VERMONT

Sugarbush, Stowe - Steeped in Tradition

This story was Published in the Providence Journal - Special to the Journal

 

Published: December 16, 2001
 

By Heather Burke

From the steep slopes of the famous Front Four trails to the pristine white church steeples of the nearby Vermont towns, Stowe and Sugarbush are prime ski resorts steeped in tradition.

The name Stowe conjures up skiing legends. The first chairlift in Vermont debuted at Stowe in 1940; at the time it was the world's longest and highest lift. This historic ski area adorns the 4,395-foot Mt. Mansfield, Vermont's highest summit.

True skiing aficionados brand the Front Four trails as some of the steepest, most-difficult terrain anywhere. With the nickname "Ski Capital of the East," you can visit Stowe with high expectations.

From the awesome scenery atop Stowe's peaks to the charming host town of Stowe, this is a gorgeous setting with all the ingredients for an ideal ski vacation. Stowe's Mountain Road is dotted with so many romantic Inns and fabulous restaurants, its almost sinful.

Sugarbush has its own recipe for the perfect winter sports setting, which dates back to the 1950s. Located in the beautiful Mad River Valley, the towns of Waitsfield and Warren are textbook New England beauties, from covered bridges and church steeples to country stores selling maple syrup and homespun crafts.

Sugarbush claims "the most widely varied ski terrain east of the Rockies." From heart thumping glades, bumps and steeps to panoramic cruisers spanning views of Lake Champlain, this resort has it all. Sugarbush's highest lift-serviced peak is Mount Ellen at 4,135 feet, almost 500 feet higher than any of Stowe's lifts.

For all their individuality, these resorts have more than a few similarities. Both ski resorts can be reached with a cruise up I-91 to scenic I-89. From exit 10, turn right onto Route 100 north and you are 20 minutes to Stowe. Turn south and you are an equal distance to Sugarbush.

STOWE IS FAMED for the "Front Four" -- a quartet of steep, unforgiving trails. Goat, Starr, National and Liftline are well deserving of all the heralding. Starr and Goat are so wild and narrow that grooming machinery cannot attempt the sheer cliffs and huge bumps.

National and Liftline are wider, precipitous trails that can be hard packed and treacherous, or bumped beyond belief depending upon the snow conditions du jour.

Sugarbush has its own expert reputation, with double black-diamond mogul terrain that holds an impressive candelabrum to Stowe's. But it is Castlerock Peak where things get really gnarly. This is unaltered, old school skiing reached by a double chair. Castlerock's trails are sprinkled with stumps, bumps, glades and chutes, set on a steep pitch that can humble the best skier.

While Stowe only counts 48 trails, Sugarbush tallies 115. That is more of a discrepancy in math than terrain, since Stowe has 39 miles of skiing on 480 acres. The "Bush" has 468 acres encompassing 54 miles of trails.

As for lift systems, Stowe has a high-speed quad and "the world's fastest" 8-passenger gondola that whisks you up to the breathtaking Cliff House Lodge.

Not to be left in the white dust, Sugarbush has 4 high-speed quads, including the one-of-a-kind connector lift, the Slide Brook Express, which bridges the valley between Sugarbush's two ski areas, Mount Ellen and Lincoln Peak.

AT STOWE, you must ride the shuttle bus (which comes promptly every five minutes) between its peaks, Mansfield and Spruce. An interconnecting lift is one of many improvements on Stowe's wish list for their master plan of a slopeside pedestrian village and expanded ski terrain.

If off-piste tree skiing is your bag, Stowe and Sugarbush both earn bragging rights with mind blowing backcountry terrain.

Sugarbush's volunteer guides will take you into their backcountry. The aptly named Slide Brook Wilderness tours take you into the thousands of acres where bears and lynx are thought to migrate, uninterrupted by the connector quad installed five years ago.

At Stowe, you'll need to hook up with a local heading off the beaten path. To tag along, offer to buy a round of brews at the Matterhorn Pub at journey's end.

You could spend years exploring the wilderness at either of these resorts, and Vermont state law says its okay -- but you are on your own once you leave the trail system. The patrollers will tell you if they have to "come an' getcha," you pay their hefty search-and-rescue fee. Of course, you should always have a guide or at least an experienced partner when venturing out of bounds.

It's not all hard-core expeditions at these top-notch alpine havens. Stowe and Sugarbush offer plenty of snow-covered blue square runs. In fact, over 50 percent of both trail maps consist of rewarding intermediate cruisers.

AT SUGARBUSH, if you purchase a three or more day lift ticket, you can take a day at Mad River Glen. Skiers (no snowboarders allowed at MRG) can drive 4 miles to this retro ski area and experience the classic unspoiled terrain of yet another great Vermont mountain.

Coincidentally, when you purchase a three-day lift ticket at Stowe you can ski over the top of Spruce Peak to neighboring Smugglers' Notch Ski Resort and enjoy their rugged mountain terrain for a day.

As for lesson programs and children's ski and snowboard camps, both Stowe and the Bush have well-trained instructors offering professional clinics at every level.

As for ski town culture, Stowe is world-class chic. You'll see plenty of posh Bogner ski suits, Land Rovers, and fur hats milling about. But you will also witness a counter culture of earthy middle-aged locals who have abandoned their high-profile careers in pursuit of bluebird ski days on this ultimate skier's mountain.

The Sugarbush set, college kids who trek the 45 miles from Burlington and hard-core ski bums, comprise one extreme. The "beautiful people" balance out the equation of skiers. Second-home-owning urban escapees have made their seasonal presence felt at the Bush, fetching the title "Mascara Mountain" in the '60s and '70s.

Sugarbush made big news this fall, as it shed a six-year tenure under American Skiing Company and launched into a renewed community ownership era. A group of local businessmen formed Summit Ventures to purchase the ski resort. American Insurance Group has owned Stowe since its infancy in 1946.

FIRST-RATE CHEFS and artisans are not immune to the charms of either of these alpine settlements. It's a bonus to skiers and riders that some of the finest New England restaurants and galleries have taken root in these resort hubs.

Gourmet and Food & Wine magazines have visited Stowe as often as Ski Magazine, recommending such restaurants as Isle De France, Ten Acre Lodge and Trattoria La Festa. Sugarbush has such exceptional dining establishments as Chez Henri, Tucker Hill Inn and The Warren House.

Sugarbush has considerably more slopeside lodging than Stowe, the result of a huge condominium build-out in the '80s. Package rates are available to stay in the mountainside townhouses.

At Stowe, The Inn on the Mountain is the only ski-in, ski-out property, reached from the 3.7 mile Toll Road trail.

There is no shortage of beds in either ski town. Copious country inns, lodges and bed & breakfasts are just a few miles' drive from the ski areas.

• IF YOU GO: Stowe Mountain Resort can be reached at (800) 253-4754 or at www.stowe.com.

Inn on the Mountain lodging-only rates are $185-$200 a night for a one-bedroom condo that sleeps four.

Sugarbush can be reached at (800) 537-8427 or at www.sugarbush.com.

Lift & Lodging rates start at $99 per person daily, based on four in a one-bedroom condo.


Verticals and Vitals
Sugarbush / Stowe
Skiing elevation, in feet 4,135 / 3,640
Vertical, feet 2,650 / 2,360
Lifts 18 / 11
Trails 115 / 48
Skiable acres 468 / 480
Annual snowfall, in inches 350 / 260
Snowmaking acres 285 / 350

 

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