Ski Sundown - 12/27/2006 (night)

**Greg** · Dec 27, 2006, 10:35 PM

Date(s) Skied: Wednesday, 12/27/2006: 6:55 pm - 10:10 pm

Resort or Ski Area: Ski Sundown, New Hartford, CT

Conditions: Hard pack, loose granular, SPARKS!

Flurries early, clear late. Temps near 30, calm.

Trip Report: This was the first official Wednesday meet-up for me. It's been tough looking up at the mountain the past two days while my daughter is in the Puffins program and not be able to ski. This evening was my chance. As I headed onto the lift, I noticed someone that matched loafer89's and his son's description, but they were heading for the lodge. I rode up and got to the sun deck shortly after 7 pm. Knowing bvibert would be later and being pretty sure it was loafer89 at the base, I only waited a few minutes as I was sure we'd all hook up later.

I took a few runs and it was tough to find a rhythm in the variable hard pack/LGR snow. On my third ride up I noticed Brian load a few chairs ahead of me and got a call from him on the ride up. We met at the top and soon loafer89, his son Warren (cool little kid) and loafer's newphew joined us. Turns out they were waiting on the deck at the base lodge. We should clarify for future meet-ups that the meeting spot is the sundeck on Nor'easter. Brian and I took a few runs together and later in the evening we got a chance to take several runs with loafer89.

Tricky skiing this evening, but I actually started having blast after my 4th or 5th run. There were some fun lines scattered around the mountain especially skier's left of Temptor and Nor'easter. I can tell Brian is starting to get into such terrain as well as he has been mentioning lately that he likes when they don't do an evening groom...

Anyway, lots of thin spots with dirt and rock mixed it. Interesting to see all the sparks generated by the edges of everyone's skis as they hit little pebbles and pieces of dirt (and sometimes legit rock) mixed in with the hard pack. There were still some areas of snow several feet deep that Brian and I pointed out to loafer. The mountain certainly has done good job with the limited snowmaking windows they've had. We saw some mountain ops activity around the snowguns and it's now cold enough so I'd imagine they are resurfacing as we speak.

A great Wednesday meet-up!

loafer89 · Dec 27, 2006, 10:44 PM

It was nice to finally get the chance to meet you and Brian together as we have not had much luck due to the lousy winter weather so far this year. I was hoping that the mountain would look better and not worse than when I skied it two weeks ago, but it was still good skiing despite the warm weather and rain of the past few weeks. Warren was having fun skiing Temptor and the moguls made of snow, rocks and mud.

Hopefully we can get some cold weather and snowmaking to enjoy more open terrain (Gunbarrel) and to have some white colored snow to ski on, it that asking too much mother nature?????

Here's to a better 2007 skiing experience at Sundown.

**Greg** · Dec 27, 2006, 10:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by loafer89

Here's to a better 2007 skiing experience at Sundown.

Agreed! I'm still encouraged though. I was happy to see that they are holding on with what they have despite the crappy weather. I'm anxious to see what they can do once they get several days of round-the-clock snowmaking. I think Sundown is emerging as one of the best little hills in southern New England in terms of snowmaking and rivals that of places like Butternut...

loafer89 · Dec 27, 2006, 10:57 PM

I see in the Woodbury ski cam that they have started snowmaking tonight, I guess that Sundown is blowing snow as well right now. It's 31F here at home so it must be 1-2F colder on the mountain.

I hope to get out on the mountain again on friday night, it should be better with snowmaking at night. I am not going to venture far away until I can use my ASC pass again when the blackout ends next week.

**bvibert** · Dec 28, 2006, 7:30 AM

Good night of skiing with good company. I'm sure they laid down a bunch of snow last night, I'll see how it looks when I'm there tonight.

**Greg** · Dec 28, 2006, 12:01 PM

They made snow. The Little Joe bunny hill was much improved. Exhibition looked a lot better but I still saw a lot of brown up on Stinger and especially Temptor. I'm not sure how the rest of the mountain is.

I'm thinking about Friday or Saturday night; more likely the latter.

**bvibert** · Jan 3, 2007, 9:46 PM

I made up a little vid of the footage we got that night...

Small (6MB)
Large (32MB)

**Greg** · Jan 4, 2007, 7:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bvibert

I made up a little vid of the footage we got that night...

Small (6MB)
Large (32MB)

Cool! That camera thats great footage at night. Cool vid, but the soundtrack needs work. "Beavis and Butthead"?

Grassi21 · Jan 4, 2007, 8:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Greg

Cool! That camera thats great footage at night. Cool vid, but the soundtrack needs work. "Beavis and Butthead"?

I strongly disagree on the choice of music. My favorite shot is when B skis down to loafer and then the shot pans out to catch the base lodge looking all pretty. Besides being a nice shot of the base lodge, listen to the lyrics when the two of them are just standing there before the pan out happens.

Besides that, I pumped for some Sundown action tonight.

