SUGARBUSH SKIING
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www.sugarbush.com
www.madriverglen.com
www.alpineoptions.com
www.vermontnorth.com
www.clearwatersports.com
www.mountainsideski.com
Click For Full Size Trail Map
www.sugarbush.com
www.madriverglen.com
www.alpineoptions.com
www.vermontnorth.com
www.clearwatersports.com
www.mountainsideski.com
Here is some more detailed information about SKIING at Sugarbush Resort.
Sugarbush, in Warren VT has one main advantage over other Resorts in the Northeast. That advantage is simply having many different types of trails and terrain to ride. When you combine the trails at Lincoln Peak and Mt. Ellen, you end up with an experience that you can't compare to other mountains. Instead of having one big mountain area and a small side area, you actually have two full size mountains with equally diverse terrain. So, when the snow comes down, you can choose your favorite spot on one mountain, ski it, and then head to your favorite spot on the other mountain to get the best of both. You could also ski one mountain each day.
To begin with, Lincoln Peak is the focal point of Sugarbush Ski Resort. Lincoln Peak is where most of the new Base Lodge development is going on and has the most going on for Dining and Entertainment. There are numerous places to eat and drink including the Sugarbush base lodge cafeteria, Castlerock Pub, and Timbers Restaurant. One of the best places to stop skiing for a snack or to eat lunch is Allen's Lodge at the top of the Super Bravo chair. There is a nice fireplace to warm your feet and you can ski in from the trails and ski out. There are two other excellent places to stop for lunch/dinner that are located in the Sugarbush Village to the right of the bunny trail (when looking at the mountain). One is Mutha Stuffa's, which serves Subs and meat stuffed breads, and the other is Chez Henri Bistro, which serves French quisine.
NORTH LYNX PEAK AT SUGARBUSH SKI RESORT
A nice place to start your introduction to Sugarbush is on the North Lynx Peak area. The GATE HOUSE EXPRESS QUAD services the lower half of the peak and the NORTH LYNX TRIPLE services the upper half. In between the top of GATE HOUSE and NORTH LYNX is a chair called THE SLIDE BROOK EXPRESS QUAD that connects Sugarbush's Lincoln Peak and Mt. Ellen Peak on weekends. North Lynx Peak is one of the more sunny parts of Sugarbush Ski Resort.
Most of the trails that start from the GATE HOUSE EXPRESS QUAD are good for beginner or intermediate skiers. Any difficult sections of the ski trails are usually short and the majority of each ski trail is good for learning, cruising, warming up, and cooling down. GATE HOUSE is a fast chair that allows you to make a bunch of short runs in a short amount of time.
From the top of GATE HOUSE you must skate across a flat area to reach the NORTH LYNX TRIPLE. This chair will take you to the top of North Lynx Peak where you have a choice of three ski trails of varying difficulty. Birch Run is the easiest and most consistent and then you have Morning Star under the ski lift and Sunrise on the other side of the ski lift. This is a fun peak to ski because there are usually fewer people and Birch Run is long and wide. There is an incredible view off of the back side of the peak.
GADD PEAK AT SUGARBUSH SKI RESORT
Gadd Peak contains a diverse ski trail system from intermediate to expert skier. The easy and intermediate ski trails cut back and forth across the ski mountain while the black diamond and expert tree runs drop in and go straight down the steeper sections. Stein's Run, one of the best and most challenging ski trails on the ski mountain, is found in the middle of Gadd Peak and is filled with huge, intense moguls and fall lines. Another amazing ski trail is called Twist (or Lixie's Twist) and is a dynamic off pitch mogul run that holds snow and keeps you guessing and smiling the whole way down the ski trail. Finally, there is one of Sugarbush Ski Resort's staple ski runs called Spring Fling which stays open well into the spring. This ski trail is great for wide open turns, lots of speed, and is where Sugarbush Ski Resort holds there weekly ski races and other gate slamming action.
