Sugarbush Resort

🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷 Sugarbush Mountain is an absolutely fantastic skiing destination that I had the pleasure of visiting recently. The variety of trails is impressive, with something for everyone. I loved the stunning views of the Mountains that surrounded us. After a day filled with fun, we enjoyed delicious food in the restaurants. Overall, I had an amazing time at Sugarbush, and I can’t wait to go back! (It’s important to say that is expensive for BRAZILIAN PEOPLE) (BRAZIL, like this post ☺️)

Great skiing area! Weekend crowds were rough, but upper mountain areas had a nice reprieve. Some of the best tree skiing on the east coast. Towards the end of the day, the base area was very lively! Good vibes

The runs March 8 2025 were great, planning on going again after April for possible spring ski.

Loved our time at Sugar Bush! Most of the slopes were open, the powder was fresh, and the staff were cheery and helpful. Renting our skis was a breeze and I was impressed with how well everything was take care of. It wasn’t too crowded when we went and the most we waited for a lift was 5 minutes. On average it was no more than a minute or two. Really great experience and lots of variety!

Is some hoe been years since I had the chance to visit sugerbush, oh how time flies! I still often reminis on how nice my time was I visited very early in the season and most areas weren't yet open bet it eas still s great time. I hope to visit again soon

Beautiful mountain with a variety of trails for all experience levels! Friendly staff! Incredible views at the top!

Amazing place to go skiing. The place was very busy the days were there over President's Day weekend. The lines kept moving though and the never ending snowfall made for some great times on the hills. I'm a beginner and this place has a lot of really fun trails to explore even at my level. My kids and friends had a blast on the more challenging trails. The one draw back was the price and quality of food. Not that great overall but I guess you can't have everything. Multiple lodges and rest areas, nice fire pit too. Easy to access and get around.

We had a great bluebird skiing day! This was our first time at Sugarbush. The terrain is vast and varied. The conditions were great. We enjoyed having lunch at Allyn's Lodge and a quick warmup. The food was very good and they were very fast. We loved the resort, and we plan to return!

The best ski school and instructors. Kids love their lunch and hot chocolate. Easy access to ski back to condo.

We have been season passholders for the last eight years. Next year, we will switch to Mad River Glen. This used to be a great mountain. Literally every day we have come here, The Green Mountain Express lift has been broken. On most days, this is the only way to get up from the base. This chairlift has been breaking for the last four years. How hard is it to service your lifts? Alterra sucks.

I have never been here myself, but my daughter is a student at UVM and today was her second time at SugarBush. She was having a great time until she hit some big icy patches on a black diamond and she went down. Big thank you to ski patrol, and Theyer for getting her off the mountain safely and checking her out. I also appreciate him calling me. While she's 18, she's also still my kid. Thankfully just a minor ankle sprain. They were also kind enough to give her a day pass to come back another day. Thankful for all their help!

I feel it is unfortunate that Sugarbush is jacking up prices depending upon how many people show up to ski. It cost my friend $239 for a 1 day pass. That is just insane. When he asked why it was so expensive with only 50% of the trails open the person he spoke to was rude and dismissive. If he didn't get access to all the terrain why does he have to pay full price? They are trying to push people to the ikon pass and could care less that there are also skiers and riders that might only come to the mountain a few times a year. Overall a poor experience at a mountain that has gone corporate. How are you helping this community by price gouging is people and it tourists?

I get about 40-50 days in at Sugarbush and really only have two complaints: 1) They've got to address the bottleneck by Super Bravo. Ski racks monopolize a ton of room, people try to carry speed to Gate House... just an unnecessarily congested area. 2) Alterra *really* needs to update the aging lifts. Break downs are a constant issue and extended waits on the lift are a common frustration. Covid has allegedly compounded this issue but it sounds like Win Smith deferred a lot of capital improvements in the years leading up to the sale. Other than that, fantastic resort.

Yesterday was ridiculous. Why the hell are you blowing snow guns on skiers constantly. The visibility was destroyed as was the trail. The so-called groomed trail was nothing but piles of snow. The snow was blowing from the guns into everyone's faces, freezing on goggles and ruining the entire experience. This was on green trails no less. I may try once more but another experience like this and I can go elsewhere. Just a complete disaster.

