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Early Season Snowmaking 2017

Who will be open by early next week? (you can choose multiple)

  • Killington

    Votes: 28 84.8%
  • Sunday River

    Votes: 27 81.8%
  • Sugarloaf

    Votes: 7 21.2%
  • Okemo

    Votes: 10 30.3%
  • Loon

    Votes: 7 21.2%
  • Jay

    Votes: 3 9.1%
  • Bretton Woods

    Votes: 12 36.4%
  • Mount Snow

    Votes: 15 45.5%
  • Jiminy Peak

    Votes: 5 15.2%
  • Wildcat

    Votes: 14 42.4%
  • Woodbury

    Votes: 4 12.1%
  • Another hill that doesn't usually partake in early season action

    Votes: 3 9.1%

  • Total voters
    33

Jully

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Dec 13, 2014
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Last year they opened with Conifer too IIRC. Don't know if that will be possible this year.
 

Zand

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Dec 30, 2003
Messages
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Location
Spencer, MA
With temps in the low 10s tonight and 48 straight hrs of snowmaking temps conifer might have a chance. But if it's just Ralph's and Challenger still better than hiking to rime.
 

The Sneak

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Sep 21, 2006
Messages
683
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Location
SK, RI
As a former season pass holder (for a decade), Wa used to always open with Conifer, a few years back they switched to opening w Ralph's and Challenger.

It's s pleasant surprise to see them blasting away on Conifer. Could be pretty decent product for Sunday, given the temps.

See you there :)


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

drjeff

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Jan 18, 2006
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Brooklyn, CT
That sizable upgrade to their pumping capacity that Wachusett did a year ago looks like it being put to good use!
 

Jcb890

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Feb 25, 2015
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Central MA
Gonna take a ride up at lunch and see what they're running for guns. I see Indian summer and conifer on the webcam. Have to imagine Challenger and Ralph's are going to. They could have double the terrain that Killington has.
This is pretty awesome Wachusett is putting in a solid effort, but let's not get crazy here...
 

ss20

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Jan 13, 2013
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A minute from the Alta exit off the I-15!
So Wachusetts opens at elevation 1000' and Killington can't get top-to-bottom by this weekend? :thumbdown:

If I were a K passholder I'd be livid. As it's been stated...the stairs are great when temps are marginal and K is the only game in town, but when there's 48+ hours of mid-winter snowmaking conditions they need to get top-to-bottom no excuses.
 

Jully

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This is pretty awesome Wachusett is putting in a solid effort, but let's not get crazy here...

Killington currently has 7 acres and 1 total mile of skiing open. K may be able to double that this weekend, but no more.

Wachusett won't get to double that, but they very well may exceed that if they get Indian Summer, Confier, Ralphs, and Challenger.
 

Zand

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Dec 30, 2003
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Location
Spencer, MA
This is pretty awesome Wachusett is putting in a solid effort, but let's not get crazy here...

Conifer, Ralph's, Challenger, and Indian summer isn't double rime reason and part of great northern?
 

Jully

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So Wachusetts opens at elevation 1000' and Killington can't get top-to-bottom by this weekend? :thumbdown:

If I were a K passholder I'd be livid. As it's been stated...the stairs are great when temps are marginal and K is the only game in town, but when there's 48+ hours of mid-winter snowmaking conditions they need to get top-to-bottom no excuses.

I saw Mike's explanation and its a good honest response to the questions and critiques. He admits that the World Cup prep is slowing down snowmaking expansion off the ridge, as we could all pretty easily infer from their operations. There's two crews and everything, but only for the ridge and SS.

The trade off that he offers though, is that once the world cup is over, all that extra capacity goes towards very rapid expansion. K might have the least amount of terrain open to the public on Thanksgiving, but by December 20th they'll have the most.
 

SkiMangoJazz

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Joined
May 2, 2006
Messages
84
Points
6
Location
Central Massachusetts
From what I recall conifer opened the next day.

