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North America's Best Ski Mountains at 1,000 vert or less
- Thread starter ski diva
- Start date
I've skied both of the Canadian resorts on the list. I would not drive the 3 hours to Blue. It's waaaaay too crowded. All the Toronto crowd ski there on their Ikon passes.
Mont Blanc is a hidden gem. Just south of Tremblant on the autoroute. Most people just drive by as they are heading to Tremblant.
I would add Calabogie Peaks in Eastern Ontario. Another hidden gem.
Mont Blanc is a hidden gem. Just south of Tremblant on the autoroute. Most people just drive by as they are heading to Tremblant.
I would add Calabogie Peaks in Eastern Ontario. Another hidden gem.
Jenny
Angel Diva
We drove 8 hours to Blue once, many, many years ago. Never again.
NewEnglandSkier
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I also agree with Wachusett. It seems well run and I think all but one chair (that I've never seen run) are high speed. It's a pleasant option to have relatively close to home without having to drive 2-3 hours. In recent years I've only skied there during the week ( I won't touch it on a weekend--way too crowded), but have enjoyed my time there for the most part.
Lots of retirees there mornings during the week--I always said to myself "when I retire I'll get a Wachusett pass and ski there on weekday mornings". Little did I know I'd be doing that sooner than I thought! I'm working at home still and bought a weekday pass for the coming winter, so I don't have to go out of state to ski.
Lots of retirees there mornings during the week--I always said to myself "when I retire I'll get a Wachusett pass and ski there on weekday mornings". Little did I know I'd be doing that sooner than I thought! I'm working at home still and bought a weekday pass for the coming winter, so I don't have to go out of state to ski.
marzNC
Angel Diva
I agree that Elk, Wachusetts, and Catamount are well run operations with some fun terrain. Worth a drive for someone who lives in the respective regions.
I really enjoyed the high-speed lifts at Wachusetts a few years ago when I had other reasons to be in the Boston area. Made for a lot of skiing midweek when there was no lift lines.
I know Elk has been worth the drive for friends who live in Delaware. Far enough away from the big cities to be somewhat reasonable on weekends. Although for day trips, Montage has some advantages since advanced skiers or adventurous intermediates have an entire lift with a few blacks to themselves.
For the southeast, I would nominate Cataloochee. It's a quality operation that makes the most out of 740 ft vertical. Snowmaking starts early and ends late, so Cat typically has one of the longest seasons in the region.
I really enjoyed the high-speed lifts at Wachusetts a few years ago when I had other reasons to be in the Boston area. Made for a lot of skiing midweek when there was no lift lines.
I know Elk has been worth the drive for friends who live in Delaware. Far enough away from the big cities to be somewhat reasonable on weekends. Although for day trips, Montage has some advantages since advanced skiers or adventurous intermediates have an entire lift with a few blacks to themselves.
For the southeast, I would nominate Cataloochee. It's a quality operation that makes the most out of 740 ft vertical. Snowmaking starts early and ends late, so Cat typically has one of the longest seasons in the region.
marzNC
Angel Diva
Dollar is just green/blue terrain, right?
marzNC
Angel Diva
Since I've never skied in the midwest, I'll just note this article here without comment. I saw that Granite Peak in the Forbes article joined the Indy Pass for 2020-21.
September 2, 2020, Powder magazine
If You Don’t Love Skiing 200-foot Hills, You Don’t Love Skiing
The Midwest is a true skier’s paradise
https://www.powder.com/stories/if-you-dont-love-skiing-200-foot-midwest-hills-you-dont-love-skiing/
September 2, 2020, Powder magazine
If You Don’t Love Skiing 200-foot Hills, You Don’t Love Skiing
The Midwest is a true skier’s paradise
https://www.powder.com/stories/if-you-dont-love-skiing-200-foot-midwest-hills-you-dont-love-skiing/
Christy
Angel Diva
True, green/mellow blue plus park/pipe stuff for all levels. So the lack of more advanced runs probably disqualifies it, though it should get some points for its lovely views, good fall lines, lack of crowds, and nice base lodge.