LINCOLN PEAK AT SUGARBUSH SKI RESORT
Now for the upper mountain long ski run extravaganza that makes Sugarbush Ski Resort's Lincoln Peak the focal point of Sugarbush Ski Resort. To reach Lincoln Peak as fast as possible, which you will want to know how to do on days when the powder is deep, first take the Super Bravo Express Quad to the top of Gadd Peak and exit straight off of the chair (You will be looking at Allyn's Ski Lodge). Head down the ski slope toward the ski Lodge and follow the downhill turn to the right. After that, keep up and to the left until you meet up with a ski trail called Downspout. Follow Downspout down until you see a chairlift on the left. This chairlift, called Heaven's Gate Triple, will place you at the crossroads of Lincoln Peak. At this point, you have a number of terrain options that make Lincoln Peak diverse and popular among both beginner and expert skiers. For beginner skiers and for warming up, head to the left and take Jester. This ski trail is a great long distance cruiser ski trail with banks off the side, big turns, and amazing views of the surrounding area. The more advanced may head underneath the chairlift onto Ripcord or to the left onto Organ Grinder. Both of these ski trails are steep and are filled with an exciting combination of moguls and high speed sections that will challenge and push any skier at any speed. The last and very technical option is to head off of the chairlift to the right and onto a ski trail that branches off to the left at the top of Ripcord. The ski trail, aptly named Paradise, is a mix of super steep moguls, sharp odd angle turns, roots, trees, rocks, and woods sections. This is one of those places that can tire you out and give you a glimpse of what people look for in challenging ski terrain. The main ski trail, Paradise, heads down the mountain and has clumps of trees and exciting, sharp turns. To the left of the main ski trail, there are glades and chutes that can be accessed by skiing into the trees and scrub to the left. The glade areas are very technical and sometimes very tight and dangerous and at the same time have openings which allow for beautiful ski turns and much skiing happiness, in other words "Ski Paradise". Enjoy!
CASTLEROCK PEAK AT SUGARBUSH SKI RESORT
The Cherry on top of Sugarbush Ski Resort's Skiing Sundae is definately CASTLEROCK PEAK. There is no snow making on any of the CASTLEROCK ski trails and it is filled with small, steep, twisting ski trails. Similar to Mad River Glen, this part of the ski mountain is challenging and amazing on powder days and the days following those powder days.
There are two ways to reach the Castlerock Double. One way starts from the Super Bravo Express Quad and the other starts from the Gatehouse Express Quad. From Super Bravo Express Quad, ski to the top of Gadd Peak and exit the chairlift straight and to the right and follow signs to Downspout. Ski Downspout to Lower Downspout which is a flatter runout ski trail and look for a ski trail on the left with a sign identifying the Castlerock Chairlift. Depending on the time of day and weather, this ski trail can be closed. You should be able to see the chairlift at this point and hopefully, not too much of a line of skiers. Next, get in line and wait for your turn. Be careful because the chairs on this lift are spaced very far apart so you wait for a while at the loading spot. As you ascend the mountain, you will be above a gnarly ski trail called Liftline that is great on some days and very rocky in certain spots the rest of the season.
Once you reach the top, there are three main ski trails to take down the mountain. The first ski trail is called Castlerock Run. To take Castlerock Run, exit the chairlift to the left and towards the Ski Patrol/Warming Hut. Castlerock Run is usually filled with small to medium sized moguls and has a pleasant but challenging flow between it's straight sections and turns. About half way down the ski trail, you must turn right to continue on to Lower Castlerock Run. (If you continue straight, you will be on a ski trail called Cottilion.) Lower Castlerock Run is a winding more mellow mogul ski run that eventually meets up with the Lower Liftline ski trail. Also, if you would like to cut across the mountain to get to the Heaven's Gate Triple, there is a ski trail called Bailout on the right side of Lower Castlerock Run that will meet up with Lower Ripcord above the chairlift.
The second ski trail is called Liftline and is one of the most intense ski trails at Sugarbush Ski Resort. To reach this ski trail, you can turn left and ski directly under the chairlift or take Castlerock Ski Run and take the first ski trail to the left that will connect you to Liftline. At this point, there is a huge rock that you must ski around or ski over to continue on the ski trail. The rest of the ski trail is steep and rocky and exciting.
The third and final ski trail option is called Middle Earth. To reach Middle Earth, exit the chairlift to the right. The ski trail starts out with an easy traversing slope to the top of a field of what can sometimes be huge and unruly moguls. When you add these huge moguls to the odd turns that the ski trail takes, you end up with a very difficult ski trail that will challenge you and push your legs to their skiing limit.
