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The NEW Magic Mountain

ThatGuy

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There was a reason. I was on on the chair coming up to the tower, right where Witch goes under Red, with the returning chair hitting the tower right in front of me and popping off the cable. The entire lift was surging with a control problem and the lift operator did not stop or slow down the lift as the surging increased.
Exactly, I was there too. That doesn’t excuse it
 

skiatomic

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Oct 22, 2010
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Snowmaking started on Instagram

That Blue Fan Gun was on loan last year. Is that a new acquisition this season?
 

skithetrees

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Interesting that they started over there by the black chair. Usually they start by red and green on showoff.
 

Newpylong

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Looks like it was just a test while they maybe waited for the pond to fill more, they shutdown not long after it seems.
 

WoodCore

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Looks like it was just a test while they maybe waited for the pond to fill more, they shutdown not long after it seems.
Noticed that but still suspect it's just a show blow for the web cam. They are back up running but only one visible gun. If Magic is actually going for it I would expect to see some early morning porn posted tomorrow to socials, without it, it didn't happen.
 
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drjeff

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They are already signaling a pushback of opening weekend to the 22nd.
Seems like we're heading into a more temperate stretch weather wise where 24hr continuous snowmaking runs are less likely than shorter. more overnight only runs in more marginal temps, seem likely next week, and ultimately it's all about getting X number of hours of decent snowmaking temps that will produce Y amounts of snow to get open, and if the math isn't there, the math isn't there. And that doesn't even get into the always present variable in the Magic equation of is there some mechanical issue throwing a wrench into the equation?
 

Bubba

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Seems like we're heading into a more temperate stretch weather wise where 24hr continuous snowmaking runs are less likely than shorter. more overnight only runs in more marginal temps, seem likely next week, and ultimately it's all about getting X number of hours of decent snowmaking temps that will produce Y amounts of snow to get open, and if the math isn't there, the math isn't there. And that doesn't even get into the always present variable in the Magic equation of is there some mechanical issue throwing a wrench into the equation?
And this is why you mitigate flood damage in August/September. It’s like ground hog day. Every season they are the only ski are that misses the initial snow making window, forcing them to scramble through marginal temps to get snow from the top of green to the base. Probably doesn’t matter for next weekend anyway, as there still is not a functioning summit lift.
 

Newpylong

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They don't open on Red typically anyway.

Doesn't work like that when you're in VT. They couldn't excavate the silt out of the pond prior to state approval. I think we also all know how busy the contractors with heavy equipment were after those floods. Let's see, do you fix roads or Magic's snowmaking pond? 🤔

Doesn't make it better, but wrong place to lay blame.

If you ask me they've spent oodles of money in all categories except possibly where it needs to be spent: pumping capacity. At what little they can move up the hill of course it's going to take an inordinate amount of time to get open. They did replace/enlarge the feed from the pond so perhaps there are plans to do so.
 

Bubba

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They don't open on Red typically anyway.

Doesn't work like that when you're in VT. They couldn't excavate the silt out of the pond prior to state approval. I think we also all know how busy the contractors with heavy equipment were after those floods. Let's see, do you fix roads or Magic's snowmaking pond? 🤔

Doesn't make it better, but wrong place to lay blame.

If you ask me they've spent oodles of money in all categories except possibly where it needs to be spent: pumping capacity. At what little they can move up the hill of course it's going to take an inordinate amount of time to get open. They did replace/enlarge the feed from the pond so perhaps there are plans to do so.
My man, I live in VT and happen to know Hunter could have done this work much sooner. If you don’t see a pattern of Magic always scrambling with snow making when every other hill around is full go, then you have amnesia.
Also, “they don’t open on Ted typically anyway”. Are you new here?
 

