Stratton, VT Review: As Good As Its Ad Campaign?

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An in-depth video review of Stratton, a popular ski resort in southern Vermont. The resort has grown in prominence over the past few years thanks to heavy advertising in the New York City metropolitan area. Filmed in February 2023 and January 2024.
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0:00 Intro
0:49 Why These Ad Campaigns Are Everywhere
1:45 Size and Terrain Diversity
2:18 Vertical Drop
2:39 Resort Layout
3:04 Beginner Terrain
3:44 Intermediate Terrain
4:20 Terrain Parks
4:33 Advanced and Expert Terrain
5:15 Ease of Navigation
5:52 Crowds and Uphill Capacity
6:25 Mountain Aesthetic
6:54 Snow Quality and Resiliency
7:21 Snowmaking Operations
7:54 Grooming Operations
8:09 On-Mountain Facilities
8:50 Getting There
9:38 Lodging
10:00 Parking
10:23 Aprés-ski
10:59 Verdict
11:20 Pricing
11:57 Score Breakdown and Rank
Overall Mountain Score: 56/100 - #5 in Vermont
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Snow: 5/10
Resiliency: 6/10
Size: 4/10
Terrain Diversity: 5/10
Challenge: 5/10
Lifts: 8/10
Crowd Flow: 6/10
Facilities: 6/10
Navigation: 8/10
Mountain Aesthetic: 3/10
See our full resort breakdown and written review for Stratton here: www.peakrankings.com/content/...
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Опубликовано:

10 июн 2024

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Комментарии : 128

@victorterranova6508 3 месяца назад

For what Stratton offers on and off the mountain, Stratton is amazing. Great for families that need ski school, extras (non-skiing activities) want a village experience and only want a few hour drive.

@christianwestling2019 3 месяца назад

Great signage at a mountain can't be overstated. I was once at a place that even hade signs directed at the chair lift riders; so we knew what trail we were passing above, so we knew what to look for when going down; briliant!

@bobl6139 3 месяца назад

Just did all four aspen mountains and signage was shockingly lacking halfway down many trails compared to the east I’m used to

@JollyLamaCom 3 месяца назад

Angel Fire does that and it's very helpful.

@JoshuaPodchaiski 3 месяца назад

Quick Question: You think you guys could do a peak ranking of Smugglers Notch in Vermont? This has to be one of the most underrated resorts in Vermont by far. It's super technical and would be a great mountain to review.

@PeakRankings 2 месяца назад

We’re hoping to get a video up once we have enough footage of certain resort areas! In the meantime, here is our written review: www.peakrankings.com/content/smugglers-notch

@dannycolazzo1 3 месяца назад

I went out to Pico in VT a couple weeks ago based off of the review from this channel. We had a great time and will definitely be going back. I never would've even known about it if not for you!

@JollyLamaCom 3 месяца назад

I had a great time at Pico. Is it 100% open yet? When I was there the gnomes triple and outpost lifts weren't going.

@dannycolazzo1 3 месяца назад

It was mostly open when I went. Mountain report said something like 58/61 trails open@@JollyLamaCom

@humanbeing2420 Месяц назад

I spent many a ski day at Stratton throughout the 1980's and really liked it. I haven't been back since....

@Jaltman11 3 месяца назад

Finally! I’ve been waiting years for this

@Bluebottlenose 3 месяца назад

I have been saints tens of years

@chrisrusso6107 3 месяца назад

I grew up skiing southern Vermont in the 90s. Back then Stratton was known as a "New Yorker/city" mountain. I think Alterra is just leaning into a culture that had already been there for years. We usually ended up skiing Bromley given it was cheaper, less crowded and the southern exposure helped soften up the icy conditions.

@JiminyTapes 2 месяца назад

bromley and magic way better real ones know

@josephrosner905 3 месяца назад

thx for doing this review!!!

