Mount Snow Ski Resort

Mount Snow, located just north of Massachusetts’ border, is the southernmost major Vermont ski region. The resort offers a variety of packages that are easily accessible from major cities. Although it’s not perfect, the mountain is capable of providing reliable snowmaking and a good footprint.

Mount Snow experiences milder temperatures than other resorts up north, but it also receives less snow each season. Due to Vermont’s highly variable weather, natural powder that the mountain gets doesn’t last very long.

The resort has extensive snowmaking capabilities to ensure a long-lasting season. In recent seasons, the resort has significantly improved their snowmaking operations. More than 80% of the terrain is now covered with quality snowmaking. The resort can now enjoy pleasant conditions only days after an icestorm.

Mount Snow is smaller than many of the major East Coast resorts but offers more terrain. For a Vermont mountain, the resort’s freestyle and mogul terrain is unique. Each ability level has its own terrain area. This keeps skiers of all abilities from mixing. However, none of the trails is particularly long.

Although there is some beginner terrain at the resort, it’s not extensive. There are only a handful of green runs that go from the summit to the base and they can often get jammed. Intermediate skiers will find Mount Snow more appealing. Blue cruisers make up more than half the terrain in the Main Face or Sunbrook areas. The resort will leave bumps in the vicinity of a groomed area on some trails. This is a great benefit for beginners.

Mount Snow has a mix of mogul runs and steep groomers for those who are looking for a challenge. Beartrap is a bump run that runs in the Sunbrook region and is served by an exclusive chairlift. Although Vermont resorts may offer more difficult expert runs, there aren’t many mountains further south that have the same amount mogul terrain.

Carinthia, the area that is perhaps the most distinctive part of the resort, is entirely freestyle terrain. It has 100 acres of features to suit all levels of freestyle ability. This much terrain park space is not available in other East Coast resorts.

Mount Snow is one of Vermont’s most intuitive resorts. The main summit area contains more than 96% of the terrain. Visitors can also return to the base via the Sunbrook and North Face areas. It takes only one lift ride. There are two bases, but it is easy to find the right spot if you look at the signs. Unfortunately, the signage has suffered from deterioration over time, with trail maps and trail markings that are no longer visible. It’s possible for guests with less experience to run too difficult in some areas. A summit lodge allows guests to take a break and eat at the lodge without returning to the base.

Mount Snow offers a mixture of fixed-grip and high-speed lifts. High-speed lifts are available for the front-facing Main Face, Carinthia and Carinthia. The North Face and Sunbrook are served only by fixed-grip, slow lifts. It takes almost 9 minutes to ride the Sunbrook Quad, which is especially slow.

Mount Snow’s lift systems are able to reduce crowding. Each base and junction area has at least two options for lifts. Three high-speed lifts go to the summit from the Main Face area. Two of them are direct, while the other two take you to a more accessible spot on the mountain. You might find that the bubble chair draws a greater number of people than other lifts, so lines can be shorter than you would expect for other routes.

Some areas could use an upgrade in capacity. The resort’s only advanced area is served by two triple lifts. The Carinthia terrain park area is served by both a quad-speed quad and a fixed-grip double. However, crowds can grow to unacceptable levels on busy days.

Mount Snow doesn’t have the same isolation or landscapes as other resorts farther north, despite having a lot of lift infrastructure. The resort offers stunning views of nearby mountaintops and a nearby lake. The most picturesque and tranquil area is Sunbrook, which faces south.