# Sundown Vs. Mohawk



## thorski (Dec 15, 2010)

Giving the fact that they are equal in driving distance, which mountain would be the better to get a season pass to? What are the pros and cons?


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## gmcunni (Dec 15, 2010)

thorski said:


> Giving the fact that they are equal in driving distance, which mountain would be the better to get a season pass to? What are the pros and cons?



depends on the skier/rider and what they like.  what features are you looking for in a local ski area?

length of season/total days of operation - mohawk probably wins
quantity of trails - i think mohawk wins
bumps - sundown
parks - sundown
facilities - sundown 
snow quality - don't know
price - mohawk
annual snowfall - i read recently (can't find it now) that mohawk gets 50% more natural snow.


where i spent my $$$ - sundown


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## bvibert (Dec 15, 2010)

Sundown has moguls. [/End of Comparison]


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## gmcunni (Dec 15, 2010)

found the snowfall reference (winchill's site)

sundown 60" / mohawk 90" which i find a shocking differential

http://www.snowforecast.com/ConnecticutSkiResorts


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## Greg (Dec 15, 2010)

Mohawk: More terrain, more lifts. Slightly more vert. Most of the main trails ski very similarly to me though, but there are some really nice trails with a lot of character, far skier's left. Very aggressive snow making. Mountain is typically groomed flat with occasional bumps on Wildwood. No park. Retro lodge.

Sundown: Less terrain/lifts, but Gunbarrel has more consistent pitch than anything at Mohawk. Each trail is unique and skis much differently than the others. Very, VERY aggressive snow making. Good grooming on most of the mountain, seeded bump runs, and pretty damn impressive terrain park. More modern lodge with a bar.

For kids, both are good. Sundown can get crowded, but I haven't been to Mohawk on busy days so I can't compare. So....it really depends on what kind of terrain you like. I know you've been to Sundown. You've really never been to Mohawk enough to make a choice? I don't know how pass prices compare...I suspect Mohawk is cheaper.


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## gmcunni (Dec 15, 2010)

i think mohawk is on state land, is that right? but is it privately run or is this another Belleayre?


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## Greg (Dec 15, 2010)

gmcunni said:


> found the snowfall reference (winchill's site)
> 
> sundown 60" / mohawk 90" which i find a shocking differential
> 
> http://www.snowforecast.com/ConnecticutSkiResorts



As silly as it might sound, Mohawk does have a slight elevation advantage and is 19 miles further west, in an area of the state that naturally gets more snow.


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## thorski (Dec 15, 2010)

bvibert said:


> Sundown has moguls. [/End of Comparison]



I think you are right if mohawk doesn't put the same effort into bumps which i honestly don't think any mountain puts the same effort in as sundown appears to.
I have skied Mowhawk but it has been sometime. The fact that they have no bar has always been a problem for my crew as we like to drink.
I think i suck at bumps, and i definately suck at kickers in the bumps so i might need to hit sundown more this year midweek nights. Or just stop drinking so much.


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## gmcunni (Dec 15, 2010)

Greg said:


> As silly as it might sound, Mohawk does have a slight elevation advantage and is 19 miles further west, in an area of the state that naturally gets more snow.



yeah, i saw the elevation but still the 50% more seems strange to me.   i drive so far to get to either i guess in my mind they are closer to each other than they really are.


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## Greg (Dec 15, 2010)

gmcunni said:


> yeah, i saw the elevation but still the 50% more seems strange to me.   i drive so far to get to either i guess in my mind they are closer to each other than they really are.



It's a terrain thing really. Mohawk sits squarely in the middle of Litchfield county which is sort of an overall plateau while Sundown is on the edge of it. 400-500 vertical feet does make difference. Even in my town, there can be very little snow in town (400 feet) and accumulating snow at my house (860 feet) despite being only 1.25 miles away. The random lake effect and storm tracks also favor that area of the state.


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## severine (Dec 15, 2010)

thorski said:


> Giving the fact that they are equal in driving distance, which mountain would be the better to get a season pass to? What are the pros and cons?


Mohawk is 2 miles closer than Sundown (12 miles-vs-14 miles), yet we are a Sundown family.



gmcunni said:


> i think mohawk is on state land, is that right? but is it privately run or is this another Belleayre?


Pretty sure it's in the Mohawk State Forest but yes, it is privately run.



thorski said:


> I think you are right if mohawk doesn't put the same effort into bumps which i honestly don't think any mountain puts the same effort in as sundown appears to.
> I have skied Mowhawk but it has been sometime. The fact that they have no bar has always been a problem for my crew as we like to drink.
> I think i suck at bumps, and i definately suck at kickers in the bumps so i might need to hit sundown more this year midweek nights. Or just stop drinking so much.


No bar and definitely a different philosophy. I like that the trails are more spread out instead of most emptying into the same area, like what happens at Sundown. There are also a few trails at Mohawk that I really like. And their night skiing prices are really cheap. Though I swear that they have a lot of wind on that mountain, making night skiing pretty cold--yet Gunbarrel at Sundown has the same problem.