The ski patrol staff was phenomenal. Even though I accidentally insulted everyone except for the woman on the ski patrol staff, they were ALL amazing. So experienced. Genuinely I believed after the tree attacked me, I was dying of internal bleeding and broken ribs. However, I was absolutely wrong-and the ski patrol team (and mainly the woman, saved me) I go to bush every weekend and I have never had a wipe out so bad- I was terrified, they all handled me with such care, and made me feel so comfortable being afraid. Sugarbush had awful, rainy conditions, and still it was a blast. When the tree attacked me I was frightened, but, these beautiful, comedical people still gave me a good time in the Medical room. Thank you to everyone, especially the woman that helped me. You are all phenomal.

Trails we're mad patchy and food was crappy. The chicken sandwich wasn't even fried and has cheese in it without it saying it has cheese. L sugarbush

Ski patrol here are top notch! So kind-followed up with me a week later to make sure I was ok after my accident. Even sent a card to my home wishing I felt better. Tom is a good ski instructor.

Horrifyingly expensive and overpriced, it was our first time at Sugarbush thinking a day lift ticket was only going to be $69 per person (two of us), but we came to the main mountain and were forced to pay an outrageous $390 for the all-inclusive pass! We weren't going to drive 30 minutes away from the main mountain to Mt. Ellen after just getting there because that is just ridiculous! It sickens me to the core that they don't have day lift tickets for the main mountain, and that they force you to pay $390, and not even a hot chocolate was even included! You don't get anything for the 'all inclusive' price! And then the rentals!! And I am a Vermont citizen, no discounts for Vermont citizens, awful!!! The entire day cost us $600 for two people! Skiing used to be family-friendly and accessible to everyone, not some stupid luxury sport where only some people can afford, $600 really wiped us out. Thanks for nothing!! Also the nicest slopes were absolutely covered in extremely dangerous ice!! It was not well maintained and proved to be more harrowing rather than a fun experience. Also, are you serious with the long-ride chair lifts with NO leg support!? Our feet were almost pulled off from the weight of the skis because there were no rests! You make so much money, get a new chair lift!

@ikonpass friends do not buy a pass from @ikonpass I'm a disabled veteran who broke my ankle last March a week after buying my seasons pass and had surgery. I've had to take my rehab process week-to-week due to limited mobility etc. ikon will not transfer my pass over to next year because I didn't defer it or buy pass insurance. Like I said, my rehab process is week to week. Can not ski this year. Way to take care of your disabled vets @ikonpass! Won't be getting a third consecutive pass to ski with you next year.

First full year under new ownership and yes, lift ticket prices have increased, but I think in part that's to compensate for the lower volume of folks they can safely process on the mountain. COVID precautions are thorough and well thought out, mask-wearing is enforced (by staff and other patrons) and we feel absolutely safe... except in all the usual ways in which skiing is unsafe, of course. ;) Everything is purchased through your phone, so make sure you leave home with a good charge in the a.m. Charging stations are very hard to come by on the mountain for obvious reasons. Part of the cafeteria has been blocked off to serve as a warming room. You sign in with your pass and are asked to stay no longer than 30 minutes at a time so all patrons can take turns. There are wonderful firepits going everywhere to allow guests to stay outdoors as much as possible. Special shout out to the very helpful, funny, smart, Emily-from-PA at guest services for using Sugarbush's amazing Big Brother technology to help me get my husband's phone to him at South on 12/30. And thanks, too, to the awesome medics at Mt. Ellen who made sure my 9 year old didn't have a concussion after he cleverly skied in front of someone landing a jump off a half pipe a few days prior.

