It was 91 if I recall correctly.
-
Welcome to AlpineZone, the largest online community of skiers and snowboarders in the Northeast!
You may have to REGISTER before you can post. Registering is FREE, gets rid of the majority of advertisements, and lets you participate in giveaways and other AlpineZone events!
Cannon Mountain...thoughts
- Thread starter hrstrat57
- Start date
It was 91 if I recall correctly.
MadPadraic
Active member
they should do it again.
Northernflight
Member
It would be cool to see them do it then. I don't have much experience with early season skiing other than Waterville and they have a large flat area for their summit double....although the terrain up there is a little lacking compared to what Cannon could do.
So in all seriousness and putting aside the pro and con lease and do and don't Mittersille expansion, what are everyone thoughts and experiences about Mittersille now that it is integrated into Cannons trail system? I experienced it for the first time last year, ended up hiking over about 3 days before the lift opened and then played around on the new double over spring break. I thought it was a cool area with a lot to explore and discover. The only negative about the place is it really wasn't that steep. Keeping it natural and ungroomed made it interesting in a way I don't think it could being groomed out everyday. I hope they keep it more natural. I agree it was lost in the backcountry sense...because no matter what Cannons says it is not backcountry anymore, but I feel like it has added positively to the area in regards to overall experience. It makes Cannon seem that much bigger and I think it has achieved what they were originally shooting for and in my eyes succeed in that sense.
threecy
New member
Cannon is requesting $4M in taxpayer funds over the next three budgets to put in snowmaking and a new base area in Mittersill. Rather than being the alleged backcountry (groomed and lift served) area it is today, it will be an under-served (1 double chairlift) intermediate mini-Cranmore.
riverc0il
New member
The Mittersill skiing experience is significantly worse than it used to be due to the increased traffic. Before the lift, 5 or 6 Mittersill runs was a very big day. Now you can do that many runs in two hours. Baron's used to be the only trail that bumped up and even that only mildly and later in the season. Now Mittersill is top to bottom bumps on most trails. Rocks are uncovered quicker due to higher traffic, etc. Whereas before most skiers stayed right, now they go everywhere. Trees that used to preserve snow days after a storm are played out in a few hours. Nothing has really changed over there except the lift and the lift line. But that did change everything. It is still a fun pod.
Ludicrous and laughable. Mittersill may not have pitch but to suggest Mittersill could potentially be a mini-Cranmore is just a stupid statement. You normally argue well threecy but that statement is just ignorant. Even if they make snow and groom the main routes (of which I am in favor of), that would still leave more than half the mountain natural and more trees than Cranmore could shake a stick at, besides not being an over crowded family oriented operation with a high speed lift. You argue that Mittersill is under utilized (it is) but grooming the main three routes with snow making would increase traffic substantially.
threecy
New member
Unless something changes, I think you may see some stuff in the near future that may alter your view on this.
In regard to the Cranmore comparison, the Mittersill chair is about the same vertical as Cranmore's summit chairs. Mittersill's topography is certainly more rolly, however.
Puck it
Well-known member
What are you alluding too? You speak like you know things but never say them. Spill it?
Also, if someone does not like things going on at Cannon. Then do not ski there, it sucks anyways.
witch hobble
Member
- Joined
- Sep 29, 2009
- Messages
- 774
- Points
- 18
Yeah. No need to be coy, Roy. Just hop off the bus, Gus.
As for Mittersill, let me preface by saying I had very little time, effort or emotion invested in the place as it used to be. I think the mountain calling it lift serviced backcountry was silly. I think anybody who used to climb up and then stick to the obvious re-claimed trails, and then talk about it as a "backcountry" experience is silly too.
It would have been ugly if it had not been such a good snow year. The moguls were everywhere. I had a bunch of good runs over there, natural bump bashing in the sunshine. I like slow double chairs. I think that there is a coziness that encourages conversation and reflection that are often lost at places where the focus is on uphill capacity and speed. I like the view off to the left, looking at the peabody lodge and slopes and down into the notch. But I definitely think, as I'm sure almost everybody now feels, there is going to need to be some grooming and snowmaking going on over there to make it viable.
Threecy, I guess I'm a different kind of "Taxpayer for Cannon".
