Except for Killington-very weak effort to get open

[granite]

I've been checking the Wildcat website snow report and live web daily. It seems they are not making an all out snowmaking assault to open, you can hardly see any snow making going on. They are very slow to update their web site too.

Over at Cannon, the last to open and the first to close, they announced opening day the Saturday after Thanksgiving. In the past I believe they always opened on Friday after Thanksgiving. To make matters worse, they will then close Mon-Thurs before re-opening. I can't imagine this, what if there's a two foot dump and they are closed?

The Mount Snow web site is bragging about the most powerful snow making system in the East, but don't plan on opening anytime soon. Little to no info at Okemo, Bretton Woods or Loon. In the past, Bretton Woods made an all out effort to open early-not so anymore.

Killington the big winner again open everyday since Sunday. Sunday River in second again opening tomorrow-Friday.

Overall, disappointed that Mount Snow-Okemo-Wildcat opening day is a long way off, since I have an Epic pass this year.

 

[gregnye]

Overall, disappointed that Mount Snow-Okemo-Wildcat opening day is a long way off, since I have an Epic pass this year.

Vail hasn't been known to open their resorts early. In the age of superpasses it really doesn't matter to open early-->people have already spent their money on prepurchasing passes. The additional walk-up tickets profits are likely minimal.

 

[andrec10]

Well, Hunter is making snow on HBK and Belt parkway at the same time. That has not happened since Orville and Izzy were alive. I have to say, Vail must be behind that one!

 

[mbedle]

Get use to it, as I would venture to guess that next year most of the Vail resorts will have hard opening dates around the 3rd weekend in November. Maybe you will get lucky and they will push Mount Snow a little earlier.

 

[icecoast1]

Killington already won the race to open first, it's not like they stand to gain much by rushing to open this weekend. Shouldn't really come as a surprise either, especially given Vail's track record

 

[WWF-VT]

Vail hasn't been known to open their resorts early. In the age of superpasses it really doesn't matter to open early-->people have already spent their money on prepurchasing passes. The additional walk-up tickets profits are likely minimal.

There is no profit with early season walk-up tickets

 

[drjeff]

You've got a good weather window right now for about 48-60 hours.

Sunday it warms up a bit, some "questionable" weather moves in for Monday, then back to the cold all the way as it looks like through next weekend, when a bunch of resorts will open up, and likely with top to bottom products and probably even on a couple of routes.

I agree that I would of loved to use my Epic pass at Mount Snow this weekend. They probably will have plenty of snow down, where they're making snow right no to get open for Sunday. It's a business though, and the reality is that by holding off until next Friday, the opening day product is going to be far superior and far more numerous than something this Sunday would of been.

Their (Mount Snow's) snowmaking system is as good as any there is. However, even the best snowmaking system still needs well over 24 hrs, if not more like 48 hours, to put down enough product to go from basically bare ground to a fully connected trail that is ready for the public, and this weather window we have now arrived maybe 18 hours too late to be able to pull it off for a Saturday opening. Then it just becomes a business decision about opening on a Sunday in early November verses holding off 5 days and getting a Friday opening with more terrain available

 

[dgcarbs]

https://www.newscentermaine.com/article/sports/outdoors/new-england-ski-areas-filling-jobs-with-aggressive-recruiting/97-6898bf8f-cb64-48fa-b1d2-2d8593dca10e

With the labor market for seasonal labor getting tougher for ski areas, as well as ever increasing energy prices, its not really surprising to see ski areas back off from trying to push for the earliest possible opening.

 

[cdskier]

Their (Mount Snow's) snowmaking system is as good as any there is. However, even the best snowmaking system still needs well over 24 hrs, if not more like 48 hours, to put down enough product to go from basically bare ground to a fully connected trail that is ready for the public, and this weather window we have now arrived maybe 18 hours too late to be able to pull it off for a Saturday opening. Then it just becomes a business decision about opening on a Sunday in early November verses holding off 5 days and getting a Friday opening with more terrain available

I think this statement sums it up best. There are a lot of people with unrealistic expectations here. The argument that "well K has been open so why can't others get open yet" is a silly one too. K has an ideal setup to allow them to open a few hundred feet of vertical near the summit where you have the best snowmaking temps.

 

[steve22]

I've been checking the Wildcat website snow report and live web daily. It seems they are not making an all out snowmaking assault to open, you can hardly see any snow making going on. They are very slow to update their web site too.

Over at Cannon, the last to open and the first to close, they announced opening day the Saturday after Thanksgiving. In the past I believe they always opened on Friday after Thanksgiving. To make matters worse, they will then close Mon-Thurs before re-opening. I can't imagine this, what if there's a two foot dump and they are closed?

