2018-2019 Sunday River

[parahelia]

There was one piece of heavy equipment at the top of the White Heat lift when we made the hike this afternoon. Sounded like something was on but didn’t examine it closely.

Conditions were quite good all across the mountain. All the woods were in play, Oz was fun, the closed lift on white heat made for peaceful turns. Icy spots were limited to the high-traffic areas in late afternoon.

Oddly, there were fewer people than on a typical Saturday, let alone a holiday weekend. Nice for those of us who were there for sure.

Can’t wait to see how it skis with a foot+ of new snow!


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[catherine]

I went skiing early today. Wind holds and the holiday crowd sent me packing after a couple hours. The groomers have done their magic, as usual!

So, planning for tomorrow, I checked their website

Insider tip: the easiest access to the top of White Cap this weekend is via Bim's Whim off of the Locke Mountain Triple. Take the short hike over to the top to access all of White Cap's expert terrain.

Okay.... So just for kicks, I look at scheduled lift service..

• 
  White Heat Quad #10
  
• 
  Locke Mountain Triple #4

We all know what those red circles with an X in them mean.....

Yeah, I'm a little bored....

I’m heading there on Thurs for 4 days. Is the White Heat Quad out for an extended time?

 

[catherine]

Thanks. I’m sure we’ll have a great time even if it isn’t open.

 

[machski]

Thanks. I’m sure we’ll have a great time even if it isn’t open.

I know they are working like crazy, they brought a lift up on a crazy route (had to have used a cat to "tow" it up) to the top to do the work. Weather is not being kind with the deep freeze and winds currently or the damn r@!n coming tomorrow night into Thursday before maybe snapping back around to snow late Thurs. I would plan on it being down.

As a side note, I am still very disappointed they are not running Locke in WH's stead midweek. WH is scheduled every day, so it's not like they wouldn't have the lift staff to run Locke with WH down unplanned.

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[thetrailboss]

Hopefully now that Boyne has full reins of the place they can make some improvements. Sunday River is a great place.

 

[machski]

Hopefully now that Boyne has full reins of the place they can make some improvements. Sunday River is a great place.

Honestly, WH is a pretty reliable lift (aside from wind which with how open the top is, no way to avoid that unless they went surface lift). It does seem like big items that have certain expected life limits are left to get to the bitter end rather than be proactively replaced by the resort. WH didn't start spinning until after the start of December, so one has to wonder how much life that bull wheel bearing had left starting the season. It hadn't quite had 6 weeks of service before it failed/reached its serviceable limit. I would be curious to know if it failed prematurely or around life expectancy.

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[catherine]

Today was fun. We had the locals race challenge first thing, then we met at North Peak and headed out after a break. Went to Jordan, did a few runs, then coming back, Flying Monkey looked nice, and since it going to get ruined tomorrow, we did that and took the Jordan lift back to the top. The we saw Karumba was nice, and since it's gonna get ruined tomorrow... Did the same for Ruby Palace, Hollywood, Gnarnia, Last Tango, Locke line, Crossbow and tightwire. My legs gave out after 6 hours of this, but what a day!

Rain tomorrow, consider this if you are planning on coming up. Friday it may well freeze hard, sharpen those edges!

Will they stay open even with the rain? Already booked 4 days, starting tomorrow.

 

[2Planker]

Today was fun. We had the locals race challenge first thing, then we met at North Peak and headed out after a break. Went to Jordan, did a few runs, then coming back, Flying Monkey looked nice, and since it going to get ruined tomorrow, we did that and took the Jordan lift back to the top. The we saw Karumba was nice, and since it's gonna get ruined tomorrow... Did the same for Ruby Palace, Hollywood, Gnarnia, Last Tango, Locke line, Crossbow and tightwire. My legs gave out after 6 hours of this, but what a day!

Rain tomorrow, consider this if you are planning on coming up. Friday it may well freeze hard, sharpen those edges!

Ohhhh - Locke Line, Crossbow, Tightwire. Was one of my favs 30 years ago, and still is today !!

Catherine, They should be open, at least the snow will be soft...
Although The Cat just pulled the plug on Thursday...

 

[catherine]

Ohhhh - Locke Line, Crossbow, Tightwire. Was one of my favs 30 years ago, and still is today !!

Catherine, They should be open, at least the snow will be soft...
Although The Cat just pulled the plug on Thursday...

As did Attitash.

 

[Edd]

Although The Cat just pulled the plug on Thursday...

3rd day this week I think.

 

[2Planker]

3rd day this week I think.

2nd day this week. They were closed Tues and will be on Thursday also

 

[chuckstah]

2nd day this week. They were closed Tues and will be on Thursday also

And MLK day. 3.

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[catherine]

I think you'll find that places with hotels tend to stay open, regardless of the weather to take care of their guests. Pretty much, the River doesn't shut down for rain. Wind my stop soem lifts and icing on the cables is an issue for the detachables, but rain, meh...

I’m ready

 

[machski]

Grrrr, snowcats have hit Oz. Hate that, just light up Lost Princess again and re-bury it. I don't mind when they make good, dry man-made and don't groom it, natural enough to me Looks like they did not groom Eureka, doubt they put enough man-made on it to groom it. Hopefully they relight that trail up too, especially with WH down. Would also like to see at least Upper Downdraft and Top Gun recovered soon and Shockwave once the Heat Quad is ready without being groomed.

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[machski]

Actually, 1-3" coming tomorrow supposedly. No snow blown on Agony last night per the report and they do not groom skiers right on TW/LP. It is skiers left closest to the guns (deepest base). Yes, they obviously wanted Oz open this weekend TTB for the Quad to spin, especially with WH still out and all the terrain off the top off limits this weekend (no hiking allowed due to the nature of the work on the Quad). But LP usually covers up very good without the cats if they turn the guns back on. Oz is suppose to be a "natural area" and while snowmaking is not truely natural, it skis batural a bit when it is never groomed. I'm ok with it, as long as they remake TW/LP within a week or so now. They also never touched any of the upper runs with Cats off the top of White Cap the last two days, Obsession yes but only from Snowbound down. Might be a good thing, let them freeze then give it a good groom for a few days before the lift is re-opened. Hopefully they will just re-blow SW.

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[machski]

WH still down and summit off limits due to "Utility Work.". That sounds electrical work on the lift to me now too. Hmm....

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[Hawk]

Summit off limits. HA HA HA

Translation: More pow for the good guys and way less traffic.

 

[machski]

Summit off limits. HA HA HA

Translation: More pow for the good guys and way less traffic.

Funny. Probably, just don't get caught. They were advertising the hiking prior to the last few days, so if they asked to keep out, they are probably enforcing it. Boyne has become a bit more insistent on this since last year's late night sledding incident.

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[Hawk]

Mach, I know what you are saying but most of my group and most of yours will skirt the lift shack and ski over there. What you don't think that monkeybrook and wheeler will be over there if it snows? You would be mistaken.

 

[machski]

Mach, I know what you are saying but most of my group and most of yours will skirt the lift shack and ski over there. What you don't think that monkeybrook and wheeler will be over there if it snows? You would be mistaken.

I'll probably be right there with them. I think the issue for the mountain is probably that they are using a Cat to maintain line tension while the top return wheel is dropped and is probably sitting behind the terminal next to the patrol shack. I have to figure there are cables stretched from it to the haul rope and since the hiking trail comes over the top that way, that is the concern. Add to it, I don't think they ever groomed anything up there after last week's liquid, so the woods will be good but the trails could still be ugly.

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