Weekend In Mount Snow!

Last Friday, we escaped town and headed up to Mount Snow for some fun on the slopes. Jason had been away on business for the majority of January, so this family time was much needed. Over the past few years, I’ve started to wonder if his work-travel may have something to do with why we travel so much as a family. I cherish the moments spent together, creating these unforgettable memories. And during the cold wintery months, there’s nothing quite like hitting the mountains with my little snow bunnies.

Mount Snow is in the southern part of Vermont, so the drive from New York City can be made in under 4 hours, depending on when you leave. After an earlier tussle with NYC rush hour, we arrived at the Grand Summit Resort Hotel, situated right on the mountain. When skiing or snowboarding, its so much more convenient to stay on the mountain, to avoid schlepping all your gear back and forth. One cool thing about Mount Snow is that regardless of where you stay, you can leave your skis and snowboards with the ski valet. This year, we decided to rent gear for the season, so the ski valet was our first stop. Season rentals save time at rental shops when you first arrive to your ski destination. Anyone who has dealt with rentals and little kids bundled up in snow gear know exactly what I am talking about.

Our room for the weekend was a two bedroom suite with full kitchen, two bathrooms, balcony, and a lovely view of the mountain. After unpacking our bags, it was getting late, and we knew we would be getting up around 7am to get on the hill early, so we grabbed a quick bite at a nearby restaurant called The Last Chair, before calling it a night.

The following morning, we had some breakfast, and raced to get the kids to ski school in time. Even though all three of my children are pretty good skiers and boarders, it’s always good to give them a refresher course, and allow instructors to make sure the kids aren’t developing any bad habits. In the past, sending them to ski school was a bit of an ordeal, because they didn’t want to be apart for the day. Now that they are a little older, I think they expect to not only improve their skills, but also be subject to bottomless cups for hot cocoas available to ski school students! After pairing all three kids with their individual instructors, it was time to take my own lesson! I know I’ve mentioned this a million times but as much as I enjoy skiing, I get really nervous on the slopes. My goal this season is to overcome these jitters, and get my carving on!

Watch The Video

The Mountain

Located in southern Vermont in West Dover, Mount Snow is the most accessible Green Mountain getaway from southern metropolitan areas, at just 2.5 hours from Boston, and 4 hours from New York City. Conditions leading up to our trip were not great, considering the mountain and surrounding areas were drenched with rain just few days earlier. With that, I was skeptical on what to expect for our first run. Surprisingly, there was some nice snow coverage, which I learned later was due to the massive snow making efforts endured by the mountain on a daily basis. Having recently spent $54 million in snow making system upgrades, Mount Snow has the largest snow making operation on the east coast, and will rival most systems in the rest of the country. Another recent addition to the landscape is the Bluebird covered six person chair. This high speed ride gets you to the top in no time, and keeps you protected from the elements in the process.

The New Carinthia Base Lodge

Mount Snow recently opened a new base lodge called Corinthia, featuring their epic Corinthia Parks.  Jason and Ryder are the snowboarders and couldn’t wait to head over there to check it out! If you’re up for some acrobatics, you can try the jumps in Corinthia Parks. For us old, not so flexible folks, we were content just watching some of the cool aerials of these wild riders! This new lodge is a must see when you visit Mount Snow.

Ski School

The Discovery Center, located at the base is the dedicated home to The Mount Snow Ski and Snowboard School. Adults and children check in here to secure rental equipment, if needed, and meet instructors. Ski school for kids run half day or full day till 3:30pm. Mount Snow also offers babysitting for the little ones not hitting the slopes.

For Beginner Skiers/Boarders

You must check out the Peak Discovery Program as it’s designed for people riding for the first time, to get a taste for skiing or boarding. For just $139, a beginner gets three days of lessons, rentals, and lift tickets valid at 7 mountains across the Northeast, including Mount Snow, Hunter Mountain, Attitash, Wildcat, and more. Since it was debuted last year, it’s been a huge hit, so I figured it would definitely appeal to some readers who may want to give it a shot. Trust me, its grown to be one of our favorite family pastimes.

Snow Tubing

Whenever we hit the slopes, we love to mix in some snow tubing to change it up. Most ski areas have snow tubing hills in the same town, but Mount Snow’s tubing is located directly on the mountain, between the Main Base Lodge and the Grand Summit Resort Hotel. Whether you choose to spend the entire day tubing, or just make it an après-ski activity, you wont waste time in the car. With 8 lanes of tubing, its one of the biggest in Vermont. After a blast down the hill, you jump on the magic carpet lift for another run, rather than walking all the way up.

Pool & Hot Tubs:

After a tough day on the mountain, I love recapping the day’s activities during a soak in the pool or hot tub. Mount Snow offers two outdoor 12 person hot tubs, a huge outdoor heated pool, so you can swim anytime of year, as you gaze up at the trails.

So much to do at Mount Snow

Our family stuck to the slopes the entire weekend, but Mount Snow also offers snow mobile tours, dog sledding, snow shoeing, a bowling alley, and plenty more!

Pin it!