Bretton Woods slow start?

[Former Sunday Rivah Rat]

Does anyone have any info as to why Bretton Woods is off to a slow start this season? They have made snow slowly but poorly. They are trailing all the major ski areas in NH so far:

New Hampshire Snow Report | OnTheSnow

See latest New Hampshire ski conditions, updated daily with snowfall totals, snow depths, open lifts & terrain for all ski resorts in New Hampshire.

www.onthesnow.com

I heard they lost some snowmakers abruptly recently. Have they been replaced? Is it going to get better? This year has sucked.

 

[thetrailboss]

Does anyone have any info as to why Bretton Woods is off to a slow start this season? They have made snow slowly but poorly. They are trailing all the major ski areas in NH so far:

New Hampshire Snow Report | OnTheSnow

See latest New Hampshire ski conditions, updated daily with snowfall totals, snow depths, open lifts & terrain for all ski resorts in New Hampshire.

www.onthesnow.com

I heard they lost some snowmakers abruptly recently. Have the been replaced? Is it going to get better? This year has sucked.

Good question. We were wondering the same thing.

 

[eatskisleep]

I heard the snow was good but quantity lacking. Still better than Wildcat or Attitash though…

 

[thetrailboss]

I heard the snow was good but quantity lacking. Still better than Wildcat or Attitash though…

We considered skiing there but the price and lack of terrain has deterred us.

 

[Former Sunday Rivah Rat]

If this keeps up I will be going to Cannon a lot more. I might even try Waterville.

 

[Smellytele]

If this keeps up I will be going to Cannon a lot more. I might even try Waterville.

Dookie1 says cannon is the worst place on earth and no one should go there!

 

[Mainer]

The 2 storms recently have really put a hurting to the mwv resorts. I lost power for 9 out of 12 days between both storms and I live between cranmore and Shawnee. I’ve never lost power for nearly as long. The golf course at the mount Washington hotel was stripped of snow with the wind when I drove by. Besides the stretch of cold weather in November it’s been pretty warm too. Workers are hard to find. It’s been hard for ski areas around here this year.

 

[thebigo]

Quick check bretton woods is claiming 113 acres open, Waterville 123 acres open, Cannon 98 acres open. Meanwhile loon lists 261 acres open for skiing.

 

[machski]

Quick check bretton woods is claiming 113 acres open, Waterville 123 acres open, Cannon 98 acres open. Meanwhile loon lists 261 acres open for skiing.

Well, that puts Boyne's investments in stark contrast. Loon has so much terrain covered by Semi or Fully Automated guns now, they can make a ton still even if they are short of a full staff in Snowmaking. Not to mention, the system can flat out crank now

 

[abc]

Quick check bretton woods is claiming 113 acres open, Waterville 123 acres open, Cannon 98 acres open. Meanwhile loon lists 261 acres open for skiing.

Interesting, since when eastern mountains use acreage as a measure of open terrain?

 

[Edd]

Interesting, since when eastern mountains use acreage as a measure of open terrain?

They’ve done that for many years.

 

[Edd]

BW usually seems to have good intentions for opening terrain, once or twice in the running for first to open, but I’ve always felt they expand slowly.

 

[skef]

Well, that puts Boyne's investments in stark contrast. Loon has so much terrain covered by Semi or Fully Automated guns now, they can make a ton still even if they are short of a full staff in Snowmaking. Not to mention, the system can flat out crank now

Loon snowmaking is off the hook. Skied there Wednesday while they were full-on blasting Ripsaw, Cruiser, Escape Route (at the time all yet to open), plus Twitcher and Jobber (open, soft, playful). They’re banking that stuff, and I think it will pay off for them.

 

[Newpylong]

Like Stratton, they are a quiet snowmaking powerhouse. That system will knock the socks off of the majority of New England hills.

 

[doublediamond]

BW is aggressive early … yes. BW is also slow to expand … yes. They spent money in the 00s building up a nice low-E fleet. That put them ahead of the comp for a while. I just don’t think their pumping capacity is enough. There are major trails that take them week+ to open in prime conditions.

 

[badinfluence]

I have a condo in north woodstock and the coverage at loon is amazing. we drove by it this am to check out the resort and there was barely any bare spots on the open terrain.

We ski cannon but have been very disappointed this year with the lack of snow making and open terrain.

 

[Former Sunday Rivah Rat]

Well, that puts Boyne's investments in stark contrast. Loon has so much terrain covered by Semi or Fully Automated guns now, they can make a ton still even if they are short of a full staff in Snowmaking. Not to mention, the system can flat out crank now

They should have hired you as a consultant before they pissed away a ton on money on a massive restaraunt at the top of the mountain and a new gondola.
In the NE the motto should be: make the snow and they will come. That and location are why loon must dominate in NH skier visits. Anyone know where can you get that data?

 

[thetrailboss]

We considered skiing at Bretton Woods, but they had next to nothing open and were charging over $100 midweek this week. We made the relatively easy 3-hour drive from my family home in the NEK of Vermont to Sugarloaf. I'm skiing the next two days for half-price thanks to my Alta/Bird Pass benefit (1/2 off at other Mountain Collective Resorts). They have 200+ acres open right now, 50 trails or so, snow on the ground, and I am skiing TWO days for less than the price of one at BW.

Will I be taking selfies on the top of Burnt Mountain or hitting the snowfields? No. But I will be enjoying what is open for what it is and having a nice, relaxing visit to my wife's old home mountain. She is beaming from ear to ear.

 

[bigbob]

We considered skiing at Bretton Woods, but they had next to nothing open and were charging over $100 midweek this week. We made the relatively easy 3-hour drive from my family home in the NEK of Vermont to Sugarloaf. I'm skiing the next two days for half-price thanks to my Alta/Bird Pass benefit (1/2 off at other Mountain Collective Resorts). They have 200+ acres open right now, 50 trails or so, snow on the ground, and I am skiing TWO days for less than the price of one at BW.

Will I be taking selfies on the top of Burnt Mountain or hitting the snowfields? No. But I will be enjoying what is open for what it is and having a nice, relaxing visit to my wife's old home mountain. She is beaming from ear to ear.

Happy wife, happy life!

 

[deadheadskier]

Quick check bretton woods is claiming 113 acres open, Waterville 123 acres open, Cannon 98 acres open. Meanwhile loon lists 261 acres open for skiing.

Even Gunstock had 129 acres open over the weekend.

For a mid sized, county run area that is low in elevation and pretty far south, they crank out the snow at an impressive rate. My only complaint is they don't open until the second weekend of December. But once they get going, they seem to expand at every chance they can get. I also felt they committed to resurfacing at an impressive rate last season. Hopefully that repeats itself when needed this year.