Sugarbush, VT 3/19-3/22 trip report and Intro

Hey Everyone,

I've been a member of this site for a month or so and wanted to introduce myself and give a quick trip report from Sugarbush.  About me, I'm 27 live in Arlington and I've been skiing since I was about 3 thanks to my Dad and I consider myself a pretty fast and aggressive skier who skis everything.  

Anyway, my Dad and I left for Sugarbush from DC on Thursday to ski through Sunday. After driving about 8 hours on the first day we were tired as hell so we stopped and got a room in Bennington or some other random town in South Vermont.  We woke up the next morning and drove about 2 more hours into Sugarbush and got there before the lifts opened at 9am.  

Let me just say this was my first time there but it was fing awesome! They had tons of cover on the runs all 115 trails were open and we had cold weather but beautiful blue skys all weekend, well until Sunday morning when it snowed about 4 inches which was just another bonus.  The place is just impressive, its big, the runs are challenging, lots of diversity in the terrain and if you have enough balls to ride up the castlerock lift you can find the most gnarly bumps I've ever seen.  I've never been so challenged in my life when I skied off the castlerock lift, its just steep, narrow and full of massive bumps oh and did I mention its long and relentless, well for me at least. 

In the morning it was typical firm packed fast groomers and then it softened up in the afternoon into nice spring bumps on the trails that were in the sun it was just a great weekend and so much fun! The people up there are so nice and friendly and the sugarbush staff is great too. They even yelled at me to put the bar down on the lift half way up!  It's VT state law. It really was depressing coming back to city life.  Ok on with some pics I hope they work since this is my first try. 

mountain view

Mt. Ellen Base Area

I'm pretty sure thats F.I.S on the right

lift line bumps at Mt. Ellen 

Me with good ol Canada in the background  

I love VT

View from the Sugarbush Inn

the Volkls

at the base of Mt. Lincoln

the legendary Castlerock area view from the lift.  I have pics from my castlerock runs but they're on my iphone.

Bottom of Organgrinder, great run just long and steep

Pops

Me & Pops

About to carve...somewhere on Lincoln lol

Stopping to wait for dad.  You can really see some decent snow in this one

self explanitory

My Dad doing work

lots of fun bumps in there

I told you it was great!

half way down Organgrinder looking up

looking down now

view from the quad that connects Mt. Ellen and Mt. Lincoln; this was just amazing and pics dont do it any justice

more bumps

then we went home Sunday afternoon :(

I have more pics but this should give you an idea that this place does it right! Hope you all enjoy

-Jason

Happy to hear that you had a good time. I'm heading up ther tomorrow night for the weekend. I've been up there a few times this winter and yes, castlerock is very challeging for sure. Too bad organgrinder was all groomed out. It's usually all bumped up. Not much snow from late Feb to now so they have had to groom out a few trails. Too bad you didn't have time to shoot over to Mad River which is about 20 minutes away.................Great stuff over there!

Nice report.  Pics look great.  Castlerock was closed the only time I visited Sugarbush many years ago.  But agree it's pretty intimidating looking from across the way.  I can appreciate why you'd quit messing with camera while negotiating its runs. 

BTW, I live less than a good chairlift ride from Arl Co line.

Oh, and I like the no shaving on ski trips rule you and pops follow.

nikonfme: We drove over to Mad River to check it out.  That place is pretty interesting, looks very challenging and the locals were partying by 4pm so I can appreciate that!  Have fun up there everything should still be open.

James: nice another local I need some skiing buddies, you must live right on the other side of 395 then hu? Yeah me and pops dont shave for ski trips I need the protection from the wind!

nice report. yeah, castlerock is awesome in spring....

more pics pls.

Sugarbush is a real gem, it's my home area from the old days.  Haven't been back up since 1998 or so.

Glad you had a good time.  You picked a good place to go for the classic VT ski experience. 

Wow!  Nice report, great pics.  I'm adding Sugarbush to my short-list for next season.

here are the two castlerock pics from my phone:

Heading up now for the weekend  It's very true about the people up there being friendly. The people that work on the mountain go out of there way to be very friendly. Always offering up something to drink at the base at the end of the day and asking how your day was. It's just run really well.......................Different racks for snowboards so know piled up mess, no bags or anything in the eating or drinking areas. Just little stuff like that. Mad River just down the road is a bonus....................Catch that on a powder day with a local to ski it with to show you the "special" places and it is the best area in all of New England..................

Oh, and no snow boarders at Mad River Sorry boarders They like to keep snow on the ungroomed trails......................

Thanks for the report.  Couldn't have come at a better time. (I've been suffering from the end of the season blues lately.)  I'm heading up to the Valley for the April 4th weekend and am darn worried.  This has been my absolute unluckiest ski season ever.  I've missed every dump and have managed to hit four of the six or seven thaw and freeze cycles at MRG only to find the mountain frozen solid.  Sugarbush was almost completely shut down due to high winds and ice the two times I tried to ski there.  It looks like I'll be stuck with four unused Mad Cards unless a miracle happens.  After reading your report and looking at your great pics, it's very nice to know I have a chance at using my three Sugarbush vouchers while there is still some snow around!

nikonfme - yeah its absolutely true, the people are so friendly they do give you water when you get off the slopes and there isn't even any pay lockers! You just throw your bag on some shelves they provide and just come back at the end of the day and your stuff is actually still there haha!

As for MRG that place just looks tough if you arent there after a good dump.  There was lots of bare spots and rocks showing when I was at the base.  I bet its great after some fresh though! Its on the short list for next year. 

JT - Glad I could cheer you up a little but man you just gotta go...I mean how many more days do you think they'll be open for this year? You only regret the things you don't do, so enjoy it while you can.  I'm sure there is still some great skiing to be had at Sugarbush.  Why don't you try and sell those Mad Cards on craigslist? Thats how I got a voucher for Sugarbush and I only paid $45 instead of $72 at the mountain

Quote:

Originally Posted by JTripodi 

 

Thanks for the report.  Couldn't have come at a better time. (I've been suffering from the end of the season blues lately.)  I'm heading up to the Valley for the April 4th weekend and am darn worried.  This has been my absolute unluckiest ski season ever.  I've missed every dump and have managed to hit four of the six or seven thaw and freeze cycles at MRG only to find the mountain frozen solid.  Sugarbush was almost completely shut down due to high winds and ice the two times I tried to ski there.  It looks like I'll be stuck with four unused Mad Cards unless a miracle happens.  After reading your report and looking at your great pics, it's very nice to know I have a chance at using my three Sugarbush vouchers while there is still some snow around!

Just got back. Skied Fri. and Sat. It was raining today so we bailed. It was 65 there yesterday and pretty close to that on Fri. They are losing snow fast. We skied mostly Steins Run, Ripcord, Paradise and Organgrinder which all had good cover and nice soft bumps. The Castle Rock trails are getting pretty bad. Not sure how MRG is. This season is ending too soon. Think I'm heading up to Sugarloaf next week. Still quite a bit of snow up there.

I haven't been up to Sugarbush since 1997, but it is still etched in my memory as the best VT area I've been to.  Organgrinder was a definite favorite.  

We went up to Smuggler's Notch this year (3/5 - 3/8, wasn't really impressed) and I think next I'm going to do a return to Sugarbush.  I was hoping I didn't have my rose colored glasses on when remembering Sugarbush, and from your report it looks like I don't.

Chris

www.StoveNet.com

Quote:

Originally Posted by JTripodi 

 

Still think that you will be OK with Sugarbush. I just don't know how MRG will be. Stowe won't be any better than the Bush. Jay maybe. Hopefully someone will chime in for you.