• Welcome to AlpineZone, the largest online community of skiers and snowboarders in the Northeast!

    You may have to REGISTER before you can post. Registering is FREE, gets rid of the majority of advertisements, and lets you participate in giveaways and other AlpineZone events!

Sunday River improvements for 2019/2020

machski

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 5, 2014
Messages
3,702
Points
113
Location
Northwood, NH (Sunday River, ME)
Press release is right on the website media page for the carpets/T-Bar.

https://www.sundayriver.com/media-center/press-releases/2019-surface-lift

Will be interesting to see this as the two new upper carpets are suppose to go smack dab into the middle of Sundance. They are suppose to add terrain based learning elements to one side of the carpets as well (kind of wonder if the tubing runs are finished to allow this. That would give them much more trail width to play with).

Sent from my Pixel 3 using AlpineZone mobile app
 

shwilly

Member
Joined
Apr 13, 2006
Messages
311
Points
16
Thanks for the pics, guys. It is cool to see how things are looking, although seeing the Crossbow sign...oh, never mind.

The Ridge to River course looks fun and extremely strenuous. That will be the toughest thing I have ever run.
 

Razor

Active member
Joined
Nov 15, 2005
Messages
229
Points
28
Location
EMass
When it's said that there is now a trail on Spruce Cliffs, does that mean it will be reopening as a ski trail? How come they shut it down years ago?
 

shwilly

Member
Joined
Apr 13, 2006
Messages
311
Points
16
When it's said that there is now a trail on Spruce Cliffs, does that mean it will be reopening as a ski trail? How come they shut it down years ago?

Hiking trail which apparently will be used as part of a half marathon course next month. I'd be very surprised if it's ever an on-map ski trail again. It requires too much snow and would get scraped off too quickly.
 

Jully

Active member
Joined
Dec 13, 2014
Messages
2,487
Points
38
Location
Boston, MA
Hiking trail which apparently will be used as part of a half marathon course next month. I'd be very surprised if it's ever an on-map ski trail again. It requires too much snow and would get scraped off too quickly.

This. No chance it becomes a ski trail again. If you aren't making fresh tracks on it on a 12" powder day, you're virtually guaranteed to hit a wall of rocks covered with blue ice. It is still there for the rare years/during the rare storm it is skiable though!
 

2Planker

Well-known member
Joined
May 16, 2007
Messages
1,459
Points
113
Location
MWV, NH
When it's said that there is now a trail on Spruce Cliffs, does that mean it will be reopening as a ski trail? How come they shut it down years ago?

Spruce Cliffs was removed as an official trail because it was very rarely open. Maybe 2-3 days/year max.
The main reason was because we could never say we were 100% OPEN.
Mgmnt hated that fact and figured after 4-5 years it just wasn't worth it and the trail officially came off the map.

2nd reason - YES a lot of people ended up way in over their heads, and many needed a sled ride down, hurt or not...
 

machski

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 5, 2014
Messages
3,702
Points
113
Location
Northwood, NH (Sunday River, ME)
New T-Bar towers are set and base operator shack is being welded into base today. The Locke Triple and T-Bar will in fact share a tower but not one of the current triple towers. A new tower for the Triple is in place and much higher than the existing towers in the area. My guess is the tower immediately before this new one will come out with that cross arm and gear reused on the new tower. They also regraded skiers right of the Triple base on MM including new drainage culverts under the regraded trail. I have to assume this will be the primary exit off MM from now on, no more going to skier's left of the Triple to get to Barker Quad.

Nothing happening on Sundance as of yet, the old carpet has yet to be taken apart.

The Glades looks like it is getting phase 4 as lots are signed on the uphill side of Upper Road and a new trail behind those lots is taking shape. I need to hike up Aurora Road, I have heard this trail will come off of there somewhere I. The neighborhood of the higher exit of Yetiville. Whether a new trail is cut from Sensation down to this trail or they open Aurora Road to official skiing from Aurora base I have no idea currently. But I can't imagine an elite housing ski trail to be accessed only through a Glade.

With all of this, I really wish we were discussing a new Barker Six Pack. As we are not, lift ops was working on Barker this morning as the lift was turning. Seemed like all the chairs off for summer grip maintenance were back online. Hope we get a good season out of frankenlift.

Sent from my Pixel 3 using AlpineZone mobile app
 
Last edited:

machski

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 5, 2014
Messages
3,702
Points
113
Location
Northwood, NH (Sunday River, ME)
Here's a few pictures. And I stand corrected on the Triple, looks like two more new towers to go in and at least three new cross arm sets, one being a hold down sheave set (likely for the tower immediately before the new tall combo one).7383.jpgIMG_20190821_095641.jpgIMG_20190821_095655.jpgIMG_20190821_095355.jpg

Sent from my Pixel 3 using AlpineZone mobile app
 

Newpylong

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 20, 2005
Messages
4,938
Points
113
Location
Upper Valley, NH
Those are absolutely massive T-Bar towers, wow. Not only in height, but there is a lot of steel there.

If you want the nerd terminology, hold down is a depression tower. There is also a compression tower which has sheaves on top and bottom.

They still gotta grade the lift line up top? Looks pretty sketchy.
 
Last edited:

machski

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 5, 2014
Messages
3,702
Points
113
Location
Northwood, NH (Sunday River, ME)
Those are absolutely massive T-Bar towers, wow. Not only in height, but there is a lot of steel there.

If you want the nerd terminology, hold down is a depression tower. There is also a compression tower which has sheaves on top and bottom.

They still gotta grade the lift line up top? Looks pretty sketchy.
I would think. We have heard the cross skiers will be able to unload Midway onto overeasy to access the cross course on Rocking Chair. So I would think some grading will get done. Unless they plan to "grade the line" with snowmaking. The thought is the T-Bar went where it did to be right next to MM's snowmaking lines.

Sent from my Pixel 3 using AlpineZone mobile app
 

machski

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 5, 2014
Messages
3,702
Points
113
Location
Northwood, NH (Sunday River, ME)
So I've been told by the powers that be that an announcement on the expanded Glades lots and new trail should be coming along soon. Friend sent me a few pictures yesterday of the new trail off Aurora Road, it is fully graded out already. Still not sure if they are just going to use Aurora Road and Yetiville to access this new trail back or if there is a higher section being built dropping off sensation beyond Yetiville's entrance. I do know snowmaking pipe is being welded and dragged up from the merge into Ridge Run.

Sent from my Pixel 3 using AlpineZone mobile app
 

MEtoVTSkier

Active member
Joined
Jan 25, 2011
Messages
1,234
Points
38
Location
Aroostook County, ME
Nothing overly promising in the long-range forecast, and the leaves seem to be a bit behind schedule for fall foliage. So maybe they have time to get something done before winter sets in hard.
 
Top