# Sugarbush or Sugarloaf



## OldsnowboarderME (Aug 17, 2007)

:roll:


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## ALLSKIING (Aug 17, 2007)

No need to pick between them....Enjoy both of them. In my book they are the top two places in the east.


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## Talisman (Aug 17, 2007)

Celebrate your good luck and ride which of the two has the best natural snow conditions.  Both Sugarbush and Sugarloaf are in my top five in the East.  I'm fickle but really enjoy Sugarbush and Sugarloaf alot.  Sugarloaf is a much longer drive for me, so I am at the 'bush way more often.


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## JerseyJoey (Aug 17, 2007)

mad river glen


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## ski_resort_observer (Aug 17, 2007)

JerseyJoey said:


> mad river glen


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## wa-loaf (Aug 17, 2007)

Unless you're thinking about a pass, do both. Normally MRG might be a deciding factor, but well you know....

SL does have Saddleback. Are you looking to spend a few nights, day trip? What's the plan?


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## Geoff (Aug 17, 2007)

I do this comparison constantly since those are my two best options if there's life for me in the East after 25 years at Killington.

If you are buying a vacation home, the tax rate in Carrabassett, ME is around $6 per thousand of valuation.  Vermont has a state-wide school tax and taxes vacation homes at the commercial rate.  Your tax rate will be up around $21 per thousand.  Real estate prices are also somewhat cheaper at Sugarloaf.

For skiing, Sugarbush gets somewhat natural snow than Sugarloaf.  Sugarloaf is around 200"-225".  Sugarbush is up over 250".  Sugarloaf is one large peak with nothing else around so the whole mountain can end up on wind hold.  The prevailing winds can also scour the place.  Sugarbush has enough different exposures that you can hide from the wind on those days.

At Sugarbush, you can get to Burlington in less than an hour for non-skiing things like a wide selection of live music, restaurants, ....  Sugarloaf is far more remote and Farmington is the closest medium-sized town.

At Sugarbush, you have Mad River Glen next door with Stowe not too far away for variety.  If Killington comes to their senses, you also have that option for early and late season days.  Sugarloaf gives you Saddleback which isn't quite the same thing.

If you're doing hotels or renting a place for the season, Sugarbush is probably the better option.  If you're buying, Sugarloaf is a better value.


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## snowmonster (Aug 17, 2007)

Ah, my top 2 favorite mountains. That's a dilemma I'd love to have since you won't go wrong either way. Bush wins points for accesibility and snow conditions especially early in the year. Loaf suffers because of the longer drive and windblown icy conditions it tends to have in January. On the other hand, Bush can get too crowded and that's something you never have to deal with at the Loaf, plus I prefer the steeps at the Loaf. Late in the season is when the Loaf gets dumped on and the place really shines. I've never been disappointed when I go there in March and April.

A solution might be to split the season -- Bush in early season (December to mid- February), Loaf later (mid-February to April). That way you get both worlds!


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## WWF-VT (Aug 17, 2007)

OldsnowboarderME said:


> I discovered today that I am equal distance and drive time from the house to Sugarbush and Sugarloaf . Drive time a little under 3 1/2 hours. At what mountain would this snowboarder be most happy? I can handle the blacks.




I can only speak about Sugarbush.  My guess is about 20% of the people on the mountain are boarders and there is a lot of terrain and trail variety.  My son is a snowboarder and has a great time.  He has been everywhere on the mountain including Castle Rock and Slidebrook.  Mount Ellen has terrain park that is quite extensive.  Overall a great place for skiiers and riders.


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## skibum1321 (Aug 17, 2007)

Geoff said:


> If Killington comes to their senses, you also have that option for early and late season days.  Sugarloaf gives you Saddleback which isn't quite the same thing.



Sugarbush was open until May 6 this year. They have been doing well in the spring scene - even one more reason to never go back to Kmart.


