Acres: 1,004 (Killington), 252 (Pico) | Vertical: 3,050 (Killington), 1,967 (Pico) Snowfall: 250 | Web: killington.com, picomountain.com

The Beast of the East took a hit last summer when Tropical Storm Irene sent floodwaters through the ground floor of base lodges and decimated the Superstar Pub. But there is a bright side: A new deck with two heated Umbrella Bars and seats for 300 will replace the Superstar, and new carpet and fresh paint awaits guests. It's a good time to visit and support the local economy with your personal skier stimulus package. Who knows how many roads you can help rebuild with that next barge of draft beers? The skiing, of course, is as big as ever. Well before the storm hit, Killington was in the midst of still more glading. And Pico beckons the family crowd and those willing
to hike for some turns on the down days. "The beauty of Killington is that it's spread out over so many mountains, once you get the hang of it you can avoid crowds very easily," says Judy Storch, a longtime Killington skier.

From the Early Winter 2012 issue