East-Coast USA road trip - what resorts to hit?

Casey-Ryan · Mar 21, 2013

You should hit up Highland definitely but I would also hit up Burke MT. and there are a whole bunch of different options over by Attitash and the White Mountains.

SuspectDevice · Mar 21, 2013

Windham is only open for races, so scratch that one.

Sugarbush got awesome last season and is budgeted to get awesomer.

It takes something like an hour and a half to get to Whiteface from Northwestern VT. Worth a ride for sure.

Huck Banzai · Mar 21, 2013

Agreed, add Burke - otherwise, that list is solid. All have their own 'charm'. Windham if you match up with the race(s), otherwise closed as mentioned. Sugarbush I have heard great things, but havent been yet, Snow - not so sure - but I digress. Last time I was there was 10/2011 and ithe course was sweet but that was all.

Im a Plattwhore myself.

9nine9 · Mar 21, 2013

We had a pretty good time at Snowshoe, if West Virginia's still within your travel scope.

profro · Mar 21, 2013

Personally I would not waste the travel time to go from any of the above resorts to Snowshoe. I would think you could spend a solid week(s) between Mountain Creek, Highland, Whiteface, and MSA/Bromont with much less time/$$$ in a vehicle. You'd get GI Joe hand long before you would get tired of the trails.

LOOnatic · Mar 21, 2013

Whatever you do, do NOT miss Highland, Platty and Bromont.
Also you better call-email the places as not all run weekdays. Highland does early on so you would want to ride there weekdays and then position yourself for the others on the weekends.
Not sure if Bromont does weekdays (fri-sun) i think and Burke is a good filler as well.

yd35 · Mar 21, 2013

Sicklines reviews most of the east-coast DH resorts: http://www.sicklines.com/courses/

People have already mentioned the major, must-see spots. Two spots that are under the radar but still fun are Jiminy Peak in Massachusetts and Blue Mountain in Pennsylvania.

LOOnatic · Mar 21, 2013

Last i went to Jiminy was fun but pretty haggard. Have the trails improved lately?

yd35 · Mar 21, 2013

LOOnatic said:
Last i went to Jiminy was fun but pretty haggard. Have the trails improved lately?

Fun but haggard is fair and still applies. Not a prime destination, but definitely not a wasted trip.

FlipSide · Mar 21, 2013

FYI, the gondola at MSA was closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays in 2012. Not sure if they will have the same schedule for 2013.

jnooth · Mar 21, 2013

I have spent a fair amount of time at just about every resort in the north east and here is my thoughts of what to expect at each

Must rides:

Bromont- nothing better in terms of fast, rough, technical trails on the east. spend no less than 2 days here
MSA- Steeeeep and technical. trails that will scare the best of riders. world cup track is rad as well
highland- jump lines all day
Plattkill- steep, fun, loose, always a party at platty
Sugarbush- so much work has been done in the last year. climbing into one of the best resorts in the north east. super long runs with good mix of berms, tech, and roots.
Mountain Creek- some of the best jump lines around as well as super rocky fun trails

other good options:

Killington- plenty of super rocky natural trails that will keep you happy for more than a day. getting better every year.
attitash-smaller mountain but very well built trails.
whiteface- super long trails, very natural
jimminy peak- i agree with what was said above. you wont be disappointed if you go there. fun but haggard
mount snow- getting better. some new trails have been added. only go if there is nothing else close by to ride that day.

no experience with burke yet. but it sounds good.

**This makes me realize how lucky I am to be within a day trip of any of these!

blindboxx2334 · Mar 21, 2013

just posting in here as a placemarker for when i need it down the road.. i plan to visit the eastcoast hopefully next year and will be bringing a bike or two =)

edit:
great thread, thanks guys!

intensified · Mar 21, 2013

killington and highland run mid week i think, perhaps attitash? i wouldnt bother with attitash on a weekend, head over to sunday river instead.

nh dude · Mar 21, 2013

Start in Canada and drive south from Bromont to Sugar Bush and or Killington then go across to Maine ride Sunday River (like Killington but better). Drive down to Highland from Sunday River. Then head to Plattekill.

