SkiMangoJazz
Member
With less than 36 hours to make snow I'd guess it would just be the typical Ralph's and Challenger and pretty narrow. WROD here I come!
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Early Season Snowmaking 2017
- Thread starter ss20
- Start date
Jully
Active member
Last year they opened with Conifer too IIRC. Don't know if that will be possible this year.
SkiMangoJazz
Member
No I don't think they did, I was there opening day. Doesn't say in my log though so I could remember wrong.
Zand
Well-known member
With temps in the low 10s tonight and 48 straight hrs of snowmaking temps conifer might have a chance. But if it's just Ralph's and Challenger still better than hiking to rime.
Zand
Well-known member
From what I recall conifer opened the next day.
As a former season pass holder (for a decade), Wa used to always open with Conifer, a few years back they switched to opening w Ralph's and Challenger.
It's s pleasant surprise to see them blasting away on Conifer. Could be pretty decent product for Sunday, given the temps.
See you there
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
It's s pleasant surprise to see them blasting away on Conifer. Could be pretty decent product for Sunday, given the temps.
See you there
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
drjeff
Well-known member
That sizable upgrade to their pumping capacity that Wachusett did a year ago looks like it being put to good use!
Jcb890
Active member
This is pretty awesome Wachusett is putting in a solid effort, but let's not get crazy here...
ss20
Well-known member
So Wachusetts opens at elevation 1000' and Killington can't get top-to-bottom by this weekend? 
If I were a K passholder I'd be livid. As it's been stated...the stairs are great when temps are marginal and K is the only game in town, but when there's 48+ hours of mid-winter snowmaking conditions they need to get top-to-bottom no excuses.
If I were a K passholder I'd be livid. As it's been stated...the stairs are great when temps are marginal and K is the only game in town, but when there's 48+ hours of mid-winter snowmaking conditions they need to get top-to-bottom no excuses.
Mohawk Mtn in CT is joining the gun show. http://www.mohawkmtn.com/webcam.html
Jully
Active member
Killington currently has 7 acres and 1 total mile of skiing open. K may be able to double that this weekend, but no more.
Wachusett won't get to double that, but they very well may exceed that if they get Indian Summer, Confier, Ralphs, and Challenger.
Zand
Well-known member
Conifer, Ralph's, Challenger, and Indian summer isn't double rime reason and part of great northern?
Jully
Active member
So Wachusetts opens at elevation 1000' and Killington can't get top-to-bottom by this weekend?
If I were a K passholder I'd be livid. As it's been stated...the stairs are great when temps are marginal and K is the only game in town, but when there's 48+ hours of mid-winter snowmaking conditions they need to get top-to-bottom no excuses.
I saw Mike's explanation and its a good honest response to the questions and critiques. He admits that the World Cup prep is slowing down snowmaking expansion off the ridge, as we could all pretty easily infer from their operations. There's two crews and everything, but only for the ridge and SS.
The trade off that he offers though, is that once the world cup is over, all that extra capacity goes towards very rapid expansion. K might have the least amount of terrain open to the public on Thanksgiving, but by December 20th they'll have the most.
SkiMangoJazz
Member
Yep, that's right, in the afternoon. As I recall it was pretty bad that first day and we stayed on Challenger. Fine with me to get the season started with some easy skiing on decent snow as compared to skiing on steeper icy junk.
As a former season pass holder (for a decade), Wa used to always open with Conifer, a few years back they switched to opening w Ralph's and Challenger.
It's s pleasant surprise to see them blasting away on Conifer. Could be pretty decent product for Sunday, given the temps.
See you there
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Yeah, I liked it when the opened Conny first too. First day though usually was terrible conditions while first days on Challenger have been pretty darn good.
Exactly.
WJenness
Active member
Upper East Fall seems to be the closest to being done from the snow report at K.
So max offering this weekend seems to be GN, Rime, Reason, UEF
So max offering this weekend seems to be GN, Rime, Reason, UEF
Jcb890
Active member
Number of trails, sure. Acreage/miles I would be surprised. If they do, that's great for them though.
I'm not sure to be honest, but I would doubt it is double. I would also imagine by Sunday that Killington will have more terrain open than Wachusett. I don't mean to poo-poo Wachusett and their efforts, I think it is commendable they want to open on Sunday.
SkiMangoJazz
Member
Yeah. Wachusett early season is fun, but very, very limited amount of terrain, and if they do get Conifer open (which I doubt) it really sucks the first day or so.
WJenness
Active member
Loon is blazing right now from the sounds of it:
"They're absolutely cranking snow on 9 trails this morning, including Exodus, Upper Bear Claw, Upper Picked Rock, Bear Claw Extension, Grand Junction, Link, Lower Bear Claw, Seven Brothers, and Lower Picked Rock."
Source: http://loonmtn.com/explore/snow-conditions
Thinking they'll have a good offering next weekend.
That's 2 1/2 routes top-to-bottom over 2000' vertical if it's all there.
Gondola, 7 Brothers, and East Basin Double might all be in play in terms of lifts. (though they will probably just spin the Gondola and EBD as they usually do early season.)
"They're absolutely cranking snow on 9 trails this morning, including Exodus, Upper Bear Claw, Upper Picked Rock, Bear Claw Extension, Grand Junction, Link, Lower Bear Claw, Seven Brothers, and Lower Picked Rock."
Source: http://loonmtn.com/explore/snow-conditions
Thinking they'll have a good offering next weekend.
That's 2 1/2 routes top-to-bottom over 2000' vertical if it's all there.
Gondola, 7 Brothers, and East Basin Double might all be in play in terms of lifts. (though they will probably just spin the Gondola and EBD as they usually do early season.)
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Jcb890
Active member
Hmmmm early season Loon is interesting since we only wound up using 3/5 Loon MAX Passes last year but enjoyed our time there.
WJenness
Active member
Agreed. The only Max Pass resort I Maxed (totally intentional) out last year was Sunday River.
Part of that was being hesitant to use it early season and wanting to save the days for 'better' conditions, which is not the strategy I will take this year.
I only ended up at Loon two days last year. It's an easy drive and I like skiing there, so assuming they are able to be open TTB next weekend, I'll likely use a day there.
Time to make this year's version of my spreadsheet I used to make my decisions last year.
-w
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