Mountain Review: Stowe (2019-2022)
MOUNTAIN SCORE
CATEGORY BREAKDOWN
See our criteria6
Snow:
6
Resiliency:
3
Size:
7
Terrain Diversity:
8
Challenge:
8
Lifts:
4
Crowd Flow:
6
Facilities:
7
Navigation:
6
Mountain Aesthetic:
GOOD TO KNOW
On-site Lodging: Yes
Apres-ski: Moderate
Pass Affiliation: Epic Pass
Recommended Ability Level:
+ Pros
Demanding expert terrain
Snow quality for Vermont
Modern lifts in most major areas
Ease of navigation
– Cons
Crowd flow
Impractically placed Mansfield base facilities
MOUNTAIN STATS
Lifts: 12
Trails: 116
Beginner: 16%
Intermediate: 55%
Advanced/Expert: 29%
Mountain Review
As one of the longest operating ski areas in the world, Stowe has been a go-to ski vacation spot for generations. But it’s not the 1940s anymore, and Stowe faces some stiff competition nowadays. The resort has a few flaws, yet it still manages to hold its own against the best East Coast mountains.
Stowe offers strong snow quality for Vermont. The resort is further north than many competing Vermont ski areas, consequently maintaining more snow and colder temperatures each season. The resort employs snowmaking on multiple trails, including some very difficult ones, to ensure resilience throughout the season. In addition, the Fourrunner Quad cable runs at slow speeds at night to avoid icing, protecting that lift against weather holds. But not every trail sees snowmaking, and conditions, like at other Vermont resorts, can be heavily variable—it takes awhile for the most extreme runs to open each season.
Stowe offers some of the most extreme terrain anywhere on the East Coast. All of the most difficult runs are on the Mansfield side; the Spruce Peak side is much tamer. The Fourrunner lift services Stowe’s famed “Front Four”—these include the Goat and Starr trails, which deliver narrow, steep, and demandingly variable conditions, and the closeby Liftline and National trails, which aren’t quite as narrow or variable but offer similarly pitched terrain. These trails are long too, putting a strain on your endurance. The Chin Clip trail off the gondola, while not as difficult terrain-wise as the Front Four, maintains a long, sustained pitch you can’t bail on for the bottom two-thirds of the run. The aptly-named Waterfall trail and a few unmarked nearby wooded areas, also off the gondola, will send you off a frozen waterfall.
Stowe also offers a wide selection of intermediate terrain. Most runs under the gondola and on Spruce Peak are nice, groomed cruisers, while the Fourrunner lift services a few enjoyable blue runs as well. Some blue trails sport moguls, a rarity among Vermont resorts that may catch some intermediate skiers off guard.
The Spruce Peak side offers the best selection of beginner terrain on the mountain, with a decently-sized bunny hill complex consisting of two relatively short lifts. One of these lifts, the Adventure Triple, services an exclusive trail that winds around condos and offers more character than a typical bunny slope. Green runs on the Mansfield side are mainly constrained to Toll House, a flat, neglected mountain area serviced by a miserably slow double chair. But other Mansfield areas do sport a few green trails, and most beginners shouldn’t have a problem getting down the upper Toll Road trail section serviced by the Fourrunner lift.
Stowe offers an adequate terrain park, but it lags behind those boasted by other mountains in Vermont. The two freestyle runs boast a number of small to medium jumps, boxes, and rails.
Crowd flow is a mixed bag at Stowe. Lines for the Mansfield Gondola get atrociously long on weekends and holidays, and there aren’t any helper lifts to service the same terrain. Lines for the Fourrunner Quad can get very long as well, but at least that lift is relieved by the essentially parallel Lookout Double. Crowding problems are made worse by resort mismanagement; the singles line on the gondola side of the Fourrunner lift tends to get much longer than the singles line on the Lookout side, yet nothing is done to move that side faster. In addition, the gondola singles line doesn’t start until you get into the entrance barn, meaning that there’s no segmentation structure at the start of the line if the crowd extends out of there. Fortunately, the crowd flow on the less trafficked Spruce Peak side is much smoother.
Stowe’s on-mountain facilities are also a mixed bag. The Mansfield side offers convenient summit lodges at the top of both Fourrunner and the Gondola, but the Fourrunner lodge is relatively small and offers very limited seating at peak times. The Mansfield base facilities have major logistical issues. The Midway Lodge on the Gondola side is several feet up from the start of the Gondola and only accessible by taking a lift up to the top—this makes it incredibly inconvenient to reach from the base and especially annoying on days when the lines are bad. The other option is the Mansfield Lodge near the Fourrunner Quad, which is hard to spot and requires walking down a set of stairs to get to. If you parked near the gondola and want to stop in a lodge at the beginning or end of the day, it’s going to be a hassle.
Luckily, it only takes a short Over Easy Gondola ride to get to the Spruce Peak base, where facilities are much better. The Spruce Peak Base Lodge is centrally located and offers plenty of space, even during peak times. The Spruce Peak side is relatively small, and the only public facility above the base is a bathroom at the Sensation Quad loading area.
Getting around the rest of Stowe isn’t bad. High-speed lifts service most major terrain. Informative signage makes few areas difficult to find or miss. It’s quick and easy to physically travel from one mountain area to another in most cases—only the Base Camp Road trail, which connects the intermediate Sensation trails to the Spruce Peak base, requires some catwalking.
The Mount Mansfield side looks and feels unique thanks to its striking, often snow-capped mountain tops, but it can be quite disappointing to realize the resort doesn’t extend to the top of those peaks. But if you’re really determined, you can hike to them for some of the most extreme, otherworldly backcountry terrain you’ll find anywhere in Vermont. The hike can take up to 45 minutes, but it’s well worth it on a good day. Runs either merge into the resort or end on Route 108 for a catwalk back. The Spruce Peak side consists of less unique terrain, but it offers access to some backcountry as well and sports a trail to the Smugglers Notch ski area via a short hike. On clear days, both resort sides offer fantastic, uninhibited views of one another.
The resort has become more built up in recent years, and the Spruce Peak base area is now home to many stores and condos. Half of the old Midway slope at Mount Mansfield, previously a bunny hill, has been converted into a parking lot.
Lodging
Stowe offers expensive hotel and condo rentals on-site at Spruce Peak and Toll House, but most reasonably priced options are on the access road or in the nearby town of Stowe. The cheapest options are in the nearby towns of Waterbury and Morrisville, which are 15 minutes away from the mountain (without traffic).
Apres-ski
Stowe enjoys a few decent apres-ski and nightlife spots. A number of on-mountain bars offer terrific happy hour vibes (but no drink deals thanks to Vermont’s liquor laws). Most bars in town are tied to pub-like restaurants, and many close after dinner time. A few stay open later, even on weekdays—be sure to check out Rimrocks, a classic sports bar, and the Rusty Nail, which regularly features live music and provides a more club-like atmosphere.
Verdict
Stowe suffers from heavy crowding at peak times and lacks convenient base facilities, but this resort delivers a combination of quality snow, modern lift service, and challenging terrain that’s difficult to beat on the East Coast. In addition, easy access to outstanding Vermont backcountry terrain will appeal to the resort’s most adventurous visitors. Lift tickets are among the most pricey in the state, but for many, the experience will be worth it.
