OT: Southern New England skiing advice

[vav]

Hi all, I'm looking for input and tips to go skiing for the first time ever. My wife and I have been living in NE for the last 15 years and regretfully never went before. This past weekend we took our girls ( 11 and 6 ) ice skating and they loved it so we decided to go skiing this winter for the 1st time. I didn't skate but I'll definitely try skiing so I'm looking for recommendations as to where to start. Obviously beginner's oriented ski areas in RI or MA preferably. We are in PVD so no desire really to travel to VT/NH.
TIA

[verbs4us]

Mount Southington in Connecticut is probably under 2 hours from PVD. Not bad for beginners. I had a boss once who grew up in Vermont and married a guy from Colorado. The endless marital debate was: Who was better--Vermont skiers or Colorado skiers? I sided with her. Anyone can ski in 6 feet of powder. It takes real skill to ski on ice, gravel, mud and grass.

[peanutgallery]

Find the closest hill with snow, rentals and a ski school. A few hundred feet of elevation is all you need. Can't highlight the need for lessons enough, teaches self sufficiency etc on the slopes

I believe that there's a few places in western Ct and Massachusetts that fit that bill. Smaller and mellower the better

[peanutgallery]

Usually the ice, mud, gravel and grass is found in the same run:)

Mount Southington in Connecticut is probably under 2 hours from PVD. Not bad for beginners. I had a boss once who grew up in Vermont and married a guy from Colorado. The endless marital debate was: Who was better--Vermont skiers or Colorado skiers? I sided with her. Anyone can ski in 6 feet of powder. It takes real skill to ski on ice, gravel, mud and grass.

[AngryScientist]

Anyone can ski in 6 feet of powder. It takes real skill to ski on ice, gravel, mud and grass.

big +1 here.

try and pick your days smartly in the northeast for learning to ski or board.

it's a pretty totally different experience if you've got some nice fluffy stuff to play in rather than crusty ice.

if you're not ready to jump in headfirst with the skis, dont forget snow tubing - tons of family fun at the slopes there!

[verticaldoug]

If you have a local ski shop, I would check out renting equipment there. You can take a little more time provided you have space to put the equipment in your car or SUV. That way on the ski slope, you only have to sign up for lessons, which reduces the chaos of renting on the hill. You can ask at the shop where they recommend. If no one in the family skis, you only really care about the ski school. Your daughters probably have friends who ski, so maybe they can ask them.

[verticaldoug]

Mount Southington in Connecticut is probably under 2 hours from PVD. Not bad for beginners. I had a boss once who grew up in Vermont and married a guy from Colorado. The endless marital debate was: Who was better--Vermont skiers or Colorado skiers? I sided with her. Anyone can ski in 6 feet of powder. It takes real skill to ski on ice, gravel, mud and grass.

If you are in 6 ft of powder, you should be on a snow board with a snorkel anyway!

Just saying

[merlinmurph]

Mt. Wachusett in Princeton MA would be pretty close and an excellent place to learn. Hit Wachusett Brewery after.

Also, Nashoba Valley in Westford MA.

Both have night skiing.

Too bad, not too long ago, there was a ski area close to you in Franklin MA called Klein Innsbruck (http://www.nelsap.org/ma/klein.html). It closed in 2000.

[vav]

Thanks all. Keep them coming.
Roughly how much should I budget for 4 people? Lesson, lift and equipment rental? Am i missing anything?

[merlinmurph]

Thanks all. Keep them coming.
Roughly how much should I budget for 4 people? Lesson, lift and equipment rental? Am i missing anything?

Honestly, I couldn't tell you. Four people starts adding up, but ski areas have great packages
for beginners that include everything. Best to check out their websites for the prices.

[blindwilly]

If you are in 6 ft of powder, you should be on a snow board with a snorkel anyway!

Just saying

+1.

also good luck trying to get down the mountain in 6' of new England powder. you will be stuck in all but the steepest terrain.

Blue hills is a small hill south of Boston that may be worth a drive if you can avoid traffic. Mount Wachusett is a decent hill in central mass and a great place to learn but it does get busy.

[verticaldoug]

Thanks all. Keep them coming.
Roughly how much should I budget for 4 people? Lesson, lift and equipment rental? Am i missing anything?

I see Ski Butternut has a beginner package (rentals, lift, group lesson) for $45/person if you buy before 12/20.

