Stowe

There are eight chairlifts including three high-speed quads, one eight-seater gondola that carries skiers from bottom to top in just seven and a half minutes, and two surface tows. The high-speed quads and the gondola are state of the art and the fastest way up the mountain.

Normal operating times are generous: 8:00 am to 4:00 pm, although the quad opens at 7:30 am on weekends and holidays. Lift lines can be expected, according to the resort, principally between 10:00 am and 2:00 pm on Saturdays, at Christmas, and during President’s Week, but you can take it for granted that weekends will be busy.

More lifts, trails, and snowmaking may be installed as part of a major five- to ten-year investment plan, scheduled to start in 2004 but currently unconfirmed.