jaywbigred
Active member
Feel free to copy the appropriate portions of this letter for your own use. I just sent it to Shawnee, at the suggestion of whomever answered the phone when I called awhile ago.
"Hello!
I am in the market to purchase a season pass for the 2010-2011 season. By way of quick profile, I am 30 yrs old, live in NJ, and own a condo at Mt. Snow, VT, where I ski on weekends. What I am looking for is a pass that will allow me to ski moguls (I am big time into bumps!), at night, during the week. At first glance, your Night Pass would seem to be perfect. And I understand from the forums I frequent online at Alpinezone ( http://forums.alpinezone.com/index.php ) and from a call to your general number, that you guys have let Tecumseh bump up this year. That is great! But I was wondering if there would be anyone who would be willing to listen to some "lobbying" for a seeded mogul run for next year. When I say seeded, I primarily mean via a snow cat and snow making equipment. Some mountains seed using skiers, but that takes more work/manpower.
Camelback and Blue both have seeded bump runs right now. At Camelback, they are on Lower Cleopatra, and at Blue they are on Challenger (see attached picture) and Barney's Bumps. All of them are skiable at night. Those mountains have shown a commitment to bump skiing and to seeded bump skiing the last few years. I am considering buying passes to one of those mountains instead of Shawnee, though I have a preference for Shawnee for many reasons (you guys offer a night only pass; you are closer to me; I like the atmosphere better; I learned to ski at Shawnee!, etc...).
What I was hoping was that someone in Mountain Ops might commit to the possibility of seeding a bump run next year. Obviously, this would depend on conditions and snowfall, and I wouldn't expect a seeded run if conditions weren't appropriate. The reasons I am looking for a seeded run, rather than a natural one, has mostly to do with my experience with the natural lines on bump runs at certain mountains. As one might imagine, certain mountains attract a certain caliber of skier. When those skier's dictate where and how the bumps form, you get mogul runs of differing quality. The natural bump runs at Mad River Glen and Sugarbush are somewhat different than the natural bump runs at Mt. Snow, which are in turn different than the natural bump runs I have experienced this season at Camelback. For this reason, I was hoping Mountain Ops might entertain the idea of a seeded run.
Mind you that I wouldn't expect or ask for a premium trail to be devoted to bumps. Nor would I ask that an entire width of a trail be devoted to bumps. But perhaps it would be possible to consider seeding a set of bumps on one side of a single trail, say 3-4 bumps wide, in total, on one of the more out of the way runs? It doesn't matter to me (nor to most bump skiers) if it is a black diamond, blue square, or green circle (note that Lower Cleopatra at Camelback is a green circle). Mostly, it's just about having a quality line on which to practice, build endurance, and get some exercise, midweek.
I would love some feedback as to whether or not this is something that Mountain Ops might consider. It would go a long way in helping me decide between Blue, Camelback, and Shawnee for my 2010-2011 season pass. I would add that, as per observation all up and down the east coast from the ski-nuts at Alpinezone, seeding bumps is becoming more and more common, both as a way for bigger mountains to put bumps on lower angle trails to help intermediates learn, and as a way for more local hills to "do the most" with the limited terrain/weather they have available. Below is an informal list of east coast resorts where seeded bump runs have been confirmed this year:
Blue Mountain
Camelback
Roundtop
Liberty
Whitetail
Okemo
Killington
Mount Snow
Attitash
Loon
Sunday River
Windham
Belleayre
Sundown
Sunapee
Saddleback
Catamount
Wachusett
Peak and Peak
Ski Ward
Waterville
I know I am just one voice, and I don't carry much weight (though wherever I buy my 2010-11 season pass, my buddy and fellow bump-lover will also be buying, so I can guarantee at least 2 new passes). But given the number of places doing it, maybe there is an untapped market for you guys.
Anyway, any information you have would be great. I understand from my phone call earlier today that this email will be forwarded to the appropriate party.
