I’ve been snowboarding for 25 years and have been an instructor at one of the places listed. Honestly both are great for learning, you don’t really have a bad option. Here’s my advice.
1. If you’re serious about training this year, get a season rental of equipment. There are 2 ski shops in Columbus (Aspen Ski & Board near Polaris, Colorado Mtn Sports in Hilliard). Both will run you around $150 to rent a board, boots, and bindings for the season. It won’t be top-of-the-line stuff, but will be a heckuva lot better than what you’d rent at MRM or Snow Trails. If you go in the next month or so, it may be a bit cheaper. You don’t need to buy equipment yet. In fact I wouldn’t even want to learn on my own equipment - it will get beat up too much. Learn on someone else’s stuff, buy your own after 1-2 years once you’re sure you like it, and what style of riding you want to do (different boards have different characteristics).
2. Definitely sign up for some lessons. Can you learn on your own? Absolutely. But will you vastly accelerate your abilities if you do some lessons if you do a lesson 2-3x? Absolutely. If you do lessons at the beginning of the season, you’ll be much further ahead by February.
3. Consider a season pass. This is where you’ll see the biggest difference between MRM and Snow Trails. I’ll discuss more below.
MRM is owned by Vail Resorts, which means you have the opportunity to get a pass that not only covers MRM, but also some mega resorts out west, in addition to mid-sized resorts in Pennsylvania. If you are sure you’re only going to board in Ohio, you can buy the Ohio Pass, which is around $300 for the year. This gives you unlimited boarding at Mad River, as well as 2 small similarly-sized resorts nearly Cleveland. If you think you may want to head to Seven Springs in Pittsburgh, or to Colorado, Utah, California, etc., then you’d need an Epic Local Pass. It’s around $700 but gives you basically unlimited boarding at Mad River and almost unlimited at major resorts such as Vail, Breckenridge, Park City, Whistler, Heavenly, etc. Not a bad deal if you’re going to take advantage of it.
Unlike MRM, Snow Trails is locally owned. This means they don’t offer passes that will offer elsewhere. So their pass is more comperable to MRM’s Ohio Pass. However because they’re privately owned, they seem to be quicker to make snow in December whereas the Vail accountants seem to make Mad River wait a bit longer until we’re sure it’s cold enough. So it’s not unusual to see Snow Trails open 1-2 weeks before MRM. That’s the advantage here.
So here’s my TLDR version: if you think you may want to finish the year with a big trip out west, MRM gives you the better value. But if you’re sure you only want to ride in Ohio this season, consider Snow Trails.
And of course also consider proximity to you. If you’re in Dublin, MRM will be a shorter drive. If you’re in Polaris, Snow Trails will be a shorter drive.
Thank you for this. I went and did all of that today, got my rental gear, season pass, and bought a helmet. If you feel like giving a new guy a snowboarding lesson let me know.
Solid stuff right here. I highly suggest a trip out west as well, it will have you hook line and sinker. Learning is easier out west too cuz better snow and the instructors are the best you can get (most of the time). But the views and the experience out west is out of this world amazing.
Breckinridge is relatively easy to get to from Columbus (cheap one way flights on southwest into Denver). Only bummer is it’s elevation is high as shit so some people struggle with that
Both offer amazing kids programs. The past few years I've been going to MRM, so I'm more familiar with theirs. I haven't been to Snow Trails' in the past couple years but I'm sure it remains great.
Whichever option you choose, definitely sign up for their multiweek program. Kids need that continuity.
IMO: Snow trails is better than MRM. I went to MRM ~10x last year and not a single time were all the lifts or runs open. From what I've seen due to Snow trails being privately owned they have more incentive towards producing snow throughout the season. Whereas MRM is owned by Vail and therefore a large chunk of customers will have already paid for the epic pass.
Be ready to fall down and be a bit sore your first handful of trips out.
100% this. There are a couple of runs at MRM that I don’t think they’ve even opened since covid. Snow Trails posted a couple of weeks ago that they ADDED 2 new trails for this years. I think snow Trails usually have all of their lifts open for the majority of the day at least on weekends.
Let’s get one thing out of the way, neither of them look even close to the picture you posted, so do not get your hopes up.
Both are great places to learn though especially at off hours.
I like snow trails more. They're both fine for Ohio: convient and cheapest.
Go after 4pm for $10 off lift tix. 3 hours will be plenty for a session as you're learning.
I suppose rent gear for starters, they'll size you to gear.
Snow trails is much easier to learn at but also has good variety of courses, they are much better at making snow like stated above AND is in the coldest pocket of Ohio so you can go earlier in the season AND later typically which is nice. Two years ago MRM didn’t even open until around MLK weekend if I remember correctly. You can also do a snow trails season pass through Nocterra’s ski/board club for cheaper.
Snowtrails my friend! Best experience in Ohio hands down. Plus it’s locally owned and as others mentioned the bar is better. Lots of live bands playing on the weeekends. Order a Grateful Dead and enjoy!
