I really can't stand skiing at Killington. It is so crowded and they always overestimate their snow conditions.

I really love Sugarloaf in Maine and Sunday River in Maine. I also really like Bretton Woods in NH. Although, it is not steep at all, there are lots of fun places to jump and great tree runs.

thanks for the good report. seems pretty accurate and i should know since i ride killington around 20 days a year. being in southern vermont resort, it is very close to nyc and attracts some large, rather surly crowds, but with experience the throngs of people can be avoided, even on weekends. having a base at close to sea level also can be almost an excuse for conditions. wish you could have been there for the 1 meter dump we got in dec last year. sorry about the ticket prices but while season passes this year are very affordable, day tickets are always a rip off. the resorts here reward an investment before the snow flys. this year a season pass is equal to the cost of 6 single day lift tickets.

Killington is definitely overrated. They have a huge number of runs but charge accordingly even when most of them are closed. I'd go for Mt Snow or Stratton further south, Sunapee in NH is pretty good for a cheap(er) day resort closer to Boston, Attitash further north has some fairly steep groomed runs for a day if conditions are good and Sunday River in Maine is another good bet as a destination resort (although you can get stuck with some long traverses). There are loads of little resorts in NH and VT so I'd find somewhere central to stay and drive out to a different one each day.

If you want cheap powder though, you can't beat Snowbird in Utah - it's not so good for beginners as they don't piste bash much (hence the cheap price) but it was some of the best boarding I've done. Nightlife's pretty subdued though as you're right near the Mormon capital.

One tip for cheaper tickets is that a lot of the Colorado/Utah resorts (and I think California) do somewhat cheaper tickets if you buy them at the supermarkets beforehand rather than at the resort.

Finally, for the east coast: "granular" or "packed powder" = icy!