Snowmaking underway at Killington

[Riverskier]

SR was top to bottom, K could have done that if they wanted to.

Exactly. I believe (not sure exactly) that the base of Locke is somewhere around 1000 feet. And if I recall correctly Killington would only have to make snow down to around 2000 feet.

 

[bvibert]

Let's not forget that Mount Snow was able to blow enough snow at lower elevations to open for a jibbing session this past weekend.

 

[andyzee]

Exactly. I believe (not sure exactly) that the base of Locke is somewhere around 1000 feet. And if I recall correctly Killington would only have to make snow down to around 2000 feet.

Hiked Killington this weekend and I have to agree. The ground was frozen solid all the way down to KBL and temps at night have been going down to low 20s. Guess since SR beat them, they didn't see any sense in rushing.

 

[Riverskier]

Guess since SR beat them, they didn't see any sense in rushing.

Most resorts take this approach and that is certainly understandable. I just don't see how this approach commands respect, or somehow makes the mountain classier.

 

[andyzee]

Exactly. I believe (not sure exactly) that the base of Locke is somewhere around 1000 feet. And if I recall correctly Killington would only have to make snow down to around 2000 feet.

Most resorts take this approach and that is certainly understandable. I just don't see how this approach commands respect, or somehow makes the mountain classier.

Classier in the sense that they don't open just for the sake of being the first to say they opened. I do not have much, if any, respect for Powdr, but at least they are not opening until they have top to bottom. Now people could chime in with Preston Smith days and trucking, they could say "Andy were you here for those days?" "Would you have considered that an opening?" Answer to both is no. I wasn't around back then, and no, I wouldn't have considered that an opening. If you're going to do it, do it right, that's my attitude.

 

[Riverskier]

Classier in the sense that they don't open just for the sake of being the first to say they opened. I do not have much, if any, respect for Powdr, but at least they are not opening until they have top to bottom. Now people could chime in with Preston Smith days and trucking, they could say "Andy were you here for those days?" "Would you have considered that an opening?" Answer to both is no. I wasn't around back then, and no, I wouldn't have considered that an opening. If you're going to do it, do it right, that's my attitude.

Well, to each their own. However, when I was riding the chairlift and skiing spring-like bumps on Friday, they felt pretty open to me. And not just in the literal sense, the skiing was legit! And as you know, they opened top to bottom over the weekend. I have said it before and will say it again, early season is not for everyone. Judge their opening plan as you will, but Sunday River made a lot of people very happy this past week!

 

[andyzee]

Well, to each their own. However, when I was riding the chairlift and skiing spring-like bumps on Friday, they felt pretty open to me. And not just in the literal sense, the skiing was legit! And as you know, they opened top to bottom over the weekend. I have said it before and will say it again, early season is not for everyone. Judge their opening plan as you will, but Sunday River made a lot of people very happy this past week!

Not arguing that, glad you had a good time and I'm very jealous. :beer:

 

[Highway Star]

Bump....it's amazing that we had this mid-october cold and then everyone was closed on Thanskgiving.

 

[jerryg]

Bump....it's amazing that we had this mid-october cold and then everyone was closed on Thanskgiving.

Everyone was? Hmmm...

 

[JerseyJoey]

Everyone was? Hmmm...

Technically, Sunday River was open on Thanksgiving, weren't they? Kudos to them. Love the way they care about their customers. Sunday River rules!!!! Powdr could learn a few things from Boyne.

Viva la rio del domingo!!!!

 

[Vortex]

Kids football game on Turkey day I can't miss this year. First Turkey day I will miss making turns in quite a while. SR opened every weekend after the mid oct opening to include Turkey day weekend last year. It was a struggle, but a fun early season.

I would expect all major resorts to be open by turkey Day weekend this year. Last year was not the norm.

 

[JerseyJoey]

Kids football game on Turkey day I can't miss this year. First Turkey day I will miss making turns in quite a while. SR opened every weekend after the mid oct opening to include Turkey day weekend last year. It was a struggle, but a fun early season.

I would expect all major resorts to be open by turkey Day weekend this year. Last year was not the norm.

 

[Greg]

Wow. Entertaining thread. A few posts had me struggling whether to :lol: or :roll: Ha! Everyone's an expert.

The discussion should be different this year with less of a focus on when they can make snow down to the base.

 

[jerryg]

Technically, Sunday River was open on Thanksgiving, weren't they?

