SKIING THE NORTH SIDE OF SUGARBUSH

Today I headed to Sugarbush to check out Mount Ellen. Mount Ellen opened this past weekend, and I’d originally thought about going there on Saturday, but ultimately I decided to head to Whiteface instead. Because of that, it was on my list of places I wanted to check out this week while I was off work for the Christmas holiday. It was a fun day, and while it started off dry, it ended with some pretty heavy snow, which helped spruce up conditions.

Exterminator.

Encore.

For those who aren’t familiar with Sugarbush, the resort is split up in to two main base areas: Lincoln Peak and Mount Ellen. These base areas are actually several miles from each other. Lincoln Peak makes up the southern end of the resort, and Mount Ellen makes up the northern end. When it’s spinning, they’re connected via the Slide Brook Express, which is the longest chairlift in the world, according to Lift Blog. Unfortunately, that lift doesn't spin as much as I’d like it to, so if you want to go between the two base areas without driving, a lot of the time you need to take the shuttle. As a result, most people choose one of the base areas, and then stay there all day, myself included.

Brambles.

F.I.S

Riding the Summit Quad.

Lincoln Peak is definitely the more popular part of the ski resort, and it’s also got the most terrain, but that doesn’t mean Mount Ellen isn’t worth checking out. Mount Ellen has 2,600 ft. of vertical, which is more than Lincoln Peak’s 2,400 ft. Mount Ellen’s got some great trees, groomers, and bumped runs. It’s also not as crowded, and most of the terrain on the main mountain can be accessed by high speed lifts.

With it being December 23, the mountain was pretty empty today, and you could ski right up to the lifts. Except for the glades, which were all marked as closed, most of the runs were open, with only a handful marked closed. Coverage was great everywhere snow had been made and the natural trails up high were also in great shape. As you descended the mountain, the natural trails started to get a little thin in spots.

Bravo.

Lower part of Brambles.

This past Friday a rainstorm swept through the Northeast, and it unfortunately did rain at all of the ski areas, so the groomers today were fast and firm, though you could hold an edge in most places. There was also some packed powder to be found out there, courtesy of the several inches of snow that have fallen since the rain, as well as the snow that started falling in the afternoon.

Good coverage high up on Tumbler.

Thin cover near the bottom of Tumbler.

The natural trails were honestly in decent shape, aside from the thin cover as you descended the mountain. The snow wasn’t soft by any means, but it was good enough to be enjoyable as you skied through bumps and whatever else came your way. The thin spots down low weren’t terrible, but you really had to watch your line. Unfortunately, I did get a core shot along the edge of my ski on Tumbler.

View from the top of Exterminator.

Hammerhead.

My favorite runs today were probably Exterminator, and Hammerhead. Both of these runs are natural snow trails. Exterminator is a wide bumped run. I’m not great in the bumps, but I do enjoy the challenge. Hammerhead is a bit narrower. At times, it was bumped up, but there were also moments where it wasn’t. It was a fun mix. Plus, it was really quiet. I didn’t see anyone on it each time I passed through.

Never Quit Skiing,

Lincoln