East Coast Skiing (1 Viewer)

[Anthony_J]

Hey East Coast board members,

I'm looking to plan a ski vacation for a group of twenty-somethings for a week in January. We're all from NJ or Manhattan, so our options for destinations seem to be Vermont or the Poconos.

A condo/private home rental in the Poconos will be around $2,000, while Vermont will be a fair bit more expensive.

I know that Vermont has the edge with mountain quality, but what about non-ski activities (e.g., restaurants, nightlife, etc.)? Is Vermont worth the extra money and 4 hours of drive time? Note that while we enjoy the sport, we're not hardcore skiers at all, and the nightlife/things to do aspect is probably equally as important as mountain quality.

What areas/resorts do you recommend staying in each, given our circumstances?

 

[Mike__D]

Is Vermont worth the extra money and 4 hours of drive time?

You're damn right it is!! Seriously, Vermont has more than an edge in skiing. The Poconos is just a warmup for Vermont. It's not as much as a community like Vermont. Mountains (I use that term losely) in the Poconos are kinda spread apart, where as in Vermont, Killington specifically, has a great night life and resorts at the base of the mountain.
My group of friends and I have been going there for years. This year we are up to over 40 people going... yeah, we rented out an entire lodge
Mike D.
[EDIT] Forgot to mention, the average downhill skiing time in Poconos seems to be 5 minutes (maybe 10 if you take your time) and a 15 minute wait for the lift. While Vermonts mountains take a MUCH longer time to get to the bottom, and you can spend a whole day there and never ski the same trail.

 

[PeteyG]

Anthony - I couldn't agree with Mike anymore. IMO there is no comparison between Vermont and the Poconos. In terms of skiing, it's a no brainer - Vermont is clearly better, the Poconos is like a bunny hill! You will wait much longer than 15 minutes at the lift lines at the Poconos and be down the "hill" before you know it. At least in Vermont the quality of the skiing is worth the wait on the line!
As far as I know, there is no nightlife in the Poconos. My friends and I (20+ people in some years) used to rent a condo/home (every year for 5 years) and we never found a place to go out. We used to just ski and stay in the condo and party - got boring after a day or two.
We've now been going to Vermont (Mt. Snow, Killington, Stowe) for the past 4 years and we couldn't be happier. There are plenty of excellent restaurants to go to (some that rival restaurants here in Manhattan), and plenty of bars and pubs to go to. You will have a great time on the slopes during the day, and out at the bars (or just in the lodge at the base of the mountain) at night.
I would say your best bet is to go to Killington, as the night life is a bit livelier and the skiing is excellent (better chance for more snow early/late in the season).
I make a few trips up to Vermont every year from Manhattan to do the ski thing - it's about 3.5 hours to Mt. Snow (4 hours tops), 4.5 hours to Killington, and 6 to Stowe. Well worth the extra $$ and drive time.
Good Luck with your choice, I hope this helps!
Pete

 

[Anthony_J]

You bet that helps. thanks a ton to the both of you.

any suggestions on good places to stay in Killington? where does everything happen?

 

[Brian Mansure]

I agree with the other guys, Vermont, especially Killington is great skiing.
If you have to go someplace closer why not a resort in the Catskills?
I personally haven't been to any but have heard good things.
Closer to you than Vermont and probably better than most Pocono ski resorts.
Brian

 

[Mark C Sherman]

one more for Killington

 

[Stefan A]

And another for Killington. There is an entire access rd leading up to the resort that is full of stuff to do at night. Some of my best memories are from Killington. I have stayed at a bunch of different places out there - many of which I can't remember the names. I can tell you that the closer you stay to the mountain (along the access rd) the more expensive it will be - generally. I once stayed at a place where I could walk to the lift and get a free Breakfast Buffet (a good one) That was very nice. Rutland is about 15 minutes or so away if you want to save money. I sayed there once. Although the atmosphere is not quite the same as the access rd, it was a good price. My wife and I decided that when we go back, we will stay at The Vermont Inn.(http://www.vermontinn.com/). We ate dinner there one night and enjoyed the atmosphere. But, it may not be the best for a group of 20 - I don't know.
As far as the Poconos, believe all of us, it's just not the same. I have only been to Camelback and that is the biggest one. It doesn't even come close to the size of Killington - or most of the places up there. And yes, in skiing, size matters. You don't want to be waiting in lines forever after your short run down the hill. At Killington, you generally don't pick a slope and go down it. It's more like a journey to the next part of the mountain. And, I hear that they are connecting Pico with Killington.
So, with that glowing review of Killington, there is one drawback - It's the most popular place on the east coast. Lodges tend to be crowded. The lifts at the base can be a bit of a wait. The nightlife is pretty crowded and hectic. Some of the more popular trails get a bit icey. You may have to park far away depending on how early you get there. But these are nit-picky things.
Also, the other Vermont resorts are great. I have been to Stowe, Jay Peak (-150 wind chill last time I was there), Smuggler's Notch, Sugarbush. All are great places. Not to mention Whiteface and Gore in upstate New York.
Man - if I could just lose about 50 lbs. and get some friends who ski, I'd love to get back into it. I have some really nice equipment that just sits in storage waiting to be used. Maybe one year.

 

[ChristopherS]

If you are willing to travel a bit further a field I would highly recommend Mont Tremblant in Quebec. It is a beautiful resort, the skiing is excellent, and with the curency exchange, Americans can do well for themselves.
Chris

 

[Todd Henry]

I'll second Mont Tremblant. Great skiing and excellent night life. A group of my friends are heading up there in early February and my total cost of lodging (at the base of the mountain), ski rental, lift tickets and food will be less than $400 US for 3 days of skiing. We have gone up every year for about the last 4 years. Most of my friends live in the NYC or Boston areas.

Todd