I’ve had a lot of stellar skiing experiences, but I never imagined I’d end up hitting the slopes of Vermont with a former US cop. “We’ve got a bluebird day,” beamed my guide Earl Kenney, using that wonderful American expression to denote clear blue skies and glistening slopes. He was clearly elated to be on a very different kind of beat from his former one as a law enforcement officer in Atlantic City. “Let’s enjoy!”
Kenney was my volunteer guide — or ambassador, as the resort called it — to the trails of Sugarbush, a quintessentially New England ski resort in Vermont. I felt in very safe hands as we set off for the morning, skiing a run called Heaven’s Gate Traverse together and twisting and turning at a leisurely pace — soaking up the superb views of the Green Mountains and, in the distance, Lake Champlain, famous for being home to Champ, America’s very own Loch Ness Monster (I swear I saw it!). The sun dazzled and the trees sparkled with clumps of freshly fallen snow, beautifully crafted into ice crystals.
Sugarbush was nicknamed “Mascara Mountain” in its 1960s heyday, when it attracted models and fashion designers as well as Paul Newman, Yoko Ono and the Kennedy clan.
While it no longer draws scores of A-list celebrities, the resort still has a cool, laid-back vibe and with its 111 ski trails, 16 lifts and substantial off-piste skiing terrain it is one of the biggest — and most popular — in New England.
Sugarbush ski resort has a relaxed atmosphere and terrific views of the Green Mountains
It was the second of three stops I would make in Vermont, as part of a wider winter adventure in America’s northeast — involving a stay in New York City, a train journey and several days’ skiing, punctuated with some sampling of the pale ales for which this part of the world is renowned.
“Ski and the City” was how I envisaged it: a holiday that would combine the exhilaration of being out in the fresh mountain air with the thrill of a couple of nights in the city that never sleeps. The ultimate pick-me-up for the sometimes harsh winter months: a win-win.
There’s never a bad time to visit New York, but while the run-up to Christmas is often seen as one of the best times of the year to go, January and February — when ski conditions are at their best — get my vote.
While it is undeniably cold in the first months of the new year, something of the twinkle and glow of its festive sheen remains. I watched skaters perform pirouettes around the Rockefeller Center ice rink before shooting up 70 storeys to the Top of the Rock Observation Deck, where I fell in love with the city all over again.
• New York City travel guide: What to do, where to stay and why you’ll love it
As I quickly discovered, winter is an excellent, crowd-free time to hit the sights. A two-day CityPASS gave me access to the Top of the Rock and a host of other attractions, including my choice, the Guggenheim and Natural History museums (for fabulous Impressionist art and dinosaur skeletons) and the 9/11 Memorial and Museum.
The January sales were on in the stores, such as Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s, and I headed to Broadway for two award-winning musicals — Kimberly Akimbo and Hadestown — having secured half-price tickets, another advantage of coming at this less touristy time of year. A wander through Central Park was another wintry must, and I enjoyed pizza, burgers and a peanut smoothie that had a calorie count as high as the Empire State Building.
Skaters in full flow at the Rockefeller Center ice rink
ALAMY
Two trains operate on the route between New York City and Vermont — the Vermonter, which starts in Washington DC and runs all the way to St Albans, and the Ethan Allen, which begins at New York’s Penn Station and ends in Burlington, travelling via Rutland. I took the latter — referred to by some as the “ski train” — partly because it is faster (7.5 hours rather than 9.5) and partly because, for the first two hours, it hugs the Hudson River.
The branches may have been bare and the sky slightly portentous, but we saw winter in all its majestic glory as we skirted the Hudson, enjoying glimpses of New Jersey on the other side, pausing only for brief stops at stations with evocative names such as Yonkers, Poughkeepsie and Rhinecliff. “Last call for Poughkeepsie!” I was unmistakably “upstate”.
American trains often get a bad rap, certainly they have fallen a long way from the time when the railroad ruled supreme. Since Americans widely prefer planes and cars, and passenger trains — unloved and sadly often unpunctual — have become the poor relation.
It baffles me. While Amtrak, the national carrier, may not compare with the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express, its padded seats — even in coach (economy) — are comfortable, the leg-room generous and the wi-fi functional. There was an onboard café serving bacon and cheese rolls and hot coffee. I eked out the views for as long as daylight lasted, reflecting on 48 action-packed hours in the Big Apple. Just over halfway through the journey, as we got closer to Rutland, I was thrilled by the first sighting of snow.
