Stowe Mountain Resort – comprised of Spruce Peak and Mount Mansfield, the highest peak in Vermont – has made a big effort in the last couple years to establish the area as a luxury, all-seasons resort. The sight of the new condominiums, golf course, and massive Stowe Mountain lodge – all relatively inaccessible to the general public – is an eyesore to local and visiting ski bums alike. Yet it still isn’t too difficult to look beyond the construction and overpriced amenities to see what made Stowe what it is: the home of some of the best skiing in the East.
Is Stowe worth the money ($89/day during peak periods)? Check the weather. If it hasn’t been 45 degrees and raining for the past week, your answer is probably yes. Everyone loves powder, but even if there hasn’t been a Nor’Easter lately, you can have a fantastic Stowe experience. The infamous Front Four double-blacks (Liftline, Starr, National and Goat) are always a good bet – there are great bumps on National and Starr, as well as on the sides of Liftline, which is often groomed in the middle, allowing bums to carve and shriek down, using paralyzed tourists who are clearly in over their heads as racing gates. Nosedive, Gondelier, Perry Merrill and Hayride (maintained for NCAA races) are also great cruisers.
If you are lucky enough to visit Stowe when there’s pow, the possibilities are endless. If Upper Goat and/or Goat is open – they rarely are – do it. Early. It’s a great run, but Mansfield bums knows there’s nothing suckier than Upper Goat when it’s skied off but Ski Patrol hasn’t closed it off yet. Chinclip and Nosedive are thrilling in the powder, as is Lookout. There are glades all over the place: simple, funky runs between the gentle switchbacks of the Toll Road, as well as more challenging runs like the Nosedive woods, Bypass woods and Tres Amigos glades. Finally, if there’s powder and the Mansfield area is crowded, this bum suggests to others to take the Over Easy Gondola to Spruce Peak, bypass beginners stumbling around the lodge, and take the Sunny Spruce Quad to Sensation Quad and rip it up on Whirlaway. This trail goes largely unnoticed because of its location on the Spruce side, which is known for more beginner and intermediate terrain (not entirely justifiably!). Whirlaway is not particularly difficult, but it has all sorts of fun terrain features: fallaways, pitches, small cliffs, trees – and is a blast to ski in powder, especially when the crowds at Mansfield are overwhelming.
The Basics:
Orientation: Stowe is located on the Mountain Road, which dead-ends at the resort in the winter. The FourRunner Quad services the most terrain and opens at 7:30am on weekends. The Gondola and a triple and double – serving the terrain park and used when detachable lifts are on wind hold, and Toll House double, with access to intermediate beginner terrain – complete Mansfield-side service. The Over Easy Gondola connects Mansfield to Spruce; intermediate and advanced terrain at Spruce can be accessed by the Sunny Spruce Quad and Sensation Quad.
Open: 8-4; FourRunner opens at 7:30 on weekends – and it’s worth it!
Tickets: Early/Late Season: $57; Prime Season $84; Peak Season $89; deals for multiple days. Check www.stowe.com/tickets/lift_tickets for details.
Highest skiing elevation: 3,640 feet
Vertical: 2,360 feet
Total trails: 116 (84% intermediate-expert)
Village-Mountain transportation: Free trolley services during the winter. From the village: every 30 minutes 7:30am-4:30pm; from the mountain: every 30 minutes, 8:00am-5:00pm.
Parking
Choose your starting point – Spruce, the Gondola, or the Mansfield/FourRunner area, and you will be directed to parking. Most bums will be headed for the FourRunner, so when you turn left into the main Mansfield area, continue past the Gondola/Midway turn on the right and get as close to the Mansfield Base Lodge as the aggressive parking attendants will let you.
Where to Eat Lunch
SkiBums looking to keep costs down are advised to buy a bagel at the Stowe Bagel or a sandwich at Edelweiss Country Store and stick it in their parka, or make “condiment soup” out of whatever ketchups, mustards and saltines are up for grabs. Luckily the food on the mountain is, in general, worth a splurge.
Midway Café and Bar, because it’s practically ski-in, ski-out, the soups are hot and filling, plus good pizza, paninis, snacks, etc.
The Octagon at the top of the FourRunner Quad: warm up and fuel up for more skiing with a hot chocolate, beer, or snack
The Den at the Mansfield Base Lodge – great for a lunch break, as well as après-ski drinks
The Cliff House at the top of the Gondola – pricey, but worth the food, view and atmosphere (reservations required for dinner: 802-253-4754)
Where to Stay
The best deals can be found at ski dorms. The Vermont State Ski Dorm (802-253-4010) is within sort-of walking distance of Mansfield, in case you don’t want to wait for the trolley or the dorm’s free shuttle to the mountain. Accommodations are in large bunk rooms, and there’s a living room with a big fireplace. Rates are about $35/night, including breakfast, dinner, and shuttle.
The Chalet Ski-In (802-253-2253) is 900 yards downslope from the Tollhouse Chair Lift. Call for rates. The atmosphere is fun, but keep in mind the Toll House chair opens later than the FourRunner, so if you’re looking for an early start on Mansfield, slopeside accommodation might not be a good bet!
Sun and Ski (802-253-7159) has relatively affordable 2- and 3-bedroom condos. Rates vary hugely depending on the time of year; call for details.
+ Foxfire Inn and Restaurant (802-253-7371) is a bit further away than many other options, but the argument can be made that there isn’t much better than being physically connected to a delicious Italian restaurant.
Edson Hill Manor (802-253-7371) is nothing short of enchanting. The grounds are quiet and private, and there are guest rooms and carriage house accommodations available. Definitely a treat, ideal for a romantic ski bum getaway.
About Us