Wassachusetts it looks like $95/person

Hunter (this should be most expensive because of proximity to NYC) $165/person. (yeah spit up in your milk) (It has been acquired by Vail Resorts)

I think butternut is hard to beat on price. It's an easy two hr drive.

The only place I have ever skied east which wasn't busy was Catamount.

[Mr. Pink]

Anybody can ski in six feet of powder??

Ahem. Really.

[GregL]

I can't provide advice on specific ski locations, but I can second the recommendation for lessons. Skiing is similar to golf in this regard: learning correct technique early will greatly advance both your skill level and enjoyment of the sport. Find an instructional program that works for your family and everyone will have fun.

Greg

[pinkshogun]

Maybe not this snow 'storm' but sledding at Roger Williams Park was/is the thing for low budget fun

[sparky33]

I see Ski Butternut has a beginner package (rentals, lift, group lesson) for $45/person if you buy before 12/20.

Wassachusetts it looks like $95/person

I think butternut is hard to beat on price. It's an easy two hr drive.

Good recommendations^
Butternut is a great spot to get started because inexpensive, convenient and not crowded. These should be the beginner's priorities.
Wachusett does get crowded.
Maybe Sunapee (NH) too.

[Mr. Pink]

Thanks all. Keep them coming.
Roughly how much should I budget for 4 people? Lesson, lift and equipment rental? Am i missing anything?

Well, you may have hit on something that will turn into a not too pleasant revelation down the road. Skiing is expensive. If I had all the money I've spent on the activity over 35 years, with returns of just 4%, I be doing really well, financially. Vail just announced 215 dollar lift tickets at the window over the holidays. A decent pair of skis and bindings are going to set you back at least 700, probably a thousand when you get picky. And, you'll probably have two or three pair for different conditions. I just dropped 900 dollars total on new boots and fitting. You'll need layers of good, warm clothes, of course, a helmet and goggles, good gloves. A solid, roomy vehicle that can reliably be driven into snow country while, of course, it's snowing, after all, is not something to be trifled with, especially the tires. Either snow tires or very fresh all weather's on AWD. Then there's lodging and food. My big regret right now is that I didn't buy a ski condo somewhere and treat that purchase as retirement savings, because I would sure be saving a ton right now if I had one, especially if I had a nice kitchen. You'll find most ski town food to be overpriced junk.
So, not trying to discourage you with all this, but, be prepared. This is not a cheap activity. And, once you experience the Rocky mountains, which you should, or even Europe (which isn't that much more expensive, just harder to get to), you'll never look at the East the same. So much better.

Don't try to do this without lessons. Trust me on this. Skiing is also a contact sport, and injuries are common. Get some basics down. Either way, you're going to experience some pain, especially the first few days on a snowboard. That, I would not advise for anybody over 50. Brutal. But, snowboarding is easier, overall, than skiing, and once you get by the beginning stage, which is about five days, you'll get it. Then you can look at six feet of powder and smile.

[sparky33]

Who was better--Vermont skiers or Colorado skiers?

we ski differently, not better or worse.

[djg21]

Mount Southington in Connecticut is probably under 2 hours from PVD. Not bad for beginners. I had a boss once who grew up in Vermont and married a guy from Colorado. The endless marital debate was: Who was better--Vermont skiers or Colorado skiers? I sided with her. Anyone can ski in 6 feet of powder. It takes real skill to ski on ice, gravel, mud and grass.

I grew up skiing at Mt. Southington and at Powder Ditch (the only ski area I know of that you drive down to get to). My recommendation is that you skip them, unless you want to go night skiing for an hour or so. They are not worth a longish drive and certainly are not destination ski areas.

If you need to stay in southern New England, I’d suggest Jiminy Peak, which still is smallish, but far bigger and nicer than anything in CT. But it’s in northwestern Mass, and VT really isn’t much further. There are a number of good ski areas in southern VT. There also are a number of decent ski areas in the Catskills of NY. Maybe Hunter, Windham or Plattekill would be worth looking into?

[mod6]

Anybody can ski in six feet of powder??

Ahem. Really.

Snowbird/Alta/Squaw/JH sure plenty of pitch.. Snorkels are optional.

New England is just hard to find terrain steep enough for more then a couple feet.

Find a nice day in late Feb early March when the pack is deep and the sun is warm. Weather can make a huge impact on the experience a first time skier has. That learn to ski Pkg from Butternut is a great deal and I would seriously look into it. Rentals at some resorts could run you 45 dollars.