@TheGeographyNerd 2 месяца назад

Please go to Mt. Baldy in California 🙏 It is a small local resort with a very old-timey feel, mainly fueled by their main 2 lifts which are unchanged from 1954. It is only an hour away from LA on a normal day and has pretty good snow after they get a storm.

@jonjonsshreds3312 3 месяца назад

I’ve skied Stratton for years, perfect review! I think it has some decently challenging double blacks like test pilot and kidderbrook ravine but it’s overall a good not great mountain

@coasterdragon155 3 месяца назад

love your reviews. are you guys going to check out Lutsen? would be very interesting to review

@PeakRankings 3 месяца назад

We're hoping to film there this year- weather conditions permitting!

@suneilkumar 2 месяца назад

Stratton is definitely the best southern VT resort. Very easy skiing navigation and driving commute. The crowd situation isn't nearly as bad as Mt Snow and Okemo (mid-week you basically have the entire place to yourself). Stratton does groomed runs better than anyone else. I regularly achieve 35k ft vertical.

@thumbthumbkitty 3 месяца назад

I've skied there for years. The mid-week experience is best there. The deals at the Black Bear Lodge Mon - Thurs are very affordable for being on-site. The hotel is nice with a well-worn rustic vibe. Park your car and won't need it till you leave. Unless you wanna go to Manchester. The glades are challenging and a ton of fun when filled in.

@Punz18 3 месяца назад

Test Pilot is by far my favorite trail at Stratton when it's open, it's one of the best tree runs in Southern Vermont.

@pet3839 3 месяца назад

Was near there a couple days ago

@CoolBeanZ43 3 месяца назад

Pleasss do smugglers notch

@Punz18 3 месяца назад

Tip for Stratton crowds: the mountain starts to empty out at 2pm.

@elliot6509 3 месяца назад

Was there today

@JeremiahGreco 3 месяца назад

Stratton was advertising in NYC, on subway platforms etc. at least 20 years ago (pre-Alterra, but for ad-budget purposes, similar with Intrawest), and probably dating back into the 90s or earlier (possibly even into the independent days).

@hello-7008 3 месяца назад

Stratton has some pretty fun cliffs and tight trees near the shooting star lift as well as off kidderbrook just never get enough snow for them to be enjoyable for more than 2 days a season

@zman7689 3 месяца назад

Of all the Ikon pass mountains in the East Stratton was by far my least favorite. Very crowded on the weekends. Worst part was the lack of line management in the base area. It was basically a free for all getting up the lift. Every other ski resort I've ever been to has you line up in groups before the line filters down and they scan your pass. For some reason they do the opposite. You have to scan your lift ticket to get into the line area, then make your way into the appropriate line (group or singles). It was so dumb. The layout of the lifts is also pretty rough. Not a single lift runs from the base to the peak - you need to take 2 lifts to get to the top of the mountain. Pretty lame for a mountain with so little vertical. If you like to ski for everything except skiing, this is the mountain for you. If you enjoy actually riding down the mountain - try some other place.

@GwenGreenberg 3 месяца назад

Well only since you mentioned Camelback, Blue mountain is also on the Ikon pass, has two detachable quads and a high speed six pack, 1 k vertical, excellent snow making and grooming

@coasterdragon155 3 месяца назад

Crowds can get pretty nasty sometimes 😅 but I'd love to see them review some of the Mid-Atlantic ski resorts!

@vibratingstring 3 месяца назад

Blue used to be called Little Gap and was more like 800 feet. They extended somehow without going below the river hehe. Margie's Delight at Camelback was much more fun than anything at Blue, which was not challenging. Maybe the expansion is better?

