Stowe Ski Area
Set on Vermont’s highest peak, Mount Mansfield, Stowe resort has a good snow record, averaging 333 inches (846 cm) per year, backed up by snowmaking on 72 percent of its trails.Stowe is one of America’s oldest ski resorts. Skiing on Mount Mansfield dates back to the 1930’s. Like many of the original prewar American ski resorts, the ski area is located some distance from the village. The two are separated by the 6.2 mile Mountain Road.
Stowe has an impressive vertical drop (by New England standards) of 2,160 feet (659 m). From the top of Mt. Mansfield skiers have views of the Green Mountains of Vermont, the White Mountains of New Hampshire, and the Adirondack Mountains of New York. The resort is a 15-minute drive from the village of Stowe; there is a regular shuttle bus service.
Stowe’s 48 trails (“The Great 48”) cover a distance of 39 miles (62 km) and include the longest average trail length and the most challenging fall line in New England. Best known are the imposing double black diamond “Front Four” trails-Starr, Goat, National, and Lift Line-but as a whole the resort is perfect for typical recreational skiers, with a wide range of intermediate terrain and plenty of variety from top-to-bottom trails with groomed cruisers, bump trails, and some truly fine glade skiing. There is also good beginner skiing, mainly on Spruce Peak.
There are free daily mountain tours led by a mountain host to introduce skiers to the area. Despite the resort’s popularity, midweek skiing, outside peak holiday times, is uncrowded. Night skiing is available during midwinter from Thursday to Saturday.