4 days/4 mtns: Snow, Magic, Stratton, Bromley

amf · Mar 21, 2007, 8:50 AM

Mt Snow 3/17: Marcski hit it right. Probably best conditions of the year on the north face & in the woods. Can't believe people were requesting refunds for too much snow!

Magic 3/18: Had planned to go to Stratton to maximize my free ticket value, but headed for Magic to avoid the snowboard comp at Stratton. Magic was magic - if anything, they groom with too light a touch... the blue cruisers to skiier right could have had a wider swath groomed to break up the thin icy crust from the freezing mist of early Saturday. The blacks to skiers left, where the crust was quickly broken out, were great. Soft powdery bumps for the most part, with only a few small icy patches beginning to show late in the day.

Stratton 3/19: Hard to believe it snowed at all... they groomed the mountain down to the man-made hard pack. By the end of the day most runs were like skiing on concrete, yet folks thought it was great. Four runs saved the day - Spruce, where they had not groomed, and although it was bumped up there were generally soft (I have little cartilage left in one knee, so I tend to avoid the mini-glaciers that are typical of eastern mogul fields). The woods runs off Rowleys were excellent - the thin ice crust was either absent or had not occurred at Stratton. Late in the day I made in over to Kidderbrook & the tree runs there, where I finally met bliss. K'brook never say a groomer, & was sweet & soft, & the trees were heavenly. I think I say three other parties over there the whole day. The only down side was getting there - from the sunbowl, you had to take a lift, then ski concrete over to the main face & take another lift to the top. But I'll say this - after seeing how they literally destroyed one of the best snowfalls of the year, sucking the very soul out of the mountain, the only way I'll be back again is with a free ticket.

Bromley 3/20: My first time there, figuring on a good cheap get-away day (the entire trip was built around skiing four areas for $50 - I had a comp at Snow, the free ticket at Stratton, & Magic & Bromley were both $25 midweek. Having to pay weekend rates at Magic upped the ante to $74!) Thoroughly enjoyed Bromley. Nothing particularly challenging, but after 3 days in powder & trees it was perfect. Nice mix of groomed & ungroomed, & the generally narrow trails allowed wind-blown snow to collect during the day making for good skiing. And best of all, the bathrooms in the lodge are ON THE MAIN LEVEL!!! Did I say that loud enough? I would definitely return there.

Angus · Mar 21, 2007, 8:59 AM

interesting AMF - I was at Stratton on Sunday and it was fantastic, nothing was groomed at all with a good 8-12" of new soft snow covering everything. we didn't ski the trees at kidderbrook but a nice bump run where the cover was abit thin - caught my ski on low cut saplings a couple of times

**Greg** · Mar 21, 2007, 9:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by amf

Can't believe people were requesting refunds for too much snow!

Quote:

Originally Posted by amf

By the end of the day most runs were like skiing on concrete, yet folks thought it was great.

What the hell is the matter with people?

Nice report!

amf · Mar 21, 2007, 9:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Angus

interesting AMF - I was at Stratton on Sunday and it was fantastic, nothing was groomed at all with a good 8-12" of new soft snow covering everything....

Wow... that's what I was looking forward to! They must have groomed BRUTALLY on Sunday night. It was almost as if they plowed the runs! But I know what you mean on K'brook... had to keep your eyes open.

mlctvt · Mar 21, 2007, 10:07 AM

Comments on Stratton
My wife and I used our free ski days at Stratton back on March 7th. We’d been skiing Mount Snow that entire week so we thought it be nice to break up the week with a change. Now I know why so many people call it FLATTON. Not because the mountain isn’t too steep but because they groom everything flat. I only saw a couple of natural trails and one bump run and everything else was a flat as a pancake. We spoke to many people on the gondola about this and the consensus was everyone loved it that way! Most of them were commenting how perfect the conditions were. I just couldn’t stand it, after a few hours of cruising hard flat corduroy we got bored and went home. What also bothered me was the creepy look of the place. Everything was so neat and tidy it kind of gave me the creeps. It didn’t even feel like you were on a mountain but more of a man-made park. One trail down the front side had a 6 foot tall net almost the entire length of the trail and every pole, snow making hydrant and tree anywhere near the trail had multiple pads attached in some bright yellow color. My wife commented that the lawyers must have made them do it to avoid lawsuits? The people that liked it should stay there and hopefully this sickness won’t infiltrate other mountains.

