First to Open - 2006-07 Predictions

[JimG.]

wasn't Wildcat the 1st this year?

Wildcat was first last season.

I do not believe Hunter has ever been first to open, but my guess is that this coming season they are.

 

[awf170]

wildact got some good press last year so hopefully ikf we get early snow again they will make it a tradition. Only this year I hope the Summit HSQ is ready to go. Although it was fun to skin to the summit and have the trails to myself.

you do understand that the odds of another storm like that in late oct. or early nov. are pretty much slim to none. Maybe there is a change of the upper mountain getting a foot plus of snow, but the odds of the lower mt. getting over a foot are pretty slim, and I doubt wildcat is going to make a bunch of snow to get you to the base. Anyway, I hope it happens again, but I don't think it will. And IMO a big no to the HSQ, the whole mountain would have been trashed by friday afternoon.

So I got a question, did any of you people that went to Wildcat for the first time in Oct. ever get back? I really think getting new skiers to go there was a main reason for their opening. From what I have read it seems like no one made it back. You guys should have got the oppisite Oct. storm, april 5th. The stuff was such cerment that the whole mountain was skiable, everyone was saying it was just like the oct. storm just a little less snow. Also the groomed trails were the best groomed skiing I have ever had in my life.

http://forums.alpinezone.com/8207-wildcat-4-05-06-a.html

wow... just a little off topic.

 

[ctenidae]

I went to Wildcat for the October Surprise, but never made it back. It takes 3.5 hours to get there from boston, and that's a little far for a day trip, unless the snow is great, which it wasn't last year.

 

[Angus]

never went in october but skiied Wildcat twice - coldest weekend in February and then in the middle of March, stopped around 2:30 due to rain! - I actually was impressed by the areas efforts with both grooming and snow-making this year. I like this mountain very much. i still have a day on my 3 day pass card so I'll be there earlier this year. hopefully, we have a snowy december.

 

[awf170]

I went to Wildcat for the October Surprise, but never made it back. It takes 3.5 hours to get there from boston, and that's a little far for a day trip, unless the snow is great, which it wasn't last year.

3.5 hours from Boston, you must drive like an old lady...

It takes about 2:40 from Lynn. Boston is 20 minutes more max.

 

[ctenidae]

3, 3.5, depends on traffic. Sometimes it takes half an hour just to get out of Boston.

 

[shwilly]

i still have a day on my 3 day pass card so I'll be there earlier this year.

Unfortunately, I think those passes are only good for one season, unless you have something different from the standard Wild Card. Their website currently says "Available only while supplies last, and expire at close of 2006/07 season." We had days left on our Wild Cards at the end of last season, but I'm afraid we're out of luck.

I don't know which resort will open first, but if I don't stop reading this board, some idiot is going to be out on Nunziato Field practicing 180s by the end of July! At least it will give the dogs and kickball players something to laugh about.

 

[Big Game]

THEY WERE open those days.....

Granted that it was only for the record snowfall, but I think we must remember that they DID open thanks to demand.

Dude, don't think so. On Wednesday the 26th I saw pics on K-Zone from Storm Chaser who earned some turns. With that I decided to drove up to K on the 27th, sure with all the snow the lifts would be turning. They were not. So I had to do some hiking. Killington opened later on Friday for the weekend, I believe.

K is not interested in opening first. And I don't think it matters to them. Consider how many people think they opened first last year, when they clearly did not.

I could see Okemo trying to sneak in a early open with mandatory download. Or, S-bush seems to be getting a tad more aggressive. Could this be the year they go for it?

Or I could see a early season storm only hit certain mountains, and not others. So with that, I'll take a wild guess and say Sugarloaf.

 

[MikeTrainor]

Unfortunately, I think those passes are only good for one season, unless you have something different from the standard Wild Card. Their website currently says "Available only while supplies last, and expire at close of 2006/07 season." We had days left on our Wild Cards at the end of last season, but I'm afraid we're out of luck.

I don't know which resort will open first, but if I don't stop reading this board, some idiot is going to be out on Nunziato Field practicing 180s by the end of July! At least it will give the dogs and kickball players something to laugh about.

The 2005/2006 Wildcard expires Dec 31, 2006. So you should be good early next season.