[Mr. Pink]

Snowbird/Alta/Squaw/JH sure plenty of pitch.. Snorkels are optional.

New England is just hard to find terrain steep enough for more then a couple feet.



I just don't know what to say.

[tele]

Go to WaWa (Wachusett) and get lessons. They have a great setup for beginners. Snowmaking there is unbelievable and they groom twice a day. Lodge is big enough for the crowds and food/beer is reasonably priced.

My kids school goes there during the winter and I raced in the beer league for 8 years there. Cant go wrong for what it is.

[Hardlyrob]

Another vote for Wa Wa Wachusett - great for beginners, still very much a family friendly atmosphere. Beautifully groomed, and not so big that you can get lost. By all means start with an X day learn to ski package - and go after the Christmas / New Years rush.

Getting over the initial hump of quickly learning basic turns and stopping will lead to a much more enjoyable experience. That said, the first few days on skis or a board just suck. You really can't teach yourself the basics.

Cheers!

Rob

[Ken Robb]

I loved skiing for 50 years and tried to get my daughter interested but one kiddy lesson was all she wanted. She was in a class at Buttermilk in Aspen with Kate Hudson who seemed to enjoy a lot more. Her parents were sitting behind me in the lodge overlooking the bunny slope.

I agree with the comments about how expensive it will be if everyone wants to ski every year so consider if you can afford to start down this "slippery slope". (I couldn't resist that crack!)

I appreciate the comment about renting gear at home saving time at the resort but then you are stuck with gear that you can't swap if it's not really right for you when you get on the slopes. I gave up buying my own gear after 20 years or so because renting at the resort eliminated the hassle of schlepping/maintaining my own gear and let me choose different skis for different conditions. I was a high-intermediate skier so I paid extra for "demo" skis/boots which could be top-of-the-line gear. Since the shop is hoping renters will buy the gear they demoed they were happy to swap gear as often as I wanted during my rental period. Obviously you can't do that if you rent from a shop 200 miles away. Since ski/boot packages that I wanted to use could easily cost $1000-1500 and then be obsolete in a few years I thought it was almost cheaper to rent than own. OTOH I was only skiing for 1-2 weeks at a time. Had I lived in Aspen and skied 2-3 times a week all season the cost of renting would have been prohibitive.

In any event it's a wonderful family activity and if a person can ski a lot some resorts offer season passes that are real bargains. My sister's family (husband and 6 of their kids) get season passes at Northstar because they have a vacation home in Tahoe-Donner and spend many days on the slopes.

[AngryScientist]

man, i fondly remember the college days of filling two flasks, jack daniels in one, goldschlager in the other and running over to wachusett for night snowboarding. conditions almost always were icy, crusty junk, but man did we have fun.

gear - ha! rented boots, borrowed board, some firefighter pants and a regular jacket. no one wore helmets back then.

what a hoot.

had at least one mild concussion after a particularly funny night. amazed i survived that phase of my life relatively in tact.

have fun!

[peanutgallery]

For any of the vail or ikon pass places, walk up lift tickets are going to be pricey. The independent ones will be cheaper, many also have dynamic pricing if you're willing to purchase in advance. They usually have learning packages too

East coast conditions? If it's cold at night and the ground is frozen, there's great snow in the discovery area. It gets first dibs when it comes to snowmaking. That place is full of folks buying a daily pass, renting equipment and guzzling $14 beer

[Ken Robb]

man, i fondly remember the college days of filling two flasks, jack daniels in one, goldschlager in the other and running over to wachusett for night snowboarding. conditions almost always were icy, crusty junk, but man did we have fun.

gear - ha! rented boots, borrowed board, some firefighter pants and a regular jacket. no one wore helmets back then.

what a hoot.

had at least one mild concussion after a particularly funny night. amazed i survived that phase of my life relatively in tact.

have fun!
"in tact" is better than in traction! :):banana:

[mulp]

I agree, Wachusett and Nashoba worked well for me. Blue Hill in Boston is suppperr small but gets the job done if your kids are skiing for the first or second time.

[alancw3]

when I was in college back in the mid60's we use to go to Mt. Tom on week nights to ski. not as challeging as killington or stowe but a lot of weeknight fun. years later I lived in Vermont for a couple of years and loved skiing at Okemo. mid size mountain, friendly staff and a great time.

