New England ski resorts ranked by feet per minute
What's the best ski area to drive to? How small is too small, and how far is too far? What's the best mountain, in terms of height versus distance?
Here's an answer. I just made a list of all New England ski resorts with a vertical drop of 1500 feet or more, and ranked them by the ratio of vertical drop to distance, in minutes according to Google Maps, from my home.
I chose minutes as my measure of distance, instead of miles, in order to reward mountains that are convenient to highways. Keep in mind, this method still doesn't reward such mountains enough, because Google Maps underestimates everyone's speed on highways - and especially mine! It assumes the posted speed limit, which as we all know is a convenient Orwellian fiction that nobody under age 80 can hope to comply with.
So, here's the list of qualifying mountains, ranked by feet per minute. (Feet per minute? I do believe I have calculated the VELOCITY of a mountain.)
Killington wins because it's the tallest by a long shot. (This is top to bottom, mind you, not top to sea level.) Next are Loon, Cannon, and Waterville Valley - which are all near each other - because each is sizeable, nearly due north, and right off the highway. Mount Sunapee sneaks in at number five - it's the second shortest on the list, but also the closest.
Mountain Miles Minutes VFeet VFeet/Minute Killington 165 187 3050 16.31 Loon 136 148 2109 14.25 Cannon 144 152 2146 14.12 Waterville V. 131 157 2020 12.87 Mount Sunapee 104 127 1510 11.89 Sugarbush 189 224 2650 11.83 Okemo 151 184 2100 11.41 Pico 168 184 1967 10.69 Wildcat 165 198 2112 10.67 Stowe 210 222 2360 10.63 Stratton 133 189 2003 10.60 Sugarloaf 229 268 2820 10.52 Smugglers' N. 236 261 2610 10.00 Mount Snow 125 174 1700 9.77 Burke 193 206 2000 9.71 Attitash 155 181 1750 9.67 Magic Mountain 125 177 1700 9.60 Sunday River 183 220 2000 9.09 Mad River Glen 208 222 2000 9.01 Bretton Woods 160 170 1500 8.82 Jay Peak 236 245 2153 8.79 Bolton Valley 206 217 1625 7.49 Saddleback 237 278 2000 7.19
Here's an answer. I just made a list of all New England ski resorts with a vertical drop of 1500 feet or more, and ranked them by the ratio of vertical drop to distance, in minutes according to Google Maps, from my home.
I chose minutes as my measure of distance, instead of miles, in order to reward mountains that are convenient to highways. Keep in mind, this method still doesn't reward such mountains enough, because Google Maps underestimates everyone's speed on highways - and especially mine! It assumes the posted speed limit, which as we all know is a convenient Orwellian fiction that nobody under age 80 can hope to comply with.
So, here's the list of qualifying mountains, ranked by feet per minute. (Feet per minute? I do believe I have calculated the VELOCITY of a mountain.)
Killington wins because it's the tallest by a long shot. (This is top to bottom, mind you, not top to sea level.) Next are Loon, Cannon, and Waterville Valley - which are all near each other - because each is sizeable, nearly due north, and right off the highway. Mount Sunapee sneaks in at number five - it's the second shortest on the list, but also the closest.
Mountain Miles Minutes VFeet VFeet/Minute Killington 165 187 3050 16.31 Loon 136 148 2109 14.25 Cannon 144 152 2146 14.12 Waterville V. 131 157 2020 12.87 Mount Sunapee 104 127 1510 11.89 Sugarbush 189 224 2650 11.83 Okemo 151 184 2100 11.41 Pico 168 184 1967 10.69 Wildcat 165 198 2112 10.67 Stowe 210 222 2360 10.63 Stratton 133 189 2003 10.60 Sugarloaf 229 268 2820 10.52 Smugglers' N. 236 261 2610 10.00 Mount Snow 125 174 1700 9.77 Burke 193 206 2000 9.71 Attitash 155 181 1750 9.67 Magic Mountain 125 177 1700 9.60 Sunday River 183 220 2000 9.09 Mad River Glen 208 222 2000 9.01 Bretton Woods 160 170 1500 8.82 Jay Peak 236 245 2153 8.79 Bolton Valley 206 217 1625 7.49 Saddleback 237 278 2000 7.19