The Peakskier's list of 'Little Hills that Could" ?

[Liam]

You know, Reading over Gary's infectious trip review of some blower days at Holiday Valley got me thinking: we ought to create a Peakskier's compendium of great 'Little Hills that Could'-I (like most of us inveterate east coasters) love skiing at these second and third tier areas (with 1st tier skiing for the knowledgeable!).  I've love to get a bucket list of these areas (maybe do a regional divide as well, as a western 'little area' is usually the same acreage as Killington!).

Holiday Valley is a perfect example of on of these bumps (for all the reasons enumerated by Gary).

Berkshire East is another (for all the reasons and videos I've posted..

I'd add: Plattekill and Belleayre in the Catskills, NY.  Great Hills, with expert and interesting 'only in the Catskill's' type terrain.  Thousands of New Yorkers and New Jerseyans drive right by these places on their way to Huntah and Windham missing out on some of the coolest and easy going skiing in the Cats.  Half the crowds and the cost, equal in pitch these are the two real Gems of that great, gnarly little mountain range south of Albany! 

What else belongs on this list, where is it, what is it and why is it worth skiing?

[Gary]

Nice Thread Liam. could be a new category for our site too.(Hey Jim...how about setting up a Resort Review Category? Resorts under 1500 vert and those over?)
A THOUGHT:
Let's assign numeric values for categories.. 1 low and 5 high....here's some suggestions:

Vertical                                       
Variety
Accommodation at resort
Town nearby
Snow Quality
Lift access
Terrain Park
Food at Mountain

Ok....I'd add Bristol Mountain to the list...

Category                                    Value   Comments

Vertical                                          5   1200 ft                                                                                           
Variety                                           4   Numerous trails, great sustained pitch
Accommodation at resort                 2   Limited at base, B&B's and hotels 10-15 min away
Town nearby                                   2   30 min drive
Snow Quality                                   4 Avg 100", excellent snow making coverage
Lift access                                       5   High speed quad, good lifts, not all run during the week
Terrain Park                                    5   Yes
Food at mountain                             4   Restaurant at base, waffle house off of south trails

[jim-ratliff]

Gary:
Will do if we get enough replies.
Jim.

[LivingProof]

I would add Elk Mountain in Pa. to the list. Pa.'s best skiing with a 1000 ft vertical , more terrain than any other Pa hill. Good snowmaking. Lifts are old slow chairs . It's motto is "Vt skiing in Pa"..

And, it the local hill for Midwif and Jim.

[dan.boisvert]

Great idea, Liam!

Magic Mountain in Londonderry, VT should be on this list, because it's got the best terrain and coolest vibe in southern VT.  Where else in southern VT can you pet golden retrievers and talk to toddlers while booting up in the bar in the morning, and ski stuff with mandatory air in the afternoon?  The people are always super laid-back and friendly, and seem to know they've got a good thing going, too.  The only downside is it's pretty dependent on natural snow, so time your visit accordingly.

Saddleback in Rangeley, ME should be here, too.  The vibe is more medium-mountain, but it hits way above its weight in interesting trails, including an expanse of glades even I was impressed with, as somebody not terribly into tree skiing.  It's also organized into distinct zones, with all the advanced/expert stuff separate from the beginner/intermediate stuff.  My biggest pet peeve is when mountains cut their advanced trails in half or thirds with a beginner-laden mountain road, and you have to hit the brakes and dodge masses of unpredictable beginners as soon as you get up to speed.  At Saddleback, that's simply not an issue due to the trail layout.  It's pretty nice.  Also, the brownies and fudge sold at the counter are homemade and REALLY good.  The girl will tempt you with samples.  If you're on a diet, do not try one.  They're irresistible, even for a guy who doesn't much care for sweets.

[patprof]

Even though Greek Peak is my home mountain-there is a wonderful little mountain North of there (South of Syracuse) called Toggenburg. Only has about 750' of vertical. But the Mt. is still family owned-very friendly folks there-always well groomed, and in addition to a cafeteria, they have a great restaurant (super food at a reasonable price). Best of all-if you're 70 (or older) the skiing is free!! They also run a special on Tuesdays:("triple L" day) (Lift, lesson, and lunch) all for $20 bucks! Often you end up getting a private (or near private lesson).
Pat

[GreenTrails]

This thread morphed pretty quickly from "Little Hills" to my favorite mountain.  How is over 1500' of vert little?

[dan.boisvert]

This thread morphed pretty quickly from "Little Hills" to my favorite mountain.  How is over 1500' of vert little?

Depends on your frame of reference, I suppose.   I was thinking "little" when compared with corporate monstrosities like Killington and Sunday River.

My current benchmark for "big" is the Arlberg..