Any body know anything about Hunter???

[Ski2LiveLive2Ski]

Is Hunter One likely also not opening?

Yeah they don't have much of that (now Hunter East) open. Can't say I have ever ventured over there, and most years they don't open much of that - only the green stuff. As not much demand for a black trail on a bunny hill. That must be well under 5% of the terrain.

 

[JimG.]

No West side at all?

Blasphemy!!

 

[So Inclined]

Is Hunter One likely also not opening?

Hunter East (nee One), which is really just a learner pod, is about 55% open. Two of the three green runs suitable for beginners are open, and hopefully the third will get going soonish? By the weekend?
There's also a couple shortish but decent enough blue runs - low-key the best place on the mountain for advanced beginners/low intermediates to go to learn how to deal with a little pitch and narrowness - accessed by an old cantankerous double above them. I'll be very happy if they actually decide to open that terrain at all, but given how things are going I'll believe it when I see it.
I cynically surmised above that they might not want to run E Lift (the double mentioned above) at all this year, but I'm pretty sure they'll get around to opening up the Highlands for the racers and that's how you get up there, so.

 

[RichT]

Did they give a reason for not planning to open West this year? Just lack of staff?

He did not.

 

[RichT]

Hunter East (nee One), which is really just a learner pod, is about 55% open. Two of the three green runs suitable for beginners are open, and hopefully the third will get going soonish? By the weekend?
There's also a couple shortish but decent enough blue runs - low-key the best place on the mountain for advanced beginners/low intermediates to go to learn how to deal with a little pitch and narrowness - accessed by an old cantankerous double above them. I'll be very happy if they actually decide to open that terrain at all, but given how things are going I'll believe it when I see it.
I cynically surmised above that they might not want to run E Lift (the double mentioned above) at all this year, but I'm pretty sure they'll get around to opening up the Highlands for the racers and that's how you get up there, so.

Highlands??? I bet there's maybe five people that still work there that knows of the Highlands.

 

[So Inclined]

Highlands??? I bet there's maybe five people that still work there that knows of the Highlands.

Race team people do. That slope gets opened up every year just for the racers. I've never been on it myself

 

[JimG.]

Race team people do. That slope gets opened up every year just for the racers. I've never been on it myself

Great area to hike for turns after a snowfall.

 

[Kingslug20]

The west is the first to get knocked off..big..expensive to blow...you know..what vail hates to do..spend money on...skiing stuff

 

[danimals]

The west is the first to get knocked off..big..expensive to blow...you know..what vail hates to do..spend money on...skiing stuff

West has always been the last to open. Even under peak, westway only opened after a large storm, and annapurna almost never. So running zephyr lift to access clair's and a way back up for people who turned onto wayout from belt seems like a waste. I liked it because that lift was (havent been since spring 2020) always a ski on and never had to share a lift with anyone.

I dont think running the west side made financial sense under peak, and i think vail is just souless enough to act on it. West needs work. maybe one more route down they can open regularly, whether its better and reliable snowmaking and openign on annapurna, or utilizing that old cut as part of a blue/single black (could have a traverse over to it from right before the steep parts of annapurna). this would at least allow some more traffic to head that way.

Also, why not utlize the hunter north area as a second lodge? or at least have something like montage mountain's midland there.

 

[So Inclined]

Also, why not utlize the hunter north area as a second lodge? or at least have something like montage mountain's midland there.

I heard this was in the longer-term plans for the North pre-VR. Not sure if Peaks ever announced that publicly, though. Who knows what the plans are now.

 

[catskillman]

spoke to an "employee" today = told that the snow guns at the bottom of racers have an issue. The west side lift is ready to go, not waiting for a part as was the rumour. Need snowmaking top open the west.

There are only 3 snowmakers !! and I am sure there are not an extra 7 or 8 lifties sitting around waiting to go to work on the west side.

 

[So Inclined]

There are only 3 snowmakers !! and I am sure there are not an extra 7 or 8 lifties sitting around waiting to go to work on the west side.

If they didn't have the J1s at the lifts this season, ceteris paribus, I don't know how they would even open the mountain.

 

[IceEidolon]

For perspective, Hunter used to have teams of 20+ per shift in the days of yore, and ~12 per shift +/- a couple in the early Peaks days. This included some guys that grew up on the mountain and their kids grew up on the mountain working Ops.

Do you know if that includes compressor and pump operators - if so, they're running at least some equipment unattended that previously was monitored in person. Three people also means they have to be a lot slower starting and stopping - previously they could start three trails at once easily. Front face auto Polecats and auto and flood system HKDs are saving their bacon.

 

[catskillman]

If they didn't have the J1s at the lifts this season, ceteris paribus, I don't know how they would even open the mountain.

you are 100% correct!! There are about 30 from what I understand. Most from Paraguay. All staying together at the Green Mountain Inn in Tannersville which has only 16 bathrooms with 28 beds. Vail has rented this through Marh 31st from a Hassidic sect. Old Old rundown inn.

 

[So Inclined]

you are 100% correct!! There are about 30 from what I understand. Most from Paraguay. All staying together at the Green Mountain Inn in Tannersville which has only 16 bathrooms with 28 beds. Vail has rented this through Marh 31st from a Hassidic sect. Old Old rundown inn.

Old old rundown Tannersville inn for employee housing? Do not give Vail any ideas.

 

[catskillman]

Old old rundown Tannersville inn for employee housing? Do not give Vail any ideas.

Honestly, that is where they are staying this year. The past years were not much better. They used to stay in the village at an old old pink house that they could walk to the mountain. Another year they stayed at the old rollar rink in Tannersville, across from the post office.

 

[KustyTheKlown]

Honestly, that is where they are staying this year. The past years were not much better. They used to stay in the village at an old old pink house that they could walk to the mountain. Another year they stayed at the old rollar rink in Tannersville, across from the post office.

i am picturing a bunch of cots in the center of a 1970s roller skating rink like its some post apocalyptic shelter

shoutout to hotskates formerly of lynbrook new york. which i just found out lasted all the way to 2019, which is impressive.

there's a very specific smell of bad square pizza i will always associate with roller skating rinks.

 

[Jersey Skier]

i am picturing a bunch of cots in the center of a 1970s roller skating rink like its some post apocalyptic shelter

shoutout to hotskates formerly of lynbrook new york. which i just found out lasted all the way to 2019, which is impressive.

there's a very specific smell of bad square pizza i will always associate with roller skating rinks.

I used to skate there and at Laces in Herricks.

My most memorable night at Hotskates was when someone broke into my Datsun B210 and stole my Audiovox equalizer after I had carefully installed it where the ashtray used to be.

 

[KustyTheKlown]

maybe the most early 80s sentence ever posted to this website

 

[Jersey Skier]

maybe the most early 80s sentence ever posted to this website

Well they didn't get my Fox Remote radar detector since that was well hidden.