Ski the East: A Long Weekend at Sugarbush Resort in the Mad River Valley of Vermont
Let me preface this by first saying that I am far from an expert skier. I didn’t pick it up until into my adult life, and I’m not going anywhere near any backcountry double black diamond cliffs any time soon.
We’ve been out and about to a variety of destinations, though, and can offer some insight for those who are looking for an honest opinion! I’ll share my insight and review from a blue difficulty skier’s perspective!
Sugarbush Resort was our destination for the extended weekend. It’s located in Warren, Vermont, in an area known as the Mad River Valley.
We stayed at the Sugar Lodge at Sugarbush, located less than a 1/2 mile from the resort. The lodge was reasonably priced, provided a nice little breakfast, and really had the feel of a rustic mountain lodge in the reception area. The rooms were small and somewhat outdated, but clean and adequate.
We chose this particular location for our first Vermont ski adventure because we each got one free weekday lift ticket voucher after attending a Warren Miller Production film event put on by our local ski club.
The movie was intended to get you hyped for the upcoming winter sports season with some adrenaline-pumping scenes. It was a pretty cool production, and I’d recommend attending if an event pops up in your area.
After attending the showing, we received discounts and lift ticket vouchers for many of our local ski areas, as well as this resort in Vermont. We decided to take advantage of the opportunity.
The Slopes at Sugarbush Resort
Sugarbush Resort is comprised of 2 mountains, Lincoln Peak and Mt. Ellen, with a long connector lift running between the two making it fairly convenient to go back and forth if you’d like.
There are large parking areas and lodges at the base of each mountain. We spent 2 full days skiing, so we decided to split our time spending one day on each mountain.
Lincoln Peak is the larger of the two in regard to the number of trails and lifts. It has a more modern feel to the lodge and parking area.
This mountain includes 72 trails and one terrain park, with 9 lifts to access all of the terrain. There is a great variety of difficulty on the trails, so groups with varying ability levels can remain in the same vicinity much of the time.
The summit of Lincoln Peak is 3975 feet, with trails of varying difficulty for your descent down the slopes. Many of the tours and lessons offered at Sugarbush meet at the Schoolhouse and Farmhouse at the base of Lincoln Peak.
Mt. Ellen, on the other hand, has more of a laid-back and relaxed feel at the base lodge.
It is much smaller, with only 39 trails and 2 terrain parks serviced by 6 lifts. Though it is smaller, the summit is about 100 feet higher at 4083 feet.
Mt. Ellen also includes the highest chairlift in the state of Vermont. Even though smaller, Mt. Ellen hosts many top-notch skiers through an elite racing academy and is a designated Development Site for the U.S. Ski Team. Mt. Ellen also hosts a large adaptive ski program.
Even though many elite skiers frequent this mountain, I was able to find plenty of terrain to explore for the day without repeating the same few trails over and over.
Though March is one of the best times to ski in Vermont, we still considered ourselves really lucky with the weather during our trip, especially planning it a few months ahead of time for the first weekend in March.
Many of the locals and frequent skiers in the area raved about the conditions. We enjoyed fresh powder and sunshine for much of our time.
The Food and the Brews
We had two evenings to explore the dinner options and the local flair.
On night one, we were up for a little more of an adventure, so we headed to the Alchemist. This brewery specializes in unfiltered IPA’s and had a very industrial “visitor’s center” in Stowe.
There, you can sample a select variety of their tasty makings for free on draft and find many more options available to carry out in 4-packs.
They also have a Waterbury production facility, which is not open to the public, so don’t end up there. You’ll be disappointed.
Driving from the Sugar Lodge to their visitor’s center took nearly an hour, but it was well worth the drive for the samplings and to-go options we got.
We made a food pit stop about halfway back to the Sugar Lodge at Prohibition Pig Restaurant & Brewery in Waterbury, VT. Their storefront caught my eye on the way to Stowe, so we decided to check it out on the way back through.
A bar entrance on the side street, with more of a brewery experience, provided a spot for us to get a few tastes while waiting for a table. The main street entrance leads to a brick-walled BBQ joint. The craft mac & cheese with chopped pork was mouthwatering and the beers we tried were also very tasty!
On night two, we decided to stay a little closer to our lodging. Lawson’s Finest Liquids has a large, open taproom and brewing facility just a 10-minute drive away from the slopes.
It’s a beautiful building, and there were a ton of people enjoying the atmosphere. Who wouldn’t want to try a Sip of Sunshine?! They specialize in IPA’s and maple varieties, and it’s definitely worth a stop here!
For dinner, check out The Blue Stone, just a 1/2 mile from Lawson’s. They feature hand-tossed pizzas with some flair. The menu offerings change seasonally so they can offer fresh ingredients, and our pizzas were delicious!
Away from the mountains
Our last stop on this winter adventure? Well, not really a winter activity, but when the Ben & Jerry’s Factory is within an hour’s drive, you make time to visit no matter what season it is! (Is there ever really a bad time for ice cream?)
You are able to take a tour, which lasts about 30 minutes and includes a bird’s eye view of the production floor and an ice cream sample at the end.
There is a gift shop inside for any souvenirs you may want and the scoop shop out front where you can buy a wide variety of flavors to consume or take home.
In the summer months, you can picnic on the grounds, enjoy the playground areas with the kids, or wander through their “Flavor Graveyard.”
Additional Attractions
If you had another day to ski on this trip and are looking for somewhere new, check out Mad River Glen. It’s a very unique co-op and is the only ski area in the US on the National Register of Historic Places.
There is no snowboarding allowed on this mountain, and only natural snow covers the ground. They also have the last operational single-chair lift in the country. Though they do note that some of their terrain is the most difficult in the New England region, they also have plenty of varying difficulties to attract families and groups of almost any abilities.
It’s a quite different experience than the typical winter sports resort and also less than 15 minutes from the Sugar Lodge!
Tips for visiting
While Vermont has so many dedicated winter sports resorts and attractions, you definitely need a car to get around if you fly into the area. Uber, Lyft, and other ride shares are spotty.
There is a shuttle taking you from the base of each mountain to some of the shops and restaurants in the village. It also makes stops at some of the lodges and condos, including the Sugar Lodge.
We tried to take the shuttle the first day, but we found ourselves waiting for quite some time, so we opted to drive our own vehicle down instead. We were able to catch it on the second day to Mt. Ellen. Hours seemed to be somewhat limited.
If you wanted to spend more time here, we passed many other ski areas while driving around, including Killington, Stowe, Smuggler’s Notch, and other smaller, lesser-known mountains, as well.
Have you spent any time exploring the winter terrain at Sugarbush Resort? Where else to you enjoy skiing in Vermont?
