Eastern Ski Resorts Challenge West

To sell itself as a satisfying alternative to the West, Eastern ski states have devised a variety of new packages and programs this winter. A few of them are gimmicky, but others could save you money.

In the gimmick category, Vermont’s Bolton Valley is offering free night skiing from 6 to 11 p.m. on Abraham Lincoln’s birthday--Monday, Feb. 12--to anyone with a beard at least one inch long. Those who qualify save the $14 cost of a night lift ticket.

More seriously, this family-oriented resort has introduced “supersaver” packages at up to 20% off regular lift and lodging prices.

Most resorts have continuously worked to upgrade their snow-making capabilities, as weather patterns in the East can be capricious.

Vermont’s Killington, which further enhanced its capabilities over the summer, claims to have the most extensive snow making system in the world.

It turned on its machines in October, and on Oct. 10 officially opened the new season after blanketing a half-mile trail on Killington Peak with 12 to 24 inches of man-made snow. Not surprisingly, the resort was the earliest in operation on the East Coast this winter.

These days, snow-making is much on the minds of New England’s resort managers, who have been congratulating themselves all summer for their foresight in investing in snow making technology over the last decade.

Last season’s snowfall was scanty, and business might have been disastrous except for the snow machines.

Natural snowfall in parts of New England last winter amounted to no more than 50% of the annual average, but the resorts were able to keep their slopes open, and many reported near record numbers of skiers.

As an example of the effectiveness of today’s snow-making technology, Vermont’s Mt. Snow reported that it made enough of the ersatz stuff for its slopes last season to cover “a two-lane highway with five feet of snow for 142 miles.”

Sugarloaf Mountain in Maine says its massive new high-tech equipment, installed over the summer, can make snow faster at warmer temperatures. It has added 100 snow guns to its huge snow-making arsenal.

Another development in recent years, which also has eased reservation hassles, is the opening of central reservations offices at many New England resorts, and more of these offices will be open this season.

Which of the East Coast’s resorts are considered best? The answer, of course, depends on what you are looking for--heart-stopping challenges or simple relaxation.

For the fun of it, two national ski magazines have surveyed the Eastern ski scene and compiled a list of favorites.

Readers of Ski magazine chose these 10 resorts as their favorite weekend destination (in descending order): Killington, Vt.; Mt. Snow, Vt.; Stowe, Vt.; Sugarbush, Vt., and Snowshoe, W.Va. (a tie); Seven Springs, Pa.; Stratton, Vt.; Holiday Valley, N.Y.; Hunter Mountain, N.Y., and Sugarloaf, Me.

Snow Country magazine developed profiles of ski resorts based on the quality of lifts, trails, snow conditions, lodging, food and other aspects of a good ski vacation, and made a top-10 ranking of New England resorts.

At the summit was Killington, Vt., followed by Sugarloaf, Me.; Okemo, Vt.; Waterville Valley, N.H.; Sunday River, Me.; Mt. Snow, Vt.; Sugarbush, Vt.; Stowe, Vt.; Stratton Mountain, Vt., and Loon Mountain, N.H.

The top 10 in the mid-Atlantic are Hunter Mountain, N.Y.; Whiteface, N.Y.; Gore Mountain, N.Y., and Vernon Valley-Great Gorge, N.J. (tie); Ski Windham, N.Y.; Seven Springs, Pa., and Montage, Pa. (tie); Camelback, Pa.; Elk Mountain, Pa.; Swain Ski Center, N.Y.; Ski Roundtop, Pa., and Shawnee Mountain, Pa.

Among the new or unusual packages and programs being offered by East Coast ski resorts this season:

--Sugarbush, Vt.: As a gesture to the eager, Sugarbush Ski Resort is opening an “early bird” lift at both its South Basin and Mt. Ellen trail complexes. The lifts open at 8 a.m. daily, an hour before the rest of the lifts begin operating.

At that time of day, say resort officials, lines (if any) are short, trails uncrowded and the freshly groomed snow at its best.

What they don’t add is that the first ride up the mountain can be frosty. The early hour is aimed at energetic vacationers, but the expectation is that many locals will grab a few runs before they head off for work.

--Mt. Snow, Vt.: Last season Mt. Snow surveyed the experienced skiers on its slopes to find out why so many of them weren’t enrolled in traditional ski classes. Their answer: Lessons take up too much time, and classes are so large that they can’t focus on an individual skier’s special problems.

In response, the resort’s ski school has created what it calls EXCL, for “expressed customized learning.” Instead of spending two hours in a regular class, intermediate and advanced skiers can sign up for a 45-minute workshop on the slopes, limited to only three students per instructor.

The innovative program works this way: Any skier, intermediate or better, can get a free evaluation at a “skier evaluation area” that is open daily. You will be videotaped, and an instructor will offer a quick comment on your ability.

You will be issued a card rating your skiing level and the specific skills that need improvement. The evaluation is available whether you sign up for the workshops or not. The card will be used to place you in a class with skiers needing help on similar skills.

“Special teaching stations will be set up with terrain for bumps, carved turns, short and long radius turns,” says a resort official, “to facilitate skill development.”

The workshops are offered every afternoon. (Traditional two-hour lessons will be held mornings for skiers of all abilities, but only for beginners in the afternoon.)

The cost of an EXCL workshop is $18 per person, the same as a two-hour lesson. (Okemo Mountain, another Vermont resort, is also offering intermediate and advanced skiers a free evaluation. See details below.)