[peanutgallery]

That would pretty much nail the Tuesday night beer league on the slalom course of our local hill:)

man, i fondly remember the college days of filling two flasks, jack daniels in one, goldschlager in the other and running over to wachusett for night snowboarding. conditions almost always were icy, crusty junk, but man did we have fun.

gear - ha! rented boots, borrowed board, some firefighter pants and a regular jacket. no one wore helmets back then.

what a hoot.

had at least one mild concussion after a particularly funny night. amazed i survived that phase of my life relatively in tact.

have fun!

[djg21]

when I was in college back in the mid60's we use to go to Mt. Tom on week nights to ski. not as challeging as killington or stowe but a lot of weeknight fun. years later I lived in Vermont for a couple of years and loved skiing at Okemo. mid size mountain, friendly staff and a great time.

Mt. Tom closed 20 years ago. It was a nice little hill.

To the OP, you may be better off going to a nice destination ski area on a week vacation or long weekend. That way, you can enroll your kids in a multi-day lesson program taught by decent instructors rather than high-school kids who may not be the best instructors but fit into the jackets. You likely can find a lift ticket/lesson/rental package.

There are multiple ski areas with good ski schools in Vt, upstate NY, and throughout the Northeast and upper New England. And, if you take a week, you can travel even further. Just stay away from holiday weeks and weekends!

[Mr. Pink]

Mt. Tom closed 20 years ago. It was a nice little hill.

To the OP, you may be better off going to a nice destination ski area on a week vacation or long weekend. That way, you can enroll your kids in a multi-day lesson program taught by decent instructors rather than high-school kids who may not be the best instructors but fit into the jackets. You likely can find a lift ticket/lesson/rental package.

There are multiple ski areas with good ski schools in Vt, upstate NY, and throughout the Northeast and upper New England. And, if you take a week, you can travel even further. Just stay away from holiday weeks and weekends!

I like this. I learned at Killington 35 years ago using such a program. It was five days, Mon. thru Fri. on the second week of January, which is not a busy time for them, so, win win. I would guess that they, and many other larger mountains still have such a "ski week". It was great, got me hooked, except, for, ahem, a 26 below morning on the Thursday. What did I know?
The ultimate place to do this is Taos, which, of course, you probably won't do, but, I recommend their ski week to anybody, at any level. Best ski school in North America. They grade skiers 1-10 and send you off with the appropriate instructor, and, trust me, hardly anybody is a 10, although many think they are.

[likebikes]

when I was in college back in the mid60's we use to go to Mt. Tom on week nights to ski. not as challeging as killington or stowe but a lot of weeknight fun. years later I lived in Vermont for a couple of years and loved skiing at Okemo. mid size mountain, friendly staff and a great time.

mt. tom closed in 1998, permanently.

[tele]

mt. tom closed in 1998, permanently.

Such fun memories there...Mt Tom is about 25 minutes from me. Many people skin and ski it now.

Many ski areas in Vermont run learn to ski programs, especially in January I think. My main area of Sugarbush has a deal to get a season pass, lessons and skis: https://www.sugarbush.com/plan/deals/first-timer-to-life-timer-program/

[djg21]

I like this. I learned at Killington 35 years ago using such a program. It was five days, Mon. thru Fri. on the second week of January, which is not a busy time for them, so, win win. I would guess that they, and many other larger mountains still have such a "ski week". It was great, got me hooked, except, for, ahem, a 26 below morning on the Thursday. What did I know?
The ultimate place to do this is Taos, which, of course, you probably won't do, but, I recommend their ski week to anybody, at any level. Best ski school in North America. They grade skiers 1-10 and send you off with the appropriate instructor, and, trust me, hardly anybody is a 10, although many think they are.

I love Taos. I used to drive down relatively frequently when I lived in the Vail valley many years ago. It was a pretty drive and there is some great ski terrain at Taos, not to mention the really good Mexican food around town. The downside is the altitude. The base of the ski valley is quite high, at over 9,200 feet, and that can be difficult to deal with if coming from sea level.

I’m partial to Vail. It’s got everything including terrain for beginners, the expansive back bowls and trees for more accomplished skiers, a fantastic ski school, and a town that appeals even to non-skiers. The base is at 8,200 feet, which still will take a toll if you’re not used to being at high altitude, but it’s more bearable than Taos.

In New England, I’d say go to Stowe or Sugarbush in the north, or Killington, Stratton, or Okemo moving south.

