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Early season 20-21

urungus

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Two months to go! Earliest opening dates I have seen announced are Wildcat Fri Nov 13 and Mt Snow Sat Nov 14.

Would like to see a more aggressive opening date for Mt Snow, but with Vail in charge that’s no longer going to happen.

If I recall correctly, typical opening at Mt Snow would have Long John, Cascade-> Canyon, River Run, Freefall, and The Gulch ?

What would be typical for Wildcat opening ?

Also will be interesting to see what early season at Killington will look like. Many people, myself included, will be reluctant to use gondola to get to the North Ridge. Without the World Cup, would they be able to use the snowmaking on Superstar to get it open at the start of the season ? I’ve also seen some theories on KZone about using the Snowdon Six and Killink to get to the North Ridge ?
 

skiur

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I wouldn't mind hiking the short distance to the bottom of the canyon quad to get up to north ridge, or even better, bring back the pick up truck shuttle.
 

thebigo

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Wildcat is lynx top to bottom. Planning for my third consecutive first chair of season.
 

machski

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I cannot see stairs season this year at Killington. The way Vermont Government has been with this pandemic, tthey would shut them down after day 1 if they have their normal crowds, and that would just be passholder day! My guess is they will need some type of TTB route to open this season. Maybe they just go for Snowdon off the 6 completely and skip North Ridge. I believe ASC one year started off Ramshead Quad as well, that could be in play. I can't see Superstar being the opener, that lower pitch to the bottom is steep and takes quite a bit of snow to get skiable. If they are going for TTB, more moderately pitched trails are far easier to get open with minimal snow.

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slatham

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Yeah its a bit of a pickle if you assume significant capacity reduction on Gondola. It could be they do not open until they have North Ridge and Snowdon TTB so they have Gondi, NR, and the 2 chairs at Snowdon as options. That would push opening back several weeks. However, one wildcard is with no need to put a glacier on Superstar for World Cup, they can focus 100% on public opening. It will be interesting to see the plan.
 

JimG.

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Good point about no WC and freeing up snowmaking for other parts of the resort.

Considering the deadline for getting a full refund for any 20-21 pass is 11/20 I think K will make a good effort to get open before then (if weather cooperates) and certainly before other mountains to get people out on snow and minimize refund amounts.
 

Zand

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I don't think operating the Gondola would be a big deal in the early season since you only use it once up and once down. Limit each car to one party each. Might cause a bit of a line first thing in the morning but other than that it would work fine.
 

icecoast1

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I cannot see stairs season this year at Killington. The way Vermont Government has been with this pandemic, tthey would shut them down after day 1 if they have their normal crowds, and that would just be passholder day! My guess is they will need some type of TTB route to open this season. Maybe they just go for Snowdon off the 6 completely and skip North Ridge. I believe ASC one year started off Ramshead Quad as well, that could be in play. I can't see Superstar being the opener, that lower pitch to the bottom is steep and takes quite a bit of snow to get skiable. If they are going for TTB, more moderately pitched trails are far easier to get open with minimal snow.

Sent from my SM-T830 using AlpineZone mobile app


The stairs shouldn't be an issue if they are one way, connect the top of the gondola down to northridge, ski down and have people hike back up. Should have plenty of snowmaking capacity without the World Cup this year
 

skiur

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Yeah its a bit of a pickle if you assume significant capacity reduction on Gondola. It could be they do not open until they have North Ridge and Snowdon TTB so they have Gondi, NR, and the 2 chairs at Snowdon as options. That would push opening back several weeks. However, one wildcard is with no need to put a glacier on Superstar for World Cup, they can focus 100% on public opening. It will be interesting to see the plan.

Why would it have to push back opening several weeks? K always opened TTB often in October before the stairway. Stairway has only been there for 7 or 8 years now.
 

thebigo

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I believe they have historically rented diesel air compressors to get SS open for the wc. No wc revenue = no diesel compressors.

If I ran killington I would start with SS pod, but there are many good reasons that I do not run killington.
 

skiur

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I believe they have historically rented diesel air compressors to get SS open for the wc. No wc revenue = no diesel compressors.

If I ran killington I would start with SS pod, but there are many good reasons that I do not run killington.

They always rent compressors early season, during the last few years with the WC they rented a few more so they could blow SS and the glades at the same time.
 

slatham

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Why would it have to push back opening several weeks? K always opened TTB often in October before the stairway. Stairway has only been there for 7 or 8 years now.

I am just going off of the past several years where NR was open well before TTB. And TTB was usually not in October but it’s not impossible. The fact is the number of hours of snowmaking temps at 3,300’ and higher in Oct/Nov is way higher than at 2,500’.
 

BenedictGomez

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I don't think operating the Gondola would be a big deal in the early season since you only use it once up and once down. Limit each car to one party each. Might cause a bit of a line first thing in the morning but other than that it would work fine.

That's exactly what they'll tell you so they can run the gondola.

In truth, based on known, current scientific data regarding aerosolized COVID19 particulate married with prior nanometer viral dynamics knowledge, we have absolutely no idea, other than to say the virus can remain alive in the air about 3 hours.

That would mean it's only safe to run the gondy at 9am, 12pm, and 3pm, so 3 runs per day. In truth, while the virus has proven to be alive "floating" 3 hours after someone coughs or sneezes, the reality is the viral loading to catch COVID19 would likely be much less, meaning perhaps it's only "dangerous" to be in the gondy for an hour after a sick person was in there, and maybe they could run the gondy at 9am, 10:15, 11:30, 12:45, 2, and 3:15.

My point is, planet earth's best scientists have no idea, so Vail Resorts, Alterra, or your local Bubba Gump ski bump certainly has no flipping clue.
 
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ss20

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A minute from the Alta exit off the I-15!
Vail running their gondola's forces the rest of the ski industry to run theirs. I can see one-way up the stairs, skiing down GN to the NRQ and lapping Rime/Reason like a traditional season...just have to blow the Great Northern "horn" into North Ridge which generally opens up 5-10 days after Rime/Reason anyhow.

I want to make October turns this year. I'm sure many of you do too after our season was cut short. Covid or no covid resorts are going to follow the money...if there's a lot of pent up demand to ski this fall you can bet we may see some non-traditional early season players. And ski resorts are going to have to be aggressive. In years past the "goal" may be to get every base lodge and lift open for Christmas break...this year that's not going to be a "goal"...it's going to be necessary with lodge/lift capacity constraints. Get ahead and start blowing a week early.

Also of note diesel prices are about 50 cents less than last year and are expected to keep dropping.
 

slatham

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Well there goes early season at Killington. Nov 14th. See other thread on Covid response.
 

snoseek

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If there ever was a year to open a bit later this would be it. Its silly to even set a date IMO. Just open when you have enough terrain to spread people out. Maybe we can get it back in the spring?
 
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