Loon: Boyne's Forgotten Resort???

thetrailboss · Oct 18, 2010

I was talking with snowmonster this weekend about how it seems that we have many, many threads about two of Boyne's jewels on the east coast: Sugarloaf and Sunday River. Whenever folks talk about The New England Pass, it seems to be in reference to their skiing at Sugarloaf and Sunday River, but not much about Loon.

It seems odd that a resort that has opened a new area and lift (well, a long awaited expansion that was completed), added 428 new tower guns for this season, and a new Beast Groomer has received very little fanfare. Maybe the folks in this room don't ski at Loon, but I find it interesting that there aren't more New England Passholders in here who make the trek to Loon just to say that they did.

What has happened to Loon? Why are folks not giving it any love? It is known for crowds, so someone must like it!

deadheadskier · Oct 18, 2010

Can't say I've ever seen Loon get much attention on these boards. Stratton is one of the more popular ski destinations in New England as well. Rarely ever see people talk about Stratton either.

thetrailboss · Oct 18, 2010

deadheadskier said:
Can't say I've ever seen Loon get much attention on these boards. Stratton is one of the more popular ski destinations in New England as well. Rarely ever see people talk about Stratton either.

That's true, but Loon is on a pass that many board members hold and we don't see the same fervor or interest in Loon as we do with the other resorts.

Edd · Oct 18, 2010

I've skied it maybe 10 times the past 3 seasons but only because it was on the New England or Threedom passes. Last year it was only once. It's got decent vertical and a respectable amount of terrain but I get bored there easily. There are few narrow winding trails. The heavy traffic scrapes trails off quickly. I don't dislike the place or like it all that much either. I just go for a change of pace.

cannonist · Oct 18, 2010

I ski all over the whites and usually end up going to Loon five times a year, but you have to be careful. I usually pick fridays when I have them off. It can be tricky to avoid crowds...

WJenness · Oct 18, 2010

I've hit loon a few times with my NE pass...

Mainly because my gf has family in Lincoln, so it's an easy place for us to spend a weekend at.

I had one GREAT spring day there a few years back where everything was open and there were no lines... Other than that, it's mostly been pretty crowded weekend days. Even the one weekday I spent there was the day after a storm, everything was groomed out, and there were still decent lines... (Did have a very nice run through Mike's Way that day though... a bit of a harrowing first tree experience, but still fun).

I'd like to get a midweek day or two this year to get the feel of the place during the slower times...

-w

riverc0il · Oct 18, 2010

I suspect you won't find much cross over with the Loon versus Maine crowds. Loon may not get the love on Alpine Zone, but it is one of the most over crowded resorts in New England. It ain't forgotten any where but on AZ.

Geoff · Oct 18, 2010

Loon gets ignored for the same reason Okemo and Stratton get ignored. The people here are the wrong demographic for the ski area. There aren't a heck of a lot of blue square cruisers who hang out on skiing-related internet message boards.

snowmonster · Oct 18, 2010

Perhaps, it's because it doesn't have the gnar factor that other mountains have.

snoseek · Oct 18, 2010

I will probably skip over their on a monday or two. During those weeks when it's pretty much groomers it would make sense to go there and save some driving. It's not a bad area with good consistent fall line skiing and good vertical. I like the Maine crowd much better.

riverc0il · Oct 18, 2010

Geoff said:
Loon gets ignored for the same reason Okemo and Stratton get ignored. The people here are the wrong demographic for the ski area. There aren't a heck of a lot of blue square cruisers who hang out on skiing-related internet message boards.

Some might say there isn't much difference between Loon and Sunday River, thus the thread. 8) I don't think it has anything to do with that type of demographic difference, Loon and the River both attract lots of Boston folks that enjoy what those mountains offer. I just don't think this board has a lot of people that ski Loon that much but it does have a lot of condo owners and folks that get the pass specifically for the River but not Loon.

Geoff · Oct 18, 2010

riverc0il said:
Some might say there isn't much difference between Loon and Sunday River, thus the thread. 8) I don't think it has anything to do with that type of demographic difference, Loon and the River both attract lots of Boston folks that enjoy what those mountains offer. I just don't think this board has a lot of people that ski Loon that much but it does have a lot of condo owners and folks that get the pass specifically for the River but not Loon.

