The compliment thread... say something nice about a ski area!

podunk77

Everyone likes to get compliments, and what better time to compliment ski areas than during the annual January thaw!  Come on, say something nice about a place, even if it’s not your favorite (and keep back-handed compliments to yourself).    :)I’ll start off with two:Sunapee:  On a two-for-one day last year, they sold me a half-price ticket even though I showed up alone.  Lady at the desk said “you came here to ski, not to wait around for someone else to show up.”Bretton Woods (and Berkshire East, and any other place that does a canned goods day):  Urbanites like me sometimes forget there’s real poverty amongst the mountainous beauty in which we ski.  It warms the heart to see a huge pile of donated food at a ski area, knowing that for a lot of people it may answer the question of where their next meal is coming from.

medford_mike

Great idea for a thread.  

Here are my two:

Wachusett for breathing new life into the Bullock Lodge a few years ago.  Great reuse of a historic building that sat empty for too long. 

Pico, Sugarbush, and Cannon (and others) for hosting adaptive ski programs.

lotsoskiing

Northeast Slopes: Nicest staff and best cheeseburgers this side of the Midd Snow Bowl

Cannonball

Loon:  Sure does keep a LOT of people south of the Notch!  Plus it keeps my residential property taxes really low in Lincoln.  All joking aside, they also are second to none in terms of guest services. Everything from the parking, to the lift ops, to the food services, to the condos, is focused on the guest experience. I don’t ski there much, but I can see why families from MA do.

NJSki

Hunter Mtn: Considering their latitude, they really know how to make snow. Quantity, quality, early/late season. They put many northern neighbors to shame.

mtsnow123

Smuggler’s Notch: Keeps the old school charm with the fixed grip doubles, and crowds on the trail low.

Stowe: Phenomenal grooming, snowmaking, lifts mean even marginal conditions are still fun.

Sugarbush: For having Mount Ellen to ride when it is a busy day at Lincoln Mountain.

NewEnglandSkier13

Mount Abram: early adopter of boundary-to-boundary, opening the T-bar line to skiers when it isn’t running, and very friendly service

Bradford: evening groom on weekends and holidays

I’m sure I could come up with many more if I thought about it.

rickbolger

I never met a ski area I didn’t like (just some of the management is mind numbing)

So I’ll limit it to places I’ve skied this season

Montage PA – they’ve served up terrific conditions with a lot of trails open in a very up-and-down season.  Really turning that place around.

Mount Snow VT – kudos to the ski patrol for taking care of my friend.  Kindness, professionalism, all you could ask for.

Mad River Glen – Everybody raves about the terrain, sure it’s great, but I’ll say the best thing is the people who ski there, the politeness and family atmosphere far exceed the average.  Makes me feel good about America when I ski there.

Killington – they held a world cup race.  That’s fantastic!

Dynamite Hill – the volunteers sit out in their lift shacks for a handful of people – or less.  That’s admirable dedication!

I’ve skied others this season but they didn’t do anything above and beyond.

Should add Windham, forgot I was there. thanks to medford_mike for reminder.  Their adaptive program is terrific.  

dcapbtls

Ragged Mountain - For instituting a real, free, learn-to-ski program.  These efforts will hopefully help to grow the sport of skiing/snowboard……..(See today’s Boston Herald for a great story on their program).

Bill29

I guess I should give Wachusett a pat on the back and I’m glad to do it. WAWA does a very good job making and grooming snow, especially considering the traffic they get day and night. I think the trails and slopes are almost always in good shape. It’s a very busy place on weekends and holidays and often at night.. Old timers get a great break on season pass prices and ski during the week; the drill is to get there at 9 a.m. when the lifts start and leave at 2:30 or 3 p,m, when the school groups arrive. And those school groups are turning out a lo of skiers who will be a boon to the industry over the years. And, at night, WAWA has what I’m told  is the biggest adult racing program in the country, All in all, it does a good job of serving skiers in a big population area (the four largest New England cities are within an hour’s drive). It has its detractors, but, hey, some people don’t like the Patriots,

NELSAP

Catamount - I always enjoy the skiing there. Skis a lot bigger than its 1000′ of vertical would suggest. Has a perfect mix of cruisers, narrow chutes, expert terrain, and a wonderful beginner complex. Plus you get the chance to ski in 2 states! Some of the lowest midweek skiing rates around - $20 online tickets on some days.