[redir]

This is a blast from that past. I remember going to Mt. Tom, Woodbury, Southington and I think it was called Bear Mt in New York.

Closest thing to me now of any value is Snow Shoe in WV which is actually not too bad.

As for powder vs ice, I grew up skiing on Ice and when I met my wife in the 90's who has family in CO, NM and so on started skiing out there and was treated to some 'real' skiing and I hated it. I can't ski in deep loose snow. So when I go to places like Breck I seek out the groomed trails, point them straight down and go!

If I lived in Boston I'd be more tempted to go up north and then you have much more to choose from.

[benb]

I've lived in MA/NH since I was 10 and am originally from VT.

I did the bulk of my learning (skiing) as a kid at Wachusett. Wachusett IMO is a lot better than Nashoba and some of the other options. I've been to both places many times. I will probably be taking my son to Nashoba at some point this winter. I took snowboarding lessons at Nashoba in my 20s as well.

They look like they're charging about $56 for a day ticket or $40 for night right now.

My dad had bought he and I blocks of night tickets at Wachusett and me a block of a lesson tickets.. that's where I took most of my lessons.

I switched to snowboarding after about 12 years of skiing. I'd have said I was an advanced intermediate or so as a skier. I didn't like Glades but I did okay even on the double black diamond trails on the east coast.

Never got anywhere near as good at snowboarding. I snowboarded actively for about 10 years.

It is really expensive, lots of driving, equipment is expensive, etc.. if any of the kids want to snowboard that will actually save money, snowboarding equipment is a bit less expensive for some reason. The culture of snowboarding seems less attracted to the expensive gear or something.

My kid is getting interested. My wife and I haven't gone in a long time because:
- The snow gets worse every year
- The cost gets higher every year
- Traffic gets worse every year and the good stuff requires long trips
- Both of us had knee injuries in the last 10 years, and skiing/snowboarding is high high risk for knee injuries. I do not want to compromise cycling or other activities due to a skiing/snowboarding knee injury.

To go somewhere "good" on the east coast you need to budget something like $115/person/day I think for tickets + food. Lodging & gas and stuff not included. Assumes everyone owns all the equipment too.

One of the problems is the "good" places are not that great and you can have a really bad day.

Around the end of my snowboarding I stayed in Northern NH in January and planned to ski like 5 days one week. I had a seasons pass that year. Towards the end of the week all of a sudden we got 60F degree weather (in February) . It melted the mountain down really solidly but not quite all of it. Then it was like 20F the next day and it was a sheet of ice with patches of grass & rock showing through. It always felt like you could spend a lot of money and you were still rolling the dice as to weather it'd be worth it.

That's our weather.. it's only gotten worse. And since the snow is inconsistent everything has snowmaking which makes it more expensive. And generally on the east coast everything goes for the lodge/tourist model which brings up the cost even more.

I've only been out West once and went to a smaller area (Washington state). Terrain was better than anything I had ever seen on the east coast. Way more snow than anything I'd ever seen on the East coast, but without any snowmaking. Barely any lodge. So it ended up being on par in cost with a C-grade East coast place like Nashoba. Quite something!

In the last 10 years not going skiing/snowboarding I tended to ride my bike a lot more in the winter. And we've taken some really crazy trips that probably cost less than skiing and snowboard a significant amount. I'm talking about 2 week trips to Hawaii and Europe in the winter, stuff like that.

Actually the other big variable is/was owning a house. I feel like I do enough "winter clean up" that it saps a lot of my energy to get in the car and drive 6-8 hours in a day/weekend when a big snowstorm hits cause I'm stuck at home cleaning up. It's a better sport if you live in an apartment and get someone else to do all that winter work. ;)

[vav]

Thanks all for the replies. I don't know if I am encouraged or discouraged to go :eek: I'll report back with pics :)

[Louis]

I'll report back with pics :)

We expect you to look like this:

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/64/e3/2e/64e32edaa959304912cbbc88a257290c.jpg

[Mr. Pink]

I love Taos.

Best thing about Taos is the people. You'll meet people working there that have been there for 35-40 years. They are a fun bunch, with a cool attitude, and, as said, awesome teachers. Try to get there soon, because all of those people are pretty old, and will be dying off soon.
A ski week at the St. Bernard is expensive, but it's a cultural time capsule that also soon may be gone. Don't know of many places in America like it. Hundreds in Europe.