And it turns out that Summit East has 1088' vertical drop, so I guess it's out of the running! I don't think the other 2 Snoqualmie ski areas that are less than 1000' are special enough to nominate.
nopoleskier
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I had fun at our Diva Trip to Elk- only turn off was being forbidden from going in the trees, so tempting.. but not worth losing a ticket! Elk had nice fall lines, easy to get around.
My home bump is fun at 660 Vert. we have trees, steeps, and can get a good workout
My home bump is fun at 660 Vert. we have trees, steeps, and can get a good workout
marzNC
Angel Diva
Mt. Bohemia in MI has 900 ft vertical. While that doesn't sound like much, it also gets almost 300 inches of snow and much of that is lake effect powder. People don't go to Bohemia to learn to ski powder though. Have to already know how to enjoy powder in the trees. There is no green terrain and only a couple of blues around the side from the top. Everything else is legitimate advanced/expert black or double-black terrain, mostly with trees and big rocks around.
Bohemia got press several years ago because it would do well in online voting contests because there were some great videos made. This one isn't part of that series. But it gives a good sense why a family of good skiers would make the long drive on snowy roads. Bohemia is a 7-hour drive on dry road from Minn/St. Paul or Milwaukee. The family business in this case is making skis. Anyone heard of Shaggy's skis?
https://www.skishaggys.com/blogs/news/vacation-2019
Bohemia got press several years ago because it would do well in online voting contests because there were some great videos made. This one isn't part of that series. But it gives a good sense why a family of good skiers would make the long drive on snowy roads. Bohemia is a 7-hour drive on dry road from Minn/St. Paul or Milwaukee. The family business in this case is making skis. Anyone heard of Shaggy's skis?
https://www.skishaggys.com/blogs/news/vacation-2019
liquidfeet
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
OMG they included Wachusett (in MA).
What were they thinking? I've spent a lot of time there.
Yes, it has a great lodge. There's a good ski shop inside there. The cafeteria, snack bar, and full service restaurant and sitting areas are more than adequate. There's a nice bar. The building is kept up and looks good. More than adequate seating, plus conference spaces. I can't remember, but there may even be lodging upstairs in that lodge. Not sure.
Mornings are mostly retired folks who ski in groups of friends. Mornings are calm.
It gets VERY crowded when the busloads of school kids arrive every afternoon M-F around 2:00pm. The lodge is gets noisy.
When the young kids leave around 5:00, the lodge is trashed. Some employee picks up the left-behind socks, pants, notebooks, textbooks, gloves, and whatever. Then the teenagers arrive. They are mostly focused on the terrain park, but a bunch get out on the groomers. "Cops" are stationed on the green groomers wearing blinking red lights on their helmets next to SLOW signs stretched across the trails. The cops (actually ski patrol) will stop speedsters and pull their passes; it's a necessary thing at this mountain in the later afternoons and evenings.
You better lock your skis up, or use the ski check. Thievery is rampant at Wachusett. Tips are expected for the ski check service. And you have to wait in a loooong line to get your skis there. I used it.
The whole mountain gets a fresh groom from around 5:00 till 7:00, one trail at a time. Each trail gets closed and roped off as they do this. The lights come on when it gets dark and the place is almost 100% open at night. Wear your clear goggle lenses.
The high school kids tend to leave around 7:00pm. At that point on weeknights race techs are setting up the dual course for the nightly race league. Wachusett has the largest night league racing program in the nation. Serious adult skiers with speed suits and race skis, along with recreational skiers hopeful for a decent run or two, arrive in huge numbers. I was one of the recreational skiers hoping to become better at skiing by racing. I usually had been there from early in the morning.
