The "Sugarbush Thread"

shadyjay · Mar 20, 2016

The weather over the past couple of days has its pros and cons. It's not softening up too much (a little in the base), but what we've got isn't going anywhere. It's better than 50s and rain/fog. Bravo/HG/VH side of Lincoln Peak is pretty solid. Good depth on some of those trails. Mt Ellen's got one more week before it closes. A few good cruisers over there but limited options compared to Lincoln. Plus with the primary route to base being down, it's a slight uphill to get past Slide Brook.

Regarding which route to take... I favor 100S->103S when I'm heading down to visit family in CT. The way back, my route is 91->89->Exit 3->107W->100N. The 100->103 route is nice heading down and I get to avoid all of 89 and a good chunk of 91. Heading back north, the Exit 3->107->100 route is the most direct and is in pretty good shape year-round.

Scruffy · Mar 20, 2016

I was up there this weekend. Not the spring skiing we usually look forward to this time of year, but I was happy to be out there anyways.

rocks860 · Mar 20, 2016

I think I'm gonna head up next Saturday for my last day of the year

nhskier1969 · Mar 20, 2016

Skied their this weekend, was a lot of fun.
I know this was a low snow year but has Sugarbush ever thought of blowing a ton of snow on the entrance and exit of Heaven's Gate Traverse, from Lower Organgrinder and Downspout and then spreading it out on the traverse. It would open up so many more trails to get to Heaven's Gate without having to take Downspout. I realize they can't do it now but is it something they have considered before.

benski · Mar 20, 2016

nhskier1969 said:
Skied their this weekend, was a lot of fun.
I know this was a low snow year but has Sugarbush ever thought of blowing a ton of snow on the entrance and exit of Heaven's Gate Traverse, from Lower Organgrinder and Downspout and then spreading it out on the traverse. It would open up so many more trails to get to Heaven's Gate without having to take Downspout. I realize they can't do it now but is it something they have considered before.

Heavens gate traverse does not take a lot of snow to open. Its open almost as much as lower Organ grinder. They do that on Overshot, at the bottom of waterfall.

rocks860 · Mar 20, 2016

God I hate downspout

HowieT2 · Mar 20, 2016

I don't think gatehouse makes it to next weekend. Getting thin and sketchy at the bottom.

nhskier1969 · Mar 20, 2016

If they can continue moving snow around, they will get another weekend out of it. Probably move the snow from beginner area over to gatehouse bottom.

shadyjay · Mar 21, 2016

nhskier1969 said:
Skied their this weekend, was a lot of fun.
I know this was a low snow year but has Sugarbush ever thought of blowing a ton of snow on the entrance and exit of Heaven's Gate Traverse, from Lower Organgrinder and Downspout and then spreading it out on the traverse. It would open up so many more trails to get to Heaven's Gate without having to take Downspout. I realize they can't do it now but is it something they have considered before.

Oh yes, we've done it before, and did it a little this year. It is a long trail and you can only stretch so many hoses onto a gun. We do the same on Overshot as previously mentioned, Castlerock Connection (from Downspout), Pushover Chute, and on Second Thoughts. Over on Mt Ellen, we do it sometimes on the Bravo headwall coming from Elbow and this year it was done on Brambles, as GMVS likes to train there as well.

But back to the traverse, usually it is one of those first natural snow trails to open and holds the snow pretty well. I do recall making piles at either end this year, but they were pushed out to save the traverse earlier in the month or to fill in Downspout/Lower OG. This was definitely not your typical winter.

