Dropping rope on marginal trails

[billski]

"Thin cover" "Experts only". God how I love those signs. Especially THIS year. Skiing on snow with grass, a few rocks here and there and those @#$ water bars can make for an exciting run.

Burke did a great job of dropping ropes on several trails having "retro condition" conditions last Friday. A few well-placed signs seem sufficient. Maybe, maybe not.

What other mountains will or have taken this brave step?

 

[jimmywilson69]

I would say that Sugarbush is one of the best at this. It seems they will open slopes on much thinner cover than other places I have seen. I am okay with that, as long as I am warned of the conditions.

 

[Nick]

Yeah, exactly.. let me make the decision, right? As long as you know what you are in for.

 

[HowieT2]

I would say that Sugarbush is one of the best at this. It seems they will open slopes on much thinner cover than other places I have seen. I am okay with that, as long as I am warned of the conditions.

Did we mention rocks?

 

[VR17]

Dropping rope on a few questionable trails? That's nothing. How about opening a whole area with no snowmaking this year. Where? Big Tupper in the western Adirondacks, got a trip report from a buddy, your talking rocks and dirt big time, there really isn't even enough snow to X-country on. They are a desperate bunch of volunteers hoping the supposed big development will happen when they get their permit from the Adirondack Park Agency. Problem is the developers dont have any $$$$s. They sold off the perfectly good snowmaking system that was in place on the mountain 2 yrs ago including the air compressors, water pumps, control panels, electrical transformers and even stripped the electric lines off the utility poles all over the mountain. Sold parts to Greek Peak, Plattekill and Ski Sundown all now being put to good use. And they propose to make this tiny ski hill in the middle of nowhere a world class resort all on a promise, trust us, we'll get around to rebuilding the ski area, IF we make enough $$s selling the land and get free infrastructure money though the county. Don't look into the developers past finances to closely though, you'll be more than a little skeptical.

 

[Puck it]

What ropes?

 

[wa-loaf]

What ropes?

It's the orange thing you have to duck on the way to the goods.

 

[Angus]

Did we mention rocks?

Skiing the lower part of Paradise or Ripcord early last year at Sugarbush after a 1-2" dusting of snow, I hit a rock ledge and slide ski to rock for what seemed an eternity - probably 15' - I wasn't pleased, messed up my skis and edges pretty good - something that wide and long should have been marked IMO.

Love to ski marginal conditions with bare spots and rocks in the spring - see Wildcat.

 

[MadMadWorld]

Skiing the lower part of Paradise or Ripcord early last year at Sugarbush after a 1-2" dusting of snow, I hit a rock ledge and slide ski to rock for what seemed an eternity - probably 15' - I wasn't pleased, messed up my skis and edges pretty good - something that wide and long should have been marked IMO.

Love to ski marginal conditions with bare spots and rocks in the spring - see Wildcat.

I would agree that Wildcat is extremely liberal with regards to leaving trails open in the spring. I remember skiing Top Cat in the spring when there was only about a 5 ft wide patch of snow that went down skiers right and the rest had no snow on it. Magic is a mountain that I love because ropes have no meaning to any of the skiers there. I have road up the chair thinking certain trails are open because they have been skied out so much only to see a rope at the top. I think MRG doesnt even need to be mentioned because thats has always been their philosophy!

 

[Geoff]

I respect ski patrol judgement. They're the ones who have to trash their skis bringing a sled down to save your ass. It's not like the ski area buys their equipment for them.

 

[billski]

I like the way Squaw marks them. A small, yellow sign, "Cliff"

 

[Cornhead]

I'm all for it, the best skiing Iv'e experienced this year has been on trails with only natural cover, and not much of it. I think the mild Winter has contributed to these trails skiing so well, it's still soft underneath the snow. I skied approximately forty runs on one trail at Greek Peak last weekend after six inches of snow, that's all that was on the trail, and it skied great. I never felt any scrapping, and had no new gouges on my bases. This is a trail that is groomed on one side, left natural on the other. The side with natural snow was initially closed, but later signed "thin cover". I think six inches atop frozen ground would have been a different experience, silver lining to the crappy start of the season.

 

[Mullen]

Just from what I saw at sugarbush last weekend, lots of people completely ignore the thin cover / experts only signs posted both at the bottom of the lifts and right on the top of the trails. Have some common sense people, I saw numerous people that were not even intermediate level attempting to find their way down the trails clearly marked as experts only.....and I really don't think a 3 year old is an expert skiier. The numerous yard sales and face plants were pretty fun to watch though. Don't get me wrong I'm all for dropping the ropes, but a lot of people are idiots and need to learn to read a sign.

 

[gmcunni]

I respect ski patrol judgement. They're the ones who have to trash their skis bringing a sled down to save your ass. It's not like the ski area buys their equipment for them.

poach a trail and need assistance = receive a bill for services rendered

 

[billski]

poach a trail and need assistance = receive a bill for services rendered

Agreed. That's why I'd rather see ropes dropped, the title of this thread!

 

[Newpylong]

For one of the "McResorts" Mount Snow is good about opening up areas with very thin cover.

 

[Smellytele]

Cannon, MRG, and previously mention Sugarbush, Burke and Wildcat. Have skied thin trails at Stowe as well

 

[deadheadskier]

Stowe has gotten a bit more conservative with dropping ropes on questionable conditions, at least early season.

I commented on that a couple of weeks ago while visiting that I appreciated being able to ski thin cover trails at Sugarbush the day prior. My buddy reminded me that unlike Steaux, most Sugarbush skiers don't have lawyers on retainer.

 

[Smellytele]

Stowe has gotten a bit more conservative with dropping ropes on questionable conditions, at least early season.

I commented on that a couple of weeks ago while visiting that I appreciated being able to ski thin cover trails at Sugarbush the day prior. My buddy reminded me that unlike Steaux, most Sugarbush skiers don't have lawyers on retainer.

I guess it is more late season that I have skied "thin" trails there not early season.

 

[Cheese]

It's the orange thing you have to duck on the way to the goods.

Usually you can ski through the "glade" of an adjacent trail and miss the rope entirely. Rope, what rope?


In the east, it seems that the rope that prevents thin cover runs in January is replaced with a thin cover sign in March. Why the change in attitude towards the end of the season, I don't know.

On the other hand, thin cover powder runs don't last very long so perhaps patrol doesn't want to open a run for the first dozen skiers/boarders then close it an hour later.