What do you like about your home mountain?

[ski diva]

Most skiers have a mountain that they call "home." It's the one where they have a season pass or spend the most time. What's the reason you chose yours? And what do you like about it?

My home mountain is Okemo in Ludlow, VT. It's about five minutes down the road from my house, which makes it particularly easy to get to. I've heard some people complain that it's not an especially tough or exciting mountain, and I suppose if you want gnarly runs with chutes and moguls and drop offs, you might be right. For me, however, it's still a lot of fun. There's enough trails that I'm not taking the same ones all the time, so I'm never bored. And the snowmaking is excellent, which can be a problem if the weather doesn't cooperate. Some resorts don't run all the lifts during the week, but Okemo runs MOST of their's all the time. And even without all the lifts running, it's still easy to get where you want to go. The grooming and trail maintenance is also first rate, as is the management. I give the Muellers a lot of credit. They're always looking for ways to improve.

Some people complain that Okemo is crowded, and I suppose it is during the weekends, but since I only ski during the week, I don't see it.

Now tell us about yours!

 

[SnowHot]

I have a season pass at Crystal Mountain(Michigan)
https://www.crystalmountain.com/winter/index.cfm?fuseaction=winterhome

The reason, it was an easy drive 40 minutes, for me and my sisters family from different directions.
Great fun to meet up with the family and spend time with my niece and nephew while they were growing up.

The hills aren't huge, the bump runs are limited, and the tree runs are short, but it's a lot of fun for a little money, close to home.:D

 

[liquidfeet]

By your definition my home mountain is Attitash, in NH, since I ski it at least once every weekend. It's really two mountains, Attitash and Bear Peak, each with its own lodge, with a cat track between them. It's got lots of steep icy narrow runs, plenty of blues, no glades to speak of, but all in all enough trails to keep me busy all day without too many repeats. Last year when it didn't snow much, they blew snow all season, which is great. There's a great super half-pipe which, once they get it built up, I do at least once a day to purge my fear. If I spend most of my time at Bear Peak, there aren't many people, even on weekends. So that's where I always start. It works for me!

 

[ski diva]

Bump.

Thought it'd be nice to hear about the home mountains of our newer members, so I'm moving this up.

 

[nelsapbm]

Mad River - the vibe and the terrain. And most importantly, it's 1/2 hour from my house.

 

[Lilgeorg]

I have season passes at both Okemo,Vt and Killington,Vt. Like Ski Diva, i prefer Okemo for all of the reasons she listed. Additionally, they have the best ski clinic for women around, Women's alpine adventure. The employees are uniformly helpful and pleasant where ever you go on the mountain.

I contrast this with Killington that may have more difficult terrain than Okemo but lacks the trail maintenance I have come to expect. The mountain is very difficult to get around unless you do it at the top of the mountain. If yoy do that you end up taking one or two trails. As for the staff, I get the impression that I am an interruption to their day.

Wow! I am surprised I had so much energy on this subject. Yeah for Okemo!!!

 

[ski diva]

I contrast this with Killington that may have more difficult terrain than Okemo but lacks the trail maintenance I have come to expect. The mountain is very difficult to get around unless you do it at the top of the mountain. If yoy do that you end up taking one or two trails. As for the staff, I get the impression that I am an interruption to their day.

Lil, I agree with you 100% about Killington. For me, you got it dead on.

 

[Thatsagirl]

Jay Peak. :D

Reasons:

• POWDER!!! :D Usually has the most snow in the region.

• Best tree skiing around (though I always have fun at MRG and Stowe too).

• Usually no crowds; when it is crowded, it's still not as crowded as other resorts here.

• Laid-back, retro skier attitude.

• Love to watch all the tele skiers!

• My hubby is a volunteer patroller there (though I had a season pass when I met him). The patrol is my second family.

• The sweet backcountry skiing.

Thatsagirl

 

[SnowHot]

Jay Peak. :D

Reasons:

• POWDER!!! :D Usually has the most snow in the region.

• Best tree skiing around (though I always have fun at MRG and Stowe too).

• Usually no crowds; when it is crowded, it's still not as crowded as other resorts here.

• Laid-back, retro skier attitude.

• Love to watch all the tele skiers!

• My hubby is a volunteer patroller there (though I had a season pass when I met him). The patrol is my second family.

