I returned to my old haunts a few weeks ago to attend an Eastern Ski Writers meeting at Mount Snow in West Dover, Vermont. My wife, Drew, and our family had lived only forty minutes from this resort before we moved to mid coast Maine. It was with great fondness that we reacquainted ourselves with this very ski-able mountain.

Open since 1954, Mount Snow is the largest ski area in Southern Vermont and covers 588 acres of ski-able terrain, 80 trails and 1,700 vertical. 

New for the 2011/12 season the Bluebird Express with its signature blue bubble shield to ward off the wind on the ascent to the top was clearly the favorite on this chilly weekend. The lift is the first six passenger detachable bubble chair in the East. It is the most popular lift to the summit as evidenced by the constant lines of skiers and boarders waiting to ascend.

Southern Vermont, similar to what we experienced here in the mid coast area, had just come out of a couple of days in the 50 degree range followed by bitter cold. The snow making crew took badly eroded and icy terrain and turned it into a very ski-able surface over night. 

Peak Resorts, which purchased Mount Snow in 2007, invested more that 8 million dollars in fan snowmaking guns making more snow at a lower pressure and higher temperatures than conventional snow guns. The very ski-able conditions were a testament to that investment.

The area also recently installed a new 100 acre terrain park which Freeskier Magazine rated as a Top Resort in the country for its multiple, progressive terrain elements, half and superpipe and overall design. Not bad for a little New England town.

Another element that stands out at this resort is the quality of food around the base area. Gone are the days when the only sustenance available at the mountain was over priced junk food. Now customers are treated to a variety of stand alone, specialty restaurants. 

Our group enjoyed delicious food from “Harriman’s Farm To Table” which uses fresh local produce, Vermont artisan cheeses and local meats, an array of very good sushi from a mountain venue called “Go Fish,” and several burger choices from “1900’ Burger” including a tasty Crab Slider.

It was a delicious way to refuel after a good workout on the mountain. If you find yourself in Southern Vermont, I hope you’ll check out Mount Snow. You’ll be pleasantly surprised. See you out there.

Thomas Porter, a life-long skier and outdoor enthusiast, has been writing about his experiences for more than 25 years. Porter competed for his high school and college ski teams, racing at many of the ski areas throughout New England. He continued his engagement with downhill racing by coaching at Windham College in Vermont and the Brattleboro Vermont high school team. Porter has written articles for Explore New England magazine and was the winter sport columnist for The Brattleboro Reformer for more than 25 years before moving to Maine. Porter has contributed to The Maine Outdoor Journal and The Times Record. He is a 26-year member of the Eastern Ski Writers Association and The National Ski Journalist Association. Porter can be reached at tport1950@hotmail.com.