**Greg** · Jan 4, 2007, 8:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Grassi21

I strongly disagree on the choice of music. My favorite shot is when B skis down to loafer and then the shot pans out to catch the base lodge looking all pretty.

Yeah. That cameraman did a fantastic job....

Dec 27, 2006, 10:35 PM	#1 (permalink)
Greg Nassahegan, CT: 8/14 Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Thomaston, CT Posts: 20,319	Ski Sundown - 12/27/2006 (night) Date(s) Skied: Wednesday, 12/27/2006: 6:55 pm - 10:10 pm Resort or Ski Area: Ski Sundown, New Hartford, CT Conditions: Hard pack, loose granular, SPARKS! Flurries early, clear late. Temps near 30, calm. Trip Report: This was the first official Wednesday meet-up for me. It's been tough looking up at the mountain the past two days while my daughter is in the Puffins program and not be able to ski. This evening was my chance. As I headed onto the lift, I noticed someone that matched loafer89's and his son's description, but they were heading for the lodge. I rode up and got to the sun deck shortly after 7 pm. Knowing bvibert would be later and being pretty sure it was loafer89 at the base, I only waited a few minutes as I was sure we'd all hook up later. I took a few runs and it was tough to find a rhythm in the variable hard pack/LGR snow. On my third ride up I noticed Brian load a few chairs ahead of me and got a call from him on the ride up. We met at the top and soon loafer89, his son Warren (cool little kid) and loafer's newphew joined us. Turns out they were waiting on the deck at the base lodge. We should clarify for future meet-ups that the meeting spot is the sundeck on Nor'easter. Brian and I took a few runs together and later in the evening we got a chance to take several runs with loafer89. Tricky skiing this evening, but I actually started having blast after my 4th or 5th run. There were some fun lines scattered around the mountain especially skier's left of Temptor and Nor'easter. I can tell Brian is starting to get into such terrain as well as he has been mentioning lately that he likes when they don't do an evening groom... Anyway, lots of thin spots with dirt and rock mixed it. Interesting to see all the sparks generated by the edges of everyone's skis as they hit little pebbles and pieces of dirt (and sometimes legit rock) mixed in with the hard pack. There were still some areas of snow several feet deep that Brian and I pointed out to loafer. The mountain certainly has done good job with the limited snowmaking windows they've had. We saw some mountain ops activity around the snowguns and it's now cold enough so I'd imagine they are resurfacing as we speak. A great Wednesday meet-up! __________________ Greg 2007-08, 2006-07, 2005-06, 2004-05 Life's too short for warm up runs.

Dec 27, 2006, 10:44 PM	#2 (permalink)
loafer89 Sugarloaf Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Coventry, C.T Posts: 3,551	It was nice to finally get the chance to meet you and Brian together as we have not had much luck due to the lousy winter weather so far this year. I was hoping that the mountain would look better and not worse than when I skied it two weeks ago, but it was still good skiing despite the warm weather and rain of the past few weeks. Warren was having fun skiing Temptor and the moguls made of snow, rocks and mud. Hopefully we can get some cold weather and snowmaking to enjoy more open terrain (Gunbarrel) and to have some white colored snow to ski on, it that asking too much mother nature????? Here's to a better 2007 skiing experience at Sundown. __________________ Ski School - A place where novices are turned into menaces.

Dec 27, 2006, 10:57 PM	#4 (permalink)
loafer89 Sugarloaf Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Coventry, C.T Posts: 3,551	I see in the Woodbury ski cam that they have started snowmaking tonight, I guess that Sundown is blowing snow as well right now. It's 31F here at home so it must be 1-2F colder on the mountain. I hope to get out on the mountain again on friday night, it should be better with snowmaking at night. I am not going to venture far away until I can use my ASC pass again when the blackout ends next week. __________________ Ski School - A place where novices are turned into menaces.

Dec 28, 2006, 7:30 AM	#5 (permalink)
bvibert West Hartford Res 6/22/08 Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Torrington, CT Posts: 11,785	Good night of skiing with good company. I'm sure they laid down a bunch of snow last night, I'll see how it looks when I'm there tonight. __________________ Brian SAC Tracker

Dec 28, 2006, 12:01 PM	#6 (permalink)
Greg Nassahegan, CT: 8/14 Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Thomaston, CT Posts: 20,319	They made snow. The Little Joe bunny hill was much improved. Exhibition looked a lot better but I still saw a lot of brown up on Stinger and especially Temptor. I'm not sure how the rest of the mountain is. I'm thinking about Friday or Saturday night; more likely the latter. __________________ Greg 2007-08, 2006-07, 2005-06, 2004-05 Life's too short for warm up runs.

Jan 3, 2007, 9:46 PM	#7 (permalink)
bvibert West Hartford Res 6/22/08 Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Torrington, CT Posts: 11,785	I made up a little vid of the footage we got that night... Small (6MB) Large (32MB) __________________ Brian SAC Tracker

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