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The "Sugarbush Thread"

thetrailboss

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Regardless of the date - its obviously rather weather dependent - I predict they will be more aggressive in getting open than in the past. just a feeling.....

Agree on the weather. Why do you think they will be more aggressive? My last two seasons there they said weekend before Thanksgiving, then because (in part) of weather they did not open until MUCH later.
 

Smellytele

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Agree on the weather. Why do you think they will be more aggressive? My last two seasons there they said weekend before Thanksgiving, then because (in part) of weather they did not open until MUCH later.

Last year which was good early season I think they opened the weekend before Thanksgiving
 

HowieT2

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Last year which was good early season I think they opened the weekend before Thanksgiving

they have been pretty consistent in getting open the weekend before the thanksgiving over the last decade.
 

thetrailboss

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they have been pretty consistent in getting open the weekend before the thanksgiving over the last decade.

I guess if we go back that far, sure. I just recall them having a lot of issues in 2009 and 2010 that we have gnawed on in here....yes it was weather but it also was that they just did not have the capacity to open quickly so some windows that they COULD have opened they didn't. And IIRC the 2009 or 2010 season was particularly painful waiting.....
 

HowieT2

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I guess if we go back that far, sure. I just recall them having a lot of issues in 2009 and 2010 that we have gnawed on in here....yes it was weather but it also was that they just did not have the capacity to open quickly so some windows that they COULD have opened they didn't. And IIRC the 2009 or 2010 season was particularly painful waiting.....

you might be right, but I think it was more what they had open to start the season, than whether they opened at all.
 

Tin Woodsman

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I guess if we go back that far, sure. I just recall them having a lot of issues in 2009 and 2010 that we have gnawed on in here....yes it was weather but it also was that they just did not have the capacity to open quickly so some windows that they COULD have opened they didn't. And IIRC the 2009 or 2010 season was particularly painful waiting.....
Wouldn't be surprised if they are a little more aggressive this year, if only b/c they now have that much more firepower to deploy and exploit within those shorter, early-season snowmaking windows.

That said, no danger of SB making a run at some sort of early-season title. With a focus on LP and not the much better snow retaining topography at Mt Ellen, that's just not gonna happen. Might move the needle by a few days or a week at most so as to ensure they are open with something attractive at the same time as all of their primary competitors.
 

Tin

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I would love to see them make a run by blowing on the North Lynx area. Just Sunrise and Birch, looks like over 700' of vertical off it. I would take that over the Ridge Area at K or Punch/T2 at the river.
 

Quietman

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I would love to see them make a run by blowing on the North Lynx area. Just Sunrise and Birch, looks like over 700' of vertical off it. I would take that over the Ridge Area at K or Punch/T2 at the river.

Unfortunately, the Lynx area faces southeast which could be a problem on sunny Oct/Nov days.
 

shadyjay

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Snowmaking will be sub-par as usual. Pray for snow.

As one of the snowmakers at Sugarbush, I take offense to the "sub-par as usual" comment. While we don't have the capacity/firepower as Killington or Okemo, we do get it done as best as we can. For the past few years, we have opened for the season the Saturday before Thanksgiving. And for the past two years, we have opened top-to-bottom. Last year we met our early-season goals: t2b on opening day, two summit routes, beginner terrain for Thanksgiving.

Weather plays a huge factor of course. During the 2009/2010 season, we didn't open until after Thanksgiving due to temps. And I think a year later, we opened, then were forced to close briefly due to a warmup.

After doing some nice fall hiking, I've seen the investment of the new guns up close: they are lining more trails than ever before, replacing some older models. For instance, Snowball, Downspout, Ripcord, and Slowpoke all have new towers. Slowpoke has never had towers before, so this will be substantial. It will reduce set-up time for us so we can make snow quicker and transfer between trails quicker.

Who knows what the season will hold. If it's a good snow year, the snowmaking debate will be put on hold until next fall. If it isn't, the responsibility will come down on us to do what we can and pick up the slack.
 

dlague

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I have skied SB probably a dozen times and never had issue. Then again SB is not an early season play for me. We generally ski there around early February.


