Mount Snow in Vermont is a popular destination for skiers and snowboarders. As part of a series on ski resorts, Huffington Post Travel offers our guide to Mount Snow, featuring all the key information snow lovers need to know before they hit the slopes.
The Basics
, nestled in the
of southern Vermont, is about 70 miles from Albany International Airport. Variety and innovations are the name of the game at Mount Snow, with the resort offering a wide range of runs for all ability levels, although most are for intermediate skiers (70 percent). Mount Snow began as one of the first ski resorts on the East Coast, opening in 1954, and continues to expand and renovate. It offers lodging facilities, childcare, an on-site spa, tubing, snowmobiling, sleigh rides, nearby ice-skating and even mushing, where guests are pulled on sleds by a team of Siberian huskies.
The Mountain
An average of
falls annually at Mount Snow, with most of the snow being produced from energy efficient machines, giving the mountain's snow a machine-groomed, powdery consistency. Mount Snow offers a
that allows guests who are dissatisfied with the snow conditions after trying at least one run within an hour of purchasing tickets to receive vouchers to come back and ski another day within a year. The mountain is 3,600 feet at the summit and has a vertical drop of 1,700 feet. The longest trail on the mountain is 13,200 feet. Mount Snow aims to open as early as possible each year for the winter season and to stay open as late in the season as possible, so dates vary according to the weather and conditions, with the mountain offering a 135-day ski season on average.
Trails And Lifts
Mount Snow has 80 trails available for
, with 15 percent for beginners, 70 percent for intermediate skiers and 15 percent for advanced skiers and experts. Beginning skiers enjoy Deer Run; intermediate skiers flock to Snowdance; experts can test their courage on the steep slopes of Ripcord. There are 20 lifts at Mount Snow -- one rope tow, four magic carpets, four double chairs, six triple chairs, one quad chair, three high-speed quads and one six-passenger bubble chair. Mount Snow offers cross-country skiing and terrain parks at
, featuring rails, jumps and pipes.
In The News
With its expansive and varied terrain, Mount Snow hosts a variety of events, including the Grommet Jam, a competition for kids ages 12 and younger to show off their snowboarding and skiing skills. Top freestyle skiers flock to Mount Snow for the Revolution Tour, an amateur freestyle event, and racers test their mettle at the Mountain Dew Vertical Challenge. Experienced skiers go extreme with the annual Glade-iator competition, held
Cost
cost $75 to $83 a day for adults, with discounts available for youth ages 18 and younger and seniors ages 65 and older. Adult
range from $699 to $1,249, depending on the level of access desired.
cost $39 for one day or $193 for seven days, with discounts for juniors ages 12 and younger. Helmet rentals are $12 a day or $96 for seven days. The rental shops offer boots and skis from Head and children's skis from Rossignol. Ski and snowboard lessons cost $105 per hour for
and $48 for one
.
Apres-Ski
Mount Snow offers more than just skiing, as the expansive resort prides itself on unique activities and variety. Mount Snow's
features organic and natural treatments to help skiers relax and de-stress in their downtime. When it's time to satisfy hunger pangs, Mount Snow includes
in the resort, ranging from the American fare at the Marketplace Cafe to the burritos made from scratch at Not Just Burritos.
WATCH: Mount Snow
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Slopestyle skiers show their skills in the Dew Tour at Mount Snow.