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The "Sugarbush Thread"

thetrailboss

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TB- I don't know whether to tell you to put the pipe down or pick it up. As you said somewhere in here that you despise the companies that own ski areas. You have not lived in VT for a long time so please stop trying to be an expert on Sugarbush stuff. Your disdain for ski owners has made you hate the sport which is too bad for you. How about just go out and ski and enjoy that activity for what it is- FUN! You take every decision that Vail/Alterra/Powdr makes personally. All ski areas are crowded and have issues, but we all try to make the best of it and have FUN. Just go ski and have FUN.
To each his own. You don't have to agree with everything.
 

Hawk

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Did Slide Brook under the towers today - Elevator. Def not ready yet and the track/road out had water bars and some lightly covered big rocks. The snow had been wind-slabbed and there's still lots of uncovered brush. Pinball Alley was difficult too with obstacles. We were the only tracks in at 11:30 and for good reason.

Higher up the mountain the cover was better but needs another storm or two. Really two feet short of traditional safe woods cover.
Ducky you're a veteran. You can't be suprised with what you came upon, right? I mean there is about a foot of consolidated snow now. Usually we don't go venturing until there is upwards of 2 to 3 feet. Anyway gald you got out in one peice.
 

Blurski

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There's an update on Slide Brook mentioned in the snow report this afternoon:



New lift parts? Did they borrow parts from Slide Brook again for Super Bravo or something?
I could care less if it runs or not, however for the vacationing skiers that only ski 1 weekend & looked at the website & sees 2 mountains connected by a lift with no mention that the lift will not run. Yes it is listed as closed, but also has operational hours listed. Too make things worse, if you paid the window ticket price, I would be a bit upset that it was not made pretty clear that you need to ride the bus to get between mountains.
 

crank

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I could care less if it runs or not, however for the vacationing skiers that only ski 1 weekend & looked at the website & sees 2 mountains connected by a lift with no mention that the lift will not run. Yes it is listed as closed, but also has operational hours listed. Too make things worse, if you paid the window ticket price, I would be a bit upset that it was not made pretty clear that you need to ride the bus to get between mountains.
I think the bus may be faster.

However riding the lift over is a fun experience that I have enjoyed many times...just not recently. Which is why I learned that the bus is fast and easy.
 

djd66

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I find riding the lift from South to North a very LONG cold ride 90% of the time - as its GH, SB and NRX before I am actually skiing. Going from North to South - I actually enjoy that ride as its only about 13 minutes before I am skiing again and I can access all the lifts (except Heavens Gate)
 

shadyjay

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I did a few "check rides" on Slide Brook during my last full winter of employment up there. That was a cold ride (and sometimes we weren't even above the temp threshhold yet), going from LP to ME. Needless to say, I'd run into the ME lift shack, make my phone calls and warm up for a few minutes before "returning home". When I rode it as a "guest", the ride from ME to LP was much better - less windy, and you'd be skiing/riding again as soon as you got off (down Gate House trails).

Regarding HG replacement, you could probably get more room to expand the corral area and make it safer if you closed off access from Lower Ripcord to the lift. Anyone coming down Ripcord would then have to bail right onto "Bailout Extension" (about 3 or 4 towers up from the bottom, currently signed as "Downspout" - NOT talking about Paradise Extension which is at the bottom of Spills) to get back to the lift, or take the offshoot at the bottom of Ripcord that bypasses the corral. The way people come down Ripcord and rip an arc towards the corral was frightening on some spring days.
 

BushMogulMaster

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As a skier, I never particularly cared for Slide Brook. It was a cool idea, and a really neat ride the first time. After that, I'd rather ride the bus. I think Les's goal was to get a foot in the door for building out in the Slide Brook terrain; but that dream was DOA.

I always thought that piece of equipment would have served Sugarbush much better if it was moved to an alignment from the base of ME to the peak above and to the north of Inverness where they actually cut a liftline once years ago. Would have opened up some amazing terrain.
 

KustyTheKlown

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terrain above inverness would be awesome to unlock.

i def prefer riding slide brook than taking the bus tho. once i am 'off the mountain' i am pretty much mentally done skiing for the day.

i typically ski at mount ellen or at lincoln peak, not at both. i mainly have used slide brook as an escape route when LP is crowded or heavens gate goes down
 

Lotso

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Love SB and wish it would run. It's a carnival ride. I use it mainly to get to LP from ME and ski NL or CR without going through Disney World (aka: LP base area). Such a beautiful ride.

And skiing under the north-facing part of it off NL (Elevator?) is fantastic but needs more cover apparently.
 

Newpylong

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By the time you take your gear off, get on the bus (assuming no wait) ride over, put your stuff back on... Slidebrook is far faster. Plus you're already in the middle of the hill on each end and not the base.

I was in the valley from 94 to 99 and Les put in what he was able to get in. There was *no* intent to cut anything or get his foot in the door in Slidebrook beyond that. He was only able to get the lift in with big concessions.

A liftline was cut above Inverness way back the tree growth difference can still be seen.
 

SteezyRob

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By the time you take your gear off, get on the bus (assuming no wait) ride over, put your stuff back on... Slidebrook is far faster. Plus you're already in the middle of the hill on each end and not the base.

I was in the valley from 94 to 99 and Les put in what he was able to get in. There was *no* intent to cut anything or get his foot in the door in Slidebrook beyond that. He was only able to get the lift in with big concessions.

A liftline was cut above Inverness way back the tree growth difference can still be seen.
yes but this would make the liftline area denser than the surrounding forest right? it certainly isn't distinguishable when you're up in there.
 

crank

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Wife and I have a little routine going where we ski Lincoln all morning and then bus over to Ellen for lunch at Green Mountain Lounge and then ski Mt. Ellen for a few hours in the afternoon. Warmer than the SB chair, the bus is.
 

Smellytele

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Right where I want to be
I have opted to drive between the 2 if the parking isn't bad. Take one boot off and everyone else keep their boots on. Then at the end of the day I don't have to take a bus or chair back to the other side.
 

ducky

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Ducky you're a veteran. You can't be suprised with what you came upon, right? I mean there is about a foot of consolidated snow now. Usually we don't go venturing until there is upwards of 2 to 3 feet. Anyway gald you got out in one peice.
Not my normal thing going in early. Was headed to the beach but the elevator was too much to pass by.
 

ducky

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Perspective from the Midstation Singlechair guy at MRG (you can follow him on Facebook, btw):

Finally, we're skiing most of the Main Mountain. I'm going to take this opportunity once again to remind everyone out there tuning into this blog that, in order for "The Woods" to be "Ready," you need there to be 40 inches of snow. We have 2 inches of crust underneath about 12 - 16 inches of recent snow since Thursday night. While you may see tracks going into various woods lines, these are made by either 1) Hyper-local skiers who know every nook and cranny on General Stark Mountain and maybe they went in to cut the line themselves, or 2) Foolish skiers who think they're going to find "the goods" in there. Please trust me, as someone who will dip into the woods at a moment's notice when the time is right, PLEASE wait until that 40 inches rolls around. We've had some very bad wrecks in the woods the past few days, including kids getting hurt in the woods. Please don't add to that list, especially when the actual trails are skiing as good as they were today.
Much Love
❤
 
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