Wachusett New Quad - updates?

[neil]

Anyone got any info on the new beginners quad at Wawa? I thought it would be ready for this season, but haven't heard a peep in ages, and there's no sign of work being done on the webcams.

What's going on?

 

[speden]

I've been wondering the same thing. Their website says they are working on it full steam ahead, but I never see any activity on the webcam. If that lift isn't ready for opening day, it will put a lot more people on the other lifts.

I was hoping we'd find something out in the answers to the Ski Area Challenge, but those answers haven't shown up yet.

 

[wa-loaf]

I'll be up there Sat night and will try and do some recon. I assume it's all ready to go.

 

[tmcc71]

I was skiing there Sunday

I took advantage of the near 2 foot dump and skiied Wa Sunday and Monday. The poles were being delivered on flatbeds. The forms are pored and ready. They should be ready for opening day if they work long days and weekends. They really need it to keep beginners off the other lifts. Heck, the final hill on Ralphs run is almost as steep as conifer. Thats where most of the school kiddies and beginners with "ralph muscles" end up getting hurt.

 

[skimawk]

I took advantage of the near 2 foot dump and skiied Wa Sunday and Monday. The poles were being delivered on flatbeds. The forms are pored and ready. They should be ready for opening day if they work long days and weekends. They really need it to keep beginners off the other lifts. Heck, the final hill on Ralphs run is almost as steep as conifer. Thats where most of the school kiddies and beginners with "ralph muscles" end up getting hurt.

I have heard that the lift will be ready for Christmas. Keep your fingers crossed for the effects skier traffic if the lift is not ready any earlier.

 

[KD7000]

Alas, I'll probably be one of those people with small kids on an inappropriate trail if the beginner lift isn't running until Christmas. Causing skier traffic problems and everything. :dunce:

 

[hammer]

I took advantage of the near 2 foot dump and skiied Wa Sunday and Monday. The poles were being delivered on flatbeds. The forms are pored and ready. They should be ready for opening day if they work long days and weekends. They really need it to keep beginners off the other lifts. Heck, the final hill on Ralphs run is almost as steep as conifer. Thats where most of the school kiddies and beginners with "ralph muscles" end up getting hurt.

I remember going to Wachusett as a novice on bad rental equipment, and getting down the last pitch on Ralph's was tough...

 

[The Sneak]

Every ride up the polar express you are treated to the sight of novices entering high speed snowplow death wobbles on 10th mountain trail. And that's when the novice chair is running.

oh boy.

 

[neil]

It's pretty much crucial that they have something for that area. It's a huge part of Wawa, and I often use it early in the season myself to get away from the crowds, and to just work on some different stuff.

That's a disaster IMO if that area is closed until Christmas.

 

[massbmx]

Every ride up the polar express you are treated to the sight of novices entering high speed snowplow death wobbles on 10th mountain trail. And that's when the novice chair is running.

oh boy.

The spectating on the lift is the most enjoyable part sometimes. Then going back down is like a slalom race combined with frogger.

Agreed though they're blowing it if the new lift isn't in before xmas.

 

[ceo]

My then-5-year-old was incredibly proud of himself at getting all the way down Ralph's without falling. As he should have been, that having been his 3rd day on skis. (Previous time I had to bring him down the slightly-steepish lower part of Indian Summer between my skis.)

 

[speden]

I went up to Wachusett last night for their Winter Fire party. I didn't see any Alpinezone stickers, so don't know if any AZ'ers were out there.

A big section of the main parking lot is blocked off and is full of big shiny parts for the new lift. I guess that means they will have most of what's there installed before opening day because otherwise it would really reduce the available parking space.

I walked over to the base of the new lift and it's further along than it looks in the webcam. The lift shack is pretty much finished and there is a big transformer installed behind it. Some concrete work has been done and looks almost ready for stuff to be bolted on with big nuts laying on top of it. There's a large retaining wall along one side and the base is kind of hollowed out. Hopefully they'll get a move on and get that puppy built.

Wachusett is also installing a heated sidewalk area in front of their ticket sales windows. All the radiant tubing is laid out with a reflective foil insulation under it. Looks like it still needs to be hooked up to the boiler and then they can pour the concrete.

The party itself was pretty good. There was a fairly big turnout. For some reason I thought there would be a lot of teenagers and college kids, but it was a more laid back, middle aged crowd, many taking advantage of the 20 oz. Wachusett refillable beer mug deal. They screeened TGR's "One for the Road" movie, which was mildly interesting, but nothing that great. There was a live band there, Five Hole, which was decent. Outside they had hired a couple of fire dancers who spun around flaming ropes, hulu hoops, and blew fire. All in all a good effort by Wachusett to get a some stoke going for the season.

 

[wa-loaf]

I went up to Wachusett last night for their Winter Fire party. I didn't see any Alpinezone stickers, so don't know if any AZ'ers were out there.

A big section of the main parking lot is blocked off and is full of big shiny parts for the new lift. I guess that means they will have most of what's there installed before opening day because otherwise it would really reduce the available parking space.

I walked over to the base of the new lift and it's further along than it looks in the webcam. The lift shack is pretty much finished and there is a big transformer installed behind it. Some concrete work has been done and looks almost ready for stuff to be bolted on with big nuts laying on top of it. There's a large retaining wall along one side and the base is kind of hollowed out. Hopefully they'll get a move on and get that puppy built.

Wachusett is also installing a heated sidewalk area in front of their ticket sales windows. All the radiant tubing is laid out with a reflective foil insulation under it. Looks like it still needs to be hooked up to the boiler and then they can pour the concrete.

The party itself was pretty good. There was a fairly big turnout. For some reason I thought there would be a lot of teenagers and college kids, but it was a more laid back, middle aged crowd, many taking advantage of the 20 oz. Wachusett refillable beer mug deal. They screeened TGR's "One for the Road" movie, which was mildly interesting, but nothing that great. There was a live band there, Five Hole, which was decent. Outside they had hired a couple of fire dancers who spun around flaming ropes, hulu hoops, and blew fire. All in all a good effort by Wachusett to get a some stoke going for the season.

I was there. Hanging in the Coppertop chatting with ski team friends until the 8pm showing. Yeah, movie was just ok. Those mugs were from last years mug club. I guess they are getting new ones or ditching the program.

 

[gr82ski]

I was up there this morning - spoke to an someone in lift operations about the status of the new quad. They're looking to get it up and running in December, and they're shooting for the 2nd week.