The Mount Snow web site is bragging about the most powerful snow making system in the East, but don't plan on opening anytime soon. Little to no info at Okemo, Bretton Woods or Loon. In the past, Bretton Woods made an all out effort to open early-not so anymore.

Killington the big winner again open everyday since Sunday. Sunday River in second again opening tomorrow-Friday.

Overall, disappointed that Mount Snow-Okemo-Wildcat opening day is a long way off, since I have an Epic pass this year.

Cannon has announced the Saturday before Thanksgiving...Nov 23rd. Which would seem to be a week early for them. And Bretton has announced Thanksgiving weekend which does seem late. I'm interested to see what thy offer at the Boson Ski Expo next week. They usually have some cheap multipacks but they have a new gondola and lodge to pay for, with no shortage of customers.

 

[granite]

Sorry Cannon, my mistake. Looks like you could be open before some of the others. I usually have a Cannon pass, will miss you most of this winter, but will make it up a few times on your excellent discount days.

 

[ghughes20]

Stratton is blowing, and I have to think pretty much everyone will make snow thru the weekend and start building their base. Stratton's website is still predicting an open on the 23rd. If the cold temps stick around, they should have a strong opening with lots options top to bottom.

If you can't open first, you might as well open strong.

 

[Edd]

Overall, disappointed that Mount Snow-Okemo-Wildcat opening day is a long way off, since I have an Epic pass this year.

I’m no longer interested in early season offerings, barring freak early season pow. But, for those who are, the Ikon kinda kills it with both Kmart and SR on the pass.

 

[deadheadskier]

I've been checking the Wildcat website snow report and live web daily. It seems they are not making an all out snowmaking assault to open, you can hardly see any snow making going on. They are very slow to update their web site too.

Over at Cannon, the last to open and the first to close, they announced opening day the Saturday after Thanksgiving. In the past I believe they always opened on Friday after Thanksgiving. To make matters worse, they will then close Mon-Thurs before re-opening. I can't imagine this, what if there's a two foot dump and they are closed?

The Mount Snow web site is bragging about the most powerful snow making system in the East, but don't plan on opening anytime soon. Little to no info at Okemo, Bretton Woods or Loon. In the past, Bretton Woods made an all out effort to open early-not so anymore.

Killington the big winner again open everyday since Sunday. Sunday River in second again opening tomorrow-Friday.

Overall, disappointed that Mount Snow-Okemo-Wildcat opening day is a long way off, since I have an Epic pass this year.

Long way off? I think it's pretty certain both Cat and Snow will open by next weekend. Not sure on Okemo.

Bretton Woods is blasting right now. They can open that first trail with about 6-8" base. Wouldn't be surprised if they open tomorrow or Sunday.

Sent from my XT1635-01 using AlpineZone mobile app

 

[raisingarizona]

There probably isn’t a whole lot of money there for a bunch of ski areas to be open before Thanksgiving. Killington has a niche there for sure but not a lot of incentive left for everyone else. Hunter I get though, there a lot closer to the tri-state market than Killington.

 

[FBGM]

Er body looking smart in hur. For once.

Companies see no profits. They no open. Super tricky concepts to grasp but we are slowly understanding and getting it. Except for OP

 

[kbroderick]

Air temps are only part of the equation, too. Even if you can make snow at 38 degrees wet bulb (which is what I was told some years ago, researching an eighth-grade science presentation), if the ground is at 45 degrees, that snow isn't staying frozen very long after landing. Most places are (understandably) reluctant to spend a lot of money pushing water up the hill and out of snowguns only to watch it come back down the hill after it melts.

Killington also has an elevation advantage relative to most New England ski areas, and even a thousand feet can make quite a difference at marginal temps. Now that the weather pattern has now changed and I'd expect to see a lot more effort to produce snow.

 

[FBGM]

Air temps are only part of the equation, too. Even if you can make snow at 38 degrees wet bulb (which is what I was told some years ago, researching an eighth-grade science presentation), if the ground is at 45 degrees, that snow isn't staying frozen very long after landing. Most places are (understandably) reluctant to spend a lot of money pushing water up the hill and out of snowguns only to watch it come back down the hill after it melts.

Killington also has an elevation advantage relative to most New England ski areas, and even a thousand feet can make quite a difference at marginal temps. Now that the weather pattern has now changed and I'd expect to see a lot more effort to produce snow.

I heard most mountain operation directors base their decisions of that 8th grade project of yours.

 

[kbroderick]

I heard most mountain operation directors base their decisions of that 8th grade project of yours.

It was a pretty good eighth-grade project.

 

[abc]

This year's Thanksgiving is late. (nearly bought flights for the wrong week! )

So expect most mountains open as "usual", which is a few days later than most years, but just right time for Thanksgiving.