Killington Bromont Highland and Sugar Bush are all 7 days a week mid summer. Not sure about SR. Plattekill only weekends. Could easily fit Jimminny Peak Attitash and Mt Creek into that schedule also. Not to mention tons of XC riding in between.

Bold would be my choices.

MT Snow and Killington are fun but don't always require a big bike same can be said of highland solid 6 and 6 really livens things up.

demo 9 · Mar 21, 2013

I think Creek, highland, and platty are a must in the states. I wouldnt go down to snowshoe, its a nice mtn, but not worth the drive.

Any riding in VT is rad, also might want to keep tabs on Blue mountain in PA, they are coming back, and they are very close to Mountain creek, only 1.5 hours away, might be able to get there as well.

Jim Mac · Mar 21, 2013

As many said, Killington, Whiteface & Mt. Snow run lifts during the week, others are weekend only. I would think that you might use that aspect in your plans. Jiminy Peak runs the small lift during the week. I mean, it's really small & slow - do this on a weekday only if you have no other options!

double triple edit: Creek has weekday as well.

Horror Business · Mar 21, 2013

Killington, Highland, Sunday River if moving from west to east.

Huck Banzai · Mar 21, 2013

yd35 said:
Sicklines reviews most of the east-coast DH resorts: http://www.sicklines.com/courses/

People have already mentioned the major, must-see spots. Two spots that are under the radar but still fun are Jiminy Peak in Massachusetts and Blue Mountain in Pennsylvania.

^^ This - I faked the funk leaving those two out. Blue is pretty sweet and great vibe, Jiminy plays on the Plattekill field with the raw steep muahahahahahaaaaa!!

Man, I cant wait for some dirt (I dont do bikes+cold or snow.. ewww

)

This weekend will be powrideshoof - and then Im pressing FFWD to MTB season.

canadmos · Mar 21, 2013

Bromont is awesome. Good variety of trails, everything from fast jump trails to balls-to-the-wall rocks and steep stuff. The "bike park" area on the hill isn't too bad either, if you're into huge jumps.

Don't miss the waterpark either. Nothing ends the day better than jumping into the wavepool or doing a few slides (after some parking lot beers). If you do it right, you can get into the water park for free. Some people stick their wrist bands on the wall after exiting, just grab a few and use them to go in or catch someone leaving and ask for them. You'd be surprised how nice French people are ahah. There is another way to get into the water park for free, but you won't have a wrist band, so use caution and perhaps only goto the wavepool. To do this, simply go into the building near the bike lift and goto the washroom. Instead of going out where you came in, you can walk straight out into the water park. Voila.

jnooth · Mar 21, 2013

^^good info! I always just pay the extra. Its pretty reasonable if you just pay for both though, especially on the season pass

jonKranked · Mar 21, 2013

don't go to bromont first... you might not leave.

chillindrdude · Mar 21, 2013

is bromont THAT good?

if my whistler trip falls thru in sept, i would consider bromont as my backup if it's everything you guys say it is.

jnooth · Mar 21, 2013

to answer your question, YES

this video does a pretty good job of showing off the mountain.

http://www.pinkbike.com/news/Fall-Team-Cycle-Neron-Specialized-Video-2012.html

simontac · Mar 21, 2013

A group of us from Ontario (with zero real mountains to ride DH), do similar trip you are looking for every year (once, or twice if we can).

For the most part our group is made up of riders who prefer 'natural', 'old school', 'rocky', 'rooty' anertical bd 'unmanicured' trails - with occasional groomers and jump lines to break it up and unclench your a$$cheeks.

So, in a rough order for us is:

Whiteface. The most vertical descent by a huge margin. 2200-2400+ ft I think approx. Rough, rocky, some crazy steep and sketchy fun. Didn't go in 2012 - but apparently they did some great improvements. To give you an idea - PROS during the race weekend run 8+ minute runs roughly.

