With winter finally upon us, people of all ages begin the annual transition into ski season. Weather you are a weekend warrior, or a hardcore local who commutes to the local hill everyday, you need to know the inside scoop on the East Coast’s most popular resorts to ensure maximum enjoyment this winter.  

If long, early drives aren’t really your thing, Connecticut offers some of the northeast’s most quality small mountain skiing and riding. With mountains under an hour drive from West Hartford, getting your skiing fix in is as easy as grabbing your skis or board and driving up after school.

Hall High School favorite, Ski Sundown, is a short 30 minute drive away. With everything from beginner terrain, to steep black diamonds, there is something there for everyone. If you are looking to perfect those tricks, slide into either of Sundown’s terrain parks for a healthy dose of rails and jumps. According to locals, they also have the best french fries on the east coast.  

Is it your first time or you aren’t sure you are ready for those long runs? Mt. Southington Ski area is just the place for you. Being one of the smallest mountains on the east coast at only about 14 trails, it is a low-consequence place for you and your friends can learn to ski or ride, especially because of the low priced lift tickets.

One of my personal favorite parts of going to resorts is the early morning drive with me and all my closest buddies. If you have the patience, you can dive to some of the best resorts in the world. Weather it is parks, pipes, or powder, the east coast is a melting pot of mountain sports talent.

Massachusetts’ finest, Wachusett Mountain, lies in beautiful Princeton, MA. At under 2 hours away, WaWa, as the locals call it, is the closest “Big Mountain” to West Hartford. It has some of the best undiscovered tree runs in New England. Be careful though, don’t get caught on an unmarked trail, you might get your pass pulled! Want to stay in-bounds? Ski or ride some of Wachusett’s 112 skiable acres, day or night. On your way out, be sure to stop to get some of the world famous, homemade apple cider doughnuts!     

My personal favorite mountain, along with Hall High School ski enthusiast Jon Kaback’s, and east coast terrain park king, Mount Snow, is only a short 2 hours away. Mount Snow’s parks have won countless awards and been featured in many video parts over the years. With an entire mountain face dedicated to terrain parks, you are sure to have a good time at Carinthia Parks at Mount Snow. Rails and jumps aren’t your forte? No problem!  80 trails and countless tree runs with the best snow on the east will show anyone a great time, no matter the skill level!

“The Beast Of The East”, Killington Mountain boasts the biggest ski and board experience east of the Mississippi. It truly is a “Beast” With 155 trails, 5 terrain parks, over 1500 acres of skiable terrain, and over 250 inches of annual snowfall, it’s no wonder lift ticket prices are through the roof. If you want to pay almost triple digits for a lift ticket, and drive 3 hours up to mendon, you are almost guaranteed the best resort experience within driving distance.

The east coast gets a bad wrap in the ski industry. We are known for icy runs, poor snow conditions, poorly built parks, and cold chairlift rides. Maybe if those “ice coast” haters took a trip here, they would see that the conditions don’t make a ski resort, it is the people and the wonderful atmosphere that makes east coast skiing and riding a once in an experience like no other.