There are things that drawn me to Sundown instead 99% of the time (the bar not really being one, but it's a nice addition). Sundown has become a sort of _Cheers_ for me. I don't ski the bumps so that's not a consideration for me, but the people I ski with do, so... I really like how Sundown is run. The owner is very hands-on, management has been open to suggestions and involved... They know what they're doing. The improvements to snowmaking for this season will be hugely helpful in an area that isn't blessed with a lot of natural snow.


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## severine (Dec 15, 2010)

gmcunni said:


> yeah, i saw the elevation but still the 50% more seems strange to me.   i drive so far to get to either i guess in my mind they are closer to each other than they really are.



They're 24-28 miles apart, depending on which route you take. Not *that* close--certainly far enough apart for big differences in snow, just like the difference between how much snow Torrington gets versus Naugatuck, CT.


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## gmcunni (Dec 15, 2010)

severine said:


> They're 24-28 miles apart, depending on which route you take. Not *that* close--certainly far enough apart for big differences in snow, just like the difference between how much snow Torrington gets versus Naugatuck, CT.



i think in very simple terms.. i get off same exit and make a left or a right to get to either mountain so in my simple mind they are next to each other :dunce:

added bonus on Sundown - when you leave the hill you can immediately get a dunkin donuts coffee for the ride home


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## deadheadskier (Dec 15, 2010)

Greg said:


> It's a terrain thing really. Mohawk sits squarely in the middle of Litchfield county which is sort of an overall plateau while Sundown is on the edge of it. 400-500 vertical feet does make difference. Even in my town, there can be very little snow in town (400 feet) and accumulating snow at my house (860 feet) despite being only 1.25 miles away. The random lake effect and storm tracks also favor that area of the state.



elevation makes a big difference down there.  My folks lived on Johnny Cake Mountain in Burlington.  The difference in snow they got compared with Farmington just a few miles away was staggering.


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## severine (Dec 15, 2010)

gmcunni said:


> i think in very simple terms.. i get off same exit and make a left or a right to get to either mountain so in my simple mind they are next to each other :dunce:
> 
> added bonus on Sundown - when you leave the hill you can immediately get a dunkin donuts coffee for the ride home



Versus many miles of dark rural roads til you get to Torrington...where the Dunkin' Donuts at the gas station is probably already closed.


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## powhunter (Dec 15, 2010)

Sundown....When I started to become interested in skiing bumps around 5 years ago....wildwood was an awesome trail bumped from the headwall top to bottom..Now like a lot of areas its groomer city...The park at SD is way better as well


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## gmcunni (Dec 15, 2010)

powhunter said:


> The park at SD is way better as well



do they even have a park @ Mohawk?


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## St. Bear (Dec 15, 2010)

Pro for Sundown: A bunch of guys from this forum ski at Sundown

Pro for Mohawk: A bunch of guys from this forum ski at Sundown


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## mondeo (Dec 15, 2010)

St. Bear said:


> Pro for Sundown: A bunch of guys from this forum ski at Sundown
> 
> Pro for Mohawk: A bunch of guys from this forum ski at Sundown


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## WoodCore (Dec 15, 2010)

deadheadskier said:


> My folks lived on Johnny Cake Mountain in Burlington.




Ahh.......the centerpiece of my beloved mountain biking trail network.


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## Greg (Dec 15, 2010)

mondeo said:


>



I'm actually learning to appreciate the out-of-nowhere Sundown skier slams. It's sort of a built-in douche filter.


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## St. Bear (Dec 15, 2010)

Greg said:


> I'm actually learning to appreciate the out-of-nowhere Sundown skier slams. It's sort of a built-in douche filter.



Looks like somebody can't take a joke.  I should've used the sarcasm font.


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## bvibert (Dec 15, 2010)

gmcunni said:


> i think mohawk is on state land, is that right? but is it privately run or is this another Belleayre?



I think most of it is on state land, but not the base area, AFAIK.  It's privately run.



gmcunni said:


> added bonus on Sundown - when you leave the hill you can immediately get a dunkin donuts coffee for the ride home



...depending on what time you leave....


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## bvibert (Dec 15, 2010)

WoodCore said:


> Ahh.......the centerpiece of my beloved mountain biking trail network.



Dude, this is a skiing thread, try to stay on topic.


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## gmcunni (Dec 15, 2010)

bvibert said:


> ...depending on what time you leave....



very true.. have missed it a few times.


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## Madroch (Dec 15, 2010)

Pro For Mohawk:  They are open this week and stay open later in the Spring.  :wink:

Con for Mohawk:  I don't have a pass there, and it is 50 minutes farther from my home.


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## WoodCore (Dec 15, 2010)

bvibert said:


> I think most of it is on state land, but not the base area, AFAIK.  It's privately run..



It is all on State Land and originally leased in 1946 for 99 years. The ski area base area being in a State Forest is the reason for not having a bar in fact it is actually illegal to posses liquor anywhere on the premise period!   

The ski area and it's assets are privately owned and run.


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## gmcunni (Dec 22, 2010)

teens love Sundown


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## caddis (Dec 22, 2010)

WoodCore said:


> The ski area base area being in a State Forest is the reason for not having a bar in fact it is actually illegal to posses liquor anywhere on the premise period.