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## wa-loaf (Aug 17, 2007)

OldsnowboarderME said:


> No grand plan as of now .. I was at Sugarloaf during the first week of April this year, my first time there. The high point was the snowstorm and the low point was the skier dying on the mountain. I am looking forward to going back again.
> 
> There is a vib I get every time people start talking about Sugarbush. The inner voice is telling me I need to go and find out for myself. I do want to make a 2 or 3 day trip this season.



If you've already been to Sugarloaf, go to Sugarbush this year and decide for yourself. The AZ day is already out there if you can wait that long.


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## riverc0il (Aug 17, 2007)

Lots of flats at Sugarbush in between the good terrain and the lifts. Been a long time since I was at the Loaf but I remember it having better continuous pitch and fewer run outs. It bothers me as a skier, I can not even imagine how flat run outs feel for a snow boarder.


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## skibum1321 (Aug 18, 2007)

riverc0il said:


> Lots of flats at Sugarbush in between the good terrain and the lifts. Been a long time since I was at the Loaf but I remember it having better continuous pitch and fewer run outs. It bothers me as a skier, I can not even imagine how flat run outs feel for a snow boarder.



There are a number of flats at Sugarbush - the Castlerock runout comes to mind right away, but if you know how to ski the mountain it isn't a big deal. Most can either be avoided completely or you can at least minimize the amount of times you have to ski it.


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## shwilly (Aug 18, 2007)

The Loaf is my favorite mountain, but I have to mention one horrible runout: :uzi: $#!@$#@ Candyside. :smash::angry: I hate that trail. It's boring and kind of long, and many trails off the quad funnel you toward it unless you take evasive action. It can be hard to avoid in the early season.

That's the only really bad runout there, though. A lot of their low aspect terrain has glades, narrow trails, or stuff that's a little more interesting.

I'll join the chorus saying that there's no bad choice between the Bush and the Loaf. You're talking about arguably the two best mountains in New England, certainly two of the top five.


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## Greg (May 30, 2008)

OldsnowboarderME said:


> There is a vib I get every time people start talking about Sugarbush. The inner voice is telling me I need to go and find out for myself. I do want to make a 2 or 3 day trip this season.



Did you ever make it up there last season?


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## jerryg (May 31, 2008)

You can't go wrong with either mountain. Both have their pluses and minuses. Bush has the Castle and the Loaf has the most underrated steeps (IMHO) in the east off Spillway X-Cut. In the right conditions, Upper Winter's and Upper Bubblecuffer can't be beat. The Snowfields are a novelty at best because most routes are short, but extremely steep and should be skied or ridden if not done so before. The Loaf has better vert, but the list system is so outdated. The Bush gets a lot more snow and the glades are consistently in better condition. On the other hand, hit Can't Dog in the right conditions and nothing is better.

Ski both and love life!


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## deadheadskier (May 31, 2008)

Physically, I view Sugarloaf as the finest piece of skiing Real Estate in the east.  It is a HULKING mountain and has everything one could ask for in terms of terrain.  

I'd still take Sugarbush or Stowe though.  The superior snowfall in the Northern Greens, fewer freeze/thaw cycles and reduced wind in comparison to the Loaf is HUGE.  In terms of consistently good skiing, nothing beats the northern greens in the east.


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## newenglandskier1 (May 31, 2008)

Sugarbush is fun, and I would definetly call it an above average area. The views are so-so, and after a while I found it to be kind of boring with the exception of castlerock. Sugarloaf on the other had, is a much better mountain if you are an advanced/expert skier. They usually have plenty of snow to open the trails off the spillwayy x-cut after mid january-early feb and those trails are spectacular. The glades are great, because they are relatively unkown, and there is always planty of pow to be found in the right spots. Also the view towards Mooshead Lake are great and the view off timberline to the west are amazing. You can clearly see tux and SR. Sugarloaf also feels a bit wilder, natural, and frontierish to me, as opposed to the bush which is a bit more civilized. So I would choose the Loaf, but it's up to you.


