Where Gilman Students Like to Ski

For many Gilman students, winter is the perfect time to wake up early, pack up the car, and head out to one of the nearby East Coast resorts for a day on the slopes. With plenty of mountains just a few hours away, skiing has become a popular weekend escape for many students looking for a break from school and a good way to spend days off.

Among the most frequently visited destinations for skiing are Roundtop, Liberty, and Wisp, each providing a different and enjoyable experience while all being close to home.

Roundtop Mountain Resort, the mountain closest to Gilman, is popular for its convenient location and varying terrain. Roundtop is a manageable size and has some classic runs, like Minuteman. The mountain also provides some advanced, challenging double black diamonds on the backside, along with some greens and blues that are better for beginners. On top of that, the resort's terrain park, night skiing, and lodge food make it a common place for students to spend their weekend.

Liberty Mountain resort is often seen as a step up from Roundtop in both size and variety. With two sides to the mountain, Liberty has a larger range of runs than is typical of East Coast skiing. Moreover, the diverse level of difficulty, the longer, steeper trails, and consistent snow conditions at the resort makes it an appealing location for all skiers, especially those seeking a more challenging experience. That, combined with Liberty’s quality lodge and food, separates the mountain from other local resorts. 

A little further west, Wisp Resort offers the most expansive skiing experience of these three mountains. Despite the far drive, Wisp has some captivating characteristics that are very demanding to Gilman students, such as its higher quality snow, tree skiing, and leg burning terrain.

While each of these resorts offers something unique, Gilman students have developed differentiating preferences for the best local skiing. Quinn Taylor ‘28 says his favorite place to ski nearby is Roundtop, because he loves coming down Minuteman, as well as dabbling with the black diamond runs towards the right side of the mountain. Despite the high prices, he still likes the food that the lodge has to offer. Likewise, Cash Polakoff’s ‘28 favorite place to ski is Roundtop, because of the mountain's convenient location and “fresh powder.” 

Keating Hoffman ‘27, on the other hand, prefers to go to Liberty, because it has two sides to the mountain, offering more runs to conquer while out on the snow. Similarly, Billy Smyth ‘26 says the best resort on the East Coast is Liberty. The nice lodge, as well as the long and steep runs, are what make the mountain special to him.

Kemp Heath '28 likes spending weekends out at both Wisp and Liberty. He stated that Wisp has a great assortment and has some enduring and tough runs, while Liberty has the highest quality of the resorts. However, Jonathan Bradley ‘27 favors Wisp because the sometimes icy terrain gives him more of a challenge. 

The variation in students’ responses sends a clear message: despite our East Coast location, there are still plenty of spots to ski nearby. The News encourages you to escape the hustle and bustle of school some time this winter and take a trip to the mountain. You have some great options!