Plattekill. Rough - check. Rocks - double check. Steeps - check and check... Amenities/lodging/night fun - scarce to none. Great riding environment. Great people.

Bromont. Really a good place - but we have all ridden it there ALOT and we rank it below Whiteface and Plattekill. I think its maybe that we like to have the feeling 'mountain to ourselves', and Bromont definitely busier, with occasional lengthy lift lines. Everything from butt clenching to jumps and flow.

Mountain Creek. Didn't go 2012, but if improvements and recommittment of MC as good as those say, its worth it. Bit of everything for sure.

Additional...
Snowshoe was good for the 'Chomolungma Challenge' last year - and we will probably try to attend again this year, but don't think you could do more than a few days there. And although it is a 'big resort' its pretty dead during the week as far as evening activities go.
Seven Springs is tiny, but they make the best of the little 'hill'. Pretty fun place for an afternoon if passing by. We enjoyed it on the way back from Snowshoe.

This year we want to hit Vermont resorts, and newly improved Mountain Creek.

Mont Ste Anne is a long way away from things - but awesome. I was there last year with GT at the UCI DH race - and that track is pretty intense. If able to get there (out of the way) its very good too.

canadmos · Mar 21, 2013

http://www.pinkbike.com/video/222945/

When is this ****ing snow going to melt?

big-ted · Mar 21, 2013

So, no Whistler?

jonKranked · Mar 22, 2013

chillindrdude said:
is bromont THAT good?

if my whistler trip falls thru in sept, i would consider bromont as my backup if it's everything you guys say it is.

i'd say so. if bromont wasn't 9+ hours away from me i'd go there a lot more often. I'd say best overall variety: some of the biggest jumps you'll find on the east coast, some of the biggest gnarliest terrain. some really fun and awesome flow trails too.

[edit] disclaimer: i've only ridden there once. it was opening weekend, and not all the trails were open. It was raining and I was on a bike I had never ridden, but i still had an insanely awesome time riding there.

jonKranked · Mar 22, 2013

- seb said:
So Bromont has two separate lifts/areas as far as I can tell, du Village and du Lac. The du lac one only seems to be open on weekends, but most of the black trails are on the Village side anyway, which is open in the week, I think. Am I right there?

From what I can make out the World Cup track is on the Lac side though, is that right?

that sounds right.

jnooth · Mar 22, 2013

Yeah the wc track and a few jump trails are on the lac side. The World Cup course is so beat up its not even fun to ride. The jump trails are awesome but I wouldn't worry about missing them if you go there mid week. I usually go on weekends when everything is open and I spend more than 90% of the time on the front side.

The World Cup course there is the best track I have ever raced. From what I understand it takes weeks of prep before the race to get it Into good shape. I have tried to ride it on freeride days and always end up thinkin that it was a horrible idea.

Sandwich · Mar 22, 2013

Here's my 50 pesos, having been close to everywhere on the east coast.

Must go:
Plattekill - Great scene, short or zero lift lines, incredible network of trails, almost impossible to find your way around without a guide. Camp out in the lot for $5 and grab some pizza in town or bring a grill and cook your own burgers.
Highland - Jump lines all day long, manicured trails and stunts. Can have super long lift lines that you'll spend 15 minutes in, and the trails get chopped to bits throughout the season. Great facilities, but poor elevation (something like 600 ft of vert).
Bromont - Haven't been in a while, but when I went they had the best lift system I've seen, great natural trails, good vert and a great trail network. Supposedly they have improved significantly since I went. They have poutine in the lodge.