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## hardline (Jun 1, 2008)

riverc0il said:


> Lots of flats at Sugarbush in between the good terrain and the lifts. Been a long time since I was at the Loaf but I remember it having better continuous pitch and fewer run outs. It bothers me as a skier, I can not even imagine how flat run outs feel for a snow boarder.



flats are one i of the reasons i got so into tuning my board. i alos helps to an sort of dip or rise so you can pump  and keep you speed. that being said how much further is to stowe for you?


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## thetrailboss (Jun 1, 2008)

I think that SB has a better variety of terrain than the loaf.  I dig the steep pitch at Sugarloaf, but you need soft snow to enjoy it and the right conditions.  At SB there is a great variety....more than just steep fall line skiing.  That said, one caveat is that I know SB a lot better than the 'loaf.


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## hardline (Jun 1, 2008)

OldsnowboarderME said:


> learning where the flats are by myself was pure hell at times .. SR has a few and the loaf a couple too but once I know where to keep my speed up usually I am ok. Some might consider a boarder going fast in the flats as a sign of disregard to others..



i got into a heated discussion with a lady and here husband and bellarye about this. she said i needed to go slower .to which i said that i needed to keep my speed up and that if she was going to take up the whole trail doing turns going 5MPH she was going to find that she was going to keep getting buzzed. by boarders on the traverse. she tried to tell me that she had every right. to use the whole trail. i replied the she absoulutly does but then informed her it was not the curtious or the safe thing to do on a traverse. i think the curtious thing got her because she calmed down. i  really dislike people who can't use common sense and there entirely to many of the in the world.


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## Greg (Jun 2, 2008)

riverc0il said:


> Lots of flats at Sugarbush in between the good terrain and the lifts. Been a long time since I was at the Loaf but I remember it having better continuous pitch and fewer run outs. It bothers me as a skier, I can not even imagine how flat run outs feel for a snow boarder.


I never understand this complaint. Sure the runout from CR is flat, but I can usually keep speed up through there just fine and I only ski that when I'm leaving Castlerock. The last bit on Gondolier heading to Bravo can be a bit of a drag, but it's not that bad. No runout off Heaven's Gate or North Lynx. No real runout on the VH pod either, unless you consider Lower Mall a runout. Aside from the CR runout, I just don't see LP at least as having more runout than most other mountains I've been to.


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## Tin Woodsman (Jun 2, 2008)

newenglandskier1 said:


> Sugarbush is fun, and I would definetly call it an above average area. The views are so-so, and after a while I found it to be kind of boring with the exception of castlerock.


You ever looked over the backside 3500' down into the Champlain Valley and then across to the Dacks?  That's pretty spectacular.  And for me personally, looking at the spine of the Greens to the North and South standing out above everything close by is always a treat.  As for boring, I think that has a lot to do with how well you know a mountain.  Hard to imagine that anyone would find trails like Twist, Mall, Steins, Spillsville, Moonshine or Domino boring, and that's just the on-map trails at South.  Hard to believe that Black Diamond, Hammerhead, Tumbler, Bravo, and Exterminator and Lower FIS would be considered boring for even the most advanced skiers.



> Sugarloaf on the other had, is a much better mountain if you are an advanced/expert skier. They usually have plenty of snow to open the trails off the spillwayy x-cut after mid january-early feb and those trails are spectacular. The glades are great, because they are relatively unkown, and there is always planty of pow to be found in the right spots.


I think you just hit on something there.  If you have to wait until Feb for the best terrain to open, you're talking about a two month season in the glades and maybe 2.5 months on the trails.  The prime season in the Northern Greens is usually a full month longer, sometimes more, sometimes less.

And then there's Slidebrook....

Regardless, I can't say anything about one vs. the other b/c I havent' skied sugarloaf, though it's certainly on the list.  From what I've read and heard, it deserves its rep as one of the toughest, best hills in the region.


