Mount Snow facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mount Snow
Winter view of Mount Snow.
Location	Dover, Windham County, Vermont, USA
Coordinates	42°57′32″N 72°55′19″W / 42.959°N 72.922°W / 42.959; -72.922
Top elevation	3,600 ft (1,100 m)
Base elevation	1,900 ft (580 m)
Skiable area	601 acres (2.43 km2)
Runs	86
Longest run	Long John (3.1 miles (5.0 km))
Lift system	19 lifts
Terrain parks	10
Snowfall	150 inches (380 cm)
Snowmaking	83%
Night skiing	No, only tubing

Mount Snow in summer

Mount Snow is a popular mountain and ski resort in southern Vermont. It's part of the Green Mountains. This resort is Vermont's southernmost big mountain, which means it's often the closest ski spot for people living in many big cities in the Northeast.

In September 2019, Mount Snow became part of Vail Resorts. This company owns many ski resorts, and Mount Snow joined their "Epic Pass" system. This pass lets skiers visit many different resorts with one ticket.

Mount Snow is famous for its amazing Carinthia Parks. These parks opened in 2008–2009 and have ten different areas for freestyle skiing and snowboarding. They feature both natural and man-made obstacles, plus a huge superpipe. Mount Snow has also hosted big events like the first Extreme Games in 1995 and the X Games in 2000 and 2001. Carinthia also hosted a stop on the first winter Dew Tour.

In 2011, Mount Snow added a cool new chairlift called the Leitner-Poma high-speed six-pack bubble chair. This lift gets skiers to the top of the mountain in just seven minutes! The bubble cover keeps riders warm and protected from wind and snow. If it's a warm day, you can even choose to leave the bubble open. As of 2022, Mount Snow has two high-speed bubble lifts and a total of six high-speed detachable chairlifts that quickly take you up the mountain.

Quick Facts About Mount Snow

• Top of the Mountain: 3,600 ft (1,100 m)
• Vertical Drop: 1,700 ft (520 m) (This is the height difference from top to bottom)
• Ski Area Size: 600 acres (2.4 km²)
• Average Snowfall: About 158 inches (that's over 13 feet!) of snow each year.
• Number of Trails: 86
• Number of Lifts: 19
• Snowmaking: 83% of the mountain has snowmaking. Mount Snow has 917 snowguns, including 250 powerful fan guns. It has more fan guns than any other resort in North America!
• Terrain Park Area: 100 acres
• Tree Skiing Area: 124 acres (areas where you can ski through trees)
• Tubing: Yes, you can go snow tubing!
• Night Skiing: No, except for tubing.

History of Mount Snow

Mount Snow was originally called Mount Pisgah, named after a mountain in the Bible. In 1953, a lot of land on Mount Pisgah was bought from the family of Reuben Snow. On December 12, 1954, the mountain opened to the public, renamed Mount Snow after the Snow family. A businessman named Walt Schoenknecht owned the resort for many years. He helped it grow into one of the biggest ski areas in the country back then.

In 1986, the Carinthia ski area was bought and connected to Mount Snow's trails. Five years later, Haystack Mountain Ski Area was also bought, but it was sold and closed in 2005.

In 1992, Mount Snow created the first snowboard park in the East, called Un Blanco Gulch. This park had jumps, a half-pipe, and other cool features. "The Gulch" was a main spot for freestyle riders until 2008. Then, all the terrain parks moved to the Carinthia area. There, a new "Gulch" park was built, along with seven other parks and a "Superpipe." These are now known as Carinthia Parks. Mount Snow hosted the Winter X-Games in 2000 and 2001.

Many talented athletes have come from Mount Snow. Kelly Clark, who trained at the Mount Snow Academy, won the first American gold medal at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City for women's half-pipe. Another Mount Snow Academy graduate, Devin Logan, won a silver medal at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi for slopestyle. Eliza Outtrim, who placed 6th in women's moguls, also went to the academy.

In January 2009, Mount Snow hosted the winter Dew Tour. This was a big event for winter action sports, bringing top athletes like Shaun White, Hannah Teter, and Travis Rice to compete for the Dew Cup.

The resort used to be owned by a company called Peak Resorts. But in July 2019, Peak Resorts joined with Vail Resorts. So, on September 24, 2019, Mount Snow officially became part of Vail Resorts and its Epic Pass system.

Ski Trails and Lifts

Mount Snow has 86 ski trails for all skill levels.

Ski Trail Difficulty

• Novice (16%): These are easy trails, great for beginners.
• More Difficult (66%): These are intermediate trails, good for skiers who have some experience.
• Most Difficult (17%): These are advanced trails, for experienced skiers.
• Expert (1%): These are the toughest trails, only for very skilled skiers.

Mountain Areas

Mount Snow is split into four main areas: Main Face, North Face, Sunbrook, and Carinthia.

• Main Face: This area has smaller sections like Sundance, Ego Alley, Grand Summit, and Canyon. At the bottom, the "Launch Pad" is a learning area for new skiers.
• North Face: Located north of the Main Face, this area has some of Mount Snow's hardest trails, including "Ripcord," its only double-black diamond run.
• Sunbrook: On the southern side of the mountain, Sunbrook offers trails with beautiful views.
• Carinthia: This is home to the biggest terrain park in the eastern United States! It has 11 terrain parks, over 125 features, a mini-pipe, and a superpipe with 18-foot walls. There are parks for all skill levels, from beginners to experts.

Lift System

Mount Snow has 19 lifts to take you up the mountain.

Main Face Lifts

Carinthia Lifts

North Face Lifts

Sunbrook Lifts

Year-Round Fun at Mount Snow

Mount Snow isn't just for winter! It has lots of things to do all year. You can find many places to eat and shops. The Grand Summit Resort Hotel has a spa called Naturespa, and there are many places to stay. Mount Snow Realty can even help people buy or sell homes nearby.

Recent Upgrades

In the fall of 2017, Mount Snow finished a huge $30 million project to improve its snowmaking. They replaced many miles of snowmaking pipes and added 645 new, energy-saving fan guns. They also built a new 120-million-gallon pond called West Lake just for snowmaking! In the winter of 2018/2019, a brand new $22 million Carinthia Base Lodge was completed.

Summer Activities

Mount Snow is one of the first ski resorts to offer lift service for mountain biking. The Mount Snow Bike Park is open for downhill mountain biking. You can also play golf at the Mount Snow Golf Club, go hiking, or take a scenic chairlift ride to enjoy the views. For kids and teens, the Outdoor Exploration Camp offers daily activities and adventures.

Images for kids

• 

  Winter view of Mount Snow.

• 

  Mount Snow in summer.