Opinion on Titus + What should I ski next ?

Patrick

Patrick

Well-known member
I guess you can break to discussion in two parts.


First TITUS: I got a weekend trip at Titus, any opinion or comments. I am also bringing my daughter, I don't think I would've done if it would only be for me. It's only 2 hours from Ottawa, is there any other good things about this place?


Second: This then brings me to the second part of this discussion? Is there a place in NEw England/New York that I missed skiing and that I should visit? Mind the further south I go, the further from my home I am getting.

I have skied in the US East so far:

NY:
Whiteface

VT:
Jay
Burke
Smugglers
Stowe
MAd River
Sugrbush
Killington

NH:
Cannon

ME:
Sugarloaf
Sunday River

So what I am missing, yes Wildcat is definately on my list, maybe Pico? What else is worth a trip which are also as good if not better than the ones I have already skiied?
 
In the dacks there's gore. I have yet to ski there but will definetly get there this season and hear that it's really nice. As far as Titus goes I have yet to ski their either but from what I hear though small it's a fun little mountain. I'll probably get in some cheap friday night college skiing. In 2 years when Big tupper reopens as long as they don't mess with the trails too much and turn them all into the infamous mctrails there should be very good skiing there. I havn't skied there in like 10 years but last time I did it was really an awesome ski area. First place I ever saw a glade. I'll probably do some hiking around it this winter and will report back my findings.
 
Now I'm going to go ahead and say Hunter but hear me out...

First you have to go ther (I mean MUST) mid week. Weekends are worse than K. The crowds are just as dense but instead of being packed with New Englanders who know a bit of what they are doing it is packed with folks from NYC who ski like they drive.

Second. Hunter West especially Anna Purna has some bangin' fun terrain. Steep and narrow with big bumps. And WestWay can be a ball. All of hunter west for that matter is a good time and since it is all very aggressive over there you can avoid the idiots who live in the 7th ave area.

At any rate hunter is worth a trip.
 
Patrick, if you want to ski Hunter and can't make it on a weekday, let me know and I'll be glad to show you around on a weekend. I ski there every weekend and I never wait more than 10 minutes on any lift line, even on a holiday.

Ryan, I agree Hunter gets crowded, but it is a myth that it gets more crowded than any other ski area. If you know where to ski on the mountain at any one time you can avoid most of the crowds easily. Sounds like you have been there more than once.
 
You're missing a day at Saddleback, but don't go unless it's a good snow year, and don't go until the middle of March for the best snow. I've heard the backside is a good ski too, but it requires hiking back out.

You could also tour the 1.7 miles across the ridge to "The Horn" which appears to have a few above-treeline shots of a few hundred vert each.
 
NHpowderhound":1m5ehm2x said:
Mt. Washington
((*
*))NHPH
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Thanks NHPH, but I have been a few times at Mt. Wash.

I should said lift-serviced ski areas :roll: .

Is it worth driving 280 miles from Montreal (which is 125 miles from Ottawa) to get to Hunter? Mind you that ALL the ski areas mentioned above ARE within 200 miles from Montreal + all of Quebec's big ones(Tremblant, Townships Ste.Anne, Massif). Yes, even Sugarloaf.

So people mentioned, Gore, Hunter, Saddleback and Magic.

How is Pico? It's on my maybe list.
 
Patrick":3gof29ti said:
Is it worth driving 280 miles from Montreal (which is 125 miles from Ottawa) to get to Hunter?
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Travel via MTL makes little sense. Without looking at a map, I'd venture a guess to say that it would make more sense to take 81 south through Watertown and Syracuse.

Patrick":3gof29ti said:
How is Pico? It's on my maybe list.
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Relatively tame, but usually uncrowded. Even when it was under independent ownership it was a good alternative to the sometimes-zoo next door.
 
Admin":3d7t8qon said:
Patrick":3d7t8qon said:
Is it worth driving 280 miles from Montreal (which is 125 miles from Ottawa) to get to Hunter?
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Travel via MTL makes little sense. Without looking at a map, I'd venture a guess to say that it would make more sense to take 81 south through Watertown and Syracuse.
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Ottawa-Montreal-Hunter: 125+275=400miles Travel time: 2h+4h34=6h34

Ottawa-Watertown-Syracuse-Hunter: 380miles Travel time: 6h17

Not much difference, except maybe the traffic.

