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The musical lifts of Belleayre 3/4/18 -

abc

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Everyone who managed to get a day of powder on Saturday (or the best, Friday) are probably still living in their high, and too tired to bother today. But those of us who didn't get it first will try to get some sloppy second Sunday, Monday or beyond.

I still don't have power in my house. So all things considered, sloppy second powder sounds way better than sitting around in a cold house with no food.

I arrive at Belleayre around 9:30-9:40. The all the parking lot, including the overflow lot at the bottom by the highway were already full! :( So they sent us up the hill and started parking along side of the road. I saw a spot only a New York City driver can squeeze in (and I have a compact car) and promptly took advantage of it. Then I noticed I was right underneath the new bridge below Tomahawk. I made a mental note that I might be able to ski back to the car. Not bad. But the walk to Overlook lodge was long. I kept looking behind me to see if the shuttle was coming that I could jump on. No such luck. Later, I met 2 ladies who said they waited for the shuttle for 1/2 hr! Glad I walked.

Line for ticket was long. But with 4 windows, it moved fast. Magic Chief wasn't running. The single's line on lift 7 winds way up the hill. I had to walk all the way up to the end of it. It took a bit to get out of that area.

I skied Belle enough to know Tomahawk is the least busy lift. So that's what I did from the top of lift 7. Even there, there's a bit of a line, even for singles. But it moved fast.

Snow was SOFT! That makes it difficult to move around the flat top of Belle. So I just drop in on the couple of trails next to the lift. First run lucked out when I spotted a path through the trees between MagicChief and lift 7. So good I was almost tempted to wait inline for lift 7 again. But decided against it and headed over to Tomahawk. Again, I didn't traverse, just drop in the couple trails next to the lift. It's just too much effort in the soft, unconsolidated snow. In fact, there snow was too deep and too wet in its undisturbed form. They ski better once compacted by skier traffic. Even the glade runs were actually better on the well-trotted path. By and large, snow was just very nice and soft. In runs that formed mogul, it was soft. So much more fun to ski.

Around 12, the crowd entirely evaporated! Everybody went in for lunch! So I thought I move back to lift 7 to lap that side of the mountain while everybody was at lunch. But lift 7 was no longer running! What the heck? But MagicChief was running. So I headed down to take that to the top. The line was MASSIVE! No wonder there's no one on the upper mountain. They're all stuck down here in the lift maze! :(

So, another run of that glade next to the lift. I thought I'd give the gondola a try. But as I passed above MagicChief, the crowd was gone! Strange! So I took that lift again and did a couple of other trails.

By then, I was tired and hungry. So I break for lunch probably around 2. Interestingly, despite the parking line and the lift line, the Overlook lodge wasn't too bad. I was able to find a seat without too much trouble.

After lunch, I didn't want to wait on line for MagicChief more than the bare necessity. I aimed for Tomahawk again. No crowd. But 2 chair from loading, they close the chair!!! No choice but to head down to the gondola, with its requisite long line. :(

Fortunately, by the time I finally got back to the top and ski by Tomahawk, it was running again as if nothing had happened. No word on why it was closed or why it re-open again.

So all day long, I end up riding just about all the chairs, as various chairs stop running at random times of the day.

Still, lift idiosyncrasy aside, the snow was good and it's a hugely enjoyable day.
 

JimG.

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Still awesome today.

This week is setting up nicely for the Cats. The amount and quality of the snow was tremendous.
 

tnt1234

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I don' t think I've ever skied a full day at Bell where at least one lift didn't go down.
 

legalskier

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I arrive at Belleayre around 9:30-9:40. The all the parking lot, including the overflow lot at the bottom by the highway were already full! :( So they sent us up the hill and started parking along side of the road. I saw a spot only a New York City driver can squeeze in (and I have a compact car) and promptly took advantage of it. Then I noticed I was right underneath the new bridge below Tomahawk. I made a mental note that I might be able to ski back to the car. Not bad. But the walk to Overlook lodge was long.