• 19 of the best hotels in New York
I have English friends in Washington and Philadelphia who go weak at the knees when they think of Vermont. “It’s the peace and beauty of the place,” says one. “I love the scenes of forest, river and cows steaming on the edge of fields,” says the other.
It is an extraordinarily scenic state, especially when the fall colours come out to play. But even in winter it has a raw beauty; a bucolic charm that belies its proximity to the northeast’s big-hitters, New York and Boston. And by American standards, it is full of history — some of the earliest settlers to the new world made this their home, and their imprint is still seen in the many buildings and country stores fashioned out of timber and granite in variations on what is termed (for how much longer?) the New England colonial style.
Not that it was overly peaceful in Killington, the first resort I visited, otherwise known as the “Beast of the East”. With six peaks and more than 150 ski trails catering for skiers and snowboarders of all abilities, Killington is the largest and best known of Vermont’s resorts. It has a youthful buzz and energy, a lack of pretentiousness and a positive vibe played out against a soundtrack of rock’n roll classics from the era of Led Zeppelin, Joe Walsh and the Doobie Brothers emanating from bars and restaurants up and down the mountain.
“Hey, man, when we’re warmed up let’s do some glades together,” said Jeff, someone I met on one of the lifts heading up to Killington Peak, the resort’s highest at 1,293m. “If you’ve come to the northeast you’ve got to do some glades!”
Doing glades, I soon discovered, meant skiing off-piste along barely defined trails through woods, taking great care not to become overly intimate with a tree. It was fun but a bit hairy. I preferred sticking to the trails — including the double-black-diamond Cascade, the single-black Superstar and the runs down from Bear Mountain (995m) and Snowdon (1,095m). My favourite was the gentler blue, Solitude — a glorious trail through forest.
Adrian in action on the slopes
JOE HEALY
I certainly earned the spicy pulled pork and cheese served at the humming Jerk Jamaican Mountain Grill at the bottom of the Needle’s Eye trail (mains from £9; killington.com/things-to-do/dining-apres/resort-dining/jerk/). Likewise, later, a wallow in the heated outdoor tub at my hotel, the Killington Grand, which also laid on live music, crackling log fires and easy access to the slopes. And later still, the Pollenator golden ale at the bar of the Long Trail Brewing Company, where I chatted to Nick and Natalie, a young couple from Boston there for the weekend (longtrail.com).
Hanging out with Americans, surrounded by the beautiful Green Mountains (part of the Appalachian range), the mood is infectious. It doesn’t take long to start saying “You got it!” and “Let’s do this!”, to begin to share the passion people in this part of the world feel for their favourite winter playground. Sure these eastern peaks don’t offer the dramatic panoramas of the considerably higher and more extensive Alps (or the Rockies for that matter), the slower, more dated lifts are not in the same league, and the snow can be a bit icy, the trails narrow — but it has atmosphere, and other advantages.
• Where is best for long-haul skiing — Japan or the US?
For Brits the east coast is quicker to reach than the west’s Rockies, and jet lag is less of an issue. The slopes are less crowded than many in Europe and the season can stretch from November to May. It’s easy to combine with a city (New York or Boston) or a visit to Atlantic Canada. And for all the grey days, there are often good views of the Adirondacks, Lake Champlain and even Mount Washington.
The town of Stowe is home to the tallest mountain in the state, Mount Mansfield
ALAMY
There remained one final pitstop: Stowe, a genuinely quaint, old-style town in the north of the state that is home to Mount Mansfield — the “king of mountains”, which at 1,340m is the highest in Vermont — with more than 100 trails.In the rather swish Spruce Peak part of the resort, you’ll find the flair, feel (and price tags) of some of the higher-end Alpine resorts.
Stowe’s other claims to fame include the factory where Ben and Jerry’s ice cream has been produced since 1985 (tours and tastings from £5; benjerry.com), an upmarket hotel, the Trapp Family Lodge, run by the Von Trapp family (really, of The Sound of Music fame; trappfamily.com) and Heady Topper double India pale ale, brewed locally by the Alchemist, which I sampled in the very convivial Piecasso pizzeria (mains from £14; piecasso.com).