DrJeff

Magic - the ownership, especially this new ownership, just really gets what a special place they have and the appreciation from their devout followers!

ski_it

“ (and keep back-handed compliments to yourself).” Aw come on Podunk77 that’s what <strike>we</strike> I do! “I never met a ski area I didn’t like (just some of the management is mind numbing) So I’ll limit it to places I’ve skied this season.”  +1 Rick, as it would take forever to compliment the 90 or so open areas in New England. That’d be like writing those thank you notes my mother use to make me do after the holidays. Crotched Mtn - Thank you for being one of the easier places for getting on to the hill. You can park in the main lot and be in the lift line (if there is one) in less than 15 minutes and without once walking uphill. After that you can bang out 15+ runs in 2 hours. I just might have to join the Patrol so I can wear one of those “I Patrol the Crotch” shirts.Mt Snow - Thanks for having the best decorated Shuttle Buses around. I know these are not provided by Mt Snow but I still like them. I love Mt Snow’s cruisers and the great selection in the Tap Room as well as a whole separate area for the park rats. Although I think some came over & rode the bubble with me on my last run…can you say, 2nd hand smoke high.  (Whatever happened to the mind if I/we smoke etiquette question?)Edit: Oops Forgot oneBretton Woods - Thanks for the free vouchers and whipping those early season cruisers into shape.

mtsnow123

<blockquote class=“Quote” rel=“ski_it”>“ (and keep back-handed compliments to yourself).” Aw come on Podunk77 that’s what <strike>we</strike> I do! “I never met a ski area I didn’t like (just some of the management is mind numbing) So I’ll limit it to places I’ve skied this season.”  +1 Rick, as it would take forever to compliment the 90 or so open areas in New England. That’d be like writing those thank you notes my mother use to make me do after the holidays. Crotched Mtn - Thank you for being one of the easier places for getting on to the hill. You can park in the main lot and be in the lift line (if there is one) in less than 15 minutes and without once walking uphill. After that you can bang out 15+ runs in 2 hours. I just might have to join the Patrol so I can wear one of those “I Patrol the Crotch” shirts.Mt Snow - Thanks for having the best decorated Shuttle Buses around. I know these are not provided by Mt Snow but I still like them. I love Mt Snow’s cruisers and the great selection in the Tap Room as well as a whole separate area for the park rats. Although I think some came over & rode the bubble with me on my last run…can you say contact high.  </blockquote>

Bubble chairlift is for many great things: being able to talk to someone 5 seats over without a problem, protection from cold/precipitation, drinking beers w/o hands freezing, and the occasional smoke session.

Skizix

Hickory - “Unigue”. All natural cover.The Pomas, the T-bar, the basic lodge with real wood fire. The mountain forces you to ski due to very little cruising room…

Plattekill - The “Magic Mountain of the Catskills”. Lots of natural cover. Again, like Hickory but with a couple of fixed grip chairlifts and some cruise-able terrain. I love the trail system and opposing mountains.

Magic - “Southern Vermont’s MRG.” - Lots of natural cover. Same as Hickory and Platty. I can not ski every run. 

Stratton - The “Aspen of the East Coast”. (Early/late season) Pampered skiing, etc. The polar opposite of what I truly love in a ski area; Big, pretentious, expensive, high speed detachable lifts, Gondola. Great cruisers. I can ski EVERY run. 

Gore - “Underrated” - Skis big. Has plenty of trails for every ability. I like the trail system with several peaks. Weekdays this place is just off the radar as far as crowds go. 

I have good things to say about every area I’ve been to and as I age care less and less about anything but the skiing and conditions…except on my “pamper day” at Stratton. 

shpride

Blue Hills - great job adding the new pump house and investment in new guns!  The amount of snow they are making this year is mind blowing when considering the short windows they’ve had to make it in.  They still have a good base even after all this warmth.  

Bkroon9175

I want to compliment areas like Blue Hills, Yawgoo Valley and Compton Mtn and others like them that struggle every year against long odds to keep small mountain skiing alive.

yardsale

Mt Snow - I like the trail layout - with the main mountain and the two shoulders, Sunbrook and Northface… and a dedicated park area at Corinthia.  . I like how they have been aggressive dropping ropes this season and keeping many of the natural trails open thru the thaw freeze cycle. 

Cannonball

Park City: They invented the phrase “alternative facts” with their snow reporting. 

JimK

Snowbird, UT - the people.  I was there last week during several big powder days.  While there was definitely eagerness among the guests to pillage the best snow/terrain, most folks were decent and civil about it and there were three strangers who were exceptionally nice to me.  Once I spun around and wiped out in deep snow up to my neck.  I surely would have spent 10+ mins and a lot of heavy breathing digging myself out.  One leg/ski was really deep and I couldn’t move it at all.  But a 30-something young man came up and offered the basket of his ski pole and pulled me out quickly.  Another time I did the short hike up to ski the terrain of Baldy for the first time ever.  When I took a break half-way up the climb a 30-something lady stopped to rest beside me and gave me some encouragement.  Later she helped me select a safe route down in an area where getting cliffed-out was a possibility.  This terrain had just opened for the first time in several days of heavy snow, so her courteousness was really noteworthy and appreciated.  Later in the week a 30-something snowboarder gave me a word of encouragement before I skied a steep run.  Unbeknownst to me he took a video of me doing it and caught up to me in the next tram ride to get contact info so I could have a copy of the video.  He also gave me a nice compliment even though I flail, saying he hoped to do that run when he was my age:-)  Good times, good people.