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## newenglandskier1 (Jun 2, 2008)

Tin Woodsman said:


> You ever looked over the backside 3500' down into the Champlain Valley and then across to the Dacks?  That's pretty spectacular.  And for me personally, looking at the spine of the Greens to the North and South standing out above everything close by is always a treat.  As for boring, I think that has a lot to do with how well you know a mountain.  Hard to imagine that anyone would find trails like Twist, Mall, Steins, Spillsville, Moonshine or Domino boring, and that's just the on-map trails at South.  Hard to believe that Black Diamond, Hammerhead, Tumbler, Bravo, and Exterminator and Lower FIS would be considered boring for even the most advanced skiers.



Well, I dont think i meant it like I said It. Sugarbush is a good mountain that has plenty of classic new england trails but none of them quite "do it" for me, although I always love skiing, and the variety at SB kept me happy. SL on the other hand just has a wilder feel to me, and i just prefer it. Regarding the comment about the season lengths I do prefer the prime 2 1/2 months at 3 1/2 SL to the prime season at SB. Also, since i'm just south of boston I try to make the most out of each trip, and usually when I'm in central to northern VT, I just will decide to go to hay, which has an undenabaly wildness to it.


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## GrilledSteezeSandwich (Jun 2, 2008)

newenglandskier1 said:


> Well, I dont think i meant it like I said It. Sugarbush is a good mountain that has plenty of classic new england trails but none of them quite "do it" for me, although I always love skiing, and the variety at SB kept me happy. SL on the other hand just has a wilder feel to me, and i just prefer it. Regarding the comment about the season lengths I do prefer the prime 2 1/2 months at 3 1/2 SL to the prime season at SB. Also, since i'm just south of boston I try to make the most out of each trip, and usually when I'm in central to northern VT, I just will decide to go to hay, which has an undenabaly wildness to it.



What is Hay?  Haystack??  A better thread should be Stowe vs Sugarbush..We all know Stowe owns Sugarbush and IMHO it owns Sugarloaf as well.


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## newenglandskier1 (Jun 3, 2008)

GrilledSteezeSandwich said:


> What is Hay?  Haystack??  A better thread should be Stowe vs Sugarbush..We all know Stowe owns Sugarbush and IMHO it owns Sugarloaf as well.



woops, i meant Jay


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## Lostone (Jun 3, 2008)

> We all know Stowe owns Sugarbush



No...   we don't *all* know that.  :roll:


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## deadheadskier (Jun 3, 2008)

Lostone said:


> No...   we don't *all* know that.  :roll:



everyone has their preference, but until I start seeing trip reports that rival powderfreaks from Stowe, I'm going to have to side with steeze on this one


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## hardline (Jun 3, 2008)

Lostone said:


> No...   we don't *all* know that.  :roll:



the only place lift serviced that comes close is jay but the extra hour is a killer. stowe is the tits!


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## GrilledSteezeSandwich (Jun 3, 2008)

I think Stowe is a much better mountain than Jay Peak..


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## hardline (Jun 3, 2008)

GrilledSteezeSandwich said:


> I think Stowe is a much better mountain than Jay Peak..



duh i know that. i spent a third of my season driving up there


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## deadheadskier (Jun 3, 2008)

I'm glad you two joined AZ, along with powderfreak.  For a couple of years when I first joined, I was pretty much the only Stowe 'homer' on here.  I bet if you were to conduct a poll on here regarding 'best ski area in the east' Sugarbush would win hands down.  I doubt Stowe would come in second, maybe not even the top five.

The reality is that most people have this image of Stowe as a place only for the 'rich' and that it's culture is stuck up. I think that's very true if your only snapshot of the place is a day trip on a Saturday. Spend 10 mid-week days there and you know that stereotype is far from the truth.  You really have to give the mountain twenty tries and preferably with a knowledgeable guide to truly grasp how vast the skiing options are there and that there isn't a mountain in the east that can deliver such a 'western' like experience if you know where to go.

