Mt Snow 21-22 Season

[drjeff]

Uncles doesn’t need snowmaking or widening its one of the few trails on the Main Face with character. Also with the new six pack and Sunbrooks new high speed as well, the lower half of Long John is going to be an even bigger disaster than it already is. Huge chokepoint at the knuckle past Carinthia. They really have to prioritize having both High and Low Traverse open to spread people out.

Actually they have started to address the Long John issue, in signage atleast, already. What they did this season is just before the Carinthia corner, what used to be known as Deer Run go its name switched to Long John and that part of Long John from Carinthia corner on down to the top of Heavy Metal is now Deer Run. That way they try and keep the beginners on Long John and send the park crowd looking to get from the top of Carinthia on down to Gulch without having to deal with the flat at the bottom of Mineshaft on Deer Run. Does it work any better??? Honestly not sure if I have noticed that much of a difference with keeping beginners off that section of now Deer Run. And next season, with likely more people lapping Sunbrook, and maybe not wanting to "climb out" of Sunbrook back over to the Main Face, the Beartrap lift will likely get more use which inturn will likely feed more people onto what is now Deer Run......

I am quite curious to see what the new lifts will do to traffic flow and volumes of people at certain lifts next season....

 

[ThatGuy]

That Beartrap exit is where I think the chokepoint will be accentuated. Haven’t even noticed the trail names being switched there but if they make it more obvious that should help a little. As for traffic patterns I foresee Sunbrook getting a lot more use, and the new 6-Pack being utilized heavily also because of that. Probably going to be significantly less people venturing over to the North Face, especially on colder days.

 

[ThatGuy]

Regardless, snowmaking needs to be expanded on Sunbrook if the skier traffic is going to increase.

 

[Newpylong]

I agree with what you guys have mentioned.

Shooting Star is an absolute must to get folks over to Sunbrook. I imagine it will actually absorb a large percentage of downhill traffic because it's what you will see when you will get off the lift.

Next in priority in my mind would be Shootout and Hop simultaneously. Yes Shootout will likely need to have some width added for the lift anyway, which will lend itself well to snowmaking coverage. They are going to be critical to absorb the balance of the traffic that doesn't go down to Sunbrook or bang a left.

High Traverse should get snowmaking (I bet the race folks could potentially lap the new lift vs the summit lifts for South Bowl events not starting from the top). However I do not think it needs its own infrastructure as the trail is so short you could make a couple good piles at the top and push them down.

On Sunbrook proper I think Big Dipper is a high priority. Moonwalk and Moonbeam would be nice to haves, but not a necessity. The last pitch of Little Dipper needs to be widened if they do nothing with Moonbeam. I was actually very suprised when they installed snowmaking it was installed on current Little Dipper and not current Moonbeam - it's far wider and ends right at the lift.

I do not think Uncles or any naturals on the North Face should be touched, including either NF lift. They provide perfect redundancy and are shortish rides.

The only other move that could be a worthy possibility is snowmaking on (lower) Overbrook. It's already plenty wide and not a big loss to man made.

 

[icecoast1]

Uncles doesn’t need snowmaking or widening its one of the few trails on the Main Face with character. Also with the new six pack and Sunbrooks new high speed as well, the lower half of Long John is going to be an even bigger disaster than it already is. Huge chokepoint at the knuckle past Carinthia. They really have to prioritize having both High and Low Traverse open to spread people out.

The permitting process would probably be difficult to impossible, but it's too bad they couldn't extend the new lift all the way to the top so it would be a true summit lift

 

[jaytrem]

It's not a long ride as it is, and much better for wind and de-icing purposes to keep things fixed grip on the Northface IMHO!

At least the new lifts have parking rails. Such a no brainer to out them in. Might be able to keep up with Stratton a little better.

 

[Newpylong]

The permitting process would probably be difficult to impossible, but it's too bad they couldn't extend the new lift all the way to the top so it would be a true summit lift

The advantage is it actually doesn't go to the top. There is already a HSS, HSQ, FGQ (soon to be HSQ), and two triples unloading at the summit. Drawing numbers away from the main base and summit are the goals.

 

[drjeff]

The advantage is it actually doesn't go to the top. There is already a HSS, HSQ, FGQ (soon to be HSQ), and two triples unloading at the summit. Drawing numbers away from the main base and summit are the goals.

Exactly!

The new Sundance 6 will *hopefully* keep some of the volume of folks currently ridng the Bluebird and Grand Summit who lap trails like Ridge, Long John and when open, Shootout, Hop, Uncles, etc,, out of the main base area lifts and get them onto the new Sundance HSS. Since in reality, if you're lapping that side of the main face, the new Sundance lift will get them almost all the vertical that the Bluebird and Grand Summit do. I am curious to see how this will affect traffic volume on the main face, as I have felt for a LONG time that a highspeed Sundace lift, even if they didn't extend it all the way down to the Sundance Lodge, would really help take some pressure off of the main base area lifts, especially once folks realize how much terrain that lift will serve on that side of the main face

 

[icecoast1]

The advantage is it actually doesn't go to the top. There is already a HSS, HSQ, FGQ (soon to be HSQ), and two triples unloading at the summit. Drawing numbers away from the main base and summit are the goals.