@brittanywhiteley9303 3 месяца назад

@@vibratingstring To its credit, Blue does genuinely does have some fun and challenging (for PA) terrain now - Razor's Edge and Challenge are both pretty fun runs imo. That said, Blue has serious crowding issues only made worse by the fact that they funnel everyone who wants to ride any of its HS lifts onto one trail (Home Stretch) to get there. That said, the crowding at the base and the fact that Blue honestly has way too much uphill capacity for the amount of terrain it has means that I'd rather ski Camelback over Blue (or for that matter, Elk Mtn. or Montage if I have a whole day to get to those resorts from the Philly area).

@Clipitmedia 3 месяца назад

One trail I’ll say elicited a emotional response for me at stratton is test pilot, if you hug the yellow rope ski boundary line all the way down when there’s a lot of snow it is otherworldly. By far one of my favorite glade runs I’ve been on. West pilot is also good for more intermediate tree skiers. There’s a lot of flat sections on this mountain that are sure to have your legs burning if you’re a snowboarder. Best to avoid holiday weekends as you are sure to be overwhelmed by New Yorkers. I think the biggest impact of advertising heavily in NYC is the people are not as friendly compared to other mountains further north. When I go to killington by myself someone sparks up a conversation every time and it’s amazing the people you meet. In stratton however people on the lifts tend to be rude and love to complain instead of appreciating the beautiful opportunity of spending a day on the slopes.

@bestestname6757 3 месяца назад

I just went to blue mountain today in PA. It was really nice for PA. Also on the icon pass i think. Glad the new yorkers dont show up there😅. Probably the best in the poconos.

@elliot6509 3 месяца назад

5:41 meant to say Sun Bowl not Snow Bowl

@danielabarshalin4052 3 месяца назад

Camelback mentions RAHHhh it’s my home mountain please do a review please

@bay82175 3 месяца назад

I know this is probably nit-picky, but you should center adjust all your scores on the rankings spreadsheet. The eye wants to see them fall in a column directly below the total. Other than that, I LOVE your videos!

@michaeltravers3095 3 месяца назад

The Snowbowl is how to avoid the flats on the lower mountain.

@johng7775 3 месяца назад

Never understood the hate on Stratton. Something for everyone, close to the city, and grizzley apres is top tier. People say “it’s so crowded” I go damn near every weekend and I never find myself waiting on like for more than 5-7 minutes, gondola or quad. Now holiday weekends, yea stay far away, but normal weekends aren’t bad, people just like to blow it out of proportion. Like this guy said it won’t move you emotionally with anything, but it does everything very well. The only downside to Stratton isn’t even the mountain, it’s the fact there’s no real town.

@matanheilman6971 3 месяца назад

For someone who skied 25 days at Stratton last year, it is EMPTY on weekdays. The terrain is pretty good.

@zbark3110 3 месяца назад

Check out loon that’s my home mountain

@bobl6139 3 месяца назад

No comparison to Stratton although it’s decent by nh standards

@src248 3 месяца назад

I have literally never heard of this mountain before... I guess the ad campaign hasn't reached Canada yet :P

@Greatifys 3 месяца назад

cool

@MountainMitchYT 3 месяца назад

How is the park here compared to Carinthia?

@PeakRankings 3 месяца назад

Not as good.

@imjusthereforthecomments8828 2 месяца назад

Absolutely awful

@ahoop3886 3 месяца назад

Sick

@jackof1 3 месяца назад

Distances from NYC & BOS are over by 1 hour

@johnpooley3 2 месяца назад

You mixed up ski in and ski out referring to the parking lot

@paulrollinson7604 3 месяца назад

the Gondola access if up a flight of stairs. Not bad for a few times but a pain over the entire day. Someone should have designed access better. Decent place to ski. It does get icy after lunch

@daneg 3 месяца назад

My memory of Stratton is very similar to that of Mount Snow: highly commercialized. tons of events. major destination mountain for the larger urban centers, but it's not very good for any expert. overcrowded and overpriced. personally, I would go to a smaller mountain and get just as good skiing...better in terms of crowd. not a bad place. just non-descript. edit: looking at your list of mountains in VT, almost everything ranked below Stratton is usually a better experience: Bolton Valley, Bromley, Magic, Mad River (is you're expert)...Stratton to me is usually a place to avoid. Not bad. but overcrowded and generic. unless there's a snowboard or race event, I'd say it's not at all worth the headache. leave it to the masses who don't know any better.

