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KevinF

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I saw some Facebook pictures today showing some pretty long lines at Sugarbush. Anyone have reports from the hill. Okemo, Sugarbush and Stowe — and probably others— all opened this weekend.
 

Tony S

I have a confusion to make ...
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I saw some Facebook pictures today showing some pretty long lines at Sugarbush. Anyone have reports from the hill. Okemo, Sugarbush and Stowe — and probably others— all opened this weekend.

I was at the River. Some predictable management snafus. God help you, for example, if you were trying to pick up your season pass today. Line around the block.

With the recent snow, there was more skiable terrain than lifts to serve it. Barker quad was down again. This, along with the Superquad at the Loaf, are airways breaking down. (Does this happen in the West? Key lifts that limp along for years on life support?)

Lift lines were long, but singles not so bad. Phew. Snow very good for November. I got a workout, which is what I needed. Ego took some big hits. Need the gym and the elixir of youth.
 

RJS

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I was at the River. Some predictable management snafus. God help you, for example, if you were trying to pick up your season pass today. Line around the block.

With the recent snow, there was more skiable terrain than lifts to serve it. Barker quad was down again. This, along with the Superquad at the Loaf, are airways breaking down. (Does this happen in the West? Key lifts that limp along for years on life support?)

Lift lines were long, but singles not so bad. Phew. Snow very good for November. I got a workout, which is what I needed. Ego took some big hits. Need the gym and the elixir of youth.

Did you do any glades? Supposedly Last Tango was open today, which seems crazy for before Thanksgiving here! :eek:
 

Green08

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Does this happen in the West? Key lifts that limp along for years on life support?
Having just moved out to CO from spending most of the last decade in VT and NH, the answer seems to be yes. With qualifications!

Lifts seem to get strung out and suffer issues even out here. Just not if the place seems to be owned by Vail, and that same thing seems to be changing at resorts now owned by the deep pockets of Alterra.

Copper ran into problems with their SuperBee lift this last week. It was looking touch and go if their opening weekend plans would get ruined. Mind you that was also the result of them replacing two out of base lifts this summer--but those lifts were even older.

Lift maintenance all seems to be a question of skier visits and profit. Better managed and capitalized resorts have fewer problems, because they update lifts more frequently.

Look at what is going on with Boyne out West at Big Sky. They are replacing a quad with an 8-pack. But that HSQ is getting rehabilitated and rebuild as a replacement for a fixed quad elsewhere on the mountain. Boyne management at some level seem to indicate the financial investment in NH or ME is not likely to produce the expected ROI.

And it seems possible to operate resorts with profit in NE. Okemo, Sunapee, and Bretton Woods would be prime examples of investment in lifts and infrastructure maintenance and upgrades. I never heard a lot of complaints from those quarters before we moved. Not so with Killington, Stratton, Loon, SR, SL, Waterville, Cannon,...
 

Guy in Shorts

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Friend that had moved to Big Sky last season was back for the World Cup and to hang out and ski for a couple of weeks. She commented that last year she spent more seat time on stopped lifts then all her years at Killington. Was really surprised to hear how the grass wasn’t greener at her resort out west. Hard to knock the awesomeness of the terrain at Big Sky but she misses the hard core local scene that makes Killington feel like home too so many.
 

Crank

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She was trying to make you feel good. Big Sky had a really good Season and with all that snow and all that terrain who really cares about some hang time.
 

KevinF

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Made my first turns at Stowe this morning. They had signs up indicating that rope ducking will be punished by a four week pass suspension but I saw both Starr and Goat being ducked.

The RFID turnstiles are gone, replaced by human scanners. I’m anticipating some confusion until the new system gets grooved in.

Kiki — the happiest girl in Stowe, or at least the pinkest — is still there, and she still knows everyone.

Terrain was some blue cruisers and a bump run. Snow was pretty good by New England standards. Legs more or less remember how to turn.

All in all, a successful first day back.
 

Tony S

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Did you do any glades? Supposedly Last Tango was open today, which seems crazy for before Thanksgiving here! :eek:

Last Tango wasn't really even accessible due to the lift closure. It was apparent that all kinds of terrain has been skied the day before in the storm. How much was formally open I don't know. In any case, by yesterday there had already been a thaw cycle, so none of that stuff would have been attractive even if open. Plus there wasn't really quite enough cover to bury all the logs and what have you.
 

Josh Matta

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Made my first turns at Stowe this morning. They had signs up indicating that rope ducking will be punished by a four week pass suspension but I saw both Starr and Goat being ducked.

The RFID turnstiles are gone, replaced by human scanners. I’m anticipating some confusion until the new system gets grooved in.