reefer · Mar 21, 2007, 11:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mlctvt

Comments on Stratton
My wife and I used our free ski days at Stratton back on March 7th. We’d been skiing Mount Snow that entire week so we thought it be nice to break up the week with a change. Now I know why so many people call it FLATTON. Not because the mountain isn’t too steep but because they groom everything flat. I only saw a couple of natural trails and one bump run and everything else was a flat as a pancake. We spoke to many people on the gondola about this and the consensus was everyone loved it that way! Most of them were commenting how perfect the conditions were. I just couldn’t stand it, after a few hours of cruising hard flat corduroy we got bored and went home. What also bothered me was the creepy look of the place. Everything was so neat and tidy it kind of gave me the creeps. It didn’t even feel like you were on a mountain but more of a man-made park. One trail down the front side had a 6 foot tall net almost the entire length of the trail and every pole, snow making hydrant and tree anywhere near the trail had multiple pads attached in some bright yellow color. My wife commented that the lawyers must have made them do it to avoid lawsuits? The people that liked it should stay there and hopefully this sickness won’t infiltrate other mountains.

Did you ski Kidderbrook, Free Fall, Bear Down, Spruce, Slalom Glade, World Cup, Vertigo, Eclipse, Diamond in the Rough, Shredwood Forest, Sunbeam, switchback, moon dance??????? Obviously not! Whew. I'm getting exhausted just thinking about 3/4/07. WHO TOLD YOU TO TAKE THE GONDI?

mlctvt · Mar 21, 2007, 12:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by reefer

Did you ski Kidderbrook, Free Fall, Bear Down, Spruce, Slalom Glade, World Cup, Vertigo, Eclipse, Diamond in the Rough, Shredwood Forest, Sunbeam, switchback, moon dance??????? Obviously not! Whew. I'm getting exhausted just thinking about 3/4/07. WHO TOLD YOU TO TAKE THE GONDI?

It was a very cold and windy day with a high of about 7 degrees and alsos it was a weekday with very few skiers so the Gondi was the only way to get to the top from the front side. Many lifts were not running. Many if not most of the trails you mention here are tree areas which we don't ski but we did ski Slalom glade which wasn't groomed and was excellent.

zook · Mar 21, 2007, 1:06 PM

Yep, Sunday was a blast! I went to Stratton to use my free lift ticket and I couldn't have chosen a better day. All other times I've been there most of the trails were groomed flat.

And I couldn't agree more about the bathrooms

I guess I need to check out Bromley next time...

dmc · Mar 21, 2007, 1:51 PM

Sounds like a good old fashion safari!!!

Good one!

reefer · Mar 21, 2007, 2:04 PM

Forgot about that cold front, excused for the gondi. Didn't think you gave Stratton a fair shake. An expert can have fun there. I only get there once/twice a year, (so I pick nice days), but I've always had a great time there. Half were glades, but half were double/single blacks. They ususally leave all doubles alone............and some hidden singles............
They do groom too much - no doubt. I've said that in my reports. Not quite as bad as Okemo however. And for some unknown reason - people love it. Stratton and Okemo are booming ski areas. At least it was free..................it was the place to be on Sunday 3/4, powder everywhere! Snowed all afternoon.
Also - try the woods. They aren't that bad with the right conditions. No tougher than what you ski. Take your time. If it's not good then don't do them any more that day.

