Early Season Snowmaking 2017

[Bostonian]

My hunch is that you'll see a few different, additional opening day options at Mount Snow over the typical day 1 offering. With practically twice the water per minute available as before, that's a bunch water available to feed additional fan guns, even after the additional water, and air to feed the guns on the Northface are factored into the equation.

It's obvious per the summit webcam that Freefall is part of the opening day plans. The post on their website about the opening day also said a "top to bottom" park at Carinthia, which to me may mean Nitro instead of and/or in addition to Gulch. I also wonder if say Ridge or Snowdance may be in the mix as well?

Peak Admins at past passholders meetings described the upgraded system as basically "think of basically twice the terrain available on opening day as in the past." And with the quite favorable temps showing up shortly, I am quite curious to see what the new system can do!!

While I can't make opening day on Saturday due to family commitments in CT, I am looking forward to experiencing things on Sunday firsthand!

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I'll be sure to sample the good for you on Saturday then

 

[ss20]

Okemo opening Saturday...making snow on Nor'easter, World Cup, and Sapphire.

 

[cdskier]

Mad River Glen has their guns blazing!

 

[Smellytele]

Mad River Glen has their guns blazing!

Don't you mean gun?

 

[cdskier]

Don't you mean gun?

They had 2 going in the video they posted on Facebook!

 

[ss20]

Looks like K has no intention of pushing for top-to-bottom by Sunday...

Unless Okemo is hiding something up their sleeve, Mount Snow looks like the clear winner for most terrain this weekend. Realistically 4.5 ways down. Sounds like they're going to hit River Run, Deer Run, and Little John with their new water source rather than opt for something like Ridge. Kinda a waste given they're all connector trails, in my opinion.

Freefall is a big plus as well...hoping they don't groom it. I hit it a few days after it opened last year over Thanksgiving and it kicked-ass ungroomed with massive whales.

 

[drjeff]

Looks like K has no intention of pushing for top-to-bottom by Sunday... [emoji107]

Unless Okemo is hiding something up their sleeve, Mount Snow looks like the clear winner for most terrain this weekend. Realistically 4.5 ways down. Sounds like they're going to hit River Run, Deer Run, and Little John with their new water source rather than opt for something like Ridge. Kinda a waste given they're all connector trails, in my opinion.

Freefall is a big plus as well...hoping they don't groom it. I hit it a few days after it opened last year over Thanksgiving and it kicked-ass ungroomed with massive whales.

On their passholders sites, their communications director was quite vague as to if what they're currently working on at Mount Snow will be their only options this weekend.....

I'll be curious to hear visual reports from my friends up at Mount Snow Friday afternoon about what trails have guns running on them, as the forecasted temps from Friday afternoon through mid day Saturday, plus about 12000 gallons a minute of pumping capacity could yield some surprises.... Or at least some likely "bulletproof" base depths for a few weeks....

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[Jully]

Looks like K has no intention of pushing for top-to-bottom by Sunday...

Unless Okemo is hiding something up their sleeve, Mount Snow looks like the clear winner for most terrain this weekend. Realistically 4.5 ways down. Sounds like they're going to hit River Run, Deer Run, and Little John with their new water source rather than opt for something like Ridge. Kinda a waste given they're all connector trails, in my opinion.

Freefall is a big plus as well...hoping they don't groom it. I hit it a few days after it opened last year over Thanksgiving and it kicked-ass ungroomed with massive whales.

Sunday River won't be half bad either. Be interested as to what they light up when the temperatures drop. I'm surprised Loon isn't in this game too.

Now the real question is, what will the crowds look like at Snow. Will people realize they are the winner and it'll be mobbed? Or will it be the usual crowd with 2x the terrain?

 

[moresnow]

Dam, wish I had time to go to Mt. Snow this weekend. Its free with my PeakPass...

But if you payed for the pass, is it really free?

 

[drjeff]

But if you payed for the pass, is it really free?

You mean in the same sense of how *if* everything I need to do on Saturday, *and* my kids are actually moving at a reasonable speed, I might be able to get 1 run in , at about 3:59.47, on Saturday, to make it a 'free' day on our Peak Explorer pass.....

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[Jcb890]

Now the real question is, what will the crowds look like at Snow. Will people realize they are the winner and it'll be mobbed? Or will it be the usual crowd with 2x the terrain?

I've never gone opening weekend before, will it be really crowded? I was thinking most people aren't ready for the season to start yet, kind of like in Spring how people are done with the season when others aren't.

 

[machski]

Sunday River won't be half bad either. Be interested as to what they light up when the temperatures drop. I'm surprised Loon isn't in this game too.

