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Mad River Glen Ski Area
11 reviews for Mad River Glen Ski Area
11 reviews in English
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Review from Clifford A.
Essex, MA
3/27/2011
Unvarnished, pure skiing, the way mother nature intended it to be. The most honest ski report on their web page; when its not skiing like cream cheese and more like a crispy three-day old bagel, they say so. I have hit it on powder days, spring days, icy days....it is what it is and you learn to deal with all the conditions God can throw at you. They do groom and in fact DOUBLED their snow making capacity since they have ANOTHER snow gun! Whooo Hooo! You really need to ski it on a midweek spring day when the sun is out and the bumps are soft and the sun deck is hoppin' and there is no line on the single.....just the friendly locals who know where to get the goods.
Plus the chicken wings and nachos are AMAZING as is the selection of draft microbrews. I not only love skiing here, I love to hang here when I am done with the most challenging, unconventional terrain anywhere.
Ski it when you can. Pick your days and you shall be rewarded. -
Review from Laura D.
1/8/2009
First of all, this is Mad River the ski area, not Mad River the bar. And it is way better. Awesome, challenging skiing, without all the fluff of big shiny resorts and without the obnoxious crowds that go along with them. Just classic old-fashioned skiing. And no snowboarding.
Mad River is definitely old fashioned and rustic, with little snowmaking and grooming. No high-speed quads or sprawling resort "villages" here. Just real skiers. The terrain is fun and challenging, and even the intermediate trails can be ungroomed and bumpy. But there's definitely stuff for everyone, including the green and blue trails of "Birdland". Great tree-lined views and windy alpine trails up near the top. Upper and lower antelope is a fantastic long twisty trail all the way down the mountain through the trees. And some great glades - some of which were too scary-looking even for me.
The single chair (only one left in the country) is pretty cool. It gets pretty friggin cold, but the view is amazing. Lift lines can get long since the highest capacity lift is a double, but that just means the mountain is less crowded. Mad River gets a lot of hype, but it's well deserved I think. And $39 for a midweek lift ticket? Sold! -
Review from Shane F.
Cambridge, MA
1/9/2007
No snowboards allowed? I'd say, 'get out of the eighties' but if you visit Mad River it's pretty clear they aren't stuck in the eighties; they're stuck in the seventies. Anyhoo...
If you're a skier, and Vermont has had a good snow year, Mad River is a place you should check out. The terrain is excellent and the atmosphere is something special. The people are a lot friendlier and more welcoming than at other resorts. You get the feeling that you are part of a skiing community.
I have only skied off the single chair but, from the map it looks like there is plenty of blue and green terrain so I wouldn't take the "Ski it if you can" slogan too seriously.
Update: Mad River would get four or five stars if they didn't have that snowboard ban.Listed in: Sliding
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Review from dave h.
Brooklyn, NY
12/14/2010
If you consider yourself a serious skier, then make your pilgrimage to Mad River Glen. From the iconic Single Chair to some of the toughest terrain in North America, this place is definitely one of a kind.
There are no upscale boutiques, slope-side condos, or gourmet restaurants getting in the way -- just a gnarly mountain with lots of interesting ways to get down. This lack of luxury attracts a laid-back crowd of ski enthusiasts who are generally some of the nicest people you'll ever meet.
Are there drawbacks? Well, I've definitely waited up to 45 minutes for a ride on the famed Single Chair and suffered through one day of pretty-crappy conditions, but these are problems that every ski area in Vermont has. I'd still rather hang-out here then deal with the corporate amusement park vibe that most other ski resorts offer up. -
Review from William B.
Brooklyn, NY
1/7/2010
This is a purist's mountain. Simple, fun, and challenging. It's also one of only three ski resorts in the US that doesn't allow snowboarding.
Drove up from Philly when I had a couple days off. Unfortunately, all the snow hit everywhere except MRG. As a result, it was icey and windy but I still enjoyed myself.
With a midweek lift ticket price of 39 dollars, its hard to beat this place.
As other people have said, its simple. One small base lodge with food, and some tables. People come here for one thing and that's to ski. Just like their slogan, Mad River Glenn-ski it if you can.... -
Review from Todd K.