Kiki — the happiest girl in Stowe, or at least the pinkest — is still there, and she still knows everyone.

Terrain was some blue cruisers and a bump run. Snow was pretty good by New England standards. Legs more or less remember how to turn.

All in all, a successful first day back.

I personally liked it when it was we dont actually care just dont call us.

Apparently people were skiing woods today though.
 

KevinF

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Last Tango wasn't really even accessible due to the lift closure. It was apparent that all kinds of terrain has been skied the day before in the storm. How much was formally open I don't know. In any case, by yesterday there had already been a thaw cycle, so none of that stuff would have been attractive even if open. Plus there wasn't really quite enough cover to bury all the logs and what have you.

There were various glades at Stowe that have been skied enough to develop into bump runs. Christie glades, Toll House woods areas, etc. were all skied enough to be bumpy. I didn't venture in as the exits especially looked a bit sketchy with various things visibly poking up.
 

KevinF

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I personally liked it when it was we dont actually care just dont call us.

Apparently people were skiing woods today though.

Yeah, for sure. All the woods off of Toll Road that I know about are now bump runs. It looked pretty nice if you know where to *not* go.
 

Josh Matta

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Woods are not opened nor closed...
 

Wilhelmson

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Went to Loon on Sunday for the first time in my life. My wife thinks she went there on a church trip or something when she was a kid. Pretty chill there and we left our house at 7:15 and were there before 10 AM.

There were a few top to bottom runs open, nothing too steep but the snow was nice. The ticket checker said it was busier than on Saturday. The small line moved quickly and the new gondola is fast.

Good way to start the season since my kid got his boot off last week and is still getting back up to speed. By mid afternoon the trails were empty and I was able to take a few fast runs on my new skis. Wider rockered 181 cm felt short at first but there's plenty of metal to keep them steady.
 

Lauren

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Did you do any glades? Supposedly Last Tango was open today, which seems crazy for before Thanksgiving here! :eek:

I was up there Friday and Saturday. I thought the coverage overall was really good...best I've seen up there at this time of year in awhile. We cut the day pretty short on Saturday due to lift lines...a cooler full of beers was patiently waiting for us. Definitely unfortunate that Barker wasn't running on Saturday, as I believe that would have mitigated much of the line situation. But if you put in the effort, Barker terrain was accessible with a short walk from Locke.

They opened up Barker and Spruce lifts on Sunday. Husband stayed through the weekend, and said Last Tango skied "much better than expected". I find it's one of those glades that doesn't have a lot of pointy rocks and stray logs, so a little coverage goes a long way.
 

MattSmith

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No lift lines and top to bottom POW runs at Jay Peak this weekend. ...of course I only got few runs in and my quads are barking this morning. It's setting up for a heck of an opening day on Friday.

It is SUPER deep off the ridge. I was thigh high through Valhalla. Almost scary deep as the snow is sitting on top of branches and tree wells were everywhere. It hasn't packed down enough for reasonable stability. My heat was thumping pretty good as I exited onto Northway. It's a strange feeling to ski over snow as it gives out underneath you. I don't recommend it.
Even with no lifts running, Green Beret was skied out by the time I made a second lap. Nice little sendy session on Lower River Quai with the sun out on Sunday.

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Crank

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No lift lines and top to bottom POW runs at Jay Peak this weekend. ...of course I only got few runs in and my quads are barking this morning. It's setting up for a heck of an opening day on Friday.

It is SUPER deep off the ridge. I was thigh high through Valhalla. Almost scary deep as the snow is sitting on top of branches and tree wells were everywhere. It hasn't packed down enough for reasonable stability. My heat was thumping pretty good as I exited onto Northway. It's a strange feeling to ski over snow as it gives out underneath you. I don't recommend it.
Even with no lifts running, Green Beret was skied out by the time I made a second lap. Nice little sendy session on Lower River Quai with the sun out on Sunday.

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Hope it holds up. I have seen Jay 100% open with a decent base by Early December... and then...sigh....thaw.....rain.....freeze.
 

MattSmith

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Hope it holds up. I have seen Jay 100% open with a decent base by Early December... and then...sigh....thaw.....rain.....freeze.
Yes, like last year? Stellar through the end of December and then the "R-word" and a whole lot of suck until late Feb.

We did a lot of discussion and studying of this year's weather pattern. Opportunity for a great season in the East. Let's hope it holds!
 

Josh Matta

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I have been out of town since early November and I have knee deep powder turns in my pasture, no crust just right side up powder.

Hitting the lift today or tomorrow.
 
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