Bubba

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My man, I live in VT and happen to know Hunter could have done this work much sooner. If you don’t see a pattern of Magic always scrambling with snow making when every other hill around is full go, then you have amnesia.
Also, “they don’t open on Ted typically anyway”. Are you new here?
This would be less of an issue if Magic was still charging bargain prices. Their season passes now have the price tag of a Mtn that should be open by mid-December with a functioning summit lift.
 

doublediamond

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This isn’t a Magic issue. It isn’t a VT issue. In EVERY state if you want to do work in wetlands (a snowmaking pond is a wetland) you need state permits. Sometimes even federal permits. Those take time. They couldn’t put shovels in the ground the day after the flood even if they had oodles of cash.

The fact they were able to even get to it this summer is amazing. Sugarbush took years to get silt dredged from one of their ponds.
 

Newpylong

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My man, I live in VT and happen to know Hunter could have done this work much sooner. If you don’t see a pattern of Magic always scrambling with snow making when every other hill around is full go, then you have amnesia.
Also, “they don’t open on Ted typically anyway”. Are you new here?

No, but you evidently are skiing at a different Magic. I can't recall opening day on anything but Green since that lift was completed.
 

Bubba

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No, but you evidently are skiing at a different Magic. I can't recall opening day on anything but Green since that lift was completed.
Not the case. And even if it was, it shouldn’t be. You think charging $650 for a season pass to ski 600ft of vert starting on 12/22 is reasonable? They missed one snow making window after another last year leading to one or two ways down into February. This is what you call a pattern. It’s a Magic thing. How about paying that amount of money without an operable summit lift a week before the season is supposed to start? Why would anyone pay $650 for a case of anxiety?
 

drjeff

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Not the case. And even if it was, it shouldn’t be. You think charging $650 for a season pass to ski 600ft of vert starting on 12/22 is reasonable? They missed one snow making window after another last year leading to one or two ways down into February. This is what you call a pattern. It’s a Magic thing. How about paying that amount of money without an operable summit lift a week before the season is supposed to start? Why would anyone pay $650 for a case of anxiety?
Maybe if they started charging for some parking (as they love to point out they don't while poking fun at their regional competition) they'd have extra $$ to predictably get lifts spinning and terrain options open without the seeming year in and year out feeling that a "Christmas Miracle" needs to happen for operations to occur?

Their intent and efforts are noble and substantial, however year in and year out it seems like there's always something happening at the last minute, that most other ski areas rarely, if ever, have to deal with, and that DOES affect their passholders utllization of the product they paid for. Over promise and under deliver seems to be something that the Magic faithful are starting to tire more and more of
 
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jimmywilson69

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I think the reasons there is so much fluffing here is that we want it to succeed. This place was literally on the scrap heap numerous times. Could they make some better decisions, direct funds better? no doubt. It seems like their real close to being past some of these major infrastructures projects. If you don't like it feel free to ski elsewhere. Its not like this is Vail bumbling through these projects.
 

Bubba

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I think the reasons there is so much fluffing here is that we want it to succeed. This place was literally on the scrap heap numerous times. Could they make some better decisions, direct funds better? no doubt. It seems like their real close to being past some of these major infrastructures projects. If you don't like it feel free to ski elsewhere. Its not like this is Vail bumbling through these projects.
I'm local and have been a passholder since 08'. No one wants it to succeed more than my group does. If you enjoy skiing the trees, thank us. The ole, don't like it ski somewhere else argument. Much like the love it or leave it crowd. Effective strategy. In terms of cutting them slack, that time has passed. We have praised them for the many projects that have been successful. It just so happens that the two most crucial projects- snowmaking and the quad have been a failure. This regime has had more capital and more good will than any other. It's clear that management is incompetent, both in communicating expectations and managing infrastructure projects. Any other organization would have fired the leadership years ago.
 

NYDB

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Their intent and efforts are noble and substantial, however year in and year out it seems like there's always something happening at the last minute…….
3 major last minute things this year. 2 summit lifts and the snowmaking system. That is really living on the edge.

I feel like there was better and earlier snowmaking 3 years ago. So as a pass holder I’m really not seeing the snowmaking improvements making a positive impact. And it seems like they’ve thrown major dollars at it. Idk. Maybe my last year as a pass holder. Looking to move north anyway.
 
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