Merrimack, NH
12/17/2007
Awesome undeveloped mountain. I think Mad River has only one snow gun, so make sure you hit this place on a powder day...and you'll be glad you did. If it's not a powder day remember what I was once told - if you see a rock, stump or downed tree - turn. That's it.
It's hard to say whether their lack of uphill capacity (lifts) is a good or bad thing - but I'm all for it. Although the lines are long when the snow's a-flying, there are always fresh stashes to be found, and it doesn't get tracked out by 10am. So cheers to them for deciding to keep the single chair alive for another 25 years!. -
Review from gabe f.
Brooklyn, NY
5/16/2008
If you're looking for a swank resort with great food and comfy apres-ski amenities, MRG ain't for you.
But if what you like to do is ski, and be around people who like to ski, this is your place.
MRG is bare-bones: a small bar, a smaller grill, a bathroom with a deodorant smell worse than anything it's covering up, but....it's a real community; parents with kids, grannies and grampas who take the black-diamond runs with ease, people cutting work for a few hours in the sun...
This is a real community (it's a co-op, shareholder-owned and run), and it feels like one. There's no whiff of "ski resort", just plain old folks doing something they love.
And no snowboarding, sorry (i'm not sorry, but snowboarders probably are; although a few sneak in every year on a dare from Jake Burton of Burton boards ). -
Review from Thom C.
Rockland, MA
3/6/2010
Been going here for thirty years or so, and hardly anything has changed.
And that's for the better.
Some of the most interesting, challenging runs anywhere in the USA. Heck, probably in the world. If you love skiing wide open bowls, this is not your hill. Windy, narrow paths that flow with the mountain, tree runs and woods, steep bumps. This mountain lives up to its slogan.
Apres ski at Mad River is equally, well, just quintessential Mad River. Great local brews on tap.(esp the Magic Hat "Singlechair" and the Maple Imperial Stout, yum). You will mostly hear jazz fusion, 70s classic rock, and Grateful Dead, and again, it's perfect.
$39 midweek? All the sweeter. -
Review from Andrea G.
Virginia Beach, VA
1/5/2009
Really is "ski it if you can". Very little snowmaking, and MRG can get COLD. But on a sunny day or a powder day, it's heaven. You don't have the people who are really there to get drunk, stoned snowboarders, or lousy skiers. This is paradise for a good skier, and MRG is a destination even for those from out west. Great skiing, and you feel like the place is your own.
Listed in: Skiing in the Northeast
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Review from Ryan Z.
Roseville, CA
12/23/2009
Only reason I came here was because I heard it was a skier only resort and had to check it out. Glad I did because this place was unreal. It was like a giant step back in time. This is for true skiers. Nothing fancy, no expensive amenities, just plain simple skiing. Mt was really icy when I was there and the conditions sucked! Very very cold and windy. I'm sure they have a handful of great days there though. First time I ever felt truly comfortable leaving my gear and equipment anywhere and didn't get that feeling of "I hope my shit doesn't get jacked!"
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Review from nate r.
New York, NY
1/20/2009
Nice unrefined ski spot in mid-VT. Lots of wild-looking mountain men on crazy vintage skis (probably highest percentage of non-parabolic skis in north america) and locals. The utter lack of concern for the appearance of the base box, or what other places might call a "lodge," is refreshing. Forces you to focus on the mountain and certainly isn't a place members of the party who "don't ski" will find comfortable for an afternoon of reading. A solid bulwark against the ski areas that take the focus off the mountain.
Don't go on a day without powder -- or do if you're feeling reckless. No snowmaking, so runs get hairy, or in the parlance of one ski dude, "grumpy." Boulders and ice patches are as common as skiers themselves and merely add to the challenge. The other people on the mountain are largely absent due to the single chair which really throttles the flow of skiers to the summit. It sounds frustrating but it's highly refreshing to ski an Eastern mountain without finding yourself in a snow blanketed mob scene outfitted by Paragon. Runs here truly can be had without a glimpse of another person.
Great throwback mountain with friendly people, good terrain, gnarly runs and a great all around experience.