This review is for the farm house school house. I placed my 6 year old grand child in the mini-bears program for all day. The drop off was well organized and I got a claim ticket to pick her up at 3. They took care of bundling her up and getting ski boots on. The beginner magic carpet area was perfect, with lots Pfizer supervision and young adults enthusiastically cheering the children on. They took care of lunch and 2 ski lessons, one in morning and one at in the PM. She loved it, and wanted to go again. By day 2 she was turning and in control and at the end of the day went up the village chair. he asked for an other day and she was going up the gate house chair. Day 3 she was skiing with the family. I agree that lift ticket prices are outrageou, and I would like to reduce the stars for that, bout I'm so excited about the learn to ski program I just couldn't do it.

Went to Sugarbush for the second time. The first and only other time was 3 years ago. I feel as if the different peaks and lifts are a bit harder to move between than some other mountains. The conditions were much better on one peak (closest to the main base lodge). The others were quite icy but we are talking poor weather recently and the east, it's a given. I don't feel as if I'm in any rush to go back. There are other VT mountains that I prefer or would want to try out before spending a day here again.

Five stars for Sugarbush for giving us New Yorkers a good start to our ski season, while basically every other mountain in the northeast has been reporting less than ideal conditions! I tagged along last-minute with Miramar Ski Club for a weekend of skiing, and Sugarbush was our first stop. Since there wasn't too much open during our visit, I'll sum it up and say they had enough top-to-bottom runs to keep us busy for most of the day, with plenty of soft snow all around. Being my first visit to Sugarbush ever however, what REALLY made this mountain stand out was its staff. Leading up to the trip, I was calling in for the latest on trail & grooming reports, base depths, and predictions for the weekend. Sheldon (guest services) and John (supervisor, lift operations) were extremely friendly and informative, providing me all the information they could as the weekend neared. Once we arrived, the friendly staff demeanor really kicked in. As we're taking our runs and walking around the base lodge area, just about every staffer walking by gave us a friendly head-nod or "hey" as they passed. Even the busboy cleaning up our breakfast had a smile on his face, wishing us a good day of skiing while he was tossing out our trash. Coincidentally, I took a chair up with Colin (head of ski patrol) and we had a great conversation, ranging from his suggestions for my upcoming Utah and Colorado trips, to cool restaurants in town, to future happenings at Sugarbush. The entire mountain has a really "homey" feel to it, and you can tell there's a sense of community amongst both staff and visitors. There's a free shuttle serving local condos, and the town of Waitsfield. As we boarded, we bumped into yet another employee, Danny (snowboard instructor, with the dreadlocks!) who thoroughly seemed to enjoy his job, and just spending time out in the great outdoors in general. Although I've never met him, my friend Phil knows the owner of Sugarbush (Win Smith) very well, and said that he's a "man of the people," often skiing the runs, flipping burgers on the grill, and manning the lift lines just to be visible and interact with the devote skiers and boarders who patronize his mountain - an owner who truly models the behavior that he expects from his excellent staff... I look forward to returning deeper into the season and discovering all this mountain has to offer! Thanks for a great day Sugarbush!

The climb to the top is worth it! Drive up to the end of the road and you see a giant building that looks like a barn with a silo. That's the resort! So cool! I came up for a wedding happening on October 1rst. So it was definitely off season, but perfect timing for colorful leaves. The mountain views and sunset and sunrises are immaculate and very breath taking. My mother-in-law rented out a very big, very beautiful suite. It has 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, kitchen and living room with pull out couch....oh a patio and a fireplace. Jeezum crow I feel quit fancy! The service is very welcoming. The rooms are immaculate and clean. They have all kinds of activities to do; hiking, frisby golf, ziplining and much more. There are good bars and wonderful places to eat as well. I would certainly come back to visit

Sugarbush Pronunciation: \shu-ger bush\ Function: noun 1: a bush made of sugar. Yum! 2: a relatively small resort in Warren, VT with no gondola. Must take 2 chair lifts to get to the top of the mountain. Decent runs. Get discounted lift tickets at EMS (Eastern Mountain Sports) for $70, though price is a bit steep for what you get. Synonyms: place where you can get Waffle Cabin!

