THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, January 15, 1995 TAG: 9501170445
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY MIKE MATHER, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Long : 188 lines
A LONG TIME ago, scientists say, the Appalachian Mountains and other East Coast chains were thrust skyward by such violent geologic forces that the peaks dwarfed the much newer Rocky Mountains.
However, millions of years of erosion wore them down long before our recent journey north to Vermont for a week of skiing and snowboarding.
That unfortunate geologic fact hasn't hampered the still-expanding ski industry in a state that perhaps has as many winter resorts as roadside maple syrup vendors.
Ski resorts in the Green Mountain State range from tiny specks with a few meandering slopes to mountain metropolises where a trail map is needed to prevent you from accidentally skiing into New Hampshire.
And Vermont resorts have had the one necessary ingredient that resorts around here have been largely lacking so far this year - cold weather.
Very, very cold weather.
On the third day of our trip, Burlington, Vt., recorded the lowest temperature in the United States. It was so cold that gasses in the atmosphere were in danger of liquefying and dribbling in streams down the mountains. Well, maybe it wasn't that cold, but a 4-degree air temperature and winds gusting to 50 mph sank the wind chill to around -30. Cold enough.
But New England had snow and Virginia didn't, so northward we drove for a sampling of the Vermont ski scene.
We sampled the variety the state offers - the small and sleepy Mount Ascutney, the revamped and recharged Sugarbush, and the mega mountains of eastern icon Killington.
The drive was the hardest part of the trip owing to, mainly, New Jersey.
If you took all the toll booths on the Garden State Parkway and lined them end to end, it would look exactly the same.
However, our meandering route did take us through post-card perfect towns in Vermont that made the New Jersey stretch less numbing.
Sugarbush, our first stop, is about 14 hours by car from Norfolk. For air travelers, the closest landing strip is in Burlington, Vt., about 40 minutes north. And so far, New Jersey has not devised airborne toll booths, only prototypes.
Sugarbush is proof that bigger isn't always better, although the resort is bigger than almost anything within a six-hour drive of Hampton Roads.
Carved from two mountains in the Mad River Valley, the resort offers more terrain than we could use in the two days we visited.
Sugarbush South is the larger and more challenging of the two areas, but Sugarbush North tends to have better coverage when natural snow is scarce. North is where most of the resort's vastly improved snowmaking is centered, which adds to the average 250 inches of powder that falls there each year.
The resort is family-oriented and pays special attention to children. Daycare is provided for those 6 weeks and older, and on-snow programs begin with 4-year-olds.
Ski instructors there churn out fearless tots in a what looks like combination kindergarten and Olympic training camp.
After a few hours of learning, the helmeted tykes - or Sugarbears, as the program dubs them - are let loose and blast down the snow at barely subsonic speeds, hapless parents lumbering behind.
Parents tuckered out from chasing the Sugarbears can relax in one of the dozens of inns, condominiums and bed-and-breakfasts that dot the Mad River Valley, offering everything from elegant to budget.
The most glitzy digs are found at the 11-room Inn at the Round Barn Farm, some rooms going for more than $150 nightly. In Burlington, four people can split a $50 room at the Super 8.
We stayed at the Sugarbush Inn, a pleasant mix of traditional Vermont charm and modern convenience at the base of Sugarbush South.
That's where, in the casual first-floor restaurant called The Grill, we met a bartender who swore an area tavern would actually dispatch a van to pick up guests and return them to the inn. It's true, and we ended up at Gallagher's, a fun, rustic watering hole with shuttle service.
Restaurants and bars throughout Vermont serve the varied concoctions from the dozens of valley microbreweries. Our favorites: Long Trail Ale, Otter Creek and Magic Hat.
After two days at The Bush that ended with a welcome snow squall, we drove south an hour to Killington, the mountain mecca of the east.
We arrived about the same time as an Arctic blast that lowered the temperature to what you'd expect on Pluto. That didn't stop Olympic medalist and World Cup Champion Donna Weinbrecht from getting in a few runs that day.
A joint-jarring moonscape called Outer Limits is Weinbrecht's domain. The treacherous slope is the steepest mogul hill in New England, and only the brave and well-insured need try it.
