STOWE RESORT GUIDE
Stowe Intermediate Itinerary
Spruce Peak, The Gondola & Mt. Mansfield
Overview
From Midway Lodge – Spruce Peak – Upper Sterling – Main Street – Snack @ Spruce Camp Base Lodge – Main Gondola – Perry Merrill – Lunch @ The Cliff House – Head to Mansfield Mountain – Nosedive – Sunrise – Hayride – Return to Midway Lodge – Après @ Matterhorn
1. 9-10:30AM – Warming up on Spruce Peak
For easy access to Spruce Peak, park your car by the Midway Lodge and jump on the Over Easy Gondola. From the base of Spruce Peak, take the Sunny Spruce Quad for a warm up run. Take a right off the quad onto East Run for a quick tour of the beginner area through Easy Street. Then head back up Sunny and take Ridge Run through Side Street. Bear to your skier's left as you reach the bottom to catch the Sensation Quad. From the top of the lift, take a right onto Upper Sterling. Keep your eyes out – local racers are often wizzing about and training on this run.
If you are looking for a little challenge, head back up the Sensation Quad and check out Main Street for a wide groomed black run. Lap this once or twice and then bear to the skier's right at the bottom and follow Easy Street down to Spruce Camp Base Lodge for a fantastic cup of coffee and pastry.
2.10:30AM-12PM – Carving turns off of the Main Gondola
Once refreshed and refueled, head back across the Over Easy Gondola, and grab a ride up the Main Gondola. Exit left for Upper Perry Merrill. Perry Merrill is one of our favorite trails and it runs from the peak to the base. The consistent pitch and wide meandering run are perfect to let loose and rip some turns.
Easing in on Spruce Peak
Cruising groomers under the Gondola
Jump back on the Gondola for another wide trail down Gondolier. This runs straight underneath the gondola, and offers ample room to step it up a notch between its width and smooth pitch. Take a few laps off of the Main Gondola until you start feeling ready for lunch.
3. 12PM – Lunch @ the Cliff House (see more on lunch options here)
When it's time for lunch, head back up, the Gondola. The Cliff House, located at the top of the Gondola, has a delightful mix of American standards and European delights. Enjoy a beer from the historic Von Trapp family brewery along with some fondue. Who doesn't want melted cheese on everything?
4. 1:30-3PM – Stunning views from Mansfield Mountain
The afternoon is for exploring Mansfield Mountain, Stowe's historic and larger part of the resort. Make your way over there from the top of the Gondola by following Perry Merrill to the Cliff Trail, lookout for it on your skier's right. Once on Cliff Trail, keep taking rights until you pop out onto Nosedive. Nosedive is the perfect run to ski off lunch. Tip and rip your skis down this seemingly endless wide blue run.
When you reach the bottom, take a right and jump on the Fourrunner Quad. Exit left for Toll Road and then connect to Ridgeview to explore the old side of the mountain and soaking in the views. Continue going straight and connect into Sunrise for a little more fall line and some rolling groomer turns. Sunrise dumps out onto Gulch and rolls down the historic side of Stowe back to the Fourrunner Quad.
5. 3PM – Sneaking a peak at the Front Four and an end of day challenge
Now it's time to take a closer look at the Original Front Four. From the top of the Quad, exit left for the Lorde Loop into Upper Lord for a peek down the hill at the famous Goat, Starr and National. For the full tour, continue down Lord and stay to your skier's left for North Slope. This can only be described as perfect blue to roll through the Green Mountains.
For a little more challenge, head back up the Quad and follow the Lord Loop like you did above, but this time, lookout for Hayride. Though a black diamond, the right two thirds of Hayride are often groomed. Here you can find that little bit of adrenaline you need and something to cheers with your friends later in the day. Hayride transitions to a blue about halfway down and you can relax and cruise all the way to the bottom. Keep left at the crossover to make to easily return to where you started the day at Midway Lodge.
View from the top of Mt. Mansfield
Nice work tackling some of Stowe's most scenic and enjoyable terrain. Time for après at the Matterhorn Bar & Restaurant. Their beer list is the best around and the apps, pizza, burgers and sushi won't disappoint. What more could you ask for?