Mad River Glen

Mad River Glen is legendary for its unique approach to skiing and everything that surrounds it. Among all the corporate super resorts, MRG is an anachronism. When I spoke with the ski school director, he said to me, "This place is as much a museum as it is a ski area. This is what New England skiing was 50 years ago." That's the best description I've ever heard. Narrow, winding trails, a near total lack of snowmaking and grooming, and a base lodge that is little more than a shack with a little kitchen cooking up the basics. But it's just about the best place I've ever skied. The terrain is as challenging as anything you can find anywhere in New England. Because of the (deservedly) intimidating reputation of this mountain, the mountain is almost exclusively populated by experts. That give a sense of camraderie and community that just doesn't exist in other base lodges. You can strike up a conversation with anybody about what's good today, how certain trails are skiing, and whatever else you want to chat about. At the end of my last day there, one of the kitchen workers came up and gave out the pizza they hadn't sold, because she'd rather see somebody enjoy it than throw it in the trash. If you're going to go to Mad River, you had better be sure that you really know what you're doing. If you're good enough for it, there's no place better to find what the heart of skiing really is.

The single chair...  the scarce use of groomers...  the abundance of midfat and fat skis...  ice...  bumps...  no snowboards allowed...  Not a great place for beginners or intermediate skiers or anyone that can't stand moguls.  It can be a lot of work if the conditions are not tip-top.