Mount Snow Ski Resort Trails

A fixture in Southern Vermont for over half a century, Mount Snow has grown a lot since ski pioneer Walter Schoenknecht bought a chunk of land on Mt Pisgah from farmer Reuben Snow in 1950. Four years later, rechristened Mount Snow, the resort opened with two chairs, two tows, and seven trails. Schoenknecht's vision of "the ski resort of my dreams" lives on today, although he might not recognize the old farm. Twenty chair lifts, three of them high-speed quads, serve hundreds of acres, including 139 acres of hand-cleared tree terrain. Terrain With over 50% of the terrain rated blue square Mount Snow is well-placed to cater to the "weekend warrior" crowd, those individuals and families who only get to ski or board a few times a season (whether it's the weekend or not). They make up the majority of skier/rider visits nationwide, and Mount Snow's southern Vermont location, wide choice of appropriate trails, snowmaking and grooming keep the place jumping on weekends and holidays. Those who are more advanced will find they are not neglected. The North Face is all marked black or double black diamond except for River Run, and it's highlighted by the legendary Ripcord. The steepest glade on the mountain drops right alongside it. This aspect really does face north, so the snow stays cold and dry longer. On the other side of the mountain, literally, the Sunbrook area encompasses a network of southwest facing trails, including Thanks Walt, and a nice glade. Here's where to head on a very cold day or to get a jump on spring snow later in the season. Both the North Face and Sunbrook sections offer the feel of a separate area; Carinthia used to be a separate area but is now New England s #1 rated terrain park system. While three quarters of the mountain is given over to intermediates and beginners, Mount Snow's terrain parks at Carinthia are another matter altogether. Once you've mastered Grommet you can step up to the mile long Nitro. From there move up to the Gulch and complete your tour with a run through the XL sized features in Inferno. Inferno is the only trail to ever have hosted slopestyle competitions for the X Games and Dew Tour. Complete your day with runs through the mini pipe on Mineshaft or the famous superpipe in the base area. In all Carinthia is 100 acres of freestyle bliss. The Grand Summit Resort Hotel provides lodging right in the center of things, and four condominium villages dot the base area. Only the Seasons Condominiums are trailside as most of the mountain is part of the Green Mountain National Forest. But the Deerfield Valley has long been a destination for visitors all year, and numerous rental properties are available, supplemented by a number of fine inns and lodges. Off-slope Fun High Country Snowmobile Tours is located next to the kids Discovery Center. This is auspicious, because this outfit can get you on miles of maintained trails. If you prefer exploring the woods under your own power, nearby Hermitage Touring offers 50 km of groomed cross-country ski trails; Timber Creek grooms 15 km. There are also thousands of acres in the Green Mountain National Forest to explore for the experienced winter enthusiast. Aside from a busy winter event schedule at the mountain, this part of Vermont has always been hopping. Lots of bars and bands are matched by as many quiet pubs, and the restaurant scene ranges from home-cooking local hangouts to world-class cuisine. -482 acres of trails -20 lifts -80 trails Hours of operations Mon-Fri 9am-4pm Sat-Sun 8am-4pm