Early winter skiing during the Thanksgiving holidays can be a problem. For instance, I called Stratton Mountain Vermont to confirm their opening on Thanksgiving when seeing their website advertising fireworks and lifts working in celebration on opening day. The reception desk confirmed that they would open. They lied. It did not open and there was no fireworks.
Although Stratton did open the next day, conditions and runs available were limited. Only expert and intermediate trails where accessible. Next door Bromley mountain was not slated to open until the first week in December.
In northern Vermont, Killington boast world class ski and snowboarding terrain and is the largest resort in eastern North America. It consistently ranks as the #1 resort in the Northeast for both groomed trails and terrain parks for skiing and snowboarding. It has 750 acres with 2 gondolas and seven express chairs to accommodate the over 71 miles of diverse terrain and trails in the 13 skiing and snowboarding areas. They boast of 1,400 snow guns that cover 71% of the total acreage. The summit is 4,214 feet high with a base elevation of 1,615 feet.
Killington had a limited trails open for the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. The green trails on the Great Northern were open and wonderful. However, the problems with most of the interconnecting trails where that they were half way iced over probably caused by problems with artificial snow making equipment. The conditions were terrible for anyone bringing a beginner to experience skiing and long lift lines for access to Killington Peak via K-1 Express Gondola, the highest lift in Vermont.
Interestingly, Vermont has a 9% sales tax on lodging, restaurant meals, and 10% on alcoholic beverages and if that is not enough, certain municipalities may impose a local option tax on rooms and meals. These sales taxes must severely hurt business located on the borders of the state and further discourage those on a tight budget from visiting. While you can buy snowboard and ski gear without the tax, eating out is another story.
For instance, Brattleboro VT in Windham County, is the largest town close to the Stratton Mountains ski area and the likeliest place to find nearby lodging. Brattleboro imposes a 1% sales tax above the statewide sales tax. Interestingly, nearby New Hampshire has no sales tax or even a state income tax on individual's W-2 wages. Even New York state is more friendly with a 4% state sales tax.
The ski areas in New York state are more convenient to the heavyier population areas of Eastern U.S. and generally do not open until later in the winter season with the possible exception of Whiteface Mountain, Hunter, Belleayre, Plattekill and those who have invested in an array of snow guns. New York has over 50 ski areas. As a state, it has the most ski areas of any state in America because of the Catskill mountains which are the highest peaks of the Adirondack mountain chain.