Also, anyone up this week looking for a ticket deal, Mt Ellen tickets are $30 all this week. Mt Ellen's last day is Easter Sunday, March 27 while Lincoln Peak will continue going through April.

nhskier1969 · Mar 21, 2016

I went up on the lift this weekend with Henri. I've met him a couple of times before but we got to talking about the ski season and I asked him if this has been the worst season he could remember(I forgot he's been skiing here for over 50 years) he sold no. He continued to tell me he remembers before snowmaking, one season in particular that they barely had enough snow to put a ski Jump together for Stien Eriksen. But when they did boy was he fun to watch.
So I guess the season could have been worse but you can still have fun with what you got.

cdskier · Mar 22, 2016

steamboat1 said:
Only time I drive I-89 is if I'm going directly to Sugarbush, MRG or Stowe from home which isn't often. Always got off at Rt. 100B (is that exit 9?) & drove south to Rt. 100 to Sugarbush or MRG. Of course for Stowe I'd get off at Waterbury.

Our ski house in VT. is about 8 miles north of Rutland on Rt. 7. When driving to the MRV from there I usually go over Brandon Gap (Rt. 73) & pick up Rt. 100 north in Rochester. Occasionally I'll drive over the Appalachian Gap (Rt. 17) for a change of pace.

My route from NJ is I-87 (Thruway to Northway) to Rt 149 in Queensbury to Rt 4 to 22A in VT to 73 across the Brandon gap to 100. Coming from the western side of the green mountains, I like the Brandon gap the best and to me it seems faster than going through the Rutland area anyway.

cdskier · Mar 22, 2016

HowieT2 said:
I don't think gatehouse makes it to next weekend. Getting thin and sketchy at the bottom.

I think there's still some they can push around a bit as long as it stays somewhat cool this week to help preserve it. If it gets warm though, then I agree that it may not make it to next weekend. The Sleeper runout is even thinner than Lower Hotshot and could go soon too. I also don't understand how "In Road" and "Out Road" are technically still listed as open on the trail report. At best snow extends maybe a couple feet onto those trails beyond the edge of Easy Rider. If you can't ski across those wooden bridges, the trails shouldn't be considered "open".

The rest of the mountain looks in decent shape though. Stein's is deep (and frozen solid...only run this weekend that I didn't enjoy). Spring Fling is decently deep, but I worry a bit about Snowball's depth. Downspout seems good. Organgrinder seems deeper than Ripcord and rarely grooming OG is probably helping preserve it as well. Lower Ripcord in particular could be one of the upper mountain trails to worry about.

Anyone ski ME this weekend? I'm curious how the cover is from the base of the North Ridge chair up. I kind of want to head over there this coming Saturday for one final day there this season. Not a lot of choices of trails, but I'd still like to do it anyway as long as what is open has cover.

rocks860 · Mar 22, 2016

cdskier said:
I think there's still some they can push around a bit as long as it stays somewhat cool this week to help preserve it. If it gets warm though, then I agree that it may not make it to next weekend. The Sleeper runout is even thinner than Lower Hotshot and could go soon too. I also don't understand how "In Road" and "Out Road" are technically still listed as open on the trail report. At best snow extends maybe a couple feet onto those trails beyond the edge of Easy Rider. If you can't ski across those wooden bridges, the trails shouldn't be considered "open".

The rest of the mountain looks in decent shape though. Stein's is deep (and frozen solid...only run this weekend that I didn't enjoy). Spring Fling is decently deep, but I worry a bit about Snowball's depth. Downspout seems good. Organgrinder seems deeper than Ripcord and rarely grooming OG is probably helping preserve it as well. Lower Ripcord in particular could be one of the upper mountain trails to worry about.

Anyone ski ME this weekend? I'm curious how the cover is from the base of the North Ridge chair up. I kind of want to head over there this coming Saturday for one final day there this season. Not a lot of choices of trails, but I'd still like to do it anyway as long as what is open has cover.

I skied mount Ellen last month and the coverage was pretty thin so I can only imagine what it's like now

WWF-VT · Mar 22, 2016

I skied at Mt Ellen on Saturday and Sunday. I basically lapped the Summit chair - Rimrun, Elbow, Looking Good all still have decent cover. If it warms up this weekend Elbow will be fun. FIS was icy as hell as it never warmed up. Cruiser is getting thin ( skiers right ) , Northstar is OK. I just didn't want to deal with the sketchy ice getting to the North Ridge chair.