[sitzmark]

Mt. Wachusett in Princeton MA would be pretty close and an excellent place to learn. Hit Wachusett Brewery after.

Also, Nashoba Valley in Westford MA.

Both have night skiing.

Too bad, not too long ago, there was a ski area close to you in Franklin MA called Klein Innsbruck (http://www.nelsap.org/ma/klein.html). It closed in 2000.

Klein Innsbruck was a sweet little hill - would have been perfect. Most of the starter hills like it have gone NELSAP. Area was subdivided and developed.

I instructed at Wachusett after relocating to New England. The Crowley's run a first rate program/mountain. The learning terrain is ideal and well suited to a linear progression. Very busy mountain - after-school programs many afternoon/eves which crowds learning terrain. Active beer race league 2-3 nights/week but doesn't impact learning terrain. Weekends are a total zoo.

Nashoba is similar but I personally prefer the terrain at WaWa. Blue Hills (Canton) has a couple of runs but doesn't have the snow making capability of WaWa and Nashoba. Learning progression is less linear at BH.

Ski Ward in Shrewsbury is another good learning area, but also has a difficult time with snow conditions early season. Progression is limited by terrain but for getting started it's good terrain.. No familiarity with instructing staff.

Winter is too long in New England not to play in it.

[mod6]

Thanks all for the replies. I don't know if I am encouraged or discouraged to go :eek: I'll report back with pics :)

I'll be honest the sport is pricey but it can be a amazing family activity that everyone does together.

My girls have been on skis since they could walk. Even as teenagers they want to spend their weekends in Vt skiing with Mom and Dad. Which is tough these day's with sports and school activities that eat up weekend time. Definitely have some great discussions ridding up the chair lift.

Look forward to the trip report and hopefully it a wonderful experience for the family.

[Buzz Killington]

I was a ski instructor for a long time and every year we watched a video of 1st time skiers getting rentals/tickets/place to sit/schlepping heavy bags. Always good for a few laughs but oh so true.

Ski Butternut is a good choice. Rent skis at a shop/not at the mountain. Go on a weekday when you’re less worried about your kids being t-boned by someone. Get discounted tickets, often can be found at local ski shops. Don’t go to any big mountain, not worth it if just learning. In my experience, also much easier to learn to ski than snowboard. Stick to skis.
Drive day before to Great Barrington. Take family out for dinner. Make wife happy. Stay local hotel and hit slopes next day. Make it as easy and fun as you can.
Skiing can be expensive. Some ski areas youngsters ski free so look for that.

[merlinmurph]

Anybody can ski in six feet of powder??

Ahem. Really.

Agree. I would conservatively guess that 90+% of skiers can not ski 6' of powder. More like 95%.

[buddybikes]

Skinny skis and go up to Windblown. Since you are in PVD, ping me, I have lots of skis hanging around, especially kids I will let go for carrying out.

[Ken Robb]

Best thing about Taos is the people. You'll meet people working there that have been there for 35-40 years. They are a fun bunch, with a cool attitude, and, as said, awesome teachers. Try to get there soon, because all of those people are pretty old, and will be dying off soon.
A ski week at the St. Bernard is expensive, but it's a cultural time capsule that also soon may be gone. Don't know of many places in America like it. Hundreds in Europe.

I think I remember that Ernie Blake founded the Taos ski resort and he had the charming tradition of hiding a batch of martinis every day for a lucky observant skier to find and enjoy.I'm sorry I missed that!

[Hellgate]

Best thing about Taos is the people. You'll meet people working there that have been there for 35-40 years. They are a fun bunch, with a cool attitude, and, as said, awesome teachers. Try to get there soon, because all of those people are pretty old, and will be dying off soon.

A ski week at the St. Bernard is expensive, but it's a cultural time capsule that also soon may be gone. Don't know of many places in America like it. Hundreds in Europe.Indeed. I left a medial meniscus on Al's Run in 2000, and an ACL on the terrain park in 2015.

Taos is some of the best skiing in the world.

[Mr. Pink]

Agree. I would conservatively guess that 90+% of skiers can not ski 6' of powder. More like 95%.

Hell, after 35 years and much money and time wasted at the sport, I would have problems with that much snow if on the wrong skis.

[verticaldoug]

I'll put the 6 ft of powder to rest. If you have ever skied in 6ft of powder you realize it isn't fun or really doable.

