Even MORE Fun With Numbers: Trail Count Edition

As of today, Dec. 8, Stratton has the MOST open terrain and the MOST open trails in Vermont – 37 trails, 175 acres and 15 miles of white carpet stretching from summit to base*.

What does that mean? Here are some common quandaries regarding the figures that our snow reporters live and breathe by.

What are you measuring when you list "open acreage" and "skiable miles"?
We use acreage as a measurement of the area of an entire trail. For example, a wide trail like Upper Standard has 19 acres, and a narrow trail like Upper Spruce has 4.63 acres.

Our mileage meter is the sum of linear feet of every open trail. Upper Kidderbrook is our longest single trail at 7000 linear feet, while our longest top to bottom run is over 3 miles long (Mike's Way to the Meadows to Interstate to 91).

How long will it take me to ski / ride 15 miles? 
This is a complex question. You must factor in your average traveling speed, traffic, snow conditions, wax on your skis/boards, breaks to check the view, and waiting for your slow ski buddies. The equation goes as follows:

Phew, that’s pretty complicated. The simpler version is FUNskiing (or riding) = 391 x FUNwalking.

What does 175 acres look like in football terms? 
That’s about 157.5 football fields. Still a pretty meaningless number, sorry.

Is the snow really as great as you say?
Absolutely! See for yourself and watch our daily snow report videos!

Now I’ve got a question for you: What can you do 37 times and still have fun?
Answer: Ride the chairlift! 

Got any more questions? Post ‘em up in the comments! See you on the snow!  

*According to reports on Snocountry.com on December 8. May change at any time. These claims are valid only for as long as they are true.