Shut Up and Ski

The latest ski resort trends--ritzy spas, slopeside boutiques--have nothing to do with why you head to the mountains in the first place. America's top 10 old-school ski resorts, where lift tickets max out at $52

Elevation: 3,267 feet
Vertical drop: 2,000 feet
Skiable terrain: 240 acres
Annual snowfall: 250 inches
Lift ticket:$52 or less
Info: 802/626-3322, skiburke.com

Burke sticks to the basics that drew serious skiers to Vermont two generations ago, with dozens of fast, narrow runs that call for sharp edges and big, swooping turns. The challenging slopes hold some of the responsibility for getting five alums of the Burke Mountain Academy--a ski-in, ski-out high school, if you can believe such a thing--to the Olympics four years ago. (Four alums may also be representing the U.S. this month in Turin.) A mile from the lifts is the village of East Burke, little more than a gas station, a church, and a couple of restaurants and shops. The century-old Bailey's & Burke earns its billing as a general store, selling bottles of wine, sandwiches, cereal, fresh muffins and cookies, pots and pans, toys, books, locally made jerky, hot pizza, and dog food (466 Rte. 114, East Burke, 802/626-9250). Upstairs is the office for the Kingdom Trails system: 110 miles of interconnected paths that are perfect for mountain bikers in summer and cross-country skiers and snowshoers in winter (802/626-0737, kingdomtrails.org, day pass $10). The general store also sells Starbucks coffee, and the mountain did what seems like sacrilege to some old-timers, replacing its classic, superslow main lift with a high-speed quad this past summer. Coincidentally, lift-ticket prices were boosted $5. But for the most part Burke's low-key atmosphere and remote location--up in Vermont's Northeast Kingdom, 40 minutes from the Canadian border--have kept the crowds and corporate interests away.

At Powder Mountain, Utah, snowcats tow skiers and boarders into the backcountry for $7 a run (Craig Wetherby) FEBRUARY 2006 ISSUE • Table of Contents • Secret Hotels of Costa Rica • Europe on the Quick: A Long Weekend in Stockholm • Pacific Coast Highway • Trip Coach: Spain, Portugal, and the Azores • Shut Up and Ski • 40 Best Vacations

How to get there

Burke is seven miles off of I-91, three hours from Boston, six hours from New York City, and within two hours of the nearest airport, in Burlington, along with more skiing at Stowe, Smugglers' Notch, and Jay Peak.

Where to stay

Jane and Norb Kuk, the friendly hosts of the B&B at Moose Crossing, rent out two rooms in their 1890s farmhouse and three in a recently built annex, all five minutes from town and the lifts. Breakfast comes with fresh fruit and heaping portions of pancakes, French toast, or eggs. Each room has its own bathroom, and guests are welcome to videos, board games, air hockey, and books. Small groups will especially love the annex loft, which has a futon and a couple of recliner chairs in a sitting room, and a separate room with a queen-size bed topped by a cozy quilt (2171 Rte. 114, East Burke, 802/626-0989, moosecrossingbb.com, from $65).

Après-ski

In a renovated barn behind Bailey's & Burke, the Pub Outback serves burgers, meat loaf, and nachos, as well as locally brewed Trout River for $3.50 a pint (482 Rte. 114, East Burke, 802/626-1188).

Local's tip

"Throw an extra scarf in your jacket just for the chairlift ride up to the top," says Charlie Hepburn, a high school student and ski racer in nearby Littleton, N.H. "The trees provide good cover from the wind when you're cruising down the mountain, but on the lifts you're totally exposed to the cold."

COLORADO
WOLF CREEK

Elevation: 11,904 feet
Vertical drop: 1,604 feet
Skiable terrain: 1,600 acres
Annual snowfall: 465 inches
Lift ticket: $45
Info: 970/264-5639, wolfcreekski.com