In the mid-90's, a bunch of us in Tokyo would head up to Tenjindaira on the weekends to board. Tenjin is like the snow fence of Tokyo. The place gets close to 600 inches a year.

I remember one epic day where it had snowed all week. The problem with 6 ft of snow is for starters, the resort usually can't open or if it does it opens late. Second problem, snow is too deep to snowshoe and its stupid to head in backcountry sidecountry until it settles.

Anyway, on this day, the resort finally opens, we head up with some big boards, a supermodel 174, a swallowtail etc. All you can do is go straight. If the snow is light pow, you just sink. So weight back, go fast and don't stall or you are in a world of hurt.

The best part is if you fall. Now you are eff'd. Once you get yourself right side up, you have to spend a fair amount of time packing down an exit ramp so you can try to launch yourself back down the hill. You sweat like a pig, your goggles are fogged, you can't see ***** and snow finds every orifice. At this point, it's way past no longer fun. You even consider throwing yourself down a tree well at this stage.

Now if you are on skis, all I see happening is more of the same plus you spent an hour looking for your ski in the deep deep pow never to find it until spring melt. .

More often, the reality is even on the deep deep days, the pow has settled and in reality you are really only skiing 3ft or so at most.

My daughter and her boyfriend are big skiers in Mammoth and Squaw. They had the 80inch weekend in early March '18. It was fun in the beginning, but eventually the snow just overwhelmed the resort. All that happens is resort closes because you get wind. By time it reopens, pow has already settled .

So the depth of pow is like the size of the fish my father caught back in the day.

[sitzmark]

Thanks all for the replies. I don't know if I am encouraged or discouraged to go :eek: I'll report back with pics :)

Didn't mention Yawgoo Valley (Exeter, RI) before - wasn't sure if it was still in operation. If you live in the greater PVD area it is probably the closest ski area to you. I haven't skied there but have skied with Yawgoo instructors at PSIA (Professional Ski Instructors of America) events and they have represented Yawgoo and PSIA well. My impression is that Yawgoo is RI's version of Wachusett*. Looks like Yawgoo is targeting this weekend for opening. They have an all inclusive 6-week (6 days total - one per week) learn to ski program starting in January for $299/person. Unfortunately the only slots remaining for the 13-adult program are Thursday or Friday night. Sign up and equipment fitting ends this weekend.

If you seek out learning centers that adhere to PSIA, you're more likely to develop a solid foundation that is portable and consistent - meaning if you go to another PSIA-based program you should be able to pick up pretty much where you left off (Level 1-9). Nationwide the demonstrated skills and movement patterns required to meet the different level classifications are the same.

Don't expect a lot the first day. You'll do a fair amount of scooting around flat ground with and without skis on to get a feel for sliding on snow with the equipment. it's amazing how "steep" a nearly flat hill seems when you aren't confident you know how to stop. Mastering speed and direction control are the two skills that once properly learned will allow you to ski anything you want.

Boot fit is EXTREMELY critical. Boots should be snug but not painful. Mildly uncomfortable when you first put them on can be OK. You need 15-20 minutes for the padding to conform around your foot. Boots that are flexible at 68* in the shop can be totally rigid at 11* on the hill. You need to be able to flex your ankle joint to make any progress with skill development. Can't emphasis boots enough. Unfortunately busy rental shops are not places where you can take the time to get a great fit. Ideally you should get a "shell fit" which means pull the liner and insert your foot into the plastic shell. Bump your toe against the front of the boot and you should ideally have a couple of fingers of space between your heel and the back of the boot. If you have a lot of space around your foot, that will need to be filled by padding in the liner or multiple layers of socks (don't!). Soft squishy padding can "pack down" after a few hours and if your foot is moving around inside the boot, even a little, you'll have a more difficult time getting the skis to react as you're being instructed. Overtightening buckles to get a snug fit will likely cause hot spots and circulation problems which ultimately lead to cold feet. Any of these issues ... go back to the shop and ask them to make adjustments or try another boot if available. If any of you stick with the sport, buy a good fitting pair of boots or season rental them. For kids (and sometimes for adults) there are seasonal equipment rentals. Again if you stick with it, having the same equipment each time helps avoid dealing with the inherent differences in equipment.

If you have "shell" clothing, use it and layer underneath. Even if it's fairly cold out - if the instructor has you pushing around on one ski and climbing uphill before you develop skills to ride a lift, you might get overly warm from the activity. Completely depends on the conditions of the day, but with layers you can add/remove/unzip as needed.

