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After several years of ownership, Vancouver based Intrawest has definitely put its stamp on Stratton. Milllion dollar condos and fully detached and very large homes, well in excess of a million dollars, have turned the Stratton mountainside into secluded little "mini-burbs" only a few hours drive from the well-to-do suburbs in New York and Connecticut.

Like nearby Mount Snow, it's hard to find a Vermont license plate in the Stratton parking lots. Intrawest has turned Stratton into a destination resort and long time Vermont residents near the mountain have almost been made serfs because they can't afford the local property prices anymore. Add a cold winter and you have a a scene almost reminiscent of Czar Nicholas's Russia!
"Stratton's Secret Entrance"
 I made the mistake of entering the resort through its main entrance on Route 30, outside Bondville, which takes you up the Stratton Mountain Road to the main base area where people pay extra to park. No, just after passing through the main entrance you will find a road marked as Upper Taylor Hill. Go up this road, passing the Stratton Golf School. Scarcely a quarter mile later you will come to an unmarked, paved road on your right. Turn up here and go up past the Stratton Mountain School on your right. The road will bring you out at the Sun Bowl Lodge base area where there is usually plenty of parking for day visitors and you can purchase a ticket.
You can also take a free bus to the main base from Sun Bowl, but this was my other mistake. You have to leave your skis in slots on the sides of the bus and mine became covered in road salt and sand during the journey back to the main base.  Be careful to observe all traffic laws. The sheriff's department is very active in the area and particularly so near the main base. 

Even if it is not an avowed policy, the impression is of big business turning the mountain into a private resort. This is not only my impression but those of others in the ski/real estate industry. Strangely, you could ski at Stratton on Thursdays during the 2002-2003 season  for $15.00 if you had purchased an early season Stratton Express Card for $79. But, who skis on a Thursday? 

On the other hand, if you are prepared to pay Stratton's high prices, then you can ski in luxury and comfort, put your children into high quality ski programs and, enjoy a club house where membership can be as high as $50,000 (depending on the perks you buy). The skiing is on wide slopes, most of them with a blue rating. If you want challenging terrain, go elsewhere. This is not a Jay Peak, Mad River Glenn or Sugarbush. On the other hand those that are not trying to be weekend warriors will find the skiing experience pleasant. Intrawest is making sure that the boulevard skiing is almost perfect all the time. There are now 16 lifts to zip you up the mountain, including a 12 passenger high speed gondola (pity it isn't heated).

Almost every irritation that you might find at a ski area is alleviated at Stratton if you are prepared to pay for it. Don't want to wait with others at a lift? You can cut the lines if you have a special pass. Lockers are available for your gear. I didn't find any heated toilet seats for the privileged but no doubt they will be included if there's money to be made from it. Imagine having to put your Stratton privilege card into a computer locked rest room!

The mountain probably has the finest snowmaking system in New England. It holds 222 million gallons of water in reserve for snowmaking which is enough to make two feet of snow on everyone of  its 90 trails.

The computer based snow making system uses state of the art equipment to detect when and where to make the best quality man made snow. Stratton has something called a SnowScan system that looks like a metal detector. Using a global positioning system or GPS snow depth measures can be taken anywhere on the mountain instantaneously.  The result is manicured skiing that is guaranteed to provide almost perfect surface conditions almost all of the time. Stratton wants its customers to remember that "fine Stratton corduroy."

Here you will find relative lower cost beer and a campaign to change the name of the bar back to Roosters.  
So, if you have spare million to drop, why not put that spare cash into a slope side home at Stratton. The bubble may not be ready to burst quite yet. At the end of 2002, and early 2003 these expensive homes were still selling almost as fast as they were being built.

 

If there is any error in this review or you feel it is unfair and want to speak up about it, we will glady publish your views and make a correction! A rebuttal is always great!

Timothy Palmer-Benson
January 2003

Stratton 2000 Review

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