.......
 

Newpylong

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As one of the snowmakers at Sugarbush, I take offense to the "sub-par as usual" comment. While we don't have the capacity/firepower as Killington or Okemo, we do get it done as best as we can. For the past few years, we have opened for the season the Saturday before Thanksgiving. And for the past two years, we have opened top-to-bottom. Last year we met our early-season goals: t2b on opening day, two summit routes, beginner terrain for Thanksgiving.

Weather plays a huge factor of course. During the 2009/2010 season, we didn't open until after Thanksgiving due to temps. And I think a year later, we opened, then were forced to close briefly due to a warmup.

After doing some nice fall hiking, I've seen the investment of the new guns up close: they are lining more trails than ever before, replacing some older models. For instance, Snowball, Downspout, Ripcord, and Slowpoke all have new towers. Slowpoke has never had towers before, so this will be substantial. It will reduce set-up time for us so we can make snow quicker and transfer between trails quicker.

Who knows what the season will hold. If it's a good snow year, the snowmaking debate will be put on hold until next fall. If it isn't, the responsibility will come down on us to do what we can and pick up the slack.

Don't take offense anyone who's skied there knows you guys do a great job.
 

HowieT2

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As one of the snowmakers at Sugarbush, I take offense to the "sub-par as usual" comment. While we don't have the capacity/firepower as Killington or Okemo, we do get it done as best as we can. For the past few years, we have opened for the season the Saturday before Thanksgiving. And for the past two years, we have opened top-to-bottom. Last year we met our early-season goals: t2b on opening day, two summit routes, beginner terrain for Thanksgiving.

Weather plays a huge factor of course. During the 2009/2010 season, we didn't open until after Thanksgiving due to temps. And I think a year later, we opened, then were forced to close briefly due to a warmup.

After doing some nice fall hiking, I've seen the investment of the new guns up close: they are lining more trails than ever before, replacing some older models. For instance, Snowball, Downspout, Ripcord, and Slowpoke all have new towers. Slowpoke has never had towers before, so this will be substantial. It will reduce set-up time for us so we can make snow quicker and transfer between trails quicker.

Who knows what the season will hold. If it's a good snow year, the snowmaking debate will be put on hold until next fall. If it isn't, the responsibility will come down on us to do what we can and pick up the slack.

Dont mind him.
 

Cannonball

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As one of the snowmakers at Sugarbush, I take offense to the "sub-par as usual" comment. While we don't have the capacity/firepower as Killington or Okemo, we do get it done as best as we can. For the past few years, we have opened for the season the Saturday before Thanksgiving. And for the past two years, we have opened top-to-bottom. Last year we met our early-season goals: t2b on opening day, two summit routes, beginner terrain for Thanksgiving.

Weather plays a huge factor of course. During the 2009/2010 season, we didn't open until after Thanksgiving due to temps. And I think a year later, we opened, then were forced to close briefly due to a warmup.

After doing some nice fall hiking, I've seen the investment of the new guns up close: they are lining more trails than ever before, replacing some older models. For instance, Snowball, Downspout, Ripcord, and Slowpoke all have new towers. Slowpoke has never had towers before, so this will be substantial. It will reduce set-up time for us so we can make snow quicker and transfer between trails quicker.

Who knows what the season will hold. If it's a good snow year, the snowmaking debate will be put on hold until next fall. If it isn't, the responsibility will come down on us to do what we can and pick up the slack.

As far as I can tell you guys crush it! Never had a bad day at SB any time of year.
 

WWF-VT

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Snowmaking will be sub-par as usual. Pray for snow.

For a guy that skis at Sugarbush a few times year with cheap tickets from an employee friend you surely have done way more than your fair share of bitching in this thread. Do us all a favor and don't bother to come any farther north on Rte 100 than Killington if it's so below your standards for lifts, facilities and snow making.
 
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