First small ski area 100% open

[hammer]

Just saw that Pats Peak is 100% open (less glades :wink.

Are they the first this season?

 

[wa-loaf]

Sounds like. Wachusett might have been if the minuteman lift wasn't broken. In fact the pic of the day is of the cable splicing.

 

[millerm277]

I thought it was MRG, as I think they had everything open last week.

 

[wa-loaf]

I thought it was MRG, as I think they had everything open last week.

Although they run on a shoe string I don't think of them as small.

 

[bobbutts]

Pat's Peak says:

100% of our trails and slopes are OPEN.....thanks to our powerful snowmaking system and our experienced snowmakers and groomers who have been out straight taking advantage of all the cold air Mother Nature has blessed us with.
With one of the most powerful snowmaking systems in all of New England, our snowmakers have delivered us 100% of our trails and slopes before any other ski area in MA, NH and VT!

I haven't been yet because they aren't yet open nights, but this 100% stuff is a bunch of hot air IMO. Saying 100% with ropes still up is misleading.

 

[AMAC2233]

Pat's Peak says:
100% of our trails and slopes are OPEN.....thanks to our powerful snowmaking system and our experienced snowmakers and groomers who have been out straight taking advantage of all the cold air Mother Nature has blessed us with.
With one of the most powerful snowmaking systems in all of New England, our snowmakers have delivered us 100% of our trails and slopes before any other ski area in MA, NH and VT!

So is there a 100% open area in ME then?

 

[freebie]

drove by there today on the way home from Sunapee, they had them all covered but it didn't look like the coverage was stellar by any means, seemed to be alot of bare and shiny spots, this was from a little distance but not that far

 

[bdjeep]

I was there on Sunday. 19 of 22 trails were open, and the conditions weren't bad. They were blowing snow on Vortex and Twister and grooming Tornado. Just about everything else was open. There were a few bare and icy spots toward the end of the day, but most of the mountain had decent cover.

 

[freebie]

I saw it at the end of the day so not sure how it was in the morning, not bashing by any means either, always good to see the little guys doing well

 

[bobbutts]

So is there a 100% open area in ME then?

Nice pickup
According to SnoCountry Hermon Mt. In Bangor ME is 100%
http://www.snocountry.com/snowclient/displayinfox.php?action=blurb&from=profile&permcode=207005

The official site doesn't have any snow report
http://www.skihermonmountain.com/

 

[bdjeep]

I saw it at the end of the day so not sure how it was in the morning, not bashing by any means either, always good to see the little guys doing well

Didn't think you were bashing, but your observation was right on. The mountain was a little skied out toward the end of the day, but still not bad for the second weekend in December. The morning was much better with fewer skiers on the mountain.

It is nice to see the little guys do well. Skiing the smaller mountains is sometimes a welcome change from the "big mountain" experience.

 

[bobbutts]

Yep.. I'm in on the small guys/Pat's-Crotched love fest too. I only take exception to the use of 100%. I bitched about Crotched doing the same last year. Not liking everything about a place is not bashing. There is a kind of say nothing about stuff that's wrong vibe at AZ after the Killington debacle, just look at all of posts complaining about people complaining.
I come to forums for honesty or at least balance, granted I hardly value the conditions report from someone who didn't even ski at the place, but if you saw bare spots and shiny spots a forum is a good place to say it.

 

[riverc0il]

I haven't been yet because they aren't yet open nights, but this 100% stuff is a bunch of hot air IMO. Saying 100% with ropes still up is misleading.

100% hot air indeed. This is just like the Woodbury issue in the first to open category. How does Pat's get off saying they are 100% open but not including glades when Northern VT areas are nearly 100% open WITH most glades. They can not have it both ways.... 100% only applies when the glades are open. This 100% open not counting glades is lame marketing hype. Thumbs down.

Mad River Glen opened with 100% terrain last week, IIRC, so it is a bogus claim any ways.

 

[hammer]

100% hot air indeed. This is just like the Woodbury issue in the first to open category. How does Pat's get off saying they are 100% open but not including glades when Northern VT areas are nearly 100% open WITH most glades. They can not have it both ways.... 100% only applies when the glades are open. This 100% open not counting glades is lame marketing hype. Thumbs down.

Mad River Glen opened with 100% terrain last week, IIRC, so it is a bogus claim any ways.

All I can say is that I had a reason for the :wink:.

I don't think that Pats Peak has been alone in claiming 100% open even though their glades are not...whatever you want to say about "100% open", getting all of their snowmaking trails open this early in the season is a good accomplishment IMO.

I was there on Sunday...trail conditions were just fine for a Southern NE ski area. Got a little scraped up in the afternoon but there was plenty of edgeable stuff on the sides. I was more concerned about the Peak Triple lift...was running a bit slow during the afternoon and I heard that it was down for a while on Saturday.

 

[bdjeep]

Yeah...I agree...not 100% with the glades roped off. I guess I'd be kinda disappointed if I wanted to ski the glades and found out that 100% was really 92% or whatever.

The triple did appear to be having problems. It kept stopping throughout the day, sometimes for several minutes at a time.