The biggest area in the eastern United States, and the one that opens first and closes last, often from late October into May, kept alive by snowmaking on a scale that is hard to appreciate until you see it working. The terrain spreads across six peaks and is more varied than eastern skiing usually gets credit for, including a serious bump run and plenty of steep narrow New England pitches. Eastern steep usually means firm rather than deep, which is a different skill rather than a lesser one. The nightlife is the liveliest in the East by a distance. Condos, inns and motels line the access road, with hotels in Rutland. Boston and New York are around three hours away, so weekends are busy. Midweek is calmer, and March beats January, because the base built through winter finally softens.