So, do you ski?
With St. Patrick's Day coming up and Spring Break, New England skiers know they don't need a special holiday to stop by a popular watering hole at a ski resort. As old, if not older than the ski industry itself, après skiing, or relaxing over a drink (or two) at a slopeside bar or a nearby pub may have been imported in the 1930s along with the Austrians who were the first ski instructors.
It was those crazy guys who were known for saying, "Bend zee knees, five dollars pleeze," who brought over the oompah bands and shots of Schnapps, and were known for dancing in their ski boots until all hours with debutantes.
Times have changed - with plastic instead of leather boots, you rarely see a skier dancing in them, and oompah bands seem to only be brought out for Octoberfest celebrations. Yet, skiers are amazingly still skiing to the point of exhaustion on the slopes, and then finding the reserves of energy they need to party until the wee hours in the morning at ski bars throughout the New England.
Let's start with a classic, the Wobbly Barn Steakhouse at Killington in Vermont is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year - making it about a decade older than many of the skiers who frequent it. Every night of the week, this cavernous establishment features a band for the après ski crowd from 4 to 7:30 p.m. and then a new act for the late night revelers. Ask anyone, the Wobbly has been and still is one of the most popular spots at Killington, which is renowned for its après ski scene.
As Killington regulars say, an après-ski decision at Killington consists of, "Do we get pickled at the Wobbly or wobbly at the Pickle?" The nearby Pickle Barrel is also located on the Killington access road and offers up a rowdy après ski scene and late-night dancing to loud music - often featuring big name bands on busy weekends. Also at Killington, the Grist Mill is sometimes referred to as Jurassic Park because the "more mature" skiers who frequented it in the 1980s are still showing up. Regulars recommend the rum and fruit juice Goombays and say the place rocks on weekends.
Called the "grand dowager of ski bars" by the Globe's Tony Chamberlain decades ago, the 31-year-old Red Parka Pub on Route 302 in Glen, N.H., still rates as the top ski bar in Mt. Washington Valley (close to Wildcat, Attitash, Cranmore and Black) in New Hampshire. Regulars like Dave and Chris Laidman of Dover, Mass., say, "Everyone should experience the Red Parka Pub - it's a classic apres ski bar."
With live bands or comics on weekends and holidays and drinks in Mason jars, "the Parka," as locals call it, has a whole ski history in the form of "antique" skis and bindings attached to the ceiling. You just might get lucky one night and sit next to a regular at the bar who will be able to tell you the name or brand of each one and when it was used.
Other contenders in "the Valley" include the folksy, cozy and quieter Wildcat Tavern on Route 16A in Jackson Village, or Horsefeathers right on Route 16 in the middle of North Conway. Overstuffed sofas, fireplaces, and the cross-country crowd at the Tavern and a trendy menu, unique entertainment, and friendly bartenders at Horsefeathers are notable aspects of these skier hangouts.
The nightlife at Stowe and Mt. Snow, both in Vermont, comes highly recommended. "The Matterhorn [on the mountain road in Stowe] is so much fun - a dive-like bar with the BEST pizza and healthy sushi options, too," says Bostonian Julie Lydon. "Saturday après ski always involves a band and group 'games' - it's kind of like a mini spring break every Saturday from 4:30 to 7:30ish." Giving away a "best-kept secret," Julie recommends the retro-style Stowehof Inn, on Edson Hill Road just outside the village of Stowe, with its classic '70s sunken fireplaces and a downstairs pub surrounded by niche rooms where people play board games. "Very cool place," she says. Other Stowe notables include the Rusty Nail, Mr. Pickwick's at Ye Olde England Inne, and Miguel's Stowe Away (all on Mountain Road).
Mt. Snow skiers head first to Cuzzins in the resort's base lodge. "It's cult après ski," says Erica Steckler of Newton. She recommends getting there early to get in, but be prepared for very happy crowds and the DJ encouraging dancing on the tables. The Snow Barn is walking distance from Mt. Snow's parking lot and often features up-and-coming bands. For the younger crowd, the Silo, a converted grain silo on Route 100, has 10-cent wings from 4 to 6 p.m., yet also features a cigar bar in the basement.
If skiing at Sunday River in Bethel, Maine, stop first at the Foggy Goggle in the South Ridge Lodge at the base of the mountain or join the younger crowd at BUMPS! In the White Cap Base Lodge. Top spots for later include the Sunday River Brewery or the Matterhorn, both along the Sunday River access road. The Matterhorn, an all-ages bar, is in a huge old barn and offers layers of bars at which to mingle and features 48-ounce bowl drinks.
Further north at Sugarloaf in Carrabassett Valley, Maine, The Bag, right at the base of the lifts, is where to stop when the ski day is done. Ask for "Uncle Al" Scheeren at the bar - he's been tending to customers there since The Bag opened in 1969. The dark, warm, old-English-pub atmosphere and the homemade soups and chilis made each day by the owner are perfect for warming up after what often, at Sugarloaf, is a cold day on the slopes. Frequented by the locals, The Bag has an in-house brewery with a favorite being its Pick Pole Pale Ale. Uncle Al recommends that you try a specialty of the brewer, Pat Mulligan (sounds like a perfect name for a brewer, huh?): the not-low-carb, but very strong Potato Ale.
Après-ski action can be found at virtually every ski area in New England. To find the hot spots near your mountain of choice, check out the nightlife listings on the comprehensive ski site, www.skisnowboard.com and get ready to have the time of your life while truly testing your mettle as a skier. As an old Austrian ski instructor said to me once, "A shot of schnapps morning, noon, and night, and you'll live forever!"
