2018-2019 Sunday River

[2Planker]

Yes on your list except for Little White Cap, they won't spend money there. And honestly, the only hope for Tempest is for Jordan to be replaced by a HSS and they refurb and reuse Jordan on Tempest.

After the mob scene this Saturday at South Ridge when the Chondi went on wind hold, I honestly think the SRQ needs to be upgraded to a HSS to have adequate carrying capacity for the numerous times the Chondi goes on wind holds.

As to Locke, would love to see a detach replacement with a full midstation to ease the pain of downloading season, but that is a pipe dream. We'll be lucky enough for Boyne to replace Barker in a few years, we'll never get them to spring for a new Locke chair, especially with the money just spent to install a new too return station a few years ago.

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I hear ya...

South Ridge Quad (Lift #2) was in need of replacement as soon as the Chondi (#7) went in.
One quad is NOT adequate when the Chondi goes down.

Locke is ancient, BUT doesn't serve much (Upper Punch, Bims, Upper Cut) that isn't accessable from Barker

White Cap used to be the best place to park, and ski out of...

BEST case scenario is a New Barker Lift and Lodge.
Everything else will rot in place until it breaks down or someone gets hurt

 

[Jully]

As someone that does not own on mountain, I love White Cap as beat up and not used. Given the uptick in crowds at Wildcat this year on holidays, I honestly think one of the best places to ski peak holiday periods and avoid parking and lodge mayhem is White Cap at SR. White Heat Quad is rarely backed up and if the woods are skiable, there is a lot there.

 

[2Planker]

As someone that does not own on mountain, I love White Cap as beat up and not used. Given the uptick in crowds at Wildcat this year on holidays, I honestly think one of the best places to ski peak holiday periods and avoid parking and lodge mayhem is White Cap at SR. White Heat Quad is rarely backed up and if the woods are skiable, there is a lot there.

I agree w/ you.

When I worked there (for 20 years) I always asked to be assigned to the top of White Cap.
Best trails
Best lift lines
Best skiers

On days off/family days we always did and still do go to White Cap.
Although Wildcat is our true home Mt now, there will always be a place for SR

 

[deadheadskier]

When SR was the home hill when I lived in Portland for a few years, I always started my day at Whitecap. Uncrowded lodge with level parking. Two peaks I spent the most time skiing were Whitecap and Aurora. No interest in Barker/Locke/Jordan on weekends except early or late in the day.

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[machski]

Since we own at Brookside, White Cap is home base. I too Love White Heat Quad and the terrain it accesses. With the snow year we have had, terrain really is hard to beat off of it. I love that it is quiet but as someone who wants to see SR succeed for years to come, I feel like the mountain is not doing itself right with the current state of White Cap Lodge. Weekends and Peak days, the two other lodges are jam packed. But White Cap offers almost no services (Shipyard and Coffee Hound these days), not fast to get out of the base and move anywhere, just seems like a missed opportunity.

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[Jully]

Since we own at Brookside, White Cap is home base. I too Love White Heat Quad and the terrain it accesses. With the snow year we have had, terrain really is hard to beat off of it. I love that it is quiet but as someone who wants to see SR succeed for years to come, I feel like the mountain is not doing itself right with the current state of White Cap Lodge. Weekends and Peak days, the two other lodges are jam packed. But White Cap offers almost no services (Shipyard and Coffee Hound these days), not fast to get out of the base and move anywhere, just seems like a missed opportunity.

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I absolutely agree with you. Hence my saying as someone who doesn't own at SR in the previous post. I can be a little more selfish when I'm a free agent year to year.

That said I want all mountains to succeed and thus do support revitalizing white cap, I'll just be a bit bitter about it for very selfish reasons.

 

[deadheadskier]

No doubt about it Whitecap lodge is a dump. But it's got to be LOW on the priority list. If you were going to drop $5M tomorrow on a base lodge upgrade, rank which of them in terms of ROI you could expect the best return provided there are no changes to parking.

I'd say maybe a tie between South Ridge and Barker with Whitecap a distant 3rd. I'd guess slight edge to South ridge because it has the most parking, but Barker does have a longer season, it is small and is obviously very high traffic middle of the day.

That opinion is based off what SR was like ten years ago though. Ive probably averaged 1 day a year there since then. I could be way off base.



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[machski]

No doubt about it Whitecap lodge is a dump. But it's got to be LOW on the priority list. If you were going to drop $5M tomorrow on a base lodge upgrade, rank which of them in terms of ROI you could expect the best return provided there are no changes to parking.

I'd say maybe a tie between South Ridge and Barker with Whitecap a distant 3rd. I'd guess slight edge to South ridge because it has the most parking, but Barker does have a longer season, it is small and is obviously very high traffic middle of the day.

That opinion is based off what SR was like ten years ago though. Ive probably averaged 1 day a year there since then. I could be way off base.



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A larger Barker would be welcome but the parking space there is always an issue. But given how racing at the mountain has grown, several weekends a year we need a much larger Barker to house the race teams and general patrons in a semi-civilized fashion. Being on mountain, we just avoid Barker those weekends. But that lodge gets packed often without a huge increase in vehicles parking at Barker (thanks to teams being bused in).

Plus, South Ridge has always been a bit of an add on lodge, growing here and there. I think some of it is good enough to just renovate, the add on up the slope portion could probably be ripped down and built back up new with a better flow/ level to the main Lodge portion.