Should go:
Whiteface - Incredibly long, natural DH trails. You can expect to get maybe 5-8 runs in during the day, due to the length of the ride and the lift. Short lift lines. Trail can get repetitive as there are only two from the top, that branch off into 2, that branch off again, and only some of those are worth riding. Still, nowhere else on the east coast can you get 2400 feet of vert and 14 minute long runs.
Jiminy - Can get pretty bad maintenance wise but in the last few years a local guy has stepped up and gotten a crew together to really refresh the trails, which can actually be really fun. The rider's right side of the mountian is crazy steep, worse than plattekill in places. The left side is shallower and more dirt vs. rocks, and has some really fun, classic trails. Can be insane in the wet. The lift will murder your bike if it's a lightweight, so hold onto it on the way up. Nothing is worse than riding a chair back and watching your bike bounce off the side of the lift...but mine are usually 45 tanks so they shrug it off.

Stop by if you have the time:
Mount Snow - Few selection of trails but they've been doing work to improve. More wide open than steep and technical.
Attitash - Didn't spend a ton of time here not-racing but the trails I found were fun but poorly maintained, including a pipe through the middle of one trail that wasn't clearable, requiring a stop or front flip off the bike, which I chose. Perhaps my favorite race course from 2011, a good mix of steep and natural with some sprints in between and some very technical challenges.
Burke Mountain- really really fun trails but only two worth riding. Haven't been to the top, which requires a separate shuttle van. The two trails are designed by knight ide, and they are super flowy jump trails that let unskilled riders like me and super pro dudes ride the same stuff and have fun on it. Jester is worth spending an afternoon on.

Skip unless you're bored:
Killington - Last time I went here there were more flat trails than downhill ones. The two that went down the face were fast and tedhnical, but I spent most of the day trying to find the so-called "secret" trails that people keep saying are so awesome. I had a bad time, and haven't been back.

I haven't been to Sunday River, Sugarbush (are they open during non-race weekends?), Mcreek in a while, pats peak, or MSA.

To my understanding, Bromont, Whiteface, Mcreek, Highland, and possibly Killington are likely to be open midweek in June. Burke is usually open during the week, I think, and while Jiminy is as well, they only run the little lift which is not worth riding.

jonKranked · Mar 22, 2013

advice on platty: when you're there, meet w/ some locals/regulars to show you around. as great as their trails are, the signage isn't the best. i've been riding there for years and i'm still finding new and/or long forgotten trails

jnooth · Mar 22, 2013

Sandwich said:
Skip unless you're bored:
Killington - Last time I went here there were more flat trails than downhill ones. The two that went down the face were fast and tedhnical, but I spent most of the day trying to find the so-called "secret" trails that people keep saying are so awesome. I had a bad time, and haven't been back.

Agreed. Killington can be a blast but the good trails are tough to find and there is certain ways to link up good parts of different trails that make for killer DH runs. I know many people who have wasted a day searching for the good stuff with no success. That is my local mountain and I ride it a tone. If anyone ever needs a guide shoot me a pm I would be more than happy to show you around.

also it is open mid week with tons of hotels, restaurants, camping and super fun trail bike riding all in town. It could be an awesome mid week hang out place between some of the other bike parks/races you wanted to hit.

-seb do you plan to take a trail bike on the trip?

Sandwich · Mar 22, 2013

jnooth said:
Agreed. Killington can be a blast but the good trails are tough to find and there is certain ways to link up good parts of different trails that make for killer DH runs. I know many people who have wasted a day searching for the good stuff with no success. That is my local mountain and I ride it a tone. If anyone ever needs a guide shoot me a pm I would be more than happy to show you around.

also it is open mid week with tons of hotels, restaurants, camping and super fun trail bike riding all in town. It could be an awesome mid week hang out place between some of the other bike parks/races you wanted to hit.

-seb do you plan to take a trail bike on the trip?

I think it would be fun on like a 5 or 6" travel bike, or a great place to take a beginner. I had my 55lb sled and it wasn't. One of those trails, I think it's like #31 or something, on the lower part of the mountain just before the lift, is one of my favorite sections of any trail ever. It's all dirt singletrack with just turn after turn after turn on a nice decline.

East-Coast USA road trip - what resorts to hit?

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