VERY little chance of a green being open. This time of the year, there is usually an Advanced Skiers only sign by the lift.

There WILL be skiing on Thursday! (He bravely states!) But there are also other things to do in the area. Lots of little shops ti explore.

(Of course almost everything will be closed on Thursday, but I'd expect everything to be very alive by Friday. )

Click the Mad River Valley logo at the top-right of the page to go to their website. You can also go to the Mad River Valley section of this board for answers to any specific questions you may have.

Hope I've helped.

ALRHA wrote:

if SB opens up say thursday, is there any chance some first-timer slopes might be open as well? or would it really only be blues and blacks? My wife has never skied before, and I'd love to come, but only if there's a chance she'll get to ski on thurs and fri. also, is there anything else to do in the area other than ski? (in case [heaven forbid] there is no skiing)

Hi ALRHA, welcome!

Unfortunately I don't think there will be any bunny slopes open on Thurs/fri, altho with the cold temps this weekend maybe that will change sooner rather than later.

The area has alot of non-skiing things to do, check here www.madrivervalley.com. If the chamber is open on Fri they can give you lots of info. Personal fav for the wife and me is to head over to Burlington and spend the day walking along the waterfront, they have a real nice pathway built, shopping at Church Street Marketplace and having a great dinner. Other popular things to do in the area is to check out Montpleier, Ben&Jerry's and the Cold Hollow Cider Mill.

Come on, get out of the city, come to Vermont and relax!

ski_resort_observer wrote:

If the chamber is open on Fri they can give you lots of info. Personal fav for the wife and me is to head over to Burlington and spend the day walking along the waterfront, they have a real nice pathway built, shopping at Church Street Marketplace and having a great dinner. Other popular things to do in the area is to check out Montpleier, Ben&Jerry's and the Cold Hollow Cider Mill. Come on, get out of the city, come to Vermont and relax!

I'll be here with my turkey sandwich, 8am-5pm. If posters are around, stop in and say hi. I like Cape Cod dark russet chips and any cookie except peanut butter- sounds like a personal ad. I can give maps/directions to most anywhere if you are doing some exploring.....

Unfortunately, there will not be any beginner terrain open this weekend. Looks like we will have Upper Rim Run to Elbow to Spread Eagle to Lower Rim Run ready by Thursday. Today and tomorrow look productive for snowmaking. The rest of the week looks "iffy" at this point. However, the temps have come in lower than our forecast, so there is hope. If we get the temps we will begin expanding terrain up top as soon as possible.

Thanksgiving dinner at the Sugarbush Inn if you are not cooking your our turkey!

wow, thanks for all the replies guys, you sure are doing a good job at convincing me.

i'm just trying to decide if i'd want to come now, or rather come in a month when there will be more open (i'm not gonna just ski and leave the wife in the room to cook the turkey).

we are coming with our dog and suggarbush village seems to be the only condo place that allows pets.
any other ski places in the area that may have beginner slopes that would be less than say an hour drive?
(i know bretton woods and mount snow plan to have 'first timer' areas open, but they are pretty far from sugarbush).

personally, i always love sugarbush and have been there at least 10 times (but always to ski the mountain, never did anything else in the area).

I really don't think there's any resort that is going to open beginner terrain this early... I mean over the last few years a precedent has been set of a Thanksgiving or earlier opening but really the season doesn't truly swing in until the last few days of November into the first few of December, so really the goal is simply to be open... just logistically too it's tough because typically beginner terrain is at the bottom of the mountain, and the focus is on getting the top up and running...

The Powderhound welcomes dogs, they have small one bedroom units, reasonably priced and at the bottom of the Sugarbush access road. I think the Golden Lion accepts pets but they have standard motel type rooms.

yeah, maybe we'll just come anyway and hang out in the area or whatever. if something nearby opens a begginer area, we'll just take the drive, otherwise it will be the Ben & Jerry's factory (and perhaps a hike or something in the area if there are any).
We are also planning to come mid december, but figured since we're off for this weekend, might as well come now too rather than just sit home.

the hyde away allows pets too.... http://www.hydeawayinn.com/

Pet/dog friendly is always good.

freeheel_skier wrote:

the hyde away allows pets too.... http://www.hydeawayinn.com/ Pet/dog friendly is always good.

thanks, just took a peak at their site...
while the hydeaway has the advantage of being on mt ellen this week, the mountainside condo's look a bit nicer by the pictures.

ALRHA wrote:

...also, is there anything else to do in the area other than ski? (in case [heaven forbid] there is no skiing)

Sugarbush/Big Picture Rail Jam and Funk band.



http://www.snowboard-mag.com/node/16563

Win, care to give an update on opening day? It seems like we have been getting good cold nights to support the snowmaking.

See the skinny