thebigo
Well-known member
Topo map beyond Jordan. Looks to be some good cruising terrain with due north exposure off the actual Jordan mountain. Drainage beyond Jordan mountain looks interesting but I don't know how you get a lift in there. 
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2020-21 Sunday River
- Thread starter uphillklimber
- Start date
I would assume additional real estate development would be the western terrain driver. Merrill Hill sales will be a good barometer of demand.
kbroderick
Active member
There's a lot of undeveloped land both north and west of Jordan, and a fair bit of it shows as CNL property in the state GIS system. I don't think all of it is, though--some is state-owned, and I think some is otherwise privately held. A lot of it is relatively low angle but reasonably elevated with decent exposure. Unfortunately, the data for unorganized townships is more limited than what Newry has made available.
https://maine.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=28e35c8fcf514d2685357b78bdd0b246 for town data
https://maine.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=89f9a143c79f4349a40a3ff77975f17a for unorganized township data with zoning overlays
https://maine.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=28e35c8fcf514d2685357b78bdd0b246 for town data
https://maine.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=89f9a143c79f4349a40a3ff77975f17a for unorganized township data with zoning overlays
Hawk
Well-known member
That whole area is in Riely Township with no access except for that logging road out from Frenchman's hole. We traversed out into that area and skied down years ago trying to find good skinning terain. The goal was to get down to the logging road and then skin back to a location to get picked up. It was not a good ski I will say that but not because of the terrain. It was the thicket of evergreens that made it hell. If I were them I would concentrate on using the several 3000 foot peaks out there and staying higher up.
kbroderick
Active member
Also re: lift 9, it would take either a massive realignment (i.e. it would be over parts of Obsession, not Tempest) to get to skier's right of T2, unless they put in an angle station.
machski
Well-known member
In the meantime, the overhauled White Cap snowmaking system is impressive. The Tempest Ingress has had it's snowmaking lines flipped to lift side skier's left, which should help with coverage up there. No more fighting the prevailing wind. That line continues and becomes a dedicated line for Jibe, which has been widened a bit and line with HKD Impulse towers now. Cascade has been given HKD Klik hydrants along with Roadrunner which also gets it's own Impulse Towers. The valve house on Cascade is quite impressive looking.
Newpylong
Well-known member
You probably knew most of this but for those that did not: how it used to work is Roadrunner fed White Cap directly from the Barker pumphouse. Because the Roadrunner pipe is old and that system is highly inefficient (pumping water down a trail that only has snow made on it once, just to pump it back up), what they did is enlarge the feed up Cascade. The new VH on top there feeds Locke and also has a White Cap feed that goes down Jibe (which didn't have pipe before), crosses Tempest and goes down Heats On) which also didn't have pipe) to a new VH bottom of WH lift. From there White Cap is fed. Now they have new, more appropriately sized steel feeding WC that comes off the Locke System which will be more frequently charged anyway.
Brendan Ryan (the ex-Peak's Project Director) is the main driving force towards the majority of snowmaking improvements. Sunday River was very set in their ways as that system and lack of upkeep showed, and he can analyze inefficiencies pretty easily.
Brendan Ryan (the ex-Peak's Project Director) is the main driving force towards the majority of snowmaking improvements. Sunday River was very set in their ways as that system and lack of upkeep showed, and he can analyze inefficiencies pretty easily.
machski
Well-known member
Yup, they sure have added efficiency.Bottom of Locke now has a new SuperPoleCat fan gun mounted on a 20 foot of so tower stand, which should help cover the Locke chair line area as well as the runout of MM, which has been problematic in the past. Barker basin on the lodge side now has 4 Impulse towers on the pond/lift side which should also help improve the snowmaking in front of Barker Lodge. Hopefully, no more sliding down slick rock and mud early season. Also like the new valve houses, these are built with purpose with strong concrete foundations and aluminum sided and roofed, these look like they will last in comparison to the old valve houses.