What's not a coincidence is that all of us are UVM grads and were passionate skiers in that part of the world from 93 to 2001.  We had the choice during school to make Sugarbush, Jay, MRG or Smuggs our home mountain.  Stowe was an easy choice for me.  I definitely gave the other areas a shot.  I've skied Sugarbush a good 20 times and the other three a good 10-15 times each during school and beyond.  While all very good mountains, none of them can deliver what Stowe does.


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## hardline (Jun 3, 2008)

deadheadskier said:


> I'm glad you two joined AZ, along with powderfreak.  For a couple of years when I first joined, I was pretty much the only Stowe 'homer' on here.  I bet if you were to conduct a poll on here regarding 'best ski area in the east' Sugarbush would win hands down.  I doubt Stowe would come in second, maybe not even the top five.
> 
> The reality is that most people have this image of Stowe as a place only for the 'rich' and that it's culture is stuck up. I think that's very true if your only snapshot of the place is a day trip on a Saturday. Spend 10 mid-week days there and you know that stereotype is far from the truth.  You really have to give the mountain twenty tries and preferably with a knowledgeable guide to truly grasp how vast the skiing options are there and that there isn't a mountain in the east that can deliver such a 'western' like experience if you know where to go.
> 
> What's not a coincidence is that all of us are UVM grads and were passionate skiers in that part of the world from 93 to 2001.  We had the choice during school to make Sugarbush, Jay, MRG or Smuggs our home mountain.  Stowe was an easy choice for me.  I definitely gave the other areas a shot.  I've skied Sugarbush a good 20 times and the other three a good 10-15 times each during school and beyond.  While all very good mountains, none of them can deliver what Stowe does.



your spot on. Stowe is not some place that you can go once and expect to figure it out. you need to have someone give you a tour so you can get the lay off the land. as im sure all of us had our first or second year there. this whole season i wasn't there once on a weekend. the only reason we would go to sugerbush was to go to the park they had, stowe didn't even have one nor did anyone think it needed one. so we never hit sugerbush on a prime day. we just make a right when we got off the highway when the weather was shit.
  if i lived within 3.5 hours of stowe vs 3 of bush. i would be at stowe.


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## hardline (Jun 3, 2008)

deadheadskier said:


> I'm glad you two joined AZ, along with powderfreak.  For a couple of years when I first joined, I was pretty much the only Stowe 'homer' on here.  I bet if you were to conduct a poll on here regarding 'best ski area in the east' Sugarbush would win hands down.  I doubt Stowe would come in second, maybe not even the top five.
> 
> The reality is that most people have this image of Stowe as a place only for the 'rich' and that it's culture is stuck up. I think that's very true if your only snapshot of the place is a day trip on a Saturday. Spend 10 mid-week days there and you know that stereotype is far from the truth.  You really have to give the mountain twenty tries and preferably with a knowledgeable guide to truly grasp how vast the skiing options are there and that there isn't a mountain in the east that can deliver such a 'western' like experience if you know where to go.
> 
> What's not a coincidence is that all of us are UVM grads and were passionate skiers in that part of the world from 93 to 2001.  We had the choice during school to make Sugarbush, Jay, MRG or Smuggs our home mountain.  Stowe was an easy choice for me.  I definitely gave the other areas a shot.  I've skied Sugarbush a good 20 times and the other three a good 10-15 times each during school and beyond.  While all very good mountains, none of them can deliver what Stowe does.



shit i just noticed you called me a skier. im not sure if that is a good or a bad thing:wink:


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## Greg (Jun 4, 2008)

deadheadskier said:


> For a couple of years when I first joined, I was pretty much the only Stowe 'homer' on here.  I bet if you were to conduct a poll on here regarding 'best ski area in the east' Sugarbush would win hands down.  I doubt Stowe would come in second, maybe not even the top five.



