold but it wasn't and actually rained the last day. Skiing was OK but lift queues not good. Didn't see any great signs of night life but wasn't looking. Reasonable choice of difficulty levels with challenging double black diamonds (although grass tufts showing through didn't help!). I wouldn't go back either.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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We skiied Stowe about 10 years ago. Abiding memories were the cold and the costs. We did a new year trip and stumbled into 2 weeks of bitter cold and strong winds that's made staying out for any extended time a challenge. Due to its proximity to Boston and NY it's busy at the weekends and eating out can be costly.
It's a small VT town so very picturesque but the night life other than restaurants was none existant. I know there's a lot of development that's happened recently so there maybe more to do now. We did killington the year after and found that to be a much better all round trip.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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A bit more info and you'll receive better info.
Your initial question is a bit like asking
'Anyone tried tea?'
Hence the replies so far ranging from
I didn't like it, it was cold.
I've tried coffee.
Why would anyone want to try tea?
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The town is lovely -quintessential New England. Skiing tends to be icy freeze/thaw conditions.
Variety of skiing but particularly good if you want it challenging. My 1990s version of The Good Ski Guide says if you can ski the front four at Stowe you can ski most marked things in the world - I tend to agree. Goat is very steep, very narrow and very mogulled. Some good videos of it being skied on Youtube.
Lovely accommodation in Stowe guest houses ans some classy places to go out at night.
I wouldn't travel across the ocean just to ski it, but it makes a nice part of a bigger New England tour if you include Boston and other sights. I'd take a car and do Killington too. Sunday River is the nicest skiing in New England in my book which isn't too far away either.
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I didn't try tea either but like welshskier, I did try coffee. Sometimes it was very wet, and sometimes it was cold. Too many other people were trying coffee at the same time and it all tasted the same as the first cup. I don't want any more coffee and it even put me off trying tea. I prefer malt whisky or irn-bru here at home, or if I'm on holiday, wine, weissbier or schnapps.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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@1969jma, we've been to Stowe four or five times now. First time must have been about 22 years ago and we did fly over with two of the kids just for the week, meeting up with OH who had been in California on business. We were there this year at New Year and fitted that in for a week as elder son now lives in CT and he and his family joined us for a few days so we were able to all ski together. We stayed in the Stoweflake Inn. There is more accommodation now where the lifts are at Sprucepeak and then the rest of the hotels and guest houses are along the road back to the small town which as mentioned is picturesque and very New England.
Don't know about nightlife - we just tend to have nice dinners...
All the lifts are very well organised - and the Americans that we came across on the lifts and gondolas are immensely proud of their resort - it was bitterly cold at NY - minus 18C - but we knew what to expect and were kitted out appropriately. We miss all the small cafes and bars that we come across back at home in the PDS.
Have also skied Killington - but we prefer Stowe.
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I live on the East coast USA. Stowe is our preferred place to ski in the Northeast, it's only a 4 hour drive. We will not ski there on weekends as it is crazy busy and the lifelines are horrendous. During the week however the slopes are almost empty. Conditions will vary enormously and can be bitterly cold or rainy at any time of the year! There are lots of very nice (and quite reasonable) places to stay and plenty of nice and varied restaurants. There is not any "nightlife" that we have found except for the Matterhorn Pub which has live music and is more of a noisy sports bar. The skiing can be whatever you make it - nice slopes for beginners up to the "front four" for the experts. Grooming is impeccable. The extent of the skiing / number of slopes is quite limited compared to many European (French) resorts. One would have to be prepared to keep lapping the same runs repeatedly all week. The lift pass is expensive by European standards (up to $100 a day and more on the weekends). We travelled to Europe (twice) for our skiing this year!! As Mike Pow said - be a bit more specific and you will probably get more useful information.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@Vasta, oh yes - I forgot to mention the cost of the lift passes - we felt slightly guilty 'dragging' our son and family up there, but their choice to join us and they found a very reasonable place to stay that was a quite family orientated.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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@1969jma, As with lots of the american resorts the ski are is completely separate from the town so you kind of 'commute' in your car to go skiing and the drive home later - which doesn't add to the experience in my view. About as far from 'ski-in-ski-out' as you can get.
The skiing is pretty limited but the hotels and food and people are nice.
Certainly not worth a special trip across the Atlantic for a European if skiing is your No 1 priority. Can be bitterly cold as others have said. -27 on Spruce Peak when I was there.
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