We came to Sugarbush Resorts for a family wedding 3 weeks ago. I needed some time to think about this resort and I have to be very honest, this place is horrible if staying at one of the condos...Mountain Side Condos is a must stay away. This place is old, run down, needs major renovations and over priced. We ended up staying at the main hotel, for safety and cleanliness were important to us. The sales team at Sugarbush lack professionalism, customer service and need to adjust their attitudes when dealing with the public. I even asked them if they had ever been to Mountain Side Condos, to check inspections and they never have. If you are younger, with a group and looking to get drunk..., this place is for you. The mature crowd would be disgusted in the accommodations and this needs to be addressed. You would have a better experience staying at the Bates Motel. The family wedding went well and we enjoyed the main hotel as this place was maintained.

Would be a great mountain, but tourist and out of staters are out of control and sugarbush couldn't care less about it. Went up this weekend and couldn't find another car with VT plates in the parking lot, not to mention the lift lines full of mask less massholes who sugarbush bends over to. Cant find any locals nearby anymore because they all left. Honestly sad how a good ski resort can become such a tourist trap for rich out of staters. If you're fom Vermont, I highly recommend you DO NOT COME HERE, unless you want to spend $170 to stand in lines and get sick.

If only I could give 0 stars and I haven't even been there. I booked an Airbnb in Sept near to Sugarbush, and was waiting for Sugarbush to post their prices before booking lift tickets. Today I decided to investigate and to my shock and horror, the cost for a single day lift ticket is $169, no discounts for kids or anyone under 90 years old. Um, WHAT?! $165 kids lessons don't come with lift tickets, and I'm bringing my 6 year old whose never been on skis. We're going to get an hour in, AT $335!!, before she's exhausted. In fact, we're not going to get anything in, bc we're changing our entire vacation. We've been priced out of Sugarbush. Skiing has always been a sport for white privilege, but now there's no room for anyone but the millionaires. I'm reading that Sugarbush is under new management, and it's clearly destroying the ski culture.

Lifts are always stopping for extended periods of time. I am currently sitting on a heavens gate chair and the lift has been stopped for the past 10 minutes and is showing no signs of starting again.

I hadn't rode here until last year. Man was I missing out. I have been here 7 times since last winter, a few days on skis and a few days on board. This mountain rivals Killington for the best mountain in Vermont and possibly the east coast. I have strictly gone on weekends and have never waited in a line over 10 minutes. It has all the terrain you could possibly ask for in an East coast mountain. The only downside would probably be the lack of nightlife/lodging in Warren, but I guess that's part of the novelty.

Friendly service and surprisingly challenging terrain to be found at Sugarbush! You'll find long cruisers and top-to-bottom bump runs at this New England mainstay. Favorite run: Jester (upper and lower) Best run: Paradise

This season (2019/'20) my wife and I spent $1269 for our passes. Next year the only comparable pass available to us (Ikon) will cost $2,117. That is a 67% price increase - not coincidental that the 2020/'21 season will be the first under Alterra ownership. Please don't insult our intelligence by offering the rebuttal that the Ikon roster has all this value. It's a dirty trick to eliminate a Sugarbush-only pass, plain and simple. This is the kind of corporate greed that has no place in Vermont or in our valley. Shame on you. Colin Warren, VT

This review is for the Sugarbush Inn. I am completely disappointed on how lacking this place is. I love VT and tried to love this place but for the price of a room I would of expected at least a Little better than a motel 6 type of atmosphere. The rooms are tiny and pretty much like staying at grandmas house. Beds are terrible and overall this has made the trip miserable. I paid to stay mountainside because of the convenience but now would of rather of driven an hour from a best western. Don't waste the money.

Can't blame the weather for any pitfalls, but it's worth mentioning for those looking to go this week that many of the expert runs were very icy yesterday March 5th. The blue runs were nice with fast snow, though also had some icy spots. From top to bottom, the runs are up to 15 minutes long. Having said that, this place is as good as it gets in the Northeast. It was about 2 hours 40 minutes from Montreal with a stop for gas. A friend liked their Facebook page and received a promotion to buy 4 tickets for $240 USD earlier this year, a real bargain considering the price was $93 at the gate. Patrons are super friends and talkative on the lifts and so are staff. Love this place, but I do wish there were snowboard tools outside, so snowboarders bring your own to tighten bindings.

