SKI EAST
The Best Slopes To Hit This Season
NEW YORK
New York has its distinctive style. Rather than sleepy New England towns, you’ll find a lively crowd on—and off—the slopes. Reigning supreme here is Whiteface Mountain and Gore Mountain, both set in Adirondack State Park. The park is big and steep (if not more significant and precipitous) than many mountains in Vermont or the rest of New England. Few East Coast resorts can match Whiteface’s big-mountain challenge and none can match its tradition: Lake Placid hosted the Winter Olympics twice—in 1932 and 1980. For more information on Ski New York State, visit iskiny.com
LAKE PLACID
Vertical Rise: 3,430 feet
In Lake Placid, you’ll find the towering Whiteface Mountain with the highest drop in the East. The terrain is expert. However, less experienced skiers can access Runner Up and Silver, closer to the base. Families can also try out their skills at bobsledding in the town of Lake Placid. Whiteface will please all skiers looking for long trails and gorgeous views of the Adirondacks. After a run, head to where the downhill champions were crowned!
GORE MOUNTAIN
Vertical Rise: 2,537 feet
This small ski area has a loyal following of families who return year after year—probably because it’s uncrowded. Besides, the comfortable layout, with all trails leading back to a medium-sized base lodge, is suitable for parents worrying about losing their kids. The area encompasses four different mountains in the Adirondacks: Gore, Little Gore, Burnt Ridge, and Bear Mountain. Half the trails are suitable for beginners. In addition to alpine skiing, Gore Mountain also offers cross-country and snowshoe trails at North Creek Ski Bowl.
HUNTER
Vertical Rise: 3,200 feet
Gorgeous scenery and stunning peaks make the Catskill Mountains prime terrain for skiers. Hunter Mountain is in New York City’s backyard and studded with trails ranging from easy-breezy to challenging. The 240-acres are also home to North America’s highest zip-line canopy tour located 600 feet above the ground.
PENNSYLVANIA
It’s time to shift your winter into high gear and plan your incredible Pennsylvania ski vacation to where else but the Poconos. With a history dating back to 1946, when the mountains welcomed the first commercial ski area in Pennsylvania and perfected the art of snowmaking, the Poconos have become a bona fide ski destination. Today, the Poconos have it all—beginner slopes to the double black diamonds and terrain parks to test your skills. So, get out and experience the exhilaration when your skis start sliding down a Pocono slope. For more information on the Pocono Mountains, visit poconomountains.com
CAMELBACK MOUNTAIN
Vertical Rise, 2,133 feet
If you ski just one place in Pennsylvania, Camelback Mountain must be it. Along this gentle mountain range in Northeastern Pennsylvania describe runs as perfect for beginners and family-friendly. But Camelback is indeed that, but it also has trails that appeal to expert skiers. It can even make a high volume of snow and has two terrain parks and two half-pipes. For non-skiers, the sizeable snow-tubing park is a pleasing alternative.
For more information on Camelback Mountain, visit skicamelback.com; for information on Camelback Mountain Resort, visit camelmountainresort.com
VERMONT
It’s the king of New England skiing, with more major ski resorts than any other Eastern state. There are a few ways to make the most of a ski getaway here. For starters, with so many resorts in such a small state, it’s effortless to ski more than one in a single trip. And nearby resorts offer interchangeable lift tickets. Also, to get the most bang for your buck, go where the skiing best suits your ability. Southern Vermont areas (Okemo) lean toward intermediate cruising terrain, while northern resorts (Stowe) offer more advanced and expert skiers. In the middle is Killington, the biggest of all, with plenty to interest skiers of every ability.
For more information on Ski Vermont, visit skivermont.com
KILLINGTON
Vertical Rise, 3,050 feet
This sprawling property offers snow-packed trails that weave around the Green Mountains and promise the most thrilling downhill skiing this side of the Mississippi. Dubbed the “Beast of the East,” it lives up to its name: It’s the biggest resort covering seven mountains and an excellent variety of terrain. A good reason of devoted skiers who keep it as lively after hours as they do during the day. It also demonstrates that the beast is still an absolute beauty of a mountain. Beginners can trail off on Pico Peak and Rams Head Mountain while speed demons rip down Killington Peak.
OKEMO
Vertical Rise, 2,200 feet
Well-traveled skiers will enjoy the excellent grooming and quality of the white stuff, which has made this south-central a favorite. High-powered snow guns cover 96 percent of trails that span the resort’s five mountains—with terrain equally divided among novice, intermediate and advanced levels. So, there’s something for everyone (including acrobatic boarders, who can perform tricks on six terrain parks and a 500-foot-long superpipe). And those looking for more of a cardio workout should include a few hours on the extensive network of sweat-inducing trails, manicured especially for Nordic skiing and snowshoeing.
STOWE
Vertical Rise, 2,360 feet
Located on the face of Vermont’s highest summit, Mount Mansfield, Stowe has some of the most challenging runs on the East Coast. While the most famous trails are the legendary Front Four—National, Liftline, Goat, and Starr—Stowe also has access to the best-unmarked tree skiing in the East. Stowe is as close to a traditional European resort as it gets.