• The sweet backcountry skiing.

Thatsagirl

You really only needed to post these links;)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Xz1yb0e9FY&mode=related&search=
and this
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uTImtYbg1B8&mode=related&search=

Nuff said

 

[Thatsagirl]

SnowHot, that's the first time I've seen that second video, the Big Jay backcountry one. Watch closely starting around 4:40, we've done that line... ;)

Thatsagirl

 

[liquidfeet]

That second video is a blast. Especially the end where the editor has his say.

But with my limited experience on hard snow on VT/NH groomers over the last three years, I have no way of seeing myself as one of these skiers as I watch the videos. I might as well be watching a Warren Miller film featuring heli skiing off massive wilderness mountains.

So now tell me, Divas, who among you skis like these guys?

I'm certainly willing to give it a try. Turn me loose in real snow like this, in real trees like these, give me some encouraging words, and let's see how it goes. So I'll be looking forward to an April Friday or Saturday at Jay with the Divas. Let's do it!!!

 

[snobound]

I'll bring up some of the west K! lol

My "home" mountain is Great Divide. Just outside of town here, about 20 mins away. I bought a season pass, but now am instructing part time.

It's a neat little mountain. I'm usually up there only during the week and there's only 2 chairs running. But absoultly NO lines, and almost guarenteed fresh tracks if it's snowed. I would guess on the weekends when all the lifts are running it's busier but I'm usually somewhere else skiing (Big Sky, Bridger or Big Mountain among some others).

But it suits my needs, and gets my ski fix in. So I'm not going to complain.

 

[Thatsagirl]

That second video is a blast. Especially the end where the editor has his say.

But with my limited experience on hard snow on VT/NH groomers over the last three years, I have no way of seeing myself as one of these skiers as I watch the videos. I might as well be watching a Warren Miller film featuring heli skiing off massive wilderness mountains.

So now tell me, Divas, who among you skis like these guys?

I'm certainly willing to give it a try. Turn me loose in real snow like this, in real trees like these, give me some encouraging words, and let's see how it goes. So I'll be looking forward to an April Friday or Saturday at Jay with the Divas. Let's do it!!!

I don't exactly ski like those guys, because I'm a girl and I ski PRETTIER! LOL

The Jay gathering will most likely be mid-March so we have good snow. Don't worry. We'll ease you into it. The most important thing is that you have FUN learning a new way to ski the mountain.

Thatsagirl

 

[smpayne]

Mt. High, Wrightwood, CA. It's only about 1hr 20min drive, with no real "mountain" roads (no curvy switch backs, etc). Season passes are only $300 (purchased in Sept), cheapest around of the mountains that actually make snow. When the season is good, the east side has really nice long runs and NO park features. The teenage boarders try to build a jump and the ski patrol knocks them down (can't say the same for the west side). It is considered the trailer park of ski resorts, but they have been trying to upgrade their immage lately.

 

[ADKskier]

My home mountain is Whiteface, located near Lake Placid, NY. In my opinion, the mountain's biggest attributes are its vertical drop (3,100 lift served; 3,400 hike-to) and its steep runs. Unlike many other mountains, the 3,100 is truly skiable - no traverses required and no boredom on flat green trails near the bottom. Also, because of the size and the layout (i.e. you can do laps on the summit lift all day and stay away from the base; same thing for the Mountain Run lift), you can avoid any crowds (basically non-existent anyway) and feel like you have the mountain to yourself. All in all its a challenging mountain, and after mastering the Face, I feel like I can ski anything anywhere!

I also like the weather at Whiteface - COLD! (call me crazy ). Its typical for highs to be in the single digits or low teens. I love cold weather and feeling like I'm out on an expedition deep in the Adirondacks, and my gear always keeps me toasty and warm!

 

[marta]

I love Whiteface, but too bad I live 5 hrs away from there. It's where I got over all my fears many years ago. We try to go there periodically. Lake Placid is so pretty in the Winter, a true ski town, with lots to do.

There are plusses and minuses with my home mountain, Mountain Creek, NJ. I love that it's 4 peaks with room to roam, and taller than the neighboring Poconos mountains. But I hate that it's so overcrowded and overrun by kids on boards who don't know or respect the code.

 

[Jilly]

Ah Iceface, froze well there too. Just like Tremblant.