Not really: http://forums.alpinezone.com/17564-stowe-vs-sugarbush-9.html


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## ComeBackMudPuddles (Jun 4, 2008)

I haven't skied either of 'em.  But, since Sugarloaf is way too far for me, I'll vote Whiteface.


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## deadheadskier (Jun 4, 2008)

Greg said:


> Not really: http://forums.alpinezone.com/17564-stowe-vs-sugarbush-9.html



That is from this fall when steeze was on board and his 10 to 1 post count average over the typical Azer started to dominate threads   :lol:


I'm talking a few years back.  Maybe I'm mis-remembering, but I always seem to recall much more vocal supporters of da bush than Stowe.  All I was saying is that with this years additions of hardline, steeze and powderfreak to the forum, the appreciation and recognition for Stowe as people's favorite mountain has been on the upswing.


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## tjf67 (Jun 4, 2008)

If you are buying a pass I would flip a coin and go with it.  You cant go wrong with either mountain.


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## Greg (Jun 4, 2008)

deadheadskier said:


> I'm talking a few years back.  Maybe I'm mis-remembering, but I always seem to recall much more vocal supporters of da bush than Stowe.  All I was saying is that with this years additions of hardline, steeze and powderfreak to the forum, the appreciation and recognition for Stowe as people's favorite mountain has been on the upswing.



Maybe. But I don't think there were any Stowe bashers per se. As this forum grows, the contingents for many mountains will increase. Nobody talked about Sundown before 2006 either.


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## skiadikt (Jun 4, 2008)

deadheadskier said:


> The reality is that most people have this image of Stowe as a place only for the 'rich' and that it's culture is stuck up. I think that's very true if your only snapshot of the place is a day trip on a Saturday. Spend 10 mid-week days there and you know that stereotype is far from the truth.  You really have to give the mountain twenty tries and preferably with a knowledgeable guide to truly grasp how vast the skiing options are there and that there isn't a mountain in the east that can deliver such a 'western' like experience if you know where to go.



interesting i've always felt sugarloaf was the most 'western' like mtn in the east. stowe is definitely up there but at stowe it's more about the backcountry. like you said, you have to know where to go. at sugarloaf it's right in your face.


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## deadheadskier (Jun 4, 2008)

Who likes Sundown?  I here Mohawk has far steezier seeded bump runs and better snow


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## SIKSKIER (Jun 4, 2008)

This guy votes for the Loaf overall.I just like the mt better even though the snowfall is not what the Bush gets.There is nothing at the Bush like the backside snowfields and the steeps at the top are just that.One thing I think is cool at the loaf is the steepest part in general is at the top and the mt gradually gets less steep right to the bottom.So when your legs are the freshest at the top where you need them to be,as you get lower and your legs start crying there is less demand on them.Makes for some great cruising.


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## GrilledSteezeSandwich (Jun 4, 2008)

deadheadskier said:


> Who likes Sundown?  I here Mohawk has far steezier seeded bump runs and better snow



hahaha..he said Steezy...so do you guys want daily Blue mountain reports this next season????


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## Tin Woodsman (Jun 4, 2008)

I'm not sure how Jay is even in the discussion.  Yeah it gets great snowfall, but the fall lines peter out fairly quickly and the real backcountry requires you to leave a car or get lucky with your thumb.  Most of the glades on the map get tracked out early b/c of Jay's promotion of them, so I just don't see the attraction.  

I think Stowe is objectively the best mountain on the EC from a pure terrain perspective, though if you spend most of your time on trails, you may not agree with that assessment.  Stowe has lost a lot of its character in recent decades, with egregious widening and softening of many classic runs like Nosedive, Liftline, and National.  The real magic of Stowe is the easily accessed BC above the lifts, adjacent to the trail system, and on various faces going every which way from the top.  The Mansfield Massif if the finest single piece of lift-accessed real estate on the EC, from the edge of Morse Mtn at Smuggs all the way to the Toll House and beyond.  

