The Perfect Ski Getaway

In the pit of winter, when even normally cheery folks are consulting survival guides (See Winter Fun) just to make it through one more day of frigid misery, ski junkies are positively in their prime. For them, the concern isn't how to cope with the snow so much as it is how to make the most of it before mud season kicks in and ruins it all. To that end, we dispatched our experts to sniff out the ingredients for the ultimate weekend on the New England slopes. One is the K2 Burnin' Luv skis shown here; for more tips, check out the links on the right.

The Choicest State
(Here's a hint: It's not Rhode Island.)

Although it is entirely possible to experience the elemental joy that comes from zooming down a mountain on a pair of glorified sticks in Maine, New Hampshire, or Massachusetts, none of these noble destinations offers the sheer breadth of Vermont's terrain. Compared with its neighbors, the Green Mountain State simply reigns supreme in all matters relating to slopes and snow. (Yes—all of them.) From the craggy 3,968-foot summit of Jay Peak, to the winding historic trails of Stowe and Mad River Glen, to the expansive dome of Mount Snow, Vermont delivers the finest skiing and riding east of the Rockies, hands down. It's a bold statement, which also happens to be the truth. Just ask any self--respecting Vermont powder hound. A tad biased? Perhaps. Wrong? Most decidedly not. .

On her: Orage Maria jacket, $240; Killy Emerald ski pants, $299; Smith Heiress goggles, $110; Swany Toaster glove-mitten hybrid, $60; Bern Baker helmet with removable cotton-acrylic liner, $100; Nordica Olympia Sport ski boots, $550; K2 Burnin' Luv all-mountain women's skis with M1 11.0 bindings, $1,100; and women's 4 Karat ski poles, $75. - Photo by Jörg Meyer