Racing starts at 7:30 and goes till 9:30 or 10:00. Everyone gets two runs, and the races are registered with Nastar. Then everyone heads to the restaurant to eat dinner with their team and get the race results. Plus there's a raffle with prizes, some of which are actually OK. Dinner was always enjoyable and rowdy with all those racers drinking beer and finding out who they beat that night.
Everything about the racing is handled very well. All the details involved in racing are thoroughly well-thought-out.
I did get bored with Wachusett's terrain after a few years of doing this once a week. It's a moderately sized bump easily accessed from Boston and other cities in central MA, thus the crowds. The mountain does seed a good bump run on one of its black groomers, and they keep it maintained. The terrain park is fun to watch from one of the chairs. There is no tree skiing at all. The beginner terrain is excellent and user friendly. The race trail is good for what it is. There is a good mix of green, blue, and black groomed terrain.
But this is not Top Ten mountain. It's a good place to go if you live nearby.
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marzNC
Angel Diva
Where else have you skied that's under 1000 ft vertical?
marzNC
Angel Diva
Have been reading about Tug Hill for a while. Clearly can be a lot of fun for 400 ft vertical after a snowstorm.
This report was for a dump of 29 inches in March.
March 3, 2020, NYSkiBlog
Snow Ridge: Full Send Plateau
https://nyskiblog.com/snow-ridge-full-send-plateau/#more-56924
liquidfeet
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I missed that. So ... right.
marzNC
Angel Diva
Haven't been anywhere close in the winter time, but Perfect North in Indiana may well be a good candidate from what I've heard. Vertical is 400 ft. The Perfect family has been running and improving the ski area slowly but surely for just over 40 years. Folks in Ohio on SE/MidA ski forums are aware of it.
Main reason I'm aware of Perfect North is that the Perfect family recently bought Timberline in WV. They are spending $10 million to replace the two chairlifts and completely rebuilding the base lodge . . . as planned during a pandemic. Clearly they know what they are doing. Everyone who used to ski at Tline is excited. One feature of Timberline that made it attractive was the 1000 ft vertical. Both Perfect North and Timberline have about 100 acres.
Main reason I'm aware of Perfect North is that the Perfect family recently bought Timberline in WV. They are spending $10 million to replace the two chairlifts and completely rebuilding the base lodge . . . as planned during a pandemic. Clearly they know what they are doing. Everyone who used to ski at Tline is excited. One feature of Timberline that made it attractive was the 1000 ft vertical. Both Perfect North and Timberline have about 100 acres.
marzNC
Angel Diva
The Forbes list is five hills that are all within a few hours drive of major metropolitan areas in the northeast or midwest.
Elk, PA - near DC, Baltimore, Philadelphia
Wachusett, MA - near Boston
Catamount, MA/NY (literally on the border) - near New York City
Granite Peak, WI - near Minn./St. Paul and Milwaukee
Blue Mountain, ONT - near Toronto
I think there may be other candidates in the midwest or Mid-Atlantic besides those already mentioned. Mountain Vertical has quite a few places listed under 1000 ft vertical, but I don't recognize many names outside PA.
Seven Springs near Pittsburgh may tick the same boxes, but I've never been. I'm more Elk is less crowded on a typical weekend. 7Springs is more of a ski resort than Elk from what I know.
Elk, PA - near DC, Baltimore, Philadelphia
Wachusett, MA - near Boston
Catamount, MA/NY (literally on the border) - near New York City
Granite Peak, WI - near Minn./St. Paul and Milwaukee
Blue Mountain, ONT - near Toronto
I think there may be other candidates in the midwest or Mid-Atlantic besides those already mentioned. Mountain Vertical has quite a few places listed under 1000 ft vertical, but I don't recognize many names outside PA.
Seven Springs near Pittsburgh may tick the same boxes, but I've never been. I'm more Elk is less crowded on a typical weekend. 7Springs is more of a ski resort than Elk from what I know.