After all of the above, I was itching to get back on to the slopes, and stuck into the more challenging terrain on the Mansfield side of the resort. It was another “bluebird day”, and now, on day five of my ski safari, I was as close as I ever get to having some sort of poise and rhythm.
As I set off, the upbeat words of the new pals I had skied with in Sugarbush were ringing in my ears: “Sounds great, buddy; have fun out there!” I sure did.
Adrian Bridge was a guest of America As You Like It, which has eight nights’ room only — three at the Killington Grand, three at the Lodge at Lincoln Peak, and two at INNSiDE New York NoMad — from £2,285pp, including a New York CityPASS, return train to Vermont, six days’ car hire and flights (americaasyoulikeit.com). He was also the guest of the Vermont Department of Tourism & Marketing (vermontvacation.com). For further information see skivermont.com and nyctourism.com
This article contains affiliate links, which can earn us revenue
More great ski and city breaks
By Siobhan Grogan
Museums in Munich and Alpine cosiness in Lech, Austria
Get a culture fix before hitting the slopes by starting in Germany’s Bavarian capital, which is packed with art galleries, an opera house and the museum quarter of Kunstareal. Stay central at the Louis Hotel, with its minimal, contemporary rooms and champagne bar, then take a three-hour private car transfer to its sister hotel Severin*s in the Austrian resort of Lech, part of the vast Arlberg ski area. Close to 185 miles of pistes, its nine suites have open fires, balconies and straight-from-a-Christmas-card mountain views.
Details Five nights’ B&B — two in Munich and three in Lech — from £1,879pp, including transfers and four dinners (louis-hotel.com). Fly or take the train to Munich
Hip dining in Vancouver then skiing in Whistler, Canada
Whistler is the biggest ski resort in North America
GETTY IMAGES
With its mountain-backed skyline, Pacific coastline and temperate rainforest, Vancouver has an outdoorsy heart but also thrums with urban cool. This package kicks off with three nights at a four-star hotel in the city, giving time to explore its craft breweries, hip seafood restaurants, food markets and city parks. A two-hour coach transfer will then whisk you to Whistler, North America’s largest ski resort and host of the 2010 Winter Olympics, with 8,000 acres of skiable terrain for all abilities. Even non-skiers will be entertained, with snowmobiling, zip-lining, ice skating, dog sledding and snowshoeing on offer.
Details Thirteen nights’ room only — three in Vancouver and ten in Whistler — from £2,499pp, including transfers, nine-day lift pass and flights (trailfinders.com)
Art and history in Bolzano and Michelin stars in Alta Badia, Italy
The Dolomites is home to the Hotel Recort resort
GETTY IMAGES
Stay at the central ParkHotel Laurin to enjoy the small city of Bolzano’s splendid frescoes, medieval churches, gabled pastel buildings and café-lined squares. Hire a car for the easy 90-minute drive to the Alta Badia ski region, where the new adults-only Hotel Recort opens on December 5 in the Dolomites. Go on December 14 and you can ski between mountain huts where chefs from Michelin-starred restaurants cook for one day only (three dishes £50pp; altabadia.org).
Details B&B doubles from £176 at ParkHotel Laurin (laurin.it); half-board doubles from £346 at Hotel Recort (hotelrecort.it). Fly to Bolzano
• 20 of the best ski resorts in Europe for 2024
Ancient wonders in Kyoto and hot springs in the Japanese Alps
Six Senses Kyoto is a luxurious new hotel
Skiing in Japan earns extra bragging points, but it would be a shame to go all that way and miss the country’s former imperial capital Kyoto. Two nights at the luxurious, recently opened Six Senses Kyoto hotel will give you just enough time to take in the city’s ancient temples, cobbled streets and the famous Fushimi Inari shrine. Afterwards, a four-hour car transfer is included to the Hoshino Resorts KAI Matsumoto in the Japanese Alps, with an elevation up to 3,000m. Ease post-ski muscles at the hotel’s eight baths, fed by the natural Asama hot spring.
Details Seven nights’ B&B — two in Kyoto, five in Matsumoto — from £2,785pp, including transfers and flights (theultimatetravelcompany.co.uk)
Become a subscriber and, along with unlimited digital access to The Times and The Sunday Times, you can enjoy a collection of travel offers and competitions curated by our trusted travel partners, especially for Times+ members
Sign up for our Times Travel newsletter and follow us on Instagram and X