They have pushed around snow to get you down Crackerjack to get you back to the base lodge or the GMX chair. Inverness trail is all that's left off that chair and it was ungroomed crap on Saturday and slightly better on Sunday when they actually ran the groomers all the way up the trail.

cdskier · Mar 22, 2016

Thanks WWF. I'm ok with lapping the Summit chair. Would be nice if it warms up so FIS is skiable. Now my problem is the weather forecast for later this week. My usual Easter weekend plan is to drive up Thursday night after work and then go home Saturday afternoon so I'm home for family stuff on Sunday. The weather Thursday night may make me have to change that plan. Do I just forget about skiing on Friday and just drive up on Friday instead to ski Saturday for a few hours? I guess I'll have to see how the forecast unfolds as the week goes on...

Whitey · Mar 22, 2016

Have to give some props to SB's customer svc people. After my MA school vacation week ski vacation disaster (several pages back in this thread) with weather and conditions - we pulled the plug early on the trip. Not only did SB refund me some of the rental on the condo but just last week I also got a bunch of vouchers good for lift tickets good thru next season to make up for the ski tix we paid for but didn't use because of the weather and conditions.

I had to ask for them but they did make good on it. SB could have easily just said "we can't control the weather" and told me to kick rocks. But instead, in a season where they are probably gonna lose some $, they still took care of one of their loyal customers.

Not just because I have vouchers, but because SB has always shown me they care about their customers - they have guaranteed that I will make the effort to go to SB over my other options in the future.

Makes you wonder how many other mountains would do the same? Makes you wonder how many other mtns realize how much good will and returning business this kind of stuff generates?

rocks860 · Mar 22, 2016

Whitey said:
Have to give some props to SB's customer svc people. After my MA school vacation week ski vacation disaster (several pages back in this thread) with weather and conditions - we pulled the plug early on the trip. Not only did SB refund me some of the rental on the condo but just last week I also got a bunch of vouchers good for lift tickets good thru next season to make up for the ski tix we paid for but didn't use because of the weather and conditions.

I had to ask for them but they did make good on it. SB could have easily just said "we can't control the weather" and told me to kick rocks. But instead, in a season where they are probably gonna lose some $, they still took care of one of their loyal customers.

Not just because I have vouchers, but because SB has always shown me they care about their customers - they have guaranteed that I will make the effort to go to SB over my other options in the future.

Makes you wonder how many other mountains would do the same? Makes you wonder how many other mtns realize how much good will and returning business this kind of stuff generates?

When I hurt my shoulder they gave me a voucher too, I was very surprised. I didn't get seen at the clinic by ski patrol until around noon but they gave me a voucher for a full ticket. The ski patroller also sent me a card a few weeks later basically saying hope you're feeling better. Top notch customer service

yeggous · Mar 22, 2016

Does anyone know about Stein's Challenge? Is this basically a watered down version of the Wildcat Vertical Challenge, except not for charity? Does the registration fee include a lift ticket?

cdskier · Mar 22, 2016

Good questions. Was the Wildcat Vertical Challenge on a bump run? In theory Stein's will (or should) be bumped up by then unless they plan on grooming right before the event. When they first announced the event I took it to be a spring bump endurance type of race. There's a 4 hour time limit and it is just ski as many runs in that time as you can on Stein's with various prizes being awarded. With an approximately 8 minute ride on the Valley House chair, I'd say 5 runs per hour is probably about the max. At 5 runs per hour you're looking at just under 25K vertical in 4 hours.

No idea about the lift ticket question...

steamboat1 · Mar 22, 2016

Whitey said:
Have to give some props to SB's customer svc people.Makes you wonder how many other mtns realize how much good will and returning business this kind of stuff generates?

rocks860 said:
Top notch customer service

I've had a couple of negative experiences with Sugarbush customer service. Don't want to get into specifics. I still go there once in awhile because of their location near our ski house but they definitely lost some business from me because of it.

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