--Wintergreen, Va.: To get skiers onto its slopes more quickly, Wintergreen is opening its new $3.5-million Skyline Pavilion this season.

The structure, which is adjacent to Mountain House Inn, will house lift ticket sales, an expanded equipment rental shop (with 1,800 sets of step-in skis), a large locker area, the resort’s ski school and a slope-view lounge serving drinks and light meals.

--Loon Mountain, N.H.: Not a new policy, but one that deserves recognition, is Loon’s practice of strictly limiting holiday and weekend ticket sales to prevent long lift lines and overcrowding of its slopes. Even on peak days, say resort officials, lines average 15 minutes or less.

So that skiers don’t show up and find the ticket booths closed, Loon sells lift tickets in advance through Ticketron outlets.

In recent seasons, the resort has sold out of tickets about two dozen times a year. The limited-ticket policy is in effect during holiday periods and every weekend through mid-March.

--Ski Windham, N.Y.: If you are loaded with work but still want to ski, this northern Catskills resort just may have the answer. It is introducing what it calls the Commerce Club, a trail-side office facility for skiers who want to mix business with pleasure.

For $10 a day, you can rent a private work space and have access to an array of office services such as limited secretarial assistance, fax machine, mailing, call answering and photo copying--”almost all the comforts of the office,” says marketing director Diana Bagnall.

You can work a while, take a break on the slopes and return to your desk.

The fee entitles you to complimentary coffee, a daily newspaper and a pocket pager for beeper service on the mountain if an important call comes into the Commerce Club while you are skiing. The facility in the resort’s new base lodge will be open daily. Reservations for a work space are necessary.

--White Mountains, N.H.: Ten ski areas in the White Mountains of New Hampshire have joined to offer the One Pass, a five-day ski pass good at any of the participating resorts. Resort managers say it is America’s only fully interchangeable 10-mountain ski pass. The price is $115. For each parent who buys the pass, a dependent child 12 and under gets one free.

The passes are good for any midweek day except during the Christmas and Washington’s Birthday holiday periods.

They must be used on consecutive days only. Between them, the 10 areas have 60 lifts and 270 trails.

Passes can be bought at any of the 10 resorts. They are Attitash, Balsams-Wilderness, Black Mountain, Bretton Woods, Cannon Mountain, Mt. Cranmore, Loon Mountain, Tenney Mountain, Waterville Valley and Wildcat Mountain.

Four of the resorts are clustered within a 30-minute drive of each other in Mt. Washington Valley, and five others are conveniently linked within 30 minutes of each other by Interstate 93.

--Okemo Mountain, Vt.: If you can identify yourself as a college student you can ski midweek at Okemo for half the regular daily lift ticket rate of $35. The exceptions--there’s always a catch--are during Christmas and Washington’s Birthday holiday seasons, the only time when most students have a valid excuse for not attending class.

Okemo also is offering intermediate and advanced skiers a free evaluation.

At the resort’s Ski Tip Station, skiers can arrange for a run down the mountain with an instructor.

“It’s our hope,” said marketing director Scott Van Pelt, “that our professional ski school staff can, even during just one run, suggest corrective measures to assist in perfecting a skier’s technique.”

--Honeysuckle Inn, Vt.: A novel ski package offers combined skiing with a half-day guided horseback ride through the Vermont countryside. It is the idea of Ed and Maryanne Wood, owners of the five-room Honeysuckle Inn, and Kristina Calabrese, who last year founded the Vermont Icelandic Horse Farm. The Icelandics are short, stocky horses with a shaggy coat.

The Honeysuckle is on Vermont’s famous Route 100 just north of Waitsfield near Sugarbush, Stowe and Mad River Glen ski resorts.

On a five-day midweek ski-and-ride package, you get five nights’ lodging, daily breakfasts, two dinners, two box lunches, three days of skiing at one of the three resorts (or cross-country skiing), a sleigh ride, use of the Sugarbush sports and fitness center and a half-day’s horseback ride.

The cost is $340 per person, double occupancy. Four-day packages are $273, three-day packages $210. For more information, call (802) 496-6200 or (802) 496-7141.

Central reservation offices have greatly simplified the process of booking a ski vacation. Many can book the entire trip, including lodging, lift tickets, air travel and car rental. Among the East Coast reservation offices representing a variety of lodging establishments at a specific resort:

--Killington, Vt.: Killington Travel Service, (802) 773-0755.

--Loon Mountain, N.H.: Loon Mountain Lodging Bureau, (800) 227-4191 and (603) 745-8111.

--Mt. Snow, Vt.: Mt. Snow Vacation Services, (800) 444-9404 and (802) 464-8501.

--Ski 93, N.H.: This new reservation service covers five New Hampshire ski resorts linked by Interstate 93: Bretton Woods, Cannon Mountain, Loon Mountain, Tenney Mountain and Waterville Valley. Call (800) 648-4947.

--Snowshoe, W.Va.: Snowshoe Reservation Bureau, (304) 572-5252.

--Stowe, Vt.: Stowe Area Assn., (800) 247-8693.

--Sugarbush, Vt.: Sugarbush Reservations, (800) 537-8427 and (802) 583-3333.

--Sugarloaf, Me.: Sugarloaf Area Reservation Service, (800) 843-2732 and (207) 235-2500.