Besides the ski trails, Castlerock has some tree skiing runs that are great. You basically cut between the ski trails and try to find open patches to ski down. It is difficult but can be quite fun when the snow is deep. Any tree skiing is dangerous and should be done in coordinated groups.
Sugarbush, in Warren VT has one main advantage over other Resorts in the Northeast. That advantage is simply having many different types of trails and terrain to ride. When you combine the trails at Lincoln Peak and Mt. Ellen, you end up with an experience that you can't compare to other mountains. Instead of having one big mountain area and a small side area, you actually have two full size mountains with equally diverse terrain. So, when the snow comes down, you can choose your favorite spot on one mountain, ski it, and then head to your favorite spot on the other mountain to get the best of both. You could also ski one mountain each day.
To begin with, Lincoln Peak is the focal point of Sugarbush Ski Resort. Lincoln Peak is where most of the new Base Lodge development is going on and has the most going on for Dining and Entertainment. There are numerous places to eat and drink including the Sugarbush base lodge cafeteria, Castlerock Pub, and Timbers Restaurant. One of the best places to stop skiing for a snack or to eat lunch is Allen's Lodge at the top of the Super Bravo chair. There is a nice fireplace to warm your feet and you can ski in from the trails and ski out. There are two other excellent places to stop for lunch/dinner that are located in the Sugarbush Village to the right of the bunny trail (when looking at the mountain). One is Mutha Stuffa's, which serves Subs and meat stuffed breads, and the other is Chez Henri Bistro, which serves French quisine.
NORTH LYNX PEAK AT SUGARBUSH SKI RESORT
A nice place to start your introduction to Sugarbush is on the North Lynx Peak area. The GATE HOUSE EXPRESS QUAD services the lower half of the peak and the NORTH LYNX TRIPLE services the upper half. In between the top of GATE HOUSE and NORTH LYNX is a chair called THE SLIDE BROOK EXPRESS QUAD that connects Sugarbush's Lincoln Peak and Mt. Ellen Peak on weekends. North Lynx Peak is one of the more sunny parts of Sugarbush Ski Resort.
Most of the trails that start from the GATE HOUSE EXPRESS QUAD are good for beginner or intermediate skiers. Any difficult sections of the ski trails are usually short and the majority of each ski trail is good for learning, cruising, warming up, and cooling down. GATE HOUSE is a fast chair that allows you to make a bunch of short runs in a short amount of time.
From the top of GATE HOUSE you must skate across a flat area to reach the NORTH LYNX TRIPLE. This chair will take you to the top of North Lynx Peak where you have a choice of three ski trails of varying difficulty. Birch Run is the easiest and most consistent and then you have Morning Star under the ski lift and Sunrise on the other side of the ski lift. This is a fun peak to ski because there are usually fewer people and Birch Run is long and wide. There is an incredible view off of the back side of the peak.
GADD PEAK AT SUGARBUSH SKI RESORT
Gadd Peak contains a diverse ski trail system from intermediate to expert skier. The easy and intermediate ski trails cut back and forth across the ski mountain while the black diamond and expert tree runs drop in and go straight down the steeper sections. Stein's Run, one of the best and most challenging ski trails on the ski mountain, is found in the middle of Gadd Peak and is filled with huge, intense moguls and fall lines. Another amazing ski trail is called Twist (or Lixie's Twist) and is a dynamic off pitch mogul run that holds snow and keeps you guessing and smiling the whole way down the ski trail. Finally, there is one of Sugarbush Ski Resort's staple ski runs called Spring Fling which stays open well into the spring. This ski trail is great for wide open turns, lots of speed, and is where Sugarbush Ski Resort holds there weekly ski races and other gate slamming action.