All this said and done, I generally use Montreal family as a base to head down skiing to the States (exception is Whiteface).
 
6 hours is a long way to drive; then again, it takes me about 5 1/2 hours to get to Mt. Washington and I gladly do that in the spring.

I really can't tell you if it's worth the drive to Hunter because I don't know how you feel about lots of driving, but...

I can guarantee you'll have a great time at Hunter, especially if snow conditions allow us to check out the Catskill backcountry.
 
I ski Gore fairly regularly. There are a lot of unmarked glades. If there's good snow, the skiing there can be awesome.

Magic is a gem, but again, it must be hit when there's good snow (read http://www.firsttracksonline.com/magic2004.htm)

Both these places have marginal snowmaking. Gore is better than Magic as far as man-made goes, but the terrain where the manmade snow is at either of these places is not what you'd drive that far for. Wait until Feb when the snowpack is sufficient and pray for a powder day.

If you want to ski in very deep snow...hit Snow Ridge when the lake effect machine has kicked into full gear. Usually Dec/jan is a good time for this. I haven't yet made it there, but I understand it is worth the drive only when there's a big dump...which could happen there and nowhere else thanks to Lake Ontario and a good Canadian northwest wind. BTW, there's only 700 vert.
 
Actually I have only been to Hunter for one 2 day stint, but it was a great time.
It was late season last year and ended up timing it perfectly. I ended up being there for the last day of the Local-Motion ski races. Great thing was since we made that last one we got invited to the after party/banquet that night. We met a local the night before in a bar (that little Pub directly across from the entrance) and he told us all about it. You have a point Patrick that 6+ hours is quite a way to drive so it would have to be an overnight at least. Then again who am I to talk. I drove 10 hrs for 2 days of November skiing at K.
 
Ryan":orpgt8hv said:
You have a point Patrick that 6+ hours is quite a way to drive so it would have to be an overnight at least. Then again who am I to talk. I drove 10 hrs for 2 days of November skiing at K.
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I will only travel from Montreal, so it would be ONLY :? 4.5 hours to reach Hunter, however the problem I have is that, unlike you Ryan, I will driving longer than I need to reach all the great ski Eastern Ski areas I mentioned above! So, is it worth driving an extra 2 hours more than Stowe, MRG, Sugarbush , 1 hour more than Sugarloaf and Killington?
 
Patrick, tough call.
I am a huge fan of seeing something new. But if there are major places that would also offer new terrain and are closer I would go for them. On the other hand, Hunter is a blast and with Hunter West set aside like it is, you have a lift that services just that area. This results in short lines there and nothing but hardcore skiing in that zone.


however the problem I have is that, unlike you Ryan, I will driving longer than I need to reach all the great ski Eastern Ski areas I mentioned above!
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You have a really good point here. I'm driving for a full day no matter where I go is seems.
 
When you go to Wildcat, I recommend you also plan to spend a day at nearby Attitash/Bear Peak. There is not much steep terrain at Wildcat and not that many top-to-bottom trails. Despite a smaller, (but still respectable) vertical, there is a lot of enjoyable steeper terrain and high speed cruising runs at Attitash/Bear Peak. The main drawback is that the summit at Attitash can only be reached with a long and slow triple. When I visited that region two years ago, it was for Cannon and Wildcat, but I was pleasantly surprised by A/BP.
 
Merci Bernard,

I missed skiing at Wildcat a few times. There was the time when they closed earlier than planned during a early trip to Tuckerman a few years back.

And the most serious atempt was in 1998 on a planned Sugarloaf-Wildcat connection during a long weekend, however I was pretty sick the first day when I was in Sttraton (town near Sugarloaf) and ended up going to the hospital in Lac Mégantic instead of skiing Sugarloaf. The next day I felt better and skiied Sugarloaf, but the long weekend was already over. :?

Actually, if I get the green lights (work, home), the next new ski area I should ski is le Mont Edouard. The plan trip will lead me all the way to Mont Edouard in the Saguenay. :shock:
 
Patrick":2vimy055 said:
Actually, if I get the green lights (work, home), the next new ski area I should ski is le Mont Edouard. The plan trip will lead me all the way to Mont Edouard in the Saguenay. :shock:
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A terrific choice! For those unfamiliar with the place, our story is here.
 
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