Loon doesn't have anything comparable to White Hype.

riverc0il · Oct 18, 2010

Geoff said:
Loon doesn't have anything comparable to White Hype.

Angel Street.

Actually, I think I prefer Loon to Sunday River just based on terrain only.

WakeboardMom · Oct 18, 2010

riverc0il said:
Angel Street.

My favorite trail. : )

Geoff said:
Loon gets ignored for the same reason Okemo and Stratton get ignored. The people here are the wrong demographic for the ski area. There aren't a heck of a lot of blue square cruisers who hang out on skiing-related internet message boards.

"Blue square cruisers" don't hang out on internet message boards? I don't understand that concept. Internet message boards attract a demographic that would be more likely to call themselves "core?"

Back in the day, we'd split our ski days between Loon, Cannon and Bretton Woods. We had a seasonal rental in Lincoln for many years and would buy the SkiNH Gold Pass. That was back when we were buying tickets/finding daycare for four kids and two adults. Now it's just two of us and we've had the New England Pass for the past three or four years.

As for crowds, I haven't yet figured out how to enjoy SR on a busy Saturday any more than I enjoy Loon on the same type of day. There are a couple (several?) areas at SR that are total clusterf*cks on most Saturdays and some Sundays. I haven't yet found the best areas that aren't crazy on those days.

I very much enjoy the West Basin at Loon and the new South Mountain is usually not as crowded as the trails that dump into Grand Junction. I learned to ski at Loon, I have family in the valley, and it's convenient to both of my houses. My son and his g/f coach there, as well as extended family, so there's always people to hang out with apres ski.

Yup, there are lots of places that have tougher or more varied terrain, but Loon is home.

thetrailboss · Oct 18, 2010

FWIW if memory serves me right there used to be a lot of interest in Loon on this board.

jerryg · Oct 18, 2010

I like Loon, but it super-crowded, IMO. SR may get crowded, but with it being so spread out, you can easily find pods that aren't busy and you can get from one pod to another without have to wait in a long line. For example, if I want to go to White Cap, I may need to take a lift out of Barker Basin, but instead of taking the Barker Quad, I just take the Locke Express and don't wait in line.

I'm biased, but I think that SR's terrain is much more diverse and while the expert terrain may not be super steep, Loon doesn't have the advanced terrain comparable to OZ and the advanced stuff off Jordan. Again, just an opinion.

Loon is great on a mid-week spring day. That's when I go there.

riverc0il · Oct 18, 2010

thetrailboss said:
FWIW if memory serves me right there used to be a lot of interest in Loon on this board.

That was before Bobr moved his condo from Loon to SR. :spin:

Plus there was a lot of interest on the expansion. That is old news now.

billski · Oct 18, 2010

thetrailboss said:
FWIW if memory serves me right there used to be a lot of interest in Loon on this board.

Aside from the friends on staff I ski with now and then, I found the Loon terrain in general too boring, too groomed out, midweek, and too busy on the weekend. In general, I've been spending a lot more time in VT. The best part of Loon is the Jamaican food on top.

I stayed away from Loon in the late 80's early 90's because they had to limit ticket sales overcrowding got so bad. That led me to spend a lot of time at Cannon before I started moving westward to the Green Mt. State.

Unless the woods have improved, I honestly didn't get too much out of West Mountain. This is NOT to diss what WakeboardMom is saying. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and I respect anyone who gets out on any hill and has fun - that's the bottom line.

EOS · Oct 18, 2010

Crowds definitely keep that mountain off my radar... Although I do like to ski it every so often.

thetrailboss · Oct 18, 2010

riverc0il said:
That was before Bobr moved his condo from Loon to SR.

Plus there was a lot of interest on the expansion. That is old news now.

:lol: Yeah, Bob R took his groupies to Sunday River! I never thought of that!

Seriously though I find it interesting that we have heard a lot about Sunday River and Sugarloaf via press releases, etc. and yet Loon is adding 400 new snow guns and we did not hear anything...or maybe I did not notice it...

Loon: Boyne's Forgotten Resort???

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