My friends at I went to Sugarbush for a ski trip during MLK Weekend. We did not stay at the resort, but the majority of us rented skis and took lessons. First, when you park the car there is a jitney that takes you to the check-in area, which I though was awesome. When we got to the window, the lady who was helping us was not very inviting. For a person who has never skied, I openly admitted that I did not know what I was doing, so she could have been more accommodating. She guided us to go inside for the package deal which is ski rentals, lift ticket and lessons for $110, which I thought was a great deal. The lift ticket is only good for the smaller mountains, so you can't cheat the system and buy that ticket and skip the lessons. The women inside were very helpful, but impatient as well. The people who helped us get our gear were SO NICE and friendly. They helped me put all of the gear on and showed us the way step by step. Finally when we reached the point to take a lesson, we had Gary who has been teaching ski lessons for 52 years! It showed that he was a great teacher because by the end of the day I was zooming down the hills (or trying to), and enjoyed skiing. Overall, my friends and I had a great time and we will definitely be back next year!

So IDK how to really review a mountain, especially since this was my 1st ever trip to one. The snow was white & clean, so that's good. 4 stars just because the name of the mountain sounds like an affectionate moniker for a girl's....yea. On a different but related note, I LOVE SNOWBOARDING! Sugarbush is only 5hrs away from the city. Food at the lodge was really expensive. I'd suggest packing a lunch if you can.

I spend every weekend in the winter at SB. I'm quite a fan. The mountain offers great terrain and some stunning views. The trails are always groomed and there is usually significant snow coverage. I like the general atmosphere over all but the holiday weekends are a definite buzz-kill if you don't like crowds- which I don't. The lines during the holiday weekends tend to take too long but that probably depends on your level of patience (FYI: I lack patience). I suggest that Sugarbush creates a "Season Pass Holders Only" line to help us with the flow when it comes to getting on the lifts. So go, check it out; snow-sport on!

One of the top 5 in the East. The biggest draw is the variety of terrain. Each peak is a different experience on any given day. Snow is generally awesome at higher altitudes. Off piste is incredible, once the snow deepens up you can pick a spot anywhere in the woods and find your way there. Excellent stream bed skiing too. A long drive from MA, but its beautiful and the canyon run on the backway in is an amazing drive. Clean, beautiful lodge areas. Well laid out parking, of which a good amount is paved (huge plus in the spring).

Great mountain, lots of options. We liked their customer service, they have actually a room where you can put on your ski boots and store your daypack on a rack free rather than gouging you for 8 or 10 bucks, refreshing! Lot's of terrain we were out of luck the lifts to the top were not spinning, on wind hold. I guess we'll have to come back

We arrived on Thur. night and stayed until Sunday. Friday, before the crowds, was amazing. Super friendly staff, moderate to no lines, efficient lift service and decent runs. The grooming was good as well. This is New England so the conditions I am familiar with, prevailed. Super Nova main lift was down most of the day which was a bummer. It was due to mechanical. Not being familiar with this, I was surprised there was no compensation offered. Saturday the vibe shifted with the masses. Super Nova went down again, this time for wind holds. Gate House Quad was a %$#@ show. The gate readers were not working and the girls at the chairs were overwhelmed. Empty chairs kept going up as the lines continued. We stood 20 minutes barely moving. Assessing the line to be about 45 minutes, we left to get the Connector bus to Mt. Ellen. The 10:20 bus never came and the 10:40 came at 1:50. We waited in the cold 50 minutes. Mt. Ellen saved the day. NEVER EVER go to SB on a weekend. There were no lines all day at Mt. Ellen. We loved the old school vibe as well.

Sugarbush slopeside cafe churns out custom super salads. Supersized, super fresh and awesomely flavorful.

Great day at Sugarbush! Amazing views, ski conditions were incredible and a clean friendly place for the entire family! Varied terrain for all skill levels! Loved it!