It's going to be dropping people into the worst congested area of the mountain. Adding snowmaking to some more trails will help but I can't imagine this helps the long John crowding issue

 

[drjeff]

It's going to be dropping people into the worst congested area of the mountain. Adding snowmaking to some more trails will help but I can't imagine this helps the long John crowding issue

I believe the point of the new Sundance lift was to never alieviate the crowd volume on Long John, but to more take some of the crowd volume off of The Bluebird, The Grand Summit Express and Canyon Express base area lifts.

As for Long John, it may actually end up creating a new issue at the top of the New Sundance 6 if/when the connector over to Sunbrook staright across Long John there, Shooting Star, is open and folks getting off the new lift, wanting to head straight into Sunbrook,, are crossing over Long John to get there

 

[MikeDeJ]

The advantage is it actually doesn't go to the top. There is already a HSS, HSQ, FGQ (soon to be HSQ), and two triples unloading at the summit. Drawing numbers away from the main base and summit are the goals.

It certainly is going to make Sunbrook a place to take a few runs. Now it is one run down and the beartrap lift out!! I hope they dont touch uncles either but I think the trees between Ridge and Uncles will see more traffic.

I agree leave the North face lift as fixed grips. After a few laps my knees dont mind the break, less wind holds etc.. I also agree the on busy days the North face may see less traffic.

I too cant wait to see how the traffic flows. Being able to flow from the base of Sundance to Sunbrook and not go to the main base will take the pressure off the main base.

 

[meff]

Anyone happen to know what brands the demo center at Mt. Snow has?

 

[Atomic]

Ski-on bluebird bliss yesterday on the North Face. Super-soft corn/mashed potatoes with usual late-season grabby wet areas down low as you approach the lift. First two pics are looking up and down Chute, which was definitely run of the day. Coverage hanging in there pretty much all over the mountain but obviously looks like it will go fast given the forecast. Other shot is Ripcord which was closed but looked doable, although not by me in any case...

 

[Zand]

Hah...I knew while skiing Castlerock yesterday that if Vail owned Sugarbush, it would've been closed yesterday. Looks like absolutely nothing is wrong with Ripcord.


Vail execs would be in the fetal position if they knew people were skiing this.

 

[Kevin Schultz]

Actually they have started to address the Long John issue, in signage atleast, already. What they did this season is just before the Carinthia corner, what used to be known as Deer Run go its name switched to Long John and that part of Long John from Carinthia corner on down to the top of Heavy Metal is now Deer Run. That way they try and keep the beginners on Long John and send the park crowd looking to get from the top of Carinthia on down to Gulch without having to deal with the flat at the bottom of Mineshaft on Deer Run. Does it work any better??? Honestly not sure if I have noticed that much of a difference with keeping beginners off that section of now Deer Run. And next season, with likely more people lapping Sunbrook, and maybe not wanting to "climb out" of Sunbrook back over to the Main Face, the Beartrap lift will likely get more use which inturn will likely feed more people onto what is now Deer Run......

I am quite curious to see what the new lifts will do to traffic flow and volumes of people at certain lifts next season....

Have they ever considered grading the bottom of Mineshaft so that it's downhill the whole way from the top of Nitro to Inferno / Gulch? For skiers it's not that bad but most snowboarders can't make it without unstrapping which is what pushes them to Deer Run (ex-Long John).

 

[doublediamond]

Not sure if that’s possible. You have a giant snowmaking reservoir right there.

 

[Zand]

Just start tucking when you get off the Nitro Quad and don't stop or turn!

 

[drjeff]

Heard from a VERY reliable source over the weekend that this Summer in addition to the new lifts for Sundance and Sunbrook, they will be reusing some of the triple chairs and upgrading Heavy Metal to a triple to help get a bit more capacity out of the Carinthia base area

 

[ss20]

Heard from a VERY reliable source over the weekend that this Summer in addition to the new lifts for Sundance and Sunbrook, they will be reusing some of the triple chairs and upgrading Heavy Metal to a triple to help get a bit more capacity out of the Carinthia base area

I always thought Sunbrook should be moved to Heavy Metal to increase capacity in Carinthia once it got ripped out. This is certainly good too!

 

[drjeff]

I always thought Sunbrook should be moved to Heavy Metal to increase capacity in Carinthia once it got ripped out. This is certainly good too!

Apparently it was going to be a much bigger process, with a bunch more tree clearing needed, to upgrade it to a Quad