Hiked around Merrill today, definitely does not look like most of that snowmaking system will be ready this season. Hiked up "East" trail, that one looks fun with a bunch of left and right turns and decent pitch. Don't think that will "preview" on the select dates as there is a skier brdge across the development road that is not close to being finished yet (concrete walls are in but that is it). Looks like Liftline will be an actual trail now, accessed after the bridge on East trail. The very top is unskiable due to the ledge blasted out for the development road. Hiked down "West" trail and that will preview as it is complete on trail build. Kind of boring but great views of Aurora. Oz and Jordan. That one merges onto Aurora Road just below the uppermost Yetiville exit, giving Aurora Road from there to the intersection with Ridge Run snowmaking. Second Toughts also gets snowmaking added as a new Valve house off DreamMaker appears to be set to feed up Second Thoughts. Newpy, is that the planned primary feed point for Merrill?
Hawk
Well-known member
Ya, I had a feeling it did not line up. Just wishful thinking.
So some of the terrain over there will actually be worth skiing? I thought it was basically just a lift with real estate and access trails
Newpylong
Well-known member
I mentioned either here or one Snowjournal when someone said the same that no, the trails are actually going to be decent. The views should be killer. More so than any real estate access lift I know of in the region.
Easy blue and green. If you have younger kids my hunch is a good crowd escape to ski with them.
Mach, yea you are absolutely right the Merrill feed is the new VH you say at Second Thoughts/Dreammaker.
Easy blue and green. If you have younger kids my hunch is a good crowd escape to ski with them.
Mach, yea you are absolutely right the Merrill feed is the new VH you say at Second Thoughts/Dreammaker.
machski
Well-known member
There may be one black. On the real estate materials for Merrill they had out this weekend, they show the new liftline designated as an actual trail now. Not sure if it will have snowmaking and you cannot ski it straight off the top. You will need to access it off the East Trail then turn right after crossing the bridge. It's not as steep as I thought, but has good pitch and I'm thinking will not have snowmaking. Given that, may not be open too often, looks East/Southeast so a lot of sun exposure. Also, it appears there is a phase two of the development and if they ever get to that, a second lift off the back would happen. That part I think will be more real estate access than real skiing for the limited sketches available this weekend.
Newpylong
Well-known member
That doesn't surprise me as they had to grade the liftline enough to get towers in as they didn't want to use a helo. It will not have snowmaking.
machski
Well-known member
Sunday River 2030
Sunday River 2030 is a decade-long plan for sustainable growth and investments that will make the resort even better.
2030.sundayriver.com
They have added the Western Reserve and the Jordan 8 into the 2030 plans. As to the Western Reserve, that falls into the Long Term plans and quoting from the caption "In the coming decades, expand terrain beyond Jordan Bowl for what will become the Western Reserve." Doubt that is happening anytime soon.
urungus
Well-known member
Enormous lithium deposit found near Sunday River:
bangordailynews.com
Staggering $1.5 billion lithium deposit discovered near Newry
Measuring up to 36 feet in length, some of the lithium-bearing crystals are among the largest ever found.
bangordailynews.com
Enormous lithium deposit found near Sunday River:
Staggering $1.5 billion lithium deposit discovered near Newry
Measuring up to 36 feet in length, some of the lithium-bearing crystals are among the largest ever found.
That's crazy. Hopefully they reach an agreement with the state so they can mine it. I'd lose my shit if I owned land that contained $1.5B with of rare metals and I couldn't benefit from it.
Reminds me of this guy I knew in Ludlow, VT who just happened to own the land that a huge talc deposit was found on. Instantly became one of the wealthiest guys in the state when he sold off the land to a mining company. Stayed in town and still had his tree felling business well into his 80s. Took a few down for my parents.
thebigo
Well-known member
Day #6 for me today was best yet. They got right stuff open, good cruising despite a few cookies. Cascade softened up, the late spring style bumps from Wednesday on punch were pushed out - good cruising. Spruce and south ridge look close if not ready. Tomorrow should be good with a few inches of natural hopefully mixed in. 
machski
Well-known member
For those counting, Barker is down once again, went down Sunday and down today and tomorrow at a minimum. 23-24 seems so far away.......
Newpylong
Well-known member
It's up there with the Summit Triple at Attitash for WTF are you thinking?
machski
Well-known member
Yup, Boyne should cancel the Boyne 8 and instead add Barker 6 for next year too. Send Jordan to SL for West Mountain. Won't happen, but it should.
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