57 inches of fresh powder (although they didn't have much to do with it). Various lodges where you can stop for hot chocolate or a beer. One lodge sitting in the middle of the mountain so you don't even have to go all the way down for said hot chocolate or beer. Long, wide slopes with varying difficulties Staff waiting at the end of the day to help you carry your skis down to the bottom of the stairs. What more can you ask of an East-coast ski resort? I've been skiing most my life and grew up skiing the "mole hills" of the Poconos, so this was amazing for me. We had such a perfect day, which was definitely helped by all the fresh powder. The tickets were a little pricey, but I think it was totally worth it considering how many runs were open and how long and beautiful they were. Plus, did I mention you can stop for a beer halfway down the mountain? Seriously, what can be better?

I'm giving a 1 star review because of an extremely rude employee down the ski rental area who accused me of stealing. I was returning ski that I rented but when this employee scanned the ski, he said it wasn't mine and told me "you need to stop taking other people's skis". The skis was scanned again by another and much nicer employee and said that it was indeed the one that I rented. Apparently your employee doesn't know how to scan codes and is unnecessarily rude to your patrons.

This review is just for the ski resort. We were there last week for the long weekend for President's day. This season has been horrible for ski season. But Sugarbush has done a nice job of keeping virtually all runs open. However, the black runs with moguls were even more icy than usual because of the lack of snow. The staff is very professional and friendly. The terrain here is a lot of fun. You have a good variety for all skill levels. If you are going to the top at Mt. Ellen, you will get a great view of Lake Champlain. The biggest complaint is that there can be flat areas that make it a little of a trek for boarders. I have ridden at four places in Vermont and I think this is the best place for the money. Please note that my rating for this place is in comparison to riding on the east coast, since there is no comparison to the Rockies.

Sugarbush has awesome terrain and often enough pretty good snow. It is big and varied and has something for just about anything you are into. UNFORTUNATELY though Sugarbush has lost a bit of its soul with the acquisition by Alterra. Alterra plays the same awful music at most places where it plays music. This I is not ski crowd music... what are they trying to do? They also have reduced almost all interaction to digital, from passes to going in to get a beer...it's dystopian. Lastly, why are lift attendants wearing a pullover in the shade in 0 degree wind chill? Supply your people appropriate clothing! Boots, hats, gloves, pants, jackets. At $165 a day (!) you can afford it Alterra! Oh yeah, I heard about John Egan too.

The best thing is the bar. The bartenders are great - and thats it. The place is an overflow from the reort at the top of the hill - usually dusty; needs airing out and the heat rages and gets stifling. The food is not good. However the bar is THE reason Norwich grads come through. The bartenders are accommodating and can serve accurately and fast!!! The rooms are cramped and tiny. Call a spade a spade. Time to reno

Skiing Mt Ellen today and it just seems like a money grab. The mountain uses wind as a reason for opening only a small portion of the mountain but charges full price for lift tickets. Buyer beware in March at both Stowe and Sugarbush. Limited terrain and lifts at full price.

Review for the guided snowshoeing tour: I'm not a skier/snowboarder, so I was looking for something to keep me entertained while my other half took on the mountain. I might be missing it, but other than snowshoeing it didn't appear that Sugarbush had much going on. (Maybe that's different for the people actually staying there? I'm not sure. I was only there for the day.) My tour guide was Lou and I couldn't say enough good things about our adventure. Our group was small (just me and another woman) and Lou made sure we were both comfortable and good to go during our two hours. First we took the lift up to the Gate House - from there it was all downhill...literally. We winded our way through the trails while Lou gave us survival tips and quizzed us about animal tracks and trees. I taught Lou about hashtags - it seemed only fair that I contribute to this adventure. After we were finished, Lou showed us where else we could snowshoe on the mountain - sadly my other half was finished skiing for the day, otherwise I would have been out there for a couple more hours. Just a great time - I can't say it enough! Check out snowshoeing if you have the time! And a note to Sugarbush - Can you invest in some more fireplaces? Firepits? Something? The fireplace with the 2-person couch at Castle Rock Pub doesn't count. Thank you and goodnight!

