Loon South Peak Expansion

[machski]

They had boom run open this weekend. They closed it to push snow. They'll probably have jobber and twitcher open this weekend. They made a boatload of snow over there.

That's all well and fine now, but they had buried Timbertown prior to really getting Boom down and Twitcher/Jobber started. You can add in T-Town was done too ahead of Upper Walking Boss and Lower Flume. Just silly to push that POD and not have it up and running 7 days/week prior to other needed and "Primary" terrain getting done. And least we not forget, they abandoned snowmaking on Picaroon as well.

 

[bigbob]

I skiied Loon today since the notch looked rather wintry on the ride up and figured Cannon would be pretty windy and cold. I was on the North Peak Quad with a couple of older gentleman and a younger lad who didin't say a word during our interesting ride up. We were about a third of the way up and the chair stopped, which seemed longer than normal. After about 5 minuts the chairs starting going backwords, fast enough to say holy f*ck, am i gonna die? We rolled backwords for awhile, which seemed like forever, then stopped for a few moments, then started going backwords agin. We stopped for a few minuts, then the lift started going foreword at a slow pace, eventually returning to a normal speed. All I could think of the video I watched of a chair going backwords flinging passangers off like rag dolls. I skied to the bottom and the chair was loading like it normally does. Asked the lifty what happened and she said someone had fallen off. She didn't explain why it rolled backwords, but I asked how did the people get off. She said it was going slow enough that we just sweept them off. I was glad to not be near the bottom to be swept off!

 

[chuckstah]

I skiied Loon today since the notch looked rather wintry on the ride up and figured Cannon would be pretty windy and cold. I was on the North Peak Quad with a couple of older gentleman and a younger lad who didin't say a word during our interesting ride up. We were about a third of the way up and the chair stopped, which seemed longer than normal. After about 5 minuts the chairs starting going backwords, fast enough to say holy f*ck, am i gonna die? We rolled backwords for awhile, which seemed like forever, then stopped for a few moments, then started going backwords agin. We stopped for a few minuts, then the lift started going foreword at a slow pace, eventually returning to a normal speed. All I could think of the video I watched of a chair going backwords flinging passangers off like rag dolls. I skied to the bottom and the chair was loading like it normally does. Asked the lifty what happened and she said someone had fallen off. She didn't explain why it rolled backwords, but I asked how did the people get off. She said it was going slow enough that we just sweept them off. I was glad to not be near the bottom to be swept off!

I had the exact same experience a dozen or so years ago. Same lift. Totally freaked me out. Can't remember the explanation of what happened.

 

[Newpylong]

It didn't roll backwards, they reversed it since it's a detach. If it still going backwards after a full chair spacing length then it's time to think about bailing.

 

[chuckstah]

It didn't roll backwards, they reversed it since it's a detach. If it still going backwards after a full chair spacing length then it's time to think about bailing.

When I was on it it went back at least a 100 yards, probably more. The sign getting on always said the lift may run in reverse. Never thought it would happen. I was definitely getting ready to bail if it got a lot lower. Worst lift ride ever

 

[bigbob]

It didn't roll backwards, they reversed it since it's a detach. If it still going backwards after a full chair spacing length then it's time to think about bailing.

About one tower spacing is how far back we went. I did see the sign that this lift may run in reverse. I would of like to see how they unloaded the chairs, that must of been a scramble! And why was it done, to decrease weight on the line?

 

[thebigo]

'This Lift May Run in Reverse' sign is on a few lifts, Wildcat also comes to mind. Always figured it was for a misload. In other words, bottom lift operator sees someone falling or dangling from lift. They slowly reverse lift to get the person as close to the ground as possible. Everybody has a camera in their pocket, has to be a video posted somewhere?

As for full rollback, I remind my kids regularly to ditch their equipment first, raise bar second, hold on until just before the terminal and then jump.

 

[ceo]

Interesting. I'd been led to understand that the "lift may run in reverse" sign is there in case a grip doesn't close properly and trips the safety mechanism on the way out of the terminal, and they have to back it up to unload it.

 

[machski]

Interesting. I'd been led to understand that the "lift may run in reverse" sign is there in case a grip doesn't close properly and trips the safety mechanism on the way out of the terminal, and they have to back it up to unload it.

That or a chair slips while off the rope in the terminal and spacing alert goes off. They reverse the lift, allow that mis-spaced chair to detach and reset in the terminal to then be properly spaced. Not sure how far back it has to go on the rails in the terminal to get properly respaced but a slip on the cadence wheels in terminal is common if the grip track gets iced up.

 

[Vince]

Skied Loon today. Good day about 8 new. Walking Boss and Lower Flume ungroomed. Good bumps and cut up powder. Upper Flume not yet open but looks to be soon. The new novice chair was closed. One of my few real skiing days this year.