@markdisanzo3796 3 месяца назад

I went to Stratton last year for the first time. I was less than impressed. The terrain isn't great, and the pistes just aren't interesting. IMO, it's really not worth the hype. Drive another hour to Okemo. You'll be better off.

@myoutuber77 3 месяца назад

Disagreed. Randomly looking at 3-day tickets for Mar 4-6: Okemo $360, Stratton $226. Peak Ratings gives Stratton a score of 56, Okemo only gets 52. For comparison, East Coast top rated Killington scores 61. There is not a metric where Okemo exceeds Stratton. Imo Okemo is a terrible value.

@benjaminsaunders5636 3 месяца назад

This video is too harsh. If you know how to navigate this mountain, you can have a very good day there.

@texan_2ocho965 3 месяца назад

“Flatton”

@JollyLamaCom 3 месяца назад

I would say Stowe is more overrated than Stratton. I know Stowe is the OG and Stratton is more POSH but my experience at Stowe was underwhelming. Stowe (the town) has lots of great restaurants, tho.

@MountainMan9712 3 месяца назад

Genuinely curious about what happened at stowe that made it underwhelming. I'm guessing crowds and price? In my opinion Stowe is one of if not my favorite resort. I liked stratton but stowe is in a whole different league than stratton

@user-vj2dw8pi5g 2 месяца назад

We call it "Flatten". Talk about boring. The lift line is the exciting part.

@GarrettKoval 2 месяца назад

As a person who has worked at 4 different resorts in VT, over 14 years… I can say Stratton layout and none exciting trails are perfect for the people they are advertising to…

@mickyosully4592 3 месяца назад

Too many New Yorkers

@HighDins 3 месяца назад

there isnt a single place i hate more than stratton, worked there for four years. if it was on fire i wouldnt even piss on it to put it out.

@diseasedwhale496 3 месяца назад

Gah dayum lmao 😂

@BigHikeGuy 3 месяца назад

Why though

@HighDins 3 месяца назад

@@BigHikeGuy it's flat as hell. 10-15k people are there every weekend so it's skied out and crowded within an hour of opening. The lodges, hotels and everything else were built decades ago and haven't been updated even though they profit close to a 100 million a year. Oh and they want close to $200 for a day ticket. Magic and Bromley are better and cheaper and less crowded in the same exact area. I can keep going...

@Bluebottlenose 3 месяца назад

Nah, Stratton is awesome, I can tell you why if you want

@HighDins 3 месяца назад

@@Bluebottlenose yeah Stratton was so awesome I decided to move to Jackson hole. There's nothing you can tell me about Stratton I don't know I literally worked and lived there for years, skied there 5 days a week and hardly ever on a weekend. So enlighten me about how great it is because I know the 10 good trails there and even then Bromley, magic, Killington, Stowe, sugarbush, smugglers notch, Jay peak, mad river Glen. Even when compared to the other Vermont resorts Stratton is objectively not awesome. Keep telling yourself that though

@aidanburke562 3 месяца назад

Worst mountain in the northeast and the ikon pass has to offer. Every ski and safety patrol is on a power trip. Lifties somehow can’t get the right amount of ppl on a lift ever either. Crazy frustrating mountain

@fortyozsteak 3 месяца назад

Vanilla footprint? The worst trails of all mountains ever

@bsr6823 3 месяца назад

Stratton sucks, overpriced, overrated

@Pinstriped5120 3 месяца назад

As life long skier and Industry professional I have to say Stratton sucks! You can have the New York Crowd , you can have the Lack of Vertical drop! In the ski industry we refer to it as “ Flatton”