NE Ski Resort Grades
What the title says. Grading all NE ski resorts I have visited within the last few years based on multiple factors. I'll give short explanations on my reasoning. I'm an NH lifer, expert skier, and have skied a ton of areas, but will not include areas I haven't visited within at least the last 5 or so years (so, no Sugarbush, Bretton, or Loon).
NH:
Attitash: B+
I won't hold the recent chairlift fiasco against them as I did not visit this year, but overall I love this place. It skis bigger than it is, handles the crowds relatively well, and has fun, steep grade terrain. Upgrading the summit chair was a huge improvement. That said, the facilities are outdated and could use upgrading.
Black Mountain: A
An awesome, jagged little mountain, Black is an old school New England treasure, with great woods, tight, winding trails, and great vibes. It's a miracle Indy stepped in to save this place.
Cannon: A
Cannon is awesome. One of the bigger, more rugged mountains in the state, Cannon has a ton of killer terrain and various pockets to tear up. The weather can be tough, but really Cannon is one of the best mountains in NE. It also doesn't draw ridiculous crowds.
Crotched: B
Crotched is great for what it is - a good local mountain. I would score it higher, but Epic draws heavy weekend crowds and the day tickets are also too expensive, but overall it's an enjoyable spot.
Dartmouth Skiway: B
Dartmouth is an interesting one - very weather reliant, as the snowmaking here is poor, but if you catch it on a good day, the Holts side has some very fun terrain. Also, very minimal lines here.
Gunstock: B
One of my "local" mountains, Gunstock is solid. It draw crowds larger than it can really sustain, but it works for me because the Tiger triple services the best terrain and never has much of a line, even on busy days. Overall I'd consider the terrain here just "okay", but I've had some fun days here.
Mount Sunapee: C-
I used to love Sunapee, but it's just way, way too crowded now, and no fun because of it. Additionally, more often than not, the snow conditions aren't ideal, and it seems like Lynx, one of their best trails, is never open. Tough to have a good day here unless you luck out on a weekday.
Pats Peak: A-
For a tiny hill like this, it skis much larger than it is. Pats has great terrain, handles the large crowds very well, and has possibly the best snowmaking in NH. Punches way above it's weight.
Ragged: B+
My other local mountain, I like Ragged a little more than Gunstock - it also gets brutally crowded, but is manageable, and the terrain here is slightly more varied and fun.
Waterville Valley: A-
Waterville is one of the bigger mountains in NH, and while it's not as rugged as Cannon, it still has a great variety and amount of terrain to keep you busy. It does get very busy, but it handles crowds well.
Whaleback: B
Very similar to the Dartmouth Skiway, Whaleback has some solid terrain, but is very weather reliant as snowmaking is lacking. Great, great vibes here if you hit it on a good day.
Wildcat: B
This used to be my favorite mountain in NE, but Epic has damaged it more than any other resort in my opinion. It just can't handle the crowding. The main lift gets slammed with people, and the rugged terrain has numerous chokepoints, making on-hill navigation frustrating with too many skiers on trails above their ability level. Still, it has some of the best terrain out there.
VT:
Bolton Valley: A
Bolton Valley is a sprawling, old school resort with a variety of terrain. It's not too rugged, but it's always a fun day of shredding at Bolton.
Jay Peak: A
There really isn't anything quite like Jay - they seem to get hammered with snow even when no one else is, and they are absolutely the king of woods skiing in NE. You simply can't ski woods like this anywhere else in NE. If you're strictly on-piste, Jay may not be for you, but for everyone else it's a must.
Magic Mountain: A
Magic is another old-school mountain that skis bigger than it is - gnarly trails and woods all over here, and the vibes are off the charts. Somewhat weather reliant, but it's tough to have a bad day here.
Mount Snow: B+
Mount Snow gets a lot of hate, but I think it's undeserved. It does get very busy, and I despised paid parking, but the actual mountain spreads well. I also genuinely appreciate the way the layout keeps beginners, intermediates, and experts in their own zones.
Okemo: B+
Similar to Mount Snow, a lot of undeserved hate for Okemo, and while there are caveats, I really like this mountain. The biggest problem is the base area bottleneck, where you have to take a beginner chair, then wait in the massive 6-pack line - but you can get around this by taking the quad just above the magic carpet. Avoiding crowds is the biggest problem here, but if you know where to go, there are plenty of pockets where you can get lots of runs with minimal wait. I also find the terrain underrated.
Saskadena Six: B+
Small local hill, but even on bluebird Saturdays there are no crowds to speak of. The terrain is actually pretty fun, too - if you keep your expectations in check, this is an awesome spot.
Stowe: A-
Of all the Epic resorts in NE, Stowe is the crown jewel. Yes, it's stupid expensive, and stupid crowded - AND has paid parking - but it undeniably has some of the best terrain in the region. It also handles crowds remarkably well given how busy it gets. There's a reason it's so beloved.
ME:
Black Mountain of Maine: A-
A local gem, Black Mountain focuses primarily on woods skiing - if that's your thing, definitely make a point of coming here. Great, laid back feel as well.
Mount Abram: A-
Sort of like a leveled-up Crotched, this is another small local hill that skis way bigger than it is. Great vibes here as well, with surprisingly excellent terrain.