Feature

Top 5 Quickie Ski Trips

By Matt Gross

All downhill: Okemo's slopes in Vermont.

(Photo: Courtesy of Okemo)

This month’s cold snap may make for a nasty trudge to the subway, but it’s given the Northeast a beautiful coat of snow. Seize the moment, and hit the slopes.

1. Windham Mountain

A mellower upstate spot than nearby Hunter, Windham offers 39 trails that, even at the beginner level, are more than just straight, dull runs. Paragon Sports runs bus trips there every Sunday. (800-SKI-WIND; skiwindham.com. Paragon: bus plus lift ticket, $60; paragonsports.com.)

2. Mountain Creek

For snowboarders looking to test their moves, there’s this New Jersey mainstay about an hour away, which devotes about 20 percent of its 170 acres to rails, hips, and a half-pipe. (973-827-2000; mountaincreek.com. Action Tours: bus plus lift ticket, $54; 877-691-6366.)

3. Okemo

Here’s one more reason to skip the madhouse that is Killington: Okemo’s new mountain brings its skiable acreage to 562. Emilio’s Ski Shop and ZogSports will get you to Vermont and back. (800-78-OKEMO; okemo.com. Emilio’s: 718-544-0404. Info@zogsports.org.)

4. Sterling Forest

If you can’t get up in time for the bus upstate, you can still spend the day on the Orange County slopes. A half-pipe and terrain park elevate Sterling Forest past mom-and-pop status. (845-351-2163; skisterlingforest.com.)

5. Mont Tremblant

It’s only a few easy hours (by air) to Quebec’s Laurentian range, where you’ll find this all-in-one resort mountain with French Canadian flavor. (866-836-3030; tremblant.com.)