 

[bigbob]

I skied Loon today and Timertown was open. I did about 4 runs there, mellow terrain, but realy nice snow. The place had a very mellow vibe to it, perfect out of the way place for begginers and novices without all the out of control people who think they are better than they really are. I hope they put a lodge there this summer. Overall the snow was about as good as it gets at loon and was warmer there than my house when I left. light crowds in the morning, seemed to get a little buisier after lunch so I bailed.

 

[KustyTheKlown]

Skied Loon today. Good day about 8 new. Walking Boss and Lower Flume ungroomed. Good bumps and cut up powder. Upper Flume not yet open but looks to be soon. The new novice chair was closed. One of my few real skiing days this year.

i skied loon on monday. 2-3" of new snow from the squalls, and they left the side of walking boss and flume ungroomed. it was incredible to me how no one wanted to ski the fresh snow. i lapped walking boss and flume like 3-4x each and had my pick of untouched lines each run. we aren't talking deep powder, but 4" on top of a pretty smooth base of snow/ice was fun for me. its like the loon crowd is scared of it. very weird.

loon and boyne continue to impress from an operational standpoint. mlk monday with blue skies and fresh snow and hardly a line in sight. a few short waits for the 8, and i know better to fuck with that silly little 4 person gondola.

i will give them a big thumbs down for the huge glade clearing thats in progress on south peak. taking a nice glade and straight up turning it into a trail. why why why

 

[Smellytele]

i skied loon on monday. 2-3" of new snow from the squalls, and they left the side of walking boss and flume ungroomed. it was incredible to me how no one wanted to ski the fresh snow. i lapped walking boss and flume like 3-4x each and had my pick of untouched lines each run. we aren't talking deep powder, but 4" on top of a pretty smooth base of snow/ice was fun for me. its like the loon crowd is scared of it. very weird.

loon and boyne continue to impress from an operational standpoint. mlk monday with blue skies and fresh snow and hardly a line in sight. a few short waits for the 8, and i know better to fuck with that silly little 4 person gondola.

i will give them a big thumbs down for the huge glade clearing thats in progress on south peak. taking a nice glade and straight up turning it into a trail. why why why

Probably PTSD as what is usually ungroomed at the edges of those trails are a mixture of death cookies and ice.

 

[thebigo]

i will give them a big thumbs down for the huge glade clearing thats in progress on south peak. taking a nice glade and straight up turning it into a trail. why why why

Because it is never open. They plan to thin the trees inside boom run to replace undercut. Hopefully hold snow better.

 

[Bumpsis]

Probably PTSD as what is usually ungroomed at the edges of those trails are a mixture of death cookies and ice.

Good observation! Walking Boss, especially the upper part (Upper Walking Boss??) is usually a horror show due to ice sheets and said death cookies on the edges. I was there yesterday (Thursday, 1/18) and the ungroomed side still skied really well, now, getting moguled up, but quite enjoyable.

 

[machski]

Because it is never open. They plan to thin the trees inside boom run to replace undercut. Hopefully hold snow better.

I also think because I would bet anything Cruiser gets rebranded a Green run and that would start from the Boom side at top to avoid the steep pitch right off the Quad. They need an easy run from the top of South, so I bet Undercut gets tagged a blue to replace cruiser. It already seemed to me like they mellowed out the upper portion of cruiser this year. I remember that dropping a bit quicker into the 90 degree right turn up high.

 

[machski]

I skied Loon today and Timertown was open. I did about 4 runs there, mellow terrain, but realy nice snow. The place had a very mellow vibe to it, perfect out of the way place for begginers and novices without all the out of control people who think they are better than they really are. I hope they put a lodge there this summer. Overall the snow was about as good as it gets at loon and was warmer there than my house when I left. light crowds in the morning, seemed to get a little buisier after lunch so I bailed.

Was the Kanc8 seat heat working?

 

[bigbob]

Was the Kanc8 seat heat working?

I didn't feel cold. I had a few layers on my legs, so hard to tell. No one was complaing however.

 

[JDMRoma]

I also think because I would bet anything Cruiser gets rebranded a Green run and that would start from the Boom side at top to avoid the steep pitch right off the Quad. They need an easy run from the top of South, so I bet Undercut gets tagged a blue to replace cruiser. It already seemed to me like they mellowed out the upper portion of cruiser this year. I remember that dropping a bit quicker into the 90 degree right turn up high.

They had a group of surveyors there yesterday marking the topography all throughout Southpeak, what ever is going on it's gonna be Big changes

 

[Bumpsis]

Does anyone know how by when the South Peak parking lot next to the Lincoln Express lift typically fills up in the morning on weekdays?

I'm not exactly an early morning person and Boston area traffic going north in the morning (I'm south of the city) can be a real PITA, so it's an accomplishment for me to arrive at Loon by 10:15 - 10:30am.

I like parking in that small lot but it's a crap-shoot getting a space and when full, it actually delays me with getting on the lift, since the backtracking to the main road and drive to the main entrance takes time.