I'm indifferent about this resort. Nice layout, nice terrain... but, I heard a horror story about a girl who got fired for the silliest reason. I also do not like the valley house lift. Convienent, but a pain! That carpet underneath the chair, and employees shouting at you if you're off by just an inch... and getting off it is just awful.. I've also noticed some of the ramps haven't been the best either. They need more maintenance on them. (I've got a ski stuck in a ramp before too.) I get the conditions at times are not perfect, but there must be something they can do! The gates only sometimes work for me, but not often... also seeing kids operating lifts playing on their phones!!! Like hello! Conditions this year have been really good though. (Mother nature gets a 5* review) but sugarbush? Eh?

Sugarbush, located in the Mad River Valley, has everything you could want for an East coast ski spot. 2 mountains, tons of trails, lots of different terrain, scenic views, and great dining on and off the mountain. Lincoln has the larger base area, more dining options, more trails. With that being said, I'm partial to Mt. Ellen (truly a hidden gem to this day). In fact, Yelp doesn't list the two separately; if they did I'd be giving credit where the credit is due. Mt. Ellen is yours, and yours only, if you get a chance to go up mid-week that doesn't revolve around a holiday. The trails are literally empty and you can go rip-city when and where you want. If you find yourself up on a weekend it's still a fraction of the skiers on the hill when compared to Lincoln. Terrain wise Mt. Ellen offers it all (shout out to Elbow which has been #1 for me since age 5 for the steep cruiser it is). Steep bump runs on Exterminator, Tumbler (burns no matter what), Hammerhead, and F.I.S. Cruisers like Cruiser, Rim Rum, and Inverness. Mt. Ellen is also where the terrain park that's consistently voted one of the top in the country is and is more accessible to the back country areas Sugarbush as a whole has to offer. Food wise, 3 options total. Mid-mountain at the top of GMX/bottom of Summit quad you have Glen House. Coffee, beers, and some chow that jus' don't play. Chicken cheesesteaks and chili cheese dogs; that a tall PBR and you'll be rockin' boss! Base lodge on the ground floor you got the cafeteria. Definitely has a lot of options for families; I'll be honest and can't say I've eaten there since stealing fries out of the cups around 15 years ago (47 - 15 = 32 so it was totally acceptable then). Up top is an après-ski haven. Green Mtn Lounge is a Mad River Valley institution and I'm in no way exaggerating. Bill and Jim are awesome, down to earth guys who run the bar better than a bar owner AFTER John Taffer paid them a visit. Friendly locals, live music daily on weekends, great food menu, and a large, large selection of beers and drinks that'll let you wind down (or fire up!) and reminisce on your day on the hill (rippin' boards and hitting the secret spots if you're a VT dude; crashing, falling, listening to your kids complain if you're a MA or NY/NJ/PA dude). Added bonuses of Mt. Ellen are the ease of parking, cheaper prices whether it be a lift ticket ($30 Thursdays) or a pass, and more locals that make it for a much more laid back atmosphere.

I live in the Midwest, but its just so hard to get into East Coast Skiing. Granted it has been 13 years since I skied at Sugerbush. And I was not the Man in skiing like I am now:), but I just remember all the hard ice and volkswagon size moguls (literally, I am not freakin exaggerating) on these double black diamonds that me and my buddies were doing. This would be a dream mountain if you live in the area, but I would find it hard to fly there for another trip.

Sugarbush as a mountain is gorgeous. +1 Sugarbush as a business is pretty great. The people working there are very nice and helpful. The cafeteria food at the Gatehouse Lodge was a bit pricey, but I did enjoy the chicken tenders (my food standards are pretty low). Next time I'll probably pack a lunch. I liked that they have an honor system storage area. Kudos to the other guests for not filching our things! +1 I took lessons while I was there (for 3 days), and it was the best. My instructors were A+. They were fun and extremely helpful. It was also great because I was there during the weekday (less people) and had one-on-one lessons. By the end of my trip, I graduated from the bunny slopes and went up to a more advanced beginner trail from the Gatehouse lift and skiied most of my way down. I still had a mean death grip on my ski poles and fell too many times to be dignified, but due to the lessons, I was able to get back up like a champ. I was so proud of myself. +1 My packaged lessons came with a seasons pass! How much will I be using it? Probably not much but I got one, I feel so cool. Heck yes +1 I like the chair lifts. They're so scary and fun and the view from them is lovely. I'm glad I learned how to ski, but mostly I'm glad I learned how to get on and off the lifts without face planting. +1