....and yet another reason to ski NH. No contest go with the bar. What happens if you hurt yourself doing a spread eagle or daffy? At least your days not wasted. or maybe it is


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## severine (Dec 22, 2010)

caddis said:


> ....and yet another reason to ski NH. No contest go with the bar. What happens if you hurt yourself doing a spread eagle or daffy? At least your days not wasted. or maybe it is



That's not true of all CT ski areas, just Mohawk. And for those of us with limited time to get out and ski, going somewhere 12-14 miles away versus 3.5-4 hours away makes it no contest, especially if the bulk of your little time to ski is at night anyway. Don't get me wrong, I love exploring up north. But it's just not a reality right now...


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## SkiDork (Dec 22, 2010)

interestingly enough google maps says mohawk is about 30 minutes closer to me than sundown (from LI)


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## Black Phantom (Dec 22, 2010)

deadheadskier said:


> elevation makes a big difference down there.  My folks lived on Johnny Cake Mountain in Burlington.  The difference in snow they got compared with Farmington just a few miles away was staggering.



Johnny Cakes???  :-o:-o:-o


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## gmcunni (Dec 22, 2010)

Black Phantom said:


> Johnny Cakes???  :-o:-o:-o



LOL, i had the same thought


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## caddis (Dec 22, 2010)

severine said:


> That's not true of all CT ski areas, just Mohawk. And for those of us with limited time to get out and ski, going somewhere 12-14 miles away versus 3.5-4 hours away makes it no contest, especially if the bulk of your little time to ski is at night anyway. Don't get me wrong, I love exploring up north. But it's just not a reality right now...



Like I do with my hotel reservations I will be sure and ask  "Do you have a bar?"  next time I travel to ski in CT.    Nothing beats a face shot of the darkest stout after a day of sliding.     :beer:


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## powhunter (Dec 22, 2010)

caddis said:


> Like I do with my hotel reservations I will be sure and ask  "Do you have a bar?"  next time I travel to ski in CT.    Nothing beats a face shot of the darkest stout after a day of sliding.     :beer:




Do you fly fish ?

steveo


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## du510 (Dec 22, 2010)

Sundown is just a little more expensive, not enough to really weigh in on the argument. Why not ski both and see which you like better?

FWIW, Mohawk is pretty well light at night (except Sundays); I dunno how SD is at night. Worth checking, if ya enjoy the occasional night ski.


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## caddis (Dec 23, 2010)

powhunter said:


> Do you fly fish ?
> 
> steveo



Do you ski?  Sorry couldn't resist.     Yes   :-D


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## RSTuthill (Dec 23, 2010)

Variety is the spice of life. They are both great mountains. Mohawk is quite a bit further for me which is why I rarely get there. But I would go there more if I lived closer.


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## gmcunni (Feb 11, 2011)

are Mohawk and Sundown really in serious competition with each other? 

they really do seem to be two very different places, attracting different crowds.


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## planb420 (Feb 11, 2011)

For me the fact that Mohawk dose not have a Terrain Park is what generally keeps me away, although I am not a die hard spend my entire day in the park kinda guy, its still nice to be able to pop in it once in a while. I would guess that is a big differential when attracting youth and snowboarders. This however can have a good effect of keeping snowboarders away from Mohawk giving the skiers more boarder free slopes I guess...? If I had to choose I would take Sundown over Mohawk because of the following:

1. Proximity to my house >1mile, (Mohawk around 28 miles)
2. Terrain park(s), (Mohawk bumps and groomers NO park)
3. BAR open till midnight, (Mohawk_NO bar)

This however is not a slam on Mohawk as I love the diffrence they offer in their runs, as well as the fact that they offer more "more difficult" terrain then Sundown. Just IMHO I believe that Ski Sundown offers a wide variety of terrain, features, and extras.


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## RSTuthill (Feb 12, 2011)

gmcunni said:


> are Mohawk and Sundown really in serious competition with each other?
> 
> they really do seem to be two very different places, attracting different crowds.


Don't know what exactly you mean by different crowds, but lets face it, geographic proximity is the name of the game for both. It's really convenient to get in a good half day workout at a place close by. That's why people go to both.


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## gmcunni (Jun 20, 2013)

RSTuthill said:


> Don't know what exactly you mean by different crowds, but lets face it, geographic proximity is the name of the game for both. It's really convenient to get in a good half day workout at a place close by. That's why people go to both.



what i meant by different crowds was that Sundown is big on terrain features: parks, pipes, rails, jumps and bumps  while mohawk is "more traditional".  both have racing of course.

i think Sundown is catering/marketing to the younger crowd who want "cool stuff".  i skied both places this year, enjoyed them both.


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## ss20 (Jun 20, 2013)

I like Mohawk's character.  Combination of Mount Snow (the mountain the founder of Mohawk later went on to build) with the wide, "super trails".  And narrow, twisty, and unfortunately short New England trails.  The current owners are putting a ton of money into the place- all lifts except one have been replaced in the last 5 years.  Yes it lacks a terrain park, but there are rumors that that will change soon.  I'd like it, the trails have a good pitch, length, and width to put up some features and jumps.


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