As for Mittersill, let me preface by saying I had very little time, effort or emotion invested in the place as it used to be. I think the mountain calling it lift serviced backcountry was silly. I think anybody who used to climb up and then stick to the obvious re-claimed trails, and then talk about it as a "backcountry" experience is silly too.
It would have been ugly if it had not been such a good snow year. The moguls were everywhere. I had a bunch of good runs over there, natural bump bashing in the sunshine. I like slow double chairs. I think that there is a coziness that encourages conversation and reflection that are often lost at places where the focus is on uphill capacity and speed. I like the view off to the left, looking at the peabody lodge and slopes and down into the notch. But I definitely think, as I'm sure almost everybody now feels, there is going to need to be some grooming and snowmaking going on over there to make it viable.
Threecy, I guess I'm a different kind of "Taxpayer for Cannon".
Last edited:
Cannonball
New member
That's pretty far-fetched. What makes Cranmore, "Cranmore" is 1) its location in a major tourist town with other attractions, 2) tubing and other family activities, 3) night skiing, 4) a huge family-focused approach, 5) massive grooming and trail maintenance.
The only way Mittersill is going to turn into a mini-Cranmore is if something completely bizarre happens.....like leasing to a private operator. Even then it would have to be a private operator with the intention of investing huge money to create all of those aspects listed above. And given the restrictions on the land, it couldn't happen anyway.
Agreed that Cranmore is a bad comparison. Even if they added 100% snowmaking and grooming it would be a bad comparison. With such changes a better comparison would be Sterling Mountain at Smugglers Notch.
jack97
New member
- Joined
- Mar 4, 2006
- Messages
- 2,513
- Points
- 0
Since mid 2000, local businesses have constantly argued that the area does not maximize its potential. Whether its kept as a public or a leased, they only way to get the visit count high is to develop Mittersil for consistent intermediate trails. This blows from my point of view but keeping the ski area public still makes this place a high value option as compare to Bretton Woods and Loon.
Agree with Jack completely. That's the #1 reason why I am anti-lease. Cannon would just become a steeper Sunapee. B-O-R-I-N-G and expensive. Mind you, I do love the seeded bumps at Sunapee. But, it's truly the only redeeming quality of the area.
MadPadraic
Active member
What about the view? Especially early season before the lake is frozen.
Puck it
Well-known member
And very conservative in opening terrain at Sunapee. This one thing that a lease would do.
jack97
New member
- Joined
- Mar 4, 2006
- Messages
- 2,513
- Points
- 0
that is a great view.... even in mid winter blue sky conditions.
I think DHS's B.O.R.I.N.G was talking about the over grooming at sunapee. I have to admit, except for the seeded bumps and the glades near the seeded bumps, I don't know my way around the mountain.... the rest looks the same to me.
It is a good mountain for what they have now. They don't have the pitch or the consistent snow depth to really do anything else. The one season I was a passholder there I was happy, but the next season I went elsewhere because it just got boring doing the same thing over and over again and also having to get there early to beat the crowds. It is run well.
As to Cannon becoming a steeper Sunapee, I don't know. They get more snow than Sunapee, but not as much as Vermont. I haven't skied there since JD took over, but from what I see and hear they groom and blow more snow now. Cannon has great terrain that Sunapee doesn't...but for the upper intermediate and expert crowd. Cannon's beginner area is nicer IMHO as well. But Sunapee has more of the blue cruisers...as in the easy, groomed flat, wide, predictable interstate highway runs.
threecy
New member
Again, the vertical and steepness of Mittersill is comparable to Cranmore. If snowmaking is installed and grooming continues, the main trails at Mittersill will be glorified intermediate trails, underserved by a double chairlift.
The last time Cannon had average snowfall was prior to the new management taking over (the last 4 years have been significantly above average snowfall-wise per their metrics).
No significant sum has been invested in the snowmaking system (it is being requested from taxpayers in the next half decade). If 2011-2012 ends up being bad weatherwise, I suspect conditions will be similar to what was experienced in the last set of average winters.
Threecy,
You've got several Cannon regulars here stating Mittersill would be nothing like Cranmore, even with expanded snowmaking and grooming.
Spare us the hyperbole.
Outside of their comparable vertical, the two areas are NOTHING alike.
This is almost as bad as your comparison of old Crotched Mountain to Sunday River.
Cannonball
New member
This thread has turned into a complete farce. Can we all agree to just end it?