sugarbush has lots of pros, a few cons, but is definitely a place i'd come back to. ************************ lodging - we were looking to do a ski & stay weekend somewhere so i checked the usual suspects. at the end of the day, staying off-mountain most places would have been stupid - more money and further away from your ultimate destination. for staying on-mountain sugarbush offered a great price for a condo & lift tickets. the condo was probably about 500 sf. but with all the comforts of home. a fully equipped kitchen let us bring our own food and - probably the biggest money saver for any vacation spot - alcohol. we weren't ski-in-ski-out in sugarbush village, but be were damn close. the village had a mexican restaurant, french restaurant, sandwich place and day-care all right there. i didn't use any of those, but you might. ************************ the mountain why sugarbush? 4 peaks, 2600' vertical, varied terrain, blues and blacks down from every peak, lots of side trails and gladed runs made this an easy call. this is a fantastic mountain whether you are a beginner or an expert. sugarbush has the feel of an old mountain. as others have pointed out, there are no direct lifts to any peak. most of the lifts are high speed, but several are not. many are quads, but some are doubles and triples. the lifts are far enough apart that there was rarely a line at any lift and i never waited more than 3 or 4 minutes, even at peak times on crowded lifts. most of the time, there was no line at all. the staff was friendly, accommodating and all over the place. they were great about checking on people to make sure they were feeling ok (it was -15 at the peak when i was there), reccommending runs, and guiding people to all the mountain had to offer. ************************ food sugarbush offers several bars and restaurants but we stuck to the castlerock pub. and we stuck to beers. service was bit spotty as it appeared there were only 2 waitresses for a bar that was not only sizeable, but appeared to be the main gathering spot for adults on the mountain. if you want a seat here, i suggest beginning your ski break around 11:45 a.m. or so because by noon, the place was jammed. sugarbush also has a waffle haus. these are, quite possibly, the greatest things ever invented. i've said it before, i'll say it again, for $4 you really can't end your day better than with a hot, fresh crack/sugar nuggett waffle covered in chocolate sauce.

It's a great mountain - loads of trails with different terrain and massive snow-making capabilities. It tends to be a little over-priced for tickets, but rentals are cheap and you can find decent and fairly priced meals on the mountain. Two cons worth highiighting: 1) 1/2 Day Passes start at NOON. Why wouldn't you sell a morning pass to those of us that wake at decent hours and want to take advantage of almost empty slopes and undisturbed snow? You save less than $10 bucks by buying the 1/2 day pass - starting at noon doesn't seem worth it. 2) No student discounts?? What? Why!? I thought going back to grad school was going to at least provide me with some good money saving discounts. I'm having a hard time remembering why I went back now...oh...to make more money so I can afford to ski at Sugarbush!

this is a beautiful place, with a beautiful lodge, very Vermontish atmosphere. I attended the Brewfest, which is a great time with great beer.

Sugarbush is the best mountain for skiing and snowboarding on the east coast. It's really big, with lots of varied terrain-- all levels of glades, big wide cruisers, steep mogul-covered chutes with ice and boulders, challenging winding blue squares, terrain parks...the works. It's fantastic. There's something for every skill level at both the main peak, and Mt. Ellen (accessible via this crazy traversing chairlift that takes you into the wilderness!) $72 for a one-day lift ticket is pricey, but it's totally worth it. The lines are bearable unless you're there on a holiday (same as anywhere). The view from the various summits is amazing, and the snow is always well groomed (or not on some trails, depending on what you like!) For me and my man it's snowboarding heaven, and I'm sure it's great for skiers too, as they outnumber us riders significantly. But we all share the slopes and it's a grand old time. Surrounding towns Warren and Waitsfield VT are really cute, with lots of awesome places to stay, good restaurants and bars. Sugarbush is the perfect place for a weekend winter sports getaway. I can't wait to go back!