Weinbrecht, a New Jersey native who is probably exempt from paying tolls, sometimes trains at Killington.
Killington's six mountains are criss-crossed by 72 miles of trails, including a wandering trail more than 10 miles long.
A new eight-passenger gondola - with heated cabins and stereo music piped in - is the anchor of $13 million in improvements completed since the summer.
From Killington Peak - 4,241 feet into the clouds - the view is spectacular. Neighboring resorts loom in the distance, the slopes visible like white veins in marble.
Descending from that altitude, skiers have a choice of tree-lined cruising trails, or eye-watering screamers with nearly the same vertical drop as an elevator shaft.
The cold blast may not have stopped Weinbrecht, but it stopped us. Our first day there was largely spent thawing in the base lodge.
If you're going to quit early, Killington is the place to be. A trio playing in the cavernous lodge highlighted the week's off-snow time, cranking up old favorites. Prompted by several Rolling Rock beers, a couple of buddies and I ended up warbling ``My Girl'' with the band.
There are 25 clubs with live entertainment in the Killington complex, 109 restaurants and 53 night spots.
Bargain lodging is about 25 minutes away in White River Junction, although the resort would be best enjoyed by staying closer.
From the big time of Killington, we traveled south again to the small time of Ascutney Mountain Resort.
Ascutney is struggling out of bankruptcy with new owners and a family atmosphere. The terrain isn't as sophisticated as the upstate big guys, but the lift tickets are far cheaper, at only $36 for an adult on a weekend day, and $26 during the week. Skiers and snowboarders 16 and younger pay only $22 weekend and $18 during the week.
Despite its awkward and forgettable name - all week we thought it was Scutny, Scutty, Scumpy or some clumsy derivative - Ascutney is a hidden gem for families looking for a secluded getaway at a fun resort.
The resort is quiet and conservative, with comfortable lodging at the base. The athletic center includes an Olympic-sized pool and other amenities the big boys have.
Bed-and-breakfast lodging is also available in the charming nearby town of Woodstock.
Vermont locals say Mother Nature usually begins dropping heavy snow from mid-January through the heart of winter. Most resorts stay open well into spring.
Locals also say there's something for everyone in the Green Mountain State.
Except toll roads. ILLUSTRATION: SUGARBUSH COLOR PHOTOS
Sugarbush, the Vermont resort about 14 hours by car from Hampton
Roads, includes programs for children as well as plenty of snowy fun
for adults. Also on our weeklong agenda: Killington and Ascutney.
Graphics
KNOW BEFORE YOU GO
Map
KEN WRIGHT/Staff
SKI RESORTS
SOURCE: H.M. Gousha travel publication
[For complete graphics, please see microfilm]
RESORTS AT A GLANCE
Sugarbush Resort in Warren, Vt.
Highest summit elevation: 4,135 feet
Vertical drop: 2,600 feet
Skiable acres: 400
Longest run/trail: 2.5 miles
Snowboarding: Allowed
Average snowfall: 250 inches
Lifts: 16 with 3 quads
Trail mix: 23 percent beginner, 48 percent intermediate, 32
percent expert.
General information: (802) 583-2381
Lodging and reservations: (800) 537-8427
Snow conditions: (802) 583-7669
Killington in Killington, Vt.
Highest summit elevation: 4,241 feet
Vertical drop: 3,150 feet
Skiable acres: 860
Longest run/trail: 10.2 miles
Snowboarding: allowed
Average snowfall: 250 inches
Lifts: 20, including an eight-passenger high-speed gondola
Trail mix: 43 percent beginner, 24 percent intermediate, 33
percent advanced.
General information: (802) 422-3333
Lodging and reservations: (800) 372-2007
Snow conditions: (802) 422-3261
Ascutney Mountain Resort in Brownsville, Vt.
Highest summit elevation: 2,250 feet
Vertical drop: 1,530 feet
Skiable acres: not available
Longest run/trail: 2.5 miles
Snowboarding: Allowed
Lifts: 3
Trail mix: 26 percent beginner, 39 percent intermediate, 35
percent advanced.
General information: (802) 484-7711
Lodging and reservations: (800) 243-0011
Snow conditions: (802) 484-7711
by CNB