The emphasis is on having fun at Stoneham, whether on the slopes or in the restaurants and bars. There's no question that skiing at Stoneham is a stress-breaker; no steep and deep here (although it gets plenty of snow from Mother Nature or its snow machines).

Stoneham is not the place for an advanced skier to head for a multiday vacation unless he or she wants to keep the family happy (there's always the option to escape to Mont-Sainte-Anne or Le Massif), but it's perfect to try for a day or two of relaxing skiing. Here's a trail map.

Expert, Advanced: Experts will want to head straight for Peak Four. Little grooming is done here, and the trails are steep, skinny and bumped. Well-named trails Le Zipper, Le Kamikaza and Le Monstre are legitimate double blacks. These are left au natural, so you want to be on the look out for stumps, rocks and other such obstructions in lean snow years. Stoneham is primarily a family mountain and even double-black-diamond trails La Panoramique and La Bomba, though steep, are easily maneuverable for upper-intermediate skiers. If you like glades, head for La Sapinere. [TOP]

Intermediate: The entire mountain is an intermediate’s playground. Even the bump runs, glades and, as mentioned earlier, the groomed double-black-diamond trails should be tried and conquered. Undulating terrain and wide-open trails call for lots of top-to-bottom giant-slalom runs. For challenging fun, try La Chute and Bossanova: Both are long with steep pitches that mellow then drop again for little adrenaline rushes. [TOP]

Beginner, First-timer: Although considered a family mountain, Stoneham is surprisingly lean on true beginner terrain. Peaks One and Two have a couple of top-to-bottom green-circle trails (La Randonnee off Peak One; La Laurentienne off Peak Two), but even these have places that may challenge real beginners. The wide-open area served by a quad and two Poma lifts right in front of the main base lodge gives a non-threatening place for beginners and first-timers. [TOP]