Mar 21, 2007, 8:50 AM	#1 (permalink)
amf Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: southern NJ Posts: 78	4 days/4 mtns: Snow, Magic, Stratton, Bromley Mt Snow 3/17: Marcski hit it right. Probably best conditions of the year on the north face & in the woods. Can't believe people were requesting refunds for too much snow! Magic 3/18: Had planned to go to Stratton to maximize my free ticket value, but headed for Magic to avoid the snowboard comp at Stratton. Magic was magic - if anything, they groom with too light a touch... the blue cruisers to skiier right could have had a wider swath groomed to break up the thin icy crust from the freezing mist of early Saturday. The blacks to skiers left, where the crust was quickly broken out, were great. Soft powdery bumps for the most part, with only a few small icy patches beginning to show late in the day. Stratton 3/19: Hard to believe it snowed at all... they groomed the mountain down to the man-made hard pack. By the end of the day most runs were like skiing on concrete, yet folks thought it was great. Four runs saved the day - Spruce, where they had not groomed, and although it was bumped up there were generally soft (I have little cartilage left in one knee, so I tend to avoid the mini-glaciers that are typical of eastern mogul fields). The woods runs off Rowleys were excellent - the thin ice crust was either absent or had not occurred at Stratton. Late in the day I made in over to Kidderbrook & the tree runs there, where I finally met bliss. K'brook never say a groomer, & was sweet & soft, & the trees were heavenly. I think I say three other parties over there the whole day. The only down side was getting there - from the sunbowl, you had to take a lift, then ski concrete over to the main face & take another lift to the top. But I'll say this - after seeing how they literally destroyed one of the best snowfalls of the year, sucking the very soul out of the mountain, the only way I'll be back again is with a free ticket. Bromley 3/20: My first time there, figuring on a good cheap get-away day (the entire trip was built around skiing four areas for $50 - I had a comp at Snow, the free ticket at Stratton, & Magic & Bromley were both $25 midweek. Having to pay weekend rates at Magic upped the ante to $74!) Thoroughly enjoyed Bromley. Nothing particularly challenging, but after 3 days in powder & trees it was perfect. Nice mix of groomed & ungroomed, & the generally narrow trails allowed wind-blown snow to collect during the day making for good skiing. And best of all, the bathrooms in the lodge are ON THE MAIN LEVEL!!! Did I say that loud enough? I would definitely return there.

Mar 21, 2007, 1:51 PM	#9 (permalink)
dmc DMC TUX Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Hunter, NY Posts: 6,448	Sounds like a good old fashion safari!!! Good one! __________________ "The snowboard track is the most aesthetic and ephemeral passage that man can leave on a mountain" Stephen Koch ------------------ DMCs Interactive Tuckerman Ravine Map

Mar 21, 2007, 2:04 PM	#10 (permalink)
reefer Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: MA Posts: 413	Forgot about that cold front, excused for the gondi. Didn't think you gave Stratton a fair shake. An expert can have fun there. I only get there once/twice a year, (so I pick nice days), but I've always had a great time there. Half were glades, but half were double/single blacks. They ususally leave all doubles alone............and some hidden singles............ They do groom too much - no doubt. I've said that in my reports. Not quite as bad as Okemo however. And for some unknown reason - people love it. Stratton and Okemo are booming ski areas. At least it was free..................it was the place to be on Sunday 3/4, powder everywhere! Snowed all afternoon. Also - try the woods. They aren't that bad with the right conditions. No tougher than what you ski. Take your time. If it's not good then don't do them any more that day. Last edited by reefer; Mar 21, 2007 at 2:13 PM.

Thread Tools
Show Printable Version Email this Page
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode

Mar 21, 2007, 8:59 AM	#2 (permalink)
Angus Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 354	interesting AMF - I was at Stratton on Sunday and it was fantastic, nothing was groomed at all with a good 8-12" of new soft snow covering everything. we didn't ski the trees at kidderbrook but a nice bump run where the cover was abit thin - caught my ski on low cut saplings a couple of times

Mar 21, 2007, 10:07 AM	#5 (permalink)
mlctvt Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: CT, VT Posts: 260	Comments on Stratton My wife and I used our free ski days at Stratton back on March 7th. We’d been skiing Mount Snow that entire week so we thought it be nice to break up the week with a change. Now I know why so many people call it FLATTON. Not because the mountain isn’t too steep but because they groom everything flat. I only saw a couple of natural trails and one bump run and everything else was a flat as a pancake. We spoke to many people on the gondola about this and the consensus was everyone loved it that way! Most of them were commenting how perfect the conditions were. I just couldn’t stand it, after a few hours of cruising hard flat corduroy we got bored and went home. What also bothered me was the creepy look of the place. Everything was so neat and tidy it kind of gave me the creeps. It didn’t even feel like you were on a mountain but more of a man-made park. One trail down the front side had a 6 foot tall net almost the entire length of the trail and every pole, snow making hydrant and tree anywhere near the trail had multiple pads attached in some bright yellow color. My wife commented that the lawyers must have made them do it to avoid lawsuits? The people that liked it should stay there and hopefully this sickness won’t infiltrate other mountains.

Mar 21, 2007, 1:06 PM	#8 (permalink)
zook Brighton, Utah Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Queens, NY Posts: 150	Yep, Sunday was a blast! I went to Stratton to use my free lift ticket and I couldn't have chosen a better day. All other times I've been there most of the trails were groomed flat. And I couldn't agree more about the bathrooms I guess I need to check out Bromley next time...