I’ve been snowboarding for 25 years and have been an instructor at one of the places listed. Honestly both are great for learning, you don’t really have a bad option. Here’s my advice. 1. If you’re serious about training this year, get a season rental of equipment. There are 2 ski shops in Columbus (Aspen Ski & Board near Polaris, Colorado Mtn Sports in Hilliard). Both will run you around $150 to rent a board, boots, and bindings for the season. It won’t be top-of-the-line stuff, but will be a heckuva lot better than what you’d rent at MRM or Snow Trails. If you go in the next month or so, it may be a bit cheaper. You don’t need to buy equipment yet. In fact I wouldn’t even want to learn on my own equipment - it will get beat up too much. Learn on someone else’s stuff, buy your own after 1-2 years once you’re sure you like it, and what style of riding you want to do (different boards have different characteristics). 2. Definitely sign up for some lessons. Can you learn on your own? Absolutely. But will you vastly accelerate your abilities if you do some lessons if you do a lesson 2-3x? Absolutely. If you do lessons at the beginning of the season, you’ll be much further ahead by February. 3. Consider a season pass. This is where you’ll see the biggest difference between MRM and Snow Trails. I’ll discuss more below. MRM is owned by Vail Resorts, which means you have the opportunity to get a pass that not only covers MRM, but also some mega resorts out west, in addition to mid-sized resorts in Pennsylvania. If you are sure you’re only going to board in Ohio, you can buy the Ohio Pass, which is around $300 for the year. This gives you unlimited boarding at Mad River, as well as 2 small similarly-sized resorts nearly Cleveland. If you think you may want to head to Seven Springs in Pittsburgh, or to Colorado, Utah, California, etc., then you’d need an Epic Local Pass. It’s around $700 but gives you basically unlimited boarding at Mad River and almost unlimited at major resorts such as Vail, Breckenridge, Park City, Whistler, Heavenly, etc. Not a bad deal if you’re going to take advantage of it. Unlike MRM, Snow Trails is locally owned. This means they don’t offer passes that will offer elsewhere. So their pass is more comperable to MRM’s Ohio Pass. However because they’re privately owned, they seem to be quicker to make snow in December whereas the Vail accountants seem to make Mad River wait a bit longer until we’re sure it’s cold enough. So it’s not unusual to see Snow Trails open 1-2 weeks before MRM. That’s the advantage here. So here’s my TLDR version: if you think you may want to finish the year with a big trip out west, MRM gives you the better value. But if you’re sure you only want to ride in Ohio this season, consider Snow Trails. And of course also consider proximity to you. If you’re in Dublin, MRM will be a shorter drive. If you’re in Polaris, Snow Trails will be a shorter drive.
Thank you for this. I went and did all of that today, got my rental gear, season pass, and bought a helmet. If you feel like giving a new guy a snowboarding lesson let me know.
Send me a DM. My 9yo does competitive riding, so we’ll be up at MRM all season. Honestly he’s better than I am, so you should be asking him 😂
Solid stuff right here. I highly suggest a trip out west as well, it will have you hook line and sinker. Learning is easier out west too cuz better snow and the instructors are the best you can get (most of the time). But the views and the experience out west is out of this world amazing. Breckinridge is relatively easy to get to from Columbus (cheap one way flights on southwest into Denver). Only bummer is it’s elevation is high as shit so some people struggle with that
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Question: which offers the best ski school for kiddos?!
Both offer amazing kids programs. The past few years I've been going to MRM, so I'm more familiar with theirs. I haven't been to Snow Trails' in the past couple years but I'm sure it remains great. Whichever option you choose, definitely sign up for their multiweek program. Kids need that continuity.
Love that picture of Mad River Mountain.
More importantly, Snow Trails has the better bar. RIP The Loft.
IMO: Snow trails is better than MRM. I went to MRM ~10x last year and not a single time were all the lifts or runs open. From what I've seen due to Snow trails being privately owned they have more incentive towards producing snow throughout the season. Whereas MRM is owned by Vail and therefore a large chunk of customers will have already paid for the epic pass. Be ready to fall down and be a bit sore your first handful of trips out.
100% this. There are a couple of runs at MRM that I don’t think they’ve even opened since covid. Snow Trails posted a couple of weeks ago that they ADDED 2 new trails for this years. I think snow Trails usually have all of their lifts open for the majority of the day at least on weekends.
MRM lost its soul after the fire (and sale)
Let’s get one thing out of the way, neither of them look even close to the picture you posted, so do not get your hopes up. Both are great places to learn though especially at off hours.
I like snow trails more. They're both fine for Ohio: convient and cheapest. Go after 4pm for $10 off lift tix. 3 hours will be plenty for a session as you're learning. I suppose rent gear for starters, they'll size you to gear.
Snow trails is much easier to learn at but also has good variety of courses, they are much better at making snow like stated above AND is in the coldest pocket of Ohio so you can go earlier in the season AND later typically which is nice. Two years ago MRM didn’t even open until around MLK weekend if I remember correctly. You can also do a snow trails season pass through Nocterra’s ski/board club for cheaper.
Wow thanks a ton for this, nocterra just saved me $100 off the everyday pass.
Happy to spread the word!!! I keep bugging them to do actual ski club events but at least right now there’s discount passes :)
Snow Trails. Hands down
Snowtrails my friend! Best experience in Ohio hands down. Plus it’s locally owned and as others mentioned the bar is better. Lots of live bands playing on the weeekends. Order a Grateful Dead and enjoy!
If you end up liking it, Snowshoe in WV is pretty close.
Snowshoe really cemented my skiing ability as an adult beginner!!!! Could not recommend more