Will be interesting to see if money flows from Boyne to the Eastern 3some. I know the Loafer's want some investment and Loon is still long in waiting on South Peak being completed finally, not to mention rumors of a new Gondola even after the new cabins for the current.

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[machski]

Talked to another black jacket. The location of the upper and lower bull wheel for the high speed T bar next to Monday morning has not yet been ironed out. He said they are hopeful they can cut a new entrance for crossbow so we can keep that trail. He wasn't so hopeful for tight wire.

I'm not surprised, all the clear cutting I had heard about had amounted to at most a survey line trimmed out by last weekend. Still shocks me they are debating closing Tightwire. Close it below 1500 road if you must, but trim a slightly different exit from 1500 onto RC and it should miss the first bank turn and down lower, skiers right is always open behind the lower banks. The other interesting thing with putting the T-Bar on that side of MM is that Over Easy from MM will not need to be permanently closed as well. This year they had used Over Easy for the competition starts on the cross trail. Will that mean they actually make snow and groom the upper section of Tightwire from Punch to Over Easy to access that cross start point moving forward?

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[shwilly]

Funny weekend. Wind hold day yesterday, then a really nice spring day today with a variety of fresh snow properties from one area to another. The only downside was that the mountain has initiated late season lift shutdowns, resulting in apocalyptic lift lines when crowds showed up for the good day today.

It is really stupid to have 20 minute lift lines because you wouldn't pay an additional ~6 lifties on a March weekend. Today was a good day that could have been totally epic if you could lap things without long lines.

 

[machski]

Funny weekend. Wind hold day yesterday, then a really nice spring day today with a variety of fresh snow properties from one area to another. The only downside was that the mountain has initiated late season lift shutdowns, resulting in apocalyptic lift lines when crowds showed up for the good day today.

It is really stupid to have 20 minute lift lines because you wouldn't pay an additional ~6 lifties on a March weekend. Today was a good day that could have been totally epic if you could lap things without long lines.

And apparently they don't have to pay any lifties this summer as they have eliminated DH mountain biking. They are really starting to truncate the season far too much. I can see the Jordan Double not running, but if Oz is in good shape, that/Locke/North/Quantum should be running all weekends in March. No one else shuts off that many lifts this early.

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[2Planker]

They are already contracting. Little White Cap lift is done for Mid week service, but they are listing the Little White Cap area as open, as one could skate over to it after going down White Heat. I'm just thinking the people who want/need to ski littel white cap won't do so well coming down White heat...

Today's skiing was groomers everywhere, hard and fast early, softening as the day went on. One guy in our group wanted to do Shockwave. Okay, we said. Hard and crisp at 2 PM. We did it, can't say we enjoyed it much.... LOL!

Great day for skiing, clear skies, short lines, nice on the groomers.

More tomorrow.

Looks like they may have pulled the plug on the (moved to) 4/21 Ski Mania.... It is now NOT listed on the events page.....
Hmmmm.....

 

[machski]

I find it interesting that Jordan will be open this coming week, then closed Monday and Tuesday, open Wednesday, then closed Thursday and Friday of the following week. Must be something going on at Jordan Wednesday, though I can't find it.

They must have a group or conference booked at the Jordan that wanted to ski as well. Must be a fairly large group to trigger that I would think, but bonus for midweek skiers!

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[machski]

Finally, a move by SR management to cheer about! Tomorrow inaugurates Happy Hour days, select spring days select lifts stay open until 5pm! Tomorrow it's Chondi, Barker, White Cap! About time!!

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[skicub]

Hey Uphill, I’ve skied SR since I was a kid, and have been a River fanatic for many years, but I don’t remember them ever staying open late in years past. Have there been Any past attempts at this “happy hour” practice at the River? Surely a welcome sign, after their recent Pre-mature scheduling cutbacks.


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[2Planker]

Hey Uphill, I’ve skied SR since I was a kid, and have been a River fanatic for many years, but I don’t remember them ever staying open late in years past. Have there been Any past attempts at this “happy hour” practice at the River? Surely a welcome sign, after their recent Pre-mature scheduling cutbacks.


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YES they have. I worked there for 20+ years and they used to do it more often, years ago....

Notice that 5-6 other Mts are also advertising the same this weekend.

More influence from social media, rather than actual people who ski there frequently or even 100% of their time

 

[machski]

Bummer the sun didn't break through for the late turns today, even a bit of drizzle around then. Not a big crowd at Barker post 4pm and for whatever reason, Agony/TG/Hollywood were closed for the late sessions. That is the whole idea of late turns in the spring, let the bumps soften (which they did)!

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[machski]

Bummer the sun didn't break through for the late turns today, even a bit of drizzle around then. Not a big crowd at Barker post 4pm and for whatever reason, Agony/TG/Hollywood were closed for the late sessions. That is the whole idea of late turns in the spring, let the bumps soften (which they did)!

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Apparently the closures were due to momma bear and her cubs roaming those areas late in the day.

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[2Planker]

SR just announced they will be OPEN for the weekend of 4/27 & 4/28
Orig last day was supposed to be 4/21.....
Although I do think it's weekends only after 4/15

 

[chuckstah]

SR just announced they will be OPEN for the weekend of 4/27 & 4/28
Orig last day was supposed to be 4/21.....
Although I do think it's weekends only after 4/15

It's nice that they will open for the 27/28, but it is NOT an extra weekend. That is the original closing weekend advertised on trail maps, in the lodges and online, all season long. SR tried to shorten the season to 4/21 and received a lot of flack for it, and are now staying open as advertised.

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