 

[riverc0il]

wildact got some good press last year so hopefully ikf we get early snow again they will make it a tradition. Only this year I hope the Summit HSQ is ready to go. Although it was fun to skin to the summit and have the trails to myself.

yea, like austin said, the chances of wildcat getting another three foot plus storm in october is pretty slim. as i recall, the quad wasn't ready to go because of staffing and testing issues because they had not budgeted or scheduled that open, they barely scrambled enough staff to get er' going for one weekend. and they immediately shut down after that weekend though they did groom down the upper mountain even though it wasn't open in hopes of keeping snow around, they obviously were not playing for the first to open "for real" competition. well, i don't think we can really call it much of a competition any more. it has actually gotten quite old everyone trying to one up kmart but no one doing it with any style. we can all give kmart crap until the cows come home (and i will be leading the spewing forth of crap, i might add), but you gotta hand it to kmart, they deliver top to bottom with a lot of acres and some decent early season terrain when they do open. it isn't a 100 verts in RI with barely any snow or a beginner flat trail at BW, it is the real deal. so regardless of who turns the lifts first, kmart always "opens" first in my opinion. everyone is just spinning their lifts for show and lodging bookings..

 

[ga2ski]

I was at Wildcat on opening but never made it back. I would have but given this winter's below average snowfall I never did. I did miss the april storm due to work.

Hopefully some day soon, I can ski with some of you WC regulars and learn some of the goods.

 

[thetrailboss]

Dude, don't think so. On Wednesday the 26th I saw pics on K-Zone from Storm Chaser who earned some turns. With that I decided to drove up to K on the 27th, sure with all the snow the lifts would be turning. They were not. So I had to do some hiking. Killington opened later on Friday for the weekend, I believe.

NONE of the ski areas opened on that date in New England so this seems to be a moot point. Sorry to hear you hiked, but you could have called ahead to see what they were doing. They opened on the weekend and that was my point. That was when the demand could be met and both sides could profit.

 

[win]

Plan for The Bush is weekend before Thanksgiving at Mount Ellen. We'll start to make snow as soon after 11/1 if Mother Nature allows. We'll also shoot to keep ME open through the end of April just like last season when we had 153 days of skiing and riding and the last two were some on the best on FIS.

 

[eatskisleep]

Mmm Wildcat... Too bad the snow was so bad this year I couldn't expand my horizon's of exploring.

 

[NYDrew]

hunter was #1 this year. I was there. (of course a few others opened with it)

 

[Big Game]

NONE of the ski areas opened on that date in New England so this seems to be a moot point.

1. Isn't this what you earlier?

THEY WERE open those days [the 26th and 27th].....
Granted that it was only for the record snowfall, but I think we must remember that they DID open thanks to demand.

Sorry to hear you hiked,

2. Hiking isn't so bad, lack of snow is.

but you could have called ahead to see what they were doing.

3. I had to go Thursday, becuase I couldn't go Friday, Saturday and Sunday.I had ot leave my house at 5:30, well before the lines opened at K. And from my experience, you only find out they are open until it is too late to make it.

They opened on the weekend and that was my point.

4. Was't your point was that they were opened on the 26ht and 27th? Those dates were not the weekend (see #1 above)

That was when the demand could be met and both sides could profit.

5. Yes, most hill turn a profit, but myself, I have yet to profit from any day at the slopes. Unless of course, you mean a type "spiritual profit." In that case, you are 100% correct.

Sorry for being such a focking prick, T-boss. Just a little testy, you know. Sleepless night, trying to dream about snow, forgeting what it feels like, waking up with a sweaty back from too much humidity. I don't mean nothing by it.

Anyway, to turn away form my well-documented pettiness and back on to topic, Based on win's post, I am changing my bet to S-bush.

 

[riverc0il]

Anyway, to turn away form my well-documented pettiness and back on to topic, Based on win's post, I am changing my bet to S-bush.

making snow as soon as possible starting 11/1 is a far cry from opening as soon as possible starting 11/1. i don't recall bush ever making a serious push to open first since ASC sold it, but it would be interesting to see bush step it up a few days sooner.

 

[salida]

August 4th, Portillo. But I'll probably count that as an 05/06 days....

First day of 05/06 will either be the Mt. Wash Auto road in September, or Cannon sometime in late october/early november. Whenever the snow flys.

Two years ago, Cannon 11/6/04

Last year(this year) 10/28/05 Cannon Night assault:

From a previous thread at http://forums.alpinezone.com/9035-first-time-out-06-07-season-2.html

Climatalogically speaking the white mountain ski area summits get 1-2ft of snow in the last week of october or first week in november almost every year... as show by the last two years pictures and data... If you are so inclined you can get fresh snow turns all by yourself for a little under 2 hours of exertition to get you to the top of one of these mountains. Not ot mention this is way more fun than skiing on ice with a 1000 other people...

Or you could do that, whatever floats your boat.

-Porter

PS Mont Saint Saveur will be the first to open (just north of Montreal for those who don't know) owned by the same company that owns Jay. Opening Nov. 4th at noonish...

 

[Greg]

Bump

 

[ga2ski]

Bump

Oh these must be the bumps you plan to improve at this season.