FAIRFIELD COUNTY LOOK

Gearing Up for the Ski Season
By Susan Farewell

It’s not even Thanksgiving yet, and every day, another one of my Facebook friends writes about the snow falling somewhere. These friends are not necessarily in the Alps or Rockies either. Some are in upstate Connecticut, a couple are in Maine and some are even in New Jersey. Though it is definitely early, winter is upon us. For those of you who ski and snowboard, it’s time to make sure you’ve got all your parkas, ski gloves, helmets and equipment in order. It’s also time to make travel arrangements if you’re planning to go anywhere for weekends or week-long stays. Here are some ideas to get you started.

Winter Games in NY State

Photo © Olympic Regional Development Authority

With the Winter Olympics coming up in February in Vancouver, you’re sure to be watching lots of bobsledding and skeleton events. If inspired, you can sample those thrilling sports on actual Olympic venues a bit closer to home. In Lake Placid, New York, (which is an easy five-hour or so ride from the Fairfield County area) you can enjoy them right up into April (weather-permitting). Of course, there’s also skiing (downhill and cross-country), skating and many other winter sports.

Mammoth Mammoth!

One thing you do not have to worry about in Mammoth Lakes, California is whether there will be snow or not. With more than 400 inches annually, chances are you’ll see more snow here in one week than some people see in their lifetimes.

This Sierra Nevada ski destination has been a favorite largely among Southern Californians because it has only had a handful of flights from Los Angeles. That’s changing a bit now, because Horizon Air has added new direct fights from Portland, Reno, Seattle and San Jose, in addition to an increased number of flights from Los Angeles. Fares are reasonable (ranging from $49-$79 one way) and can easily be matched up with connecting flights.

For this ski season, Snowcreek Resort, Mammoth’s original resort community, has several value-packed lodging packages. In fact, if you can scoot out there before the year-end holidays (maybe combine with a business trip in one of the connecting cities), you’ll find amazing savings--as little as $119 per night for a one-bedroom lodge between Nov. 29th and Dec. 17th.

Canadian Rockies

The Castle in the Rockies, Fairmont Banff Springs

One ski trip to these spectacularly scenic mountains in Alberta and you’ll be spoiled for life. Not only are there like a gazillion acres of powder (for all levels of ability), but these are some of the least crowded ski areas you’ll find anywhere. Plan to spend at least a week, dividing your time between Sunshine Village (which sits at 7,000 feet on a throne of natural snow), Norquay (where you can actually ski or ride by the hour) and Lake Louise, consistently ranked No.1 for scenery in North America. Break up your visit with a stay at The Fairmont Banff Springs (known as the Castle in the Rockies) and The Fairmont Château Lake Louise. In addition to hitting the slopes, snuggle up for a horse-drawn sleigh ride around Lake Louise, glide through the woods being pulled by a team of howling dogs, and check out the great selection of shops and restaurants of Banff.

Quick Hops to Quebec

If you want a bit of an international adventure without going very far, consider Mont-Tremblant in Quebec. These French-accented slopes are within easy reach of Fairfield County all winter long thanks to direct service on Continental from Newark Airport (EWR) to Tremblant International Airport (YTM). The food’s French, the language, French and the spirit, one of total joie de vivre.

Away for the Ski Weekend

Some people rent or own ski houses that they can flee to Friday evenings for the weekends. Don’t fret if you don’t have something for the season. Not being tied down to one destination gives you the opportunity to discover new mountains all the time. In fact, within three or four hours, you can get to some of the biggest ski resorts of southern Vermont.

Among the closest is Mt. Snow, which, in addition to great skiing, has tubing, snowmobile tours and snowshoeing. Stratton has major big-mountain skiing and snowboarding with 90 trails and the East’s best terrain parks. Nearby Bromley is a great family destination with all sorts of money-saving packages.

A bit north, you’ll find Okemo with a grand total of 117 trails along with lots of high-speed express lifts, two pipes and half a dozen terrain parks. Killington stretches across seven mountain areas and has access to 200 trails and 32 lifts with just one ticket.

A great alternative to the big all-ski-all-the-time resorts is to make your base the Woodstock Inn in Woodstock, which owns both a cross-country touring center and Suicide Six , which despite its scary name, is one of the warmest and fuzziest ski areas around, and then poke around the historic village of Woodstock which Ladies Home Journal called “The prettiest small town in America”.

All over Southern Vermont, you’ll find cross-country centers. In fact, most of the downhill areas have adjacent or nearby trail systems. Several stand-alone areas are truly magical, however, including Grafton Ponds Nordic Center in Grafton with 30 kilometers of groomed trails along with 30 kilometers of back-country trails. Tucked away in the peaceful woods of Peru is the Wild Wings Touring Center with 25 kilometers groomed for classic. The Viking Nordic Center in Londonderry, has 40 kilometers of trails including 30 of them groomed for skate skiing. In Manchester, Hildene Ski Touring Center has 15 kilometers of trails on the grounds of a historic house museum built by Robert Todd Lincoln as a summer home.

Susan Farewell is Fairfield County Look’s travel editor as well as Editor-in-Chief of FarewellTravels: Select Escapes, a new online travel magazine written with Fairfield County residents in mind.