Report from Friday, March 15, 2024
You rarely find yourself standing at the top of a fresh line, completely socked in by fog. On Friday, new snow, warm temps, and an ominous blanket of springtime mist coated Stowe Mountain Resort, Vermont, and captured the epitome of a bonus day on snow. As a first-timer at Stowe, I was excited for what the day had in store for me and anxious to play around on the fresh snow that topped off the early week dumping that the mountain was treated to after some classic New England weather. I made the trek up to poke around the trails and different peaks to get to know this Vermont classic.
Access to Stowe is easy. My drive started south of the resort, where a blend of highways and state roads took me right to the base area. Free parking can always be found at the base of the Toll House Double, where you can hop on the lift and start your day or catch a shuttle to the base of Mt. Mansfield. If you want to save some gas money, carpool with your crew of at least four people, and parking is always free at the main base.
Stowe houses some of the best terrain New England has to offer, and a wide variety of it, too. Personally, I tend to enjoy the less maintained paths, so it’s no surprise that one of my favorite trails of the day was Goat. This narrow, bumpy, double black-rated trail right off the top of the Fourrunner quad keeps the legs burning and the stoke high, even if you can’t see more than a few turns in front of you. Chin Clip was also a treat.
Looking to show off under the lift? I was, too. Gondolier is the trail for you. This wide-open blue under the gondola is the perfect place to lay down serious carves and display your best skiing and riding to onlookers above. The soft snow made for some great turns and kept a smile on my face all day.
Maybe you’re a fan of the terrain park. You’ll find what you’re looking for from Sunrise 6, a new six-person chair on the skiers’ right of the mountain. Lower Standard has all the rails, jumps, and boxes that you may be looking for. The setup was the perfect size for all abilities. We lapped this many times, and the line choices were plentiful.
If you manage to ski this entire side of the resort, fear not; there’s more just a short gondola ride away. The over-easy gondola transports you across the parking lot to a completely new area, Spruce Peak. Spruce houses some more beginner and intermediate-friendly terrain as well as some more fun and technical stuff off of the Sensation Quad. You’ll also find a modern base area that resembles something you may expect out west. The food and drink options are plentiful, and the atmosphere is inviting. You’ll find whatever you desire in a day of skiing at Stowe.
So, how can you find yourself here? The Epic pass just went on sale for the 2024/2025 season, and rates are currently at their lowest. You can lock in unlimited access to Stowe and plenty of other resorts within the epic portfolio for just $982 or tap into the Epic Local or Northeast Value pass for cheaper skiing and riding. Not sure what’s best for you? Take a look at Epic Pass options.
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