LINCOLN PEAK AT SUGARBUSH SKI RESORT
Now for the upper mountain long ski run extravaganza that makes Sugarbush Ski Resort's Lincoln Peak the focal point of Sugarbush Ski Resort. To reach Lincoln Peak as fast as possible, which you will want to know how to do on days when the powder is deep, first take the Super Bravo Express Quad to the top of Gadd Peak and exit straight off of the chair (You will be looking at Allyn's Ski Lodge). Head down the ski slope toward the ski Lodge and follow the downhill turn to the right. After that, keep up and to the left until you meet up with a ski trail called Downspout. Follow Downspout down until you see a chairlift on the left. This chairlift, called Heaven's Gate Triple, will place you at the crossroads of Lincoln Peak. At this point, you have a number of terrain options that make Lincoln Peak diverse and popular among both beginner and expert skiers. For beginner skiers and for warming up, head to the left and take Jester. This ski trail is a great long distance cruiser ski trail with banks off the side, big turns, and amazing views of the surrounding area. The more advanced may head underneath the chairlift onto Ripcord or to the left onto Organ Grinder. Both of these ski trails are steep and are filled with an exciting combination of moguls and high speed sections that will challenge and push any skier at any speed. The last and very technical option is to head off of the chairlift to the right and onto a ski trail that branches off to the left at the top of Ripcord. The ski trail, aptly named Paradise, is a mix of super steep moguls, sharp odd angle turns, roots, trees, rocks, and woods sections. This is one of those places that can tire you out and give you a glimpse of what people look for in challenging ski terrain. The main ski trail, Paradise, heads down the mountain and has clumps of trees and exciting, sharp turns. To the left of the main ski trail, there are glades and chutes that can be accessed by skiing into the trees and scrub to the left. The glade areas are very technical and sometimes very tight and dangerous and at the same time have openings which allow for beautiful ski turns and much skiing happiness, in other words "Ski Paradise". Enjoy!
CASTLEROCK PEAK AT SUGARBUSH SKI RESORT
The Cherry on top of Sugarbush Ski Resort's Skiing Sundae is definately CASTLEROCK PEAK. There is no snow making on any of the CASTLEROCK ski trails and it is filled with small, steep, twisting ski trails. Similar to Mad River Glen, this part of the ski mountain is challenging and amazing on powder days and the days following those powder days.
There are two ways to reach the Castlerock Double. One way starts from the Super Bravo Express Quad and the other starts from the Gatehouse Express Quad. From Super Bravo Express Quad, ski to the top of Gadd Peak and exit the chairlift straight and to the right and follow signs to Downspout. Ski Downspout to Lower Downspout which is a flatter runout ski trail and look for a ski trail on the left with a sign identifying the Castlerock Chairlift. Depending on the time of day and weather, this ski trail can be closed. You should be able to see the chairlift at this point and hopefully, not too much of a line of skiers. Next, get in line and wait for your turn. Be careful because the chairs on this lift are spaced very far apart so you wait for a while at the loading spot. As you ascend the mountain, you will be above a gnarly ski trail called Liftline that is great on some days and very rocky in certain spots the rest of the season.
Once you reach the top, there are three main ski trails to take down the mountain. The first ski trail is called Castlerock Run. To take Castlerock Run, exit the chairlift to the left and towards the Ski Patrol/Warming Hut. Castlerock Run is usually filled with small to medium sized moguls and has a pleasant but challenging flow between it's straight sections and turns. About half way down the ski trail, you must turn right to continue on to Lower Castlerock Run. (If you continue straight, you will be on a ski trail called Cottilion.) Lower Castlerock Run is a winding more mellow mogul ski run that eventually meets up with the Lower Liftline ski trail. Also, if you would like to cut across the mountain to get to the Heaven's Gate Triple, there is a ski trail called Bailout on the right side of Lower Castlerock Run that will meet up with Lower Ripcord above the chairlift.
The second ski trail is called Liftline and is one of the most intense ski trails at Sugarbush Ski Resort. To reach this ski trail, you can turn left and ski directly under the chairlift or take Castlerock Ski Run and take the first ski trail to the left that will connect you to Liftline. At this point, there is a huge rock that you must ski around or ski over to continue on the ski trail. The rest of the ski trail is steep and rocky and exciting.
The third and final ski trail option is called Middle Earth. To reach Middle Earth, exit the chairlift to the right. The ski trail starts out with an easy traversing slope to the top of a field of what can sometimes be huge and unruly moguls. When you add these huge moguls to the odd turns that the ski trail takes, you end up with a very difficult ski trail that will challenge you and push your legs to their skiing limit.
Besides the ski trails, Castlerock has some tree skiing runs that are great. You basically cut between the ski trails and try to find open patches to ski down. It is difficult but can be quite fun when the snow is deep. Any tree skiing is dangerous and should be done in coordinated groups.
