Sunday River vs Loon Tuesday

[Zand]

Was planning on heading up to SR tomorrow as they are looking at 12-18" of snow. Thinking about audibling to Loon. Looks like they'll be getting less snow, but with Loon being 1 hour closer (and much less driving on the white side of the rain/snow line), I think I'm making the right decision. SR closed all their natural trails today. I know they'll start reopening them tomorrow, but how much will they get open? And how good is the natural skiing anyway in the areas they have open? Looks like I should wait a week and see if Jordan/Oz are open by then.

Loon lists Angel Street, Big Dipper, and Walking Boss as open so they have a few interesting runs. Hopefully they will also add a few tomorrow. Do they have any big wind problems there?

 

[2Planker]

Was planning on heading up to SR tomorrow as they are looking at 12-18" of snow. Thinking about audibling to Loon. Looks like they'll be getting less snow, but with Loon being 1 hour closer (and much less driving on the white side of the rain/snow line), I think I'm making the right decision. SR closed all their natural trails today. I know they'll start reopening them tomorrow, but how much will they get open? And how good is the natural skiing anyway in the areas they have open? Looks like I should wait a week and see if Jordan/Oz are open by then.

Loon lists Angel Street, Big Dipper, and Walking Boss as open so they have a few interesting runs. Hopefully they will also add a few tomorrow. Do they have any big wind problems there?

Yeah, You're right. Go to Loon. SR will prob suck, Wildcat too...

 

[Jully]

I am currently making this same exact decision almost (for me it is Wildcat v. Loon with a potential consideration of SR thrown in).

I am likely landing on Wildcat side of the Loon v. Wildcat for me.

If it is worth anything, SR's natural was skiing great this weekend (there Friday and Saturday). Coverage was a smidge thin on some steeper pitches, but overall its skiing great. The snow was soft, very minimal rocks, it'll be awesome with a foot of snow. You could ski natural trails ttb on Locke (Crossbow-Tightwire).

I am not sure familiar with how fast SR opens up closed terrain though. I read the report today as a "we are universally closing all natural terrain for snow preservation." I am not sure if that impacts how quickly they can open stuff back up or not.

 

[2Planker]

As a 20yr SR/Wildcat patroller - Good thing about The Cat, is IF it has a lil coverage it'll be OPEN.

 

[Edd]

Hitting Wildcat tomorrow with zero expectations. I’m seeing 50 mph gusts. I’m pre-positioned and hoping for the best. Then I’ve got to drive back to the coast in the snow but maybe it’ll be worth it.


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[KustyTheKlown]

jealous. cannot go tonight. would be selfish and irresponsible and even dangerous. but dang, even going to stratton tomorrow would be so fun.

 

[machski]

Just got up to SR, weird storm so far. Absolutely nuking from just North of Tilton on 93 until I dropped the hill into Plymouth. Changed back over to liquid and stayed that way until the North side of Lincoln. May have been snowing at Loon main mountain but south base was definitely liquid at that point (715pm ish). Notch was snow but it was not accumulating fast. Roads stayed just wet until I hit Route 2. All snow all the way to SR with several inches on the ground already the entire route.

SR is much faster to open natural stuff now, I expect if we get over a foot tonight (very likely), all naturals that had been open will be open again at the start. Other naturals may open as patrol sweeps. Some like Super Nova may not as Aurora Lift Towers did not have pads on over the weekend.

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[Zand]

Oh believe me if road conditions were equal I'd be at SR in a heartbeat tomorrow. But Loon is an hour closer and probably 30 less minutes of driving in the snow. If I knew I'd be getting more glades open at SR I'd go there anyway but I don't want to waste an Ikon day when it's not. Not as big of a deal wasting a Loon day.

 

[GregoryIsaacs]

Looks like southern VT was the hotspot again.... seems like either it's the honey hole or they get nothing. 15 inches and still nuking at Mt snow per my home webcam. Anyone there that can speak for the consistency? Looks awfully wet

 

[WWF-VT]

Heavy wet snow reported at Sugarbush

 

[Zand]

Definitely made the wrong decision. Snow report at first said Gondola and North Peak on windhold and skiing will be off Seven Brothers and East Basin which is fine. Turns out East Basin is down for mechanical so it's Seven Brothers ONLY and 4 lower mountain cruisers is the total terrain offering right now.

Meanwhile SR did open what they had open and then some. Pretty pissed at myself right now. Contemplated getting in the car and driving to Wildcat but 60+ dollars is a bit steep for what would be a half day. Hope East Basin opens soon because this sucks.

 

[2Planker]

Cat was definitely the right call.
14" so far and still coming down hard.
Everything is open except 4 trails.
44 out of 48 SWEET !!!

 

[machski]

SR is awesome today! Pretty much everything from Locke to Aurora is open!! Even Vortex on natural only!! Crap is the upper half gnarly on natural! Report 10 inches but has to be 15+ now and still coming down!!

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[Jully]

Wildcat was reporting 15" before 2pm. Absolutely nuts.

 

[Zand]

Today wasn't a total loss. They finally opened the gondi at 1:30 and then I was on first chair on North Peak at 2:15. Was the very first down a knee deep (with deeper drifts) Walking Boss which totally salvaged the 4 hours of morning suck. I almost went home but saw Gondola cabins being loaded from the bar. Never seen a bar empty out so fast.

Still wish I went to Sunday River but those first tracks on Walking Boss turned a shit day into a pretty good one.

 

[machski]

Today wasn't a total loss. They finally opened the gondi at 1:30 and then I was on first chair on North Peak at 2:15. Was the very first down a knee deep (with deeper drifts) Walking Boss which totally salvaged the 4 hours of morning suck. I almost went home but saw Gondola cabins being loaded from the bar. Never seen a bar empty out so fast.

Still wish I went to Sunday River but those first tracks on Walking Boss turned a shit day into a pretty good one.

Glad you were able to salvage. I felt a bit of pain for you on the drive home tonight. Such a dearth of snow along 93 in Lincoln compared to the route 2 corridor.

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[Zand]

Glad you were able to salvage. I felt a bit of pain for you on the drive home tonight. Such a dearth of snow along 93 in Lincoln compared to the route 2 corridor.

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The difference between the base and summit was insane. The top of Walking Boss was a foot of beautiful soft powder. Before you even got to the base of the quad it was 4 inches of concrete. And the base was like 2 inches of mush.

But yeah I'm glad I got those runs. I was really bumming all day...made it feel even more rewarding to float through an ocean of untouched fluff.

 

[machski]

The difference between the base and summit was insane. The top of Walking Boss was a foot of beautiful soft powder. Before you even got to the base of the quad it was 4 inches of concrete. And the base was like 2 inches of mush.

But yeah I'm glad I got those runs. I was really bumming all day...made it feel even more rewarding to float through an ocean of untouched fluff.

Crazy storm. SR was dense but floaty powder TTB to start, but as the day wore on, the lower half of Barker got very thick and weighted feeling, upper half stayed powder. And Aurora stayed all Powder too.

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