Sugarbush is, IMHO, a reasonably close second.  Not quite as much snow.  Nothing close to the quasi-above treeline skiing.  But tons of easily accessible BC amongst both the widely spaced trails/lift pods and of course Slidebrook and the backside.  The one thing that SB has going for it ever more is that there is no secret about the goods at Stowe - quite simply the best skiers in the East call Stowe home for good reason.  There is a large year-round community there plus a significant contingent of UVM/college rippers.  SB doesn't get nearly that level of attention, with its primary base being weekend warriors from the Boston area and 2nd/3rd generation folks from the NY metro area.  For the better skiers at SB, you generally have a lot more room to roam - most of the self-professed hard cores in the MRV are ripping it up at MRG.  It's the same dynamic that Geoff speaks of with respect to Dear Valley.  It's known for catering to one crowd, which assiduously sticks the the courduroy, leaving the quality terrain and the trees for the few expert skiers who know what's up.


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## madskier6 (Jun 4, 2008)

deadheadskier said:


> I'm glad you two joined AZ, along with powderfreak.  For a couple of years when I first joined, I was pretty much the only Stowe 'homer' on here.  I bet if you were to conduct a poll on here regarding 'best ski area in the east' Sugarbush would win hands down.  I doubt Stowe would come in second, maybe not even the top five.
> 
> The reality is that most people have this image of Stowe as a place only for the 'rich' and that it's culture is stuck up. I think that's very true if your only snapshot of the place is a day trip on a Saturday. Spend 10 mid-week days there and you know that stereotype is far from the truth.  You really have to give the mountain twenty tries and preferably with a knowledgeable guide to truly grasp how vast the skiing options are there and that there isn't a mountain in the east that can deliver such a 'western' like experience if you know where to go.





hardline said:


> if i lived within 3.5 hours of stowe vs 3 of bush. i would be at stowe.



Here's my perspective.  I love both Sugarbush & Stowe.  I am within a 3 hour drive of Sugarbush & 3.5 of Stowe.  I went to Sugarbush more due to economic reasons.  Stowe is a great mountain & I haven't even been exposed to all the BC stashes.  It is one of my favorite mountains in the East.  I would go to Stowe more if daily lift tickets weren't $80 plus mid-season.  I'm usually paying for me & at least 2 of my children when I go skiing.  Other times I'm also paying for my wife and other 2 children as well.  In those circumstances, those expensive lift tickets add up fast & make it unaffordable for me.  Last season I went to Stowe early season & paid $52 & in March on a ski club day for $38.  Those were both great days & I always look for savings days at Stowe when I can hit it affordably.

I don't really care about the "snobby, rich people" attitude at Stowe.  I'm there for the skiing.  If I were skiing by myself on a powder day with someone who knows the ins & outs of the mountain at Stowe, I would definitely go there.  But when financial considerations enter the picture with my family, I go to Sugarbush instead.  I realize SB is also somewhat expensive but it still is significantly less for me & my family than Stowe mid-season.  Also, when I owned property in the MRV & was buying season passes at SB, I would get one free junior pass with every adult season pass I bought.  That helped out quite a bit with making SB more affordable for me & my family.

When I was deciding where to buy a ski condo, I chose the MRV because property values were more affordable there, I liked the vibe of the MRV and I also got the benefit of MRG 5 miles away.  For me that was an unbeatable combination.  I also like the Town of Stowe so don't misinterpret my statement.  On balance, however, the MRV was better for me & my family.  Plus, I was only 45 minutes from Stowe. :lol: I wish I still owned my condo in the MRV.


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## hardline (Jun 4, 2008)

i love how a Sugarbush or Sugarloaf thread has become sugarbush or stowe thread.


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