Stowe is divvied up between two mountains, one of them being the highest point in Vermont. Mount Mansfield not only offers some of the best steep skiing in the East, but rivals that of the most technical resorts out West. If it’s snowing (which happened to the tune of 31 feet last season) stay low and harvest maple-flavored powder from the East’s signature hardwoods. Lines like the Nose Dive and Tres Amigos Glades are full of tight, twisting trees, small drops and wind-protected snow. If the main shots are tracked try Sensation Quad on Spruce Mountain. Once the skies have cleared, head to higher ground on the gondola where you can choose from fast groomers, moguls, or a public leap of faith down Waterfall. If that’s not enough, the Mansfield upper snowfields have lines aplenty for those who wish to venture out of bounds.

WHAT'S NEW: The 10-passenger intermountain gondola takes skiers from Mount Mansfield and deposits them on Spruce Mountain in two minutes. This means you can ski classics like the bumpy, 37-degree Star and Goat runs, then head to the other side of the resort for freshies on runs like Smugglers and Main Street. A new Stowe Mountain Lodge will open fall of 2007.

INSIDE LINE: The gondola is your ticket to the best terrain at Stowe. From the top, it’s a short hike to lines off of the Chin–technical, O.B. shots that take a little finesse and a lot of snow to make skiable. Rip down local stashes like Profanity and Hourglass, but beware, Mansfield may have avalanche hazards, and it’s easy to end up on the wrong side of the mountain where nothing but miles of Vermont hardwoods await. Longer classics like Hellbrook require some local insight, but may just be the best run of the winter.