You could've booted up at your car, then skied down the new ''bridge trail'' to buy your ticket at the lower lodge, instead of hiking all that way up to Overlook lodge.
I figured it would be crowded on Sunday so I drove up very early and arrived at 8:20- parked right by the top of the double-double chairs. Waited at least 20 mins to buy a ticket inside Overlook lodge- never seen that before. My experience with the liftlines was worse than yours- everywhere I went, the lines were very long. The gondi line stretched almost the length of the Discovery lodge, lift 7 triple chair (which usually has small lines) was packed, Tomahawk at first was closed then when it opened the line didn't move, and the Superchief was down until 11ish. Usually I ski around until I find the lift with short lines but not Sunday- I've never seen such long lines there all day long. Just after lunch the triple chair went down, then Tomahawk did too, so the lines at Superchief got even bigger. At least they had some good tunes playing there- a "musical lift" as you noted. I bagged it at 3 even though I usually ski to last chair.
On the bright side, conditions were fantastic. Lots of crud everywhere which I just blasted through. Cathedral Brook, Utsyantha and the Big T glade were in great shape. My friend didn't like it though- he kept thinking about the fresh pow he'd gotten on Saturday and bagged it at lunchtime as his legs were flagging.
Snow turtle & sound system at Superchief-
FullSizeRender(52).jpg
 

JimG.

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Yes Monday was great!

Yesterday (Tuesday) was also awesome. Great packed powder bumps on trail and trees were still really nice.

Taking a day off today, just started really dumping snow here. Tomorrow is going to make last Friday-Saturday seem like a dusting!

Very stoked!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 

Cornhead

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Tomorrow is going to make last Friday-Saturday seem like a dusting!
Surely you jest, but enjoy, I can't play hooky for this one. Sunday at Hunter should be pretty good though.

Hope the power stays on for ya.[emoji12]


Sent from my Moto G (4) using AlpineZone mobile app
 

JimG.

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Surely you jest, but enjoy, I can't play hooky for this one. Sunday at Hunter should be pretty good though.

Hope the power stays on for ya.[emoji12]

Very funny. I'll slay some fresh pow for you while you work.

I may consider Hunter Sunday. Will probably need a rest day after pigging out on freshies. Is SMH still planning on going? Should I ask Scotty if he wants to (can) go?
 

Cornhead

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Yes, SMH will be there, I invited Scotty, told him I'd pick him up and drop him off, but he's not feeling like skiing after losing his dad, don't blame him. Told him perhaps K in April.

Sent from my Moto G (4) using AlpineZone mobile app
 

JimG.

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Yes, SMH will be there, I invited Scotty, told him I'd pick him up and drop him off, but he's not feeling like skiing after losing his dad, don't blame him. Told him perhaps K in April.

I understand that...thought going skiing might cheer him up.

Will let you know about Hunter Sunday.
 

JimG.

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fighting is optional but strongly encouraged...hope to see you/fight you :-D

Sometimes it's hard to believe anyone shows up to ski Hunter with the bad rep.

And yet the biggest complaint always is that Hunter is too crowded. Go figure.

See you Sunday I drove by Hunter yesterday after skiing to pick up skis and the mountain looks 100% open. Prime mid-winter conditions.
 

abc

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You could've booted up at your car, then skied down the new ''bridge trail'' to buy your ticket at the lower lodge, instead of hiking all that way up to Overlook lodge.
I could. But then I would have been stuck waiting for 20 min to buy tickets! And long wait on the gondola line too

Outside of Overlook lodge, I only waited 5 min.

Although arrived late, seems I missed the mad rush. Mt timing of the chairs were somewhat better, partly helped by my skiing through the typical lunch hour, and breaking for lunch when the masses were rushing to get their post lunch ride in. By 3, everyone was packing up to leave. I had the slopes ( and chairs) to myself.

Still, I wonder what’s the deal with their “musical lifts”. Rumor was mechanical issues.
 
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