Thanks for your time!"
And I attached Root's picture:
"Hello!
I am in the market to purchase a season pass for the 2010-2011 season. By way of quick profile, I am 30 yrs old, live in NJ, and own a condo at Mt. Snow, VT, where I ski on weekends. What I am looking for is a pass that will allow me to ski moguls (I am big time into bumps!), at night, during the week. At first glance, your Night Pass would seem to be perfect. And I understand from the forums I frequent online at Alpinezone ( http://forums.alpinezone.com/index.php ) and from a call to your general number, that you guys have let Tecumseh bump up this year. That is great! But I was wondering if there would be anyone who would be willing to listen to some "lobbying" for a seeded mogul run for next year. When I say seeded, I primarily mean via a snow cat and snow making equipment. Some mountains seed using skiers, but that takes more work/manpower.
Camelback and Blue both have seeded bump runs right now. At Camelback, they are on Lower Cleopatra, and at Blue they are on Challenger (see attached picture) and Barney's Bumps. All of them are skiable at night. Those mountains have shown a commitment to bump skiing and to seeded bump skiing the last few years. I am considering buying passes to one of those mountains instead of Shawnee, though I have a preference for Shawnee for many reasons (you guys offer a night only pass; you are closer to me; I like the atmosphere better; I learned to ski at Shawnee!, etc...).
What I was hoping was that someone in Mountain Ops might commit to the possibility of seeding a bump run next year. Obviously, this would depend on conditions and snowfall, and I wouldn't expect a seeded run if conditions weren't appropriate. The reasons I am looking for a seeded run, rather than a natural one, has mostly to do with my experience with the natural lines on bump runs at certain mountains. As one might imagine, certain mountains attract a certain caliber of skier. When those skier's dictate where and how the bumps form, you get mogul runs of differing quality. The natural bump runs at Mad River Glen and Sugarbush are somewhat different than the natural bump runs at Mt. Snow, which are in turn different than the natural bump runs I have experienced this season at Camelback. For this reason, I was hoping Mountain Ops might entertain the idea of a seeded run.
Mind you that I wouldn't expect or ask for a premium trail to be devoted to bumps. Nor would I ask that an entire width of a trail be devoted to bumps. But perhaps it would be possible to consider seeding a set of bumps on one side of a single trail, say 3-4 bumps wide, in total, on one of the more out of the way runs? It doesn't matter to me (nor to most bump skiers) if it is a black diamond, blue square, or green circle (note that Lower Cleopatra at Camelback is a green circle). Mostly, it's just about having a quality line on which to practice, build endurance, and get some exercise, midweek.
I would love some feedback as to whether or not this is something that Mountain Ops might consider. It would go a long way in helping me decide between Blue, Camelback, and Shawnee for my 2010-2011 season pass. I would add that, as per observation all up and down the east coast from the ski-nuts at Alpinezone, seeding bumps is becoming more and more common, both as a way for bigger mountains to put bumps on lower angle trails to help intermediates learn, and as a way for more local hills to "do the most" with the limited terrain/weather they have available. Below is an informal list of east coast resorts where seeded bump runs have been confirmed this year:
Blue Mountain
Camelback
Roundtop
Liberty
Whitetail
Okemo
Killington
Mount Snow
Attitash
Loon
Sunday River
Windham
Belleayre
Sundown
Sunapee
Saddleback
Catamount
Wachusett
Peak and Peak
Ski Ward
Waterville
I know I am just one voice, and I don't carry much weight (though wherever I buy my 2010-11 season pass, my buddy and fellow bump-lover will also be buying, so I can guarantee at least 2 new passes). But given the number of places doing it, maybe there is an untapped market for you guys.
Anyway, any information you have would be great. I understand from my phone call earlier today that this email will be forwarded to the appropriate party.
Thanks for your time!"
And I attached Root's picture:
You should show them this one!
and :beer: this weekend.
