Presidents Week 2003
Written: Mar 08 '03
|
Product Rating:
|
|
|
Pros: Nice trails, large ski area with plenty of vetical
Cons: No capital improvements in years; lifts/lodges need updating. Limited lodging chocies at the mountain
The Bottom Line: "Best in the East" - I'm not sure. The trails are very good but the lift system and base lodges are out of date.
|
|
|
| tom2002a's Full Review: Stowe |
We went to Stowe for Pres Week 2003. This was our 3rd Pres Week at Stowe and this time we stayed at the Condos at The Inn at the Mountain. Having been to Stowe before but staying in town we thought that these were the condo's that were trailside just up-mountain from the hotel - they are not. Although they are advertised as trailside -they are about 150 yards from the trail and to get to the trail/lift you ski and pole past the tennis courts, then through somebody's front yard, past the pool and then behind the main part of " The Inn at the Mountain" to the lift. This trail is groomed daily and the poling is minimal. Coming home you take the "Home Run" trail which ends in a parking lot about 50-75 yards from the condo's and if there is snow in the lot you can ski/pole to your front door. I only point this out as when we reserved we were told that we would be trailside and it was a bit of a stretch. The condo's that are trailside are not part of the Inn.
The condo we got was probably the nicest resort rental we've ever had - nice furniture and well kept. The restaurant and bar are nice but everything closed at 9pm. My only complaint is a $40 a night service charge that was not disclosed when the rate was quoted. I asked about it at checkout and was told that it was for housekeeping. As we had skipped housekeeping each day and simply asked for fresh towels - I asked if it could be waived to no avail. Pointing out that the industry standard is to include housekeeping in the quoted room rate did not help either.
Stowe is three mountains two of which you can ski between with the third requiring a bus ride across a parking lot. There is a good mix of terrain and plenty of vertical. The northern VT location seems to make a difference with snow. The most popular trails are the blues served by the gondola. The gondola takes you to the top of the mountain and to get down you ski down either side of the top on some narrow trails cut into the face to get down to the wide long blue cruisers. The amount of traffic on these two narrow trails is unbelievable. First part of a busy day you're ok but after 1pm (11am if the snow is soft) the two trails are cut into moguls the size of cars with sheer ice in between. I took my 8 and 10 year old down and while I made it they both fell. After I picked them up we stood at the bottom of this section and looking up I was amazed at the traffic and falls. One after another, even the best skiers struggled to make it down. Wipeouts were everywhere. It was such a hassle that I did not take the kids on the gondola again. This condition is easily fixed by parking a Groomer nearby, closing the trail for 10-15 minutes and grooming mid-day. I will never understand the aversion of New England Ski Areas to daytime grooming. It can really make a difference on a busy day in high traffic areas. It's common elsewhere i.e. Butternut Basin "We Groom At Noon".
Lifts are an issue. Stowe has not installed a new lift in years. Stowe has some of the oldest slowest lifts in the industry -Big Spruce Double 17 minutes to travel 6300'. I am told they have been in a long fight with the town over expansion. Whatever the reason, the Gondola and Four Runner Quad are very taxed on a busy day. The Gondola line moves well but the Quad does not. The rest of the lifts belong in a museum. Base Lodges (Mansfield and Spruce) are also out of date and overwhelmed. When it comes to skier facilities/amenities Stowe does not meet contemporary standards. Other than the Inn At The Mountain there is no real development at the mountain. This is offset by the town of Stowe (5 minutes down the road) with many hotels, motels and restaurants each apparently vying for a different AAA Diamond level to advertise.
Recommended:
Yes
Level of Experience Needed: All
Best Time to Visit: February
Best Suited For: Singles
|
|
|
|
Epinions.com ID:
tom2002a
|
|
Reviews written: 13
Trusted by: 0 members
|
|
|
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.