To quote Fitz Fitzgerald from the 1991 cinema epic Ski School, “Skiing is partying, partying is skiing.” You owe it to yourself; the Après Ski scene is your time to pat yourself on the back for all the long drives and early mornings on cold winter days. Just be careful of ice patches, potholes and flying snowballs in the parking lots after the lights turn on inside. This is where you can find out what's happening up in the mountains once the lifts stop spinning.
Share your favorite apres ski activities
March 31, 2005
Billboards...
Not Legal in Vermont. Only one of the reasons why there is no better place on the planet to ski. The Green Mountain state is genuinely the Guru’s spot. Maybe it is because of the familiarity of the terrain. Or the green tags. Home of Snowboarding? (hardly making the list).
Bear Mountain - Killington, VT - from RSN.com
Posted by Ethan Binns at 08:35 PM
March 8, 2005
Wachusett, MA
Found myself in the Hub on Monday evening, smelling the salt water form the harbor and enjoying the 40°F temps around 5:00 PM. Whatever! Got in the ride and high tailed it to Wachusett. A quick hour drive up rte 2 and by quarter past six I was making turns under the glow of the lights.
The glow of Wachusett as you approach
Posted by Ethan Binns at 02:29 PM
March 4, 2005
Chair Lift Chatter
Survey question: Here are four infamous Vermont lift lines. As skiing classics they all stand on their own towers. Which do you think is the best?
The criteria:
Quality - terrain under the chair
Skiability - days open
Falls - how many do you witness on a ride
Service – what you get from the top of the lift
Reliability – lift stoppages
Posted by Ethan Binns at 12:12 PM
January 5, 2005
Jay Peak, Vermont ~ After Skiing
Jay Peak is about 7 miles from the Canadian boarder. It is up there. It is also a large mountain that produces a weather anomaly that is referred to as the Jay Cloud, which blesses the resort with the most annual snowfall in the North East.
Because of its seemingly far away location many people are unwilling to go the way of the Jay. Let me tell you a secret, just get on 93N and drive! Once you hit VT you are only about 45 minutes from the best pow pow in the East. Total drive time from Gov Center in Boston, a little over 4 hours. That is if you do not leave on a Friday during rush hour while it is snowing. The point being that you are only really looking at and extra two hours round trip in the car to get to the goods in the woods.
Posted by Ethan Binns at 06:39 PM
November 12, 2004
Ethan's picks for apres ski
Killington, VT: The Access road, a.k.a. Bourbon Street North, is as far as you need to go at Killington. This 5-mile strip is notorious nation wide as one of the biggest parties on snow, all season long. There are more 100 restaurants, bars, and nightclubs as well as places that masquerade as all three. Only a few seasons ago a new sidewalk and streetlights were added to the access road, which certainly makes it a lot more user friendly to those on foot. There is also public transportation, The Bus. Still yet, there are fleets of cabs/vans for hire that can get you home safe at night, but it is recommended you call them early and make a reservation. There are honestly so many places it is tough to only name a few must hits – The Pickle Barrel Night Club, The Wobbly Barn Steakhouse, The Nightspot/Outback, McGrath’s Irish Pub at Longtrail Inn (route 4) and The LookOut Bar & Grill.
Loon, NH: “Best day ski trip from the Boston area.” Ski Magazine; Top 60 Resort Guide, Oct 04. That is until the person that brought you there suggests a beer around quarter past three. Then it becomes an overnight. Which is fine, the town of Lincoln and Loon boast over 7000 beds combine and they have the restaurants and nightlife to match. Loon’s accessibility bestows upon it a suburban feel; the main access road is only 2.5 miles off 93. The first time skiing or riding may be difficult and intimidating, Loon makes sure that Après’n afterwards is not. Friendly crowds reward themselves with drink specials, live music and contests. The move is simple; head into the Paul Bunyan Room, located upstairs in the Octagon Lodge, and misplace your keys in the ski bag. From there, with good judgment, everything will take care of itself.
Sugarloaf, ME: If you are in Sugarloaf you are lucky, especially if it’s snowing. You also drove through enough wildernesses to realize that there is not a whole heck of a lot go’n on up dere once you stray to far from the mountain. Stick to the base area and ask around to find a good match for what you are after. Be sure to check out The Bag, great menu (Sunday soup - cheeseburger) for the hunger skier or rider. It is a great family place and also has a nice bar scene. The Bag brews their beers, which are quite strong and very delicious. When at the Loaf no trip would be complete without a stop at the Widowmaker Lounge. It’s the place to be for Après Ski entertainment and thorough the night. Sugarloaf provides an excellent public transportation system of mountain shuttles that will get you home, when you are ready.
Stratton, VT: Whether you are up in the village at Stratton or in the valley below there are more than enough options in this part of Southern VT to appease just about anyone. You can get rowdy with a crowd at the Green Door Pub, which has an arm wrestling table, or settle into a family dinner upstairs at Mulligan’s, both are in the base village. A hop-skip and a jump from the access road in Bondville find The Outback, a favorite to local rider and weekend warrior alike. Eventually stop by the Red Fox Inn (one of those Inn, restaurant, tavern concoctions), the old Irish tavern is filled with live music and an enormous fireplace. If you care to venture a little further down the road the village of Manchester beckons, home to outlet shopping and even more excellent dining and nightlife. Just be warned, Stratton is host to the US Open Snowboarding Championships.
Share your favorite spot with other readers
Posted by Ethan Binns at 03:20 PM