Yep, that's right, in the afternoon. As I recall it was pretty bad that first day and we stayed on Challenger. Fine with me to get the season started with some easy skiing on decent snow as compared to skiing on steeper icy junk.

As a former season pass holder (for a decade), Wa used to always open with Conifer, a few years back they switched to opening w Ralph's and Challenger.

It's s pleasant surprise to see them blasting away on Conifer. Could be pretty decent product for Sunday, given the temps.

See you there :)


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Yeah, I liked it when the opened Conny first too. First day though usually was terrible conditions while first days on Challenger have been pretty darn good.

This is pretty awesome Wachusett is putting in a solid effort, but let's not get crazy here...

Exactly.
 

WJenness

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Oct 18, 2007
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Lowell, MA
Upper East Fall seems to be the closest to being done from the snow report at K.

So max offering this weekend seems to be GN, Rime, Reason, UEF
 

Jcb890

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Feb 25, 2015
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Central MA
Killington currently has 7 acres and 1 total mile of skiing open. K may be able to double that this weekend, but no more.

Wachusett won't get to double that, but they very well may exceed that if they get Indian Summer, Confier, Ralphs, and Challenger.
Number of trails, sure. Acreage/miles I would be surprised. If they do, that's great for them though.

Conifer, Ralph's, Challenger, and Indian summer isn't double rime reason and part of great northern?
I'm not sure to be honest, but I would doubt it is double. I would also imagine by Sunday that Killington will have more terrain open than Wachusett. I don't mean to poo-poo Wachusett and their efforts, I think it is commendable they want to open on Sunday.
 

SkiMangoJazz

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May 2, 2006
Messages
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Central Massachusetts
Yeah. Wachusett early season is fun, but very, very limited amount of terrain, and if they do get Conifer open (which I doubt) it really sucks the first day or so.
 

WJenness

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Loon is blazing right now from the sounds of it:

"They're absolutely cranking snow on 9 trails this morning, including Exodus, Upper Bear Claw, Upper Picked Rock, Bear Claw Extension, Grand Junction, Link, Lower Bear Claw, Seven Brothers, and Lower Picked Rock."

Source: http://loonmtn.com/explore/snow-conditions

Thinking they'll have a good offering next weekend.

That's 2 1/2 routes top-to-bottom over 2000' vertical if it's all there.

Gondola, 7 Brothers, and East Basin Double might all be in play in terms of lifts. (though they will probably just spin the Gondola and EBD as they usually do early season.)
 
Last edited:

Jcb890

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Central MA
Loon is blazing right now from the sounds of it:

"They're absolutely cranking snow on 9 trails this morning, including Exodus, Upper Bear Claw, Upper Picked Rock, Bear Claw Extension, Grand Junction, Link, Lower Bear Claw, Seven Brothers, and Lower Picked Rock."

Source: http://loonmtn.com/explore/snow-conditions

Thinking they'll have a good offering next weekend.

That's 2 1/2 routes top-to-bottom over 2000' vertical if it's all there.

Gondola, 7 Brothers, and East Basin Double might all be in play in terms of lifts. (though they will probably just spin the Gondola and EBD as they usually do early season.)
Hmmmm early season Loon is interesting since we only wound up using 3/5 Loon MAX Passes last year but enjoyed our time there.
 

WJenness

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Hmmmm early season Loon is interesting since we only wound up using 3/5 Loon MAX Passes last year but enjoyed our time there.

Agreed. The only Max Pass resort I Maxed (totally intentional) out last year was Sunday River.

Part of that was being hesitant to use it early season and wanting to save the days for 'better' conditions, which is not the strategy I will take this year.

I only ended up at Loon two days last year. It's an easy drive and I like skiing there, so assuming they are able to be open TTB next weekend, I'll likely use a day there.

Time to make this year's version of my spreadsheet I used to make my decisions last year.

-w
 
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