*with terrain more similar to Nashoba Valley

[djg]

Indeed. I left a medial meniscus on Al's Run in 2000, and an ACL on the terrain park in 2015.

Taos is some of the best skiing in the world.

Taos is a great mountain, no doubt, and I'm told they have (or had) an excellent ski school. And it's a really nice part of the country. OTOH, it's not the easiest place to get to from the East Coast, and it's pretty high up -- not A Basin high up, but the base and peak elevations are higher than many places out west, and might be a bit of an adjustment for a few days. The snow can be great, but it's not as dependable as, say, many of the Utah areas. So . . . it could be an excellent place for a week of skiing and instruction -- definitely don't want to suggest otherwise -- but if I were the OP I'd consider alternatives too.

SLC is easy to fly to -- nonstop from a number of East Coast cities and there's great skiing 40 minutes from the airport. Alta has a good ski school and one can stay at the mountain or down in town. Snowbird is in the same (Little Cottonwood) canyon, and the next canyon over are Solitude and Brighton. And, of course, over the pass is Park City, which is its own thing, and other places are not too far (Snowbasin, Powder Mountain, etc.).

Colorado has many good places to ski (and learn) -- for beginners (and not just beginners certainly), Steamboat is a nice town and a good mountain, if a little further than some of the Colorado resorts. I haven't been to Winter Park in a long time, but I recall a fair bit of variety and it might be good for the OP's purpose, and less spendy than Vail (which, yes, has some great stuff).

[djg]

Thanks all for the replies. I don't know if I am encouraged or discouraged to go :eek: I'll report back with pics :)

I hope that you are encouraged. It's a fantastic sport and, given varied terrain (and approaches to it), it can offer great times to all kinds of people -- novice to expert (to actual expert), super-fit to average.

People -- myself included -- have suggested all kinds of great places. The thing is, I had my first lessons as a kid on a hill behind a high school in upstate NY, and then went to practice in a town park with a very un-glorious slope but a free rope tow and a very short drive from home. And I learned and loved it, without Alta or powder. And probably without certified instructors until I got to race camp in high school.

Many, many places have competent instructors for beginners. I'm not saying that a good teacher doesn't help or that a bad one cannot help turn you off. I'm just saying that many people outside famous resorts and ski schools are more than fine when it comes to teaching the basics. On the one hand, a week of daily lessons at Alta or Vail or Taos or Keystone or Tahoe or etc. would be a great way to start. I've seen people make real progress when they have 5 or 6 days in a row and some coaching; and it's hard to argue with soft snow and blue skies. But you don't need a plane ticket or three feet of fresh or the world's best ski school to get started and have fun. A hill, snow, a competent teacher, and middling rental gear in decent shape . . . and you're off. If you love it right off, or in time, you can plan all sorts of things.

[djg21]

I think I remember that Ernie Blake founded the Taos ski resort and he had the charming tradition of hiding a batch of martinis every day for a lucky observant skier to find and enjoy.I'm sorry I missed that!

I visited Taos with my folks one summer when I was a high-school student in around 1980, and we met Ernie Blake while walking around the base of the mountain. He was out sweeping a porch on one of the ticket buildings when we ran into him. He had spent some time in southern Connecticut, where I was raised, after he emigrated to the US following WWII. I remember him sharing stories with my father. He was really pleasant.

[srcarter]

I grew up skiing southern New England. You've got great recommendations so far. I think the first couple of outings to a Wachusett, Nashoba, etc. makes sense to try it. You don't need much of a hill to learn the basics. If you like it, you can venture farther.

Here's my overall advice having grown up in a family that took up skiing when I was about 5 or 6:

- Take multiple lessons; repeat. It is money well spent in terms of enjoyment.
- If you like it, try to go somewhat consistently or do a ski week. Improvement over 5-7 days skiing can be amazing.
- Your kids are very likely to be much better than you quite quickly if you go more than a few times
- As with cycling, the benefits of fancier gear diminish rapidly (I had a friend who was literally the best skier on the mountain at Mammoth in California on a weekend (when the locals weren't out) and skied the base-level rental gear.)
- Invest in warmth. Uncomfortable spouses/kids makes the experience less fun. My family uses chemical hand warmers (Grabber from Sierra Trading Post) even in the 20s.
- Go in the day the first times. Night skiing is colder and makes the first times more challenging.