Now the real question is, what will the crowds look like at Snow. Will people realize they are the winner and it'll be mobbed? Or will it be the usual crowd with 2x the terrain?

Loon may be in the game, they started Snowmaking Tuesday night. SR could be good, they have gone TTB with snow making on Punch)Lower Punch and Right Stuff. But it's just a start below midstation. Last night it may have been colder lower so there may be more production down low. It was 23 at Skyeship base this morning and 32 at K1 over Killington way.

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[drjeff]

I've never gone opening weekend before, will it be really crowded? I was thinking most people aren't ready for the season to start yet, kind of like in Spring how people are done with the season when others aren't.

Historically, there's a rush at first chair, and more so because of limited acres, not limited chair capacity, it feels a bit crowded through lunchtime, and then late morning the "few and done" crowd start leaving, plus the folks who's day 1 ski legs wear out start leaving, and it mellows out in the afternoon.

Having a run on the Northface open will likely help decrease the crowding sensation that typically the Cascade/Canyon opening day route off the summit gets

 

[ss20]

I've never gone opening weekend before, will it be really crowded? I was thinking most people aren't ready for the season to start yet, kind of like in Spring how people are done with the season when others aren't.

Killington is known to be mobbed its first weekend with just the North Ridge Triple running. Mount Snow is probably going to have more people but three lifts running. Trails are going to be crowded wherever you go but it's an advanced crowd with people making predictable movements, looking back before cutting across the trail, and giving each other plenty of space.

However this season is unique in that so many places will be open there's a lot of room for the niche pre-Thanksgiving crowd to ski.

 

[machski]

Looks like K has no intention of pushing for top-to-bottom by Sunday... [emoji107]

Unless Okemo is hiding something up their sleeve, Mount Snow looks like the clear winner for most terrain this weekend. Realistically 4.5 ways down. Sounds like they're going to hit River Run, Deer Run, and Little John with their new water source rather than opt for something like Ridge. Kinda a waste given they're all connector trails, in my opinion.

Freefall is a big plus as well...hoping they don't groom it. I hit it a few days after it opened last year over Thanksgiving and it kicked-ass ungroomed with massive whales.

Agree. A bit of snow on Mouse Trap on Snowdon but that is it there for TTB. Thought they might have started on lower East Fall to add Canyon Quad at least but nope. Haven't really even started Great Northern loop off the top of K1 to North Ridge yet. Make of it what you wish but K isn't adjusting it's early season plans one bit this year.

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[ss20]

Loon may be in the game, they started Snowmaking Tuesday night. SR could be good, they have gone TTB with snow making on Punch)Lower Punch and Right Stuff. But it's just a start below midstation. Last night it may have been colder lower so there may be more production down low. It was 23 at Skyeship base this morning and 32 at K1 over Killington way.

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Serious inversion at Mount Snow too, looking at the webcams. I think everyone will lose temps today afternoon-midnight tonight or so.

 

[Jully]

Agree. A bit of snow on Mouse Trap on Snowdon but that is it there for TTB. Thought they might have started on lower East Fall to add Canyon Quad at least but nope. Haven't really even started Great Northern loop off the top of K1 to North Ridge yet. Make of it what you wish but K isn't adjusting it's early season plans one bit this year.

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I wonder if we will actually see them lose some day ticket customers early season this year with so many other mountains open. Would be nice for those that go there, but a major hit in their lift ticket sales potentially.

 

[mriceyman]

I wonder if we will actually see them lose some day ticket customers early season this year with so many other mountains open. Would be nice for those that go there, but a major hit in their lift ticket sales potentially.

The hit to their ticket sales happened by opening 3 weeks later.. obviously not their fault but without october openings they lose that early season exclusivity


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[Jcb890]

Historically, there's a rush at first chair, and more so because of limited acres, not limited chair capacity, it feels a bit crowded through lunchtime, and then late morning the "few and done" crowd start leaving, plus the folks who's day 1 ski legs wear out start leaving, and it mellows out in the afternoon.

Having a run on the Northface open will likely help decrease the crowding sensation that typically the Cascade/Canyon opening day route off the summit gets

What about on Sunday? Crowds are usually less on Sundays anyways and it is still football season.
We'd probably be part of the "few and done" crowd, but not sure yet.
Would you compare it to a normal mid-season Saturday/Sunday crowd or moreso with it being opening weekend?

Thanks for the info!

 

[ss20]

What about on Sunday? Crowds are usually less on Sundays anyways and it is still football season.
We'd probably be part of the "few and done" crowd, but not sure yet.
Would you compare it to a normal mid-season Saturday/Sunday crowd or moreso with it being opening weekend?

Thanks for the info!

Just go, man...