Stowe is a mecca for leaf peepers and retirees staying in “quaint” Vermont inns. But if it hasn’t snowed in a few weeks, Stowe becomes one of the toughest mountains in the country. The Front Four group of runs, namely Goat, Starr, Liftline, and National, can put the fear of God into you if the steep, often double fall lines and huge moguls are encased in solid ice. But with an average annual snowfall of 333 inches, powder comes often, and countless deciduous glades hold it long after it falls.
When You Go…
Take a factory tour (read: Get free samples). Ben and Jerry’s ice cream, Cabot cheese, and countless maple sugarhouses are all close by.
The annual Winter Carnival happens mid-January. Have a few at the block party on Main Street. They’ll make the surprisingly competitive ice-sculpture contest surprisingly watchable.
Best of the Rest
3. Jay Peak, VT
8. Snowshoe, WV
9. Stratton, VT