Was indeed my point. SR has lift-served skiing on TDay. I'm not so much of a Maine homer that I woud say that SR rules, but I love how Boyne has a committment to being open early and closing late.

 

[Geoff]

Everyone was? Hmmm...

I was there last Thanksgiving day. I have Big Bob as a witness. I still can't believe I was stoooopid enough to ski out instead of downloading. I figured they'd have just about the same cover as the last time I'd skied it in October. That was a looooong slog through the mud.


The problem with Maine skiing is that it's snow-starved. The microclimate in the greens with all the orographic lift snow events is a big advantage for Vermont.

 

[jerryg]

I was there last Thanksgiving day. I have Big Bob as a witness. I still can't believe I was stoooopid enough to ski out instead of downloading. I figured they'd have just about the same cover as the last time I'd skied it in October. That was a looooong slog through the mud.


The problem with Maine skiing is that it's snow-starved. The microclimate in the greens with all the orographic lift snow events is a big advantage for Vermont.

Totally agree. SL has had some really big snow years, but still their average is less thanmost of Vermont. I'f be interested to know the snow totals for places like Big Rock and Quoggy Jo - way up in the County. Snowmaking is sparse, but natural snow must be good if they keep getting award World Cup Biathalon events. SR get the moisture, but the temps suck and many events that start as snow end in ncp. And no, they DID NOT get 57 inches in any storm at any time last year.

 

[JerseyJoey]

Totally agree. SL has had some really big snow years, but still their average is less thanmost of Vermont. I'f be interested to know the snow totals for places like Big Rock and Quoggy Jo - way up in the County. Snowmaking is sparse, but natural snow must be good if they keep getting award World Cup Biathalon events. SR get the moisture, but the temps suck and many events that start as snow end in ncp. And no, they DID NOT get 57 inches in any storm at any time last year.

They did get 57 inches from that storm last season. It was on the SR website. I saw it on there. I just wish I could have been there to ski it. I would have brought my snorkel. 57 inches is sick sick sick. Probably light and fluffy too. I wish I could have been there for that.

 

[Riverskier]

Were either of you there for that storm? 57 inches is probably exagerated, but not by much. Over in Oz and Jordan I would say they got at least 48 inches over the course of the storm. The snow was DEEP. Sure, Southridge got 2 feet of sludge, but this was one of the biggest snow events at elevation that I have seen at Sunday River in the 23 years I have skied there.

 

[UVSHTSTRM]

Totally agree. SL has had some really big snow years, but still their average is less thanmost of Vermont. I'f be interested to know the snow totals for places like Big Rock and Quoggy Jo - way up in the County. Snowmaking is sparse, but natural snow must be good if they keep getting award World Cup Biathalon events. SR get the moisture, but the temps suck and many events that start as snow end in ncp. And no, they DID NOT get 57 inches in any storm at any time last year.

Two things, SR is more of a NH resort in terms of snow, Sugarloaf and Saddleback are more like a mid (Killington) to southern vermont (Okemo, Stratton) ski area. Up north, Big Rock, Quoggy Jo they typically only get 100 to 120 inches of snow, but the big difference is that they see less rain during the course of the season and it's friggin cold as heck. So the staying power of snow is far greater than nearly anywhere else in NE. Although you have your non typical years where places like Caribou that got nearly 200 inches in 2007 and nearly 6 ft of snow on the ground (I think). Also back to Sugarloaf and Saddleback they have very good staying power as well so outside of immediate powder days, their snow typically last as long or longer than places that get 50 to 100 inches more in Vermont.

 

[jerryg]

Were either of you there for that storm? 57 inches is probably exagerated, but not by much. Over in Oz and Jordan I would say they got at least 48 inches over the course of the storm. The snow was DEEP. Sure, Southridge got 2 feet of sludge, but this was one of the biggest snow events at elevation that I have seen at Sunday River in the 23 years I have skied there.

I know that JerseyJoey knows what he's talking about. Alas, I was in Lake Tahoe and we received several feet of snow. It was real and I have pictures. I have yet to see pictures of the 57 inch megastorm, the falsified report of which may or may not have cost someone their job. Or at least a final nail, so to speak. I do know that some folks told me that the snow in OZ during that storm was quite good, but none have agreed on the 57 inches, or 48. I was there a couple weeks later and while one could tell there had been a storm, there was no semblance of the megastorm.