Greek Peak Opening Day 2016-2017

[doublediamond]

Regarding the highspeed lift, i hear they don't have room at the top for all the offloading. Is this true.

Where? Top of 1/1A or 4? They've said both were getting a HSQ at one time or another.

1/1A has plenty of unloading room and downhill capacity. Heck, 1/1A could have been replaced with a HS6.

4 was "planned" to be replaced with a base-to-top HSQ that went further up to the summit of Virgil Mtn. The proposed lift and trails was even on maps. It would feed the current trails off 4 and 2 additional trails towards the bottom of 5. This was one gigantic joke. They would have put in a summit lodge. The 3 routes to the top of current trails would be only about 5% downhill (read: massive skating/poling/hoofing for boarders). They would have to run 5 daily (won't, too pennywise). And it was to be base-to-top and with the powerlines, it'd need to start in the middle of the bunny slope about where 3 loads today. AND to top it off, they'd need to either close Lower Zeus, sending all HSQ traffic funneling down Poseidon through the bunny slope unless they built a new trail from the base of current 4 through their boneyard to the base of the proposed HSQ.

I think the idea was to increase skier traffic using 4. Trojan is my favorite. But no one will ski Trojan with the runout. And you can't attract experts with the fact that Zeus hasn't seen snowmaking in 5 or so years, and Hercules gets it in all but the worst winters (but is the last to get hit and not until late Jan). And even when Zeus did get snowmaking, they wouldn't do it on lower Zeus. Marathon is a skate/pole fest and upper Mars Hill is flatter than a pancake. So no beginners.

So basically, excluding sufficient natural to open things, they run 4 for the purpose of serving Trojan for 2 months (if that) and Trojan and Hercules (Hercules only open days only) for 2 more months (if that), and access to 5 when it runs.

4 is also a dump and falling apart. One of the towers shakes at the breakover above the headwall every time a chair passes it, and the footrests break off if you look at them funny. And on startup the jerk is so bad it practically throws you off. Probably the worst Hall ever built.

They should bring back Electra under the power lines to provide an additional intermediate route down. And they should cut a better beginner route down. Leave Mars Hill where it flattens and where the trees change from deciduous to pine (about 1/3 of the way from the power line to the bend) and cut a new route towards upper Poseidon. Hercules, Electra, and the new green should all get lights and their own pipes too.

 

[kbird]

Regarding the highspeed lift, i hear they don't have room at the top for all the offloading. Is this true.

I think there's plenty room on top of Alcamene/Fields. If there was some sort of issue, the cause of it would be the oblivious people who don't use common sense and stop to congregate around the offloading area LOL Ask Corn, I bet he'll tell you the same.

Sorry had to correct myself, I said Illiad when it's Alcamene/Fields.

 

[kbird]

Nothing like being in a line watching chairs go up half full... When are the going to learn how to get 4 people in a chair?
When

They've always been laxed about chair occupancy unless the lift lines are long and people are complaining. I can't even calculate how many times I've been sent up single when they could've ganged a person or two with me.

I think Saturday just wasn't too busy to care about it. Reports were threatening freezing rain, I could see a lot of folks being iffy about the travel and didn't make the trip.

 

[kbird]

...It rained the entire time I was on the hill…

Wow, you're hardcore man! Despite the rain, it sounds like you had fun.

Are hitting Greek or Snow Ridge on Christmas Eve Day? Even though it's always super packed @ Greek, I usually go to contribute to the Chow Drive. Weather says 50% chance of rain in the afternoon so I think I'll probably make the trip. I don't normally ski in the rain, I just end up getting sick lol.

 

[Cornhead]

Greek's ski free day is Friday, the 23rd. It is usually Xmas eve. I will only go to Snow Ridge if it snows.

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[kbird]

Greek's ski free day is Friday, the 23rd. It is usually Xmas eve. I will only go to Snow Ridge if it snows.

That's odd, they changed it? News to me, thanks for the heads up! As it stands Friday is supposed to beautiful, can't wait! If you see these skis, that will be me!

 

[Cornhead]

Nope, I'll be working, have fun!

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[doublediamond]

I think there's plenty room on top of Illiad. If there was some sort of issue, the cause of it would be the oblivious people who don't use common sense and stop to congregate around the offloading area LOL Ask Corn, I bet he'll tell you the same.

A HSQ has the same theoretical capacity as a FGQ.

There's also no need for the chair to end where it currently does. The unload could be 50 or so feet downhill giving more room for offloading. But I've been to a lot of areas with smaller unloads for higher capacity lifts (Visions is only about 1900 pph).

 

[kbird]

Nope, I'll be working, have fun!

Aww well… you have a bunch of trips under your belt already, I need to catch up haha.

 

[kbird]

A HSQ has the same theoretical capacity as a FGQ.
There's also no need for the chair to end where it currently does. The unload could be 50 or so feet downhill giving more room for offloading. But I've been to a lot of areas with smaller unloads for higher capacity lifts (Visions is only about 1900 pph).

I can't imagine they wanted to redo the offload pad. Did they? I don't recall to be honest, I want to say they left that part alone. You're right though if they wanted to move it down the hill more they could've unless there's some sort of distance restriction. You have to pole quite a ways to get to the fall line of Alcamene/Fields.

Sorry had to correct myself, I said Illiad when it's Alcamene/Fields.

 

[skibum636]

4 is also a dump and falling apart. One of the towers shakes at the breakover above the headwall every time a chair passes it, and the footrests break off if you look at them funny. And on startup the jerk is so bad it practically throws you off. Probably the worst Hall ever built.

With the exception of the quad all of their chairs need a lot of attention.

Why do they run chair 2 so little?

Also why not re-open atlas as a natural bump run?

 

[kbird]

With the exception of the quad all of their chairs need a lot of attention.
Why do they run chair 2 so little?
Also why not re-open atlas as a natural bump run?

Yeah they're a bit old, wish they would at least clean them up a bit - add some fresh paint or something.

Regarding chair 2 my guess is with Epicurus Way spilling out into Castor/Pollux, it's not entirely necessary.

I doubt the lower part of Atlas will ever reopen, chair 2 is way too low at the fall line and there's several areas of water run-off creating creek beds at the bottom. The Atlas story I was told was that someone BITD caught some air on the fall line, hit the lift and sustained a major injury - it's been closed ever since.

 

[doublediamond]

Re 2/Atlas:

Aren't all those issues (the water and the height of the chairs) lower than where Middle Atlas turned off the lift line towards Lower Atlas? How can the chair be too low these days when half or so of the towers have been raised by 5 feet or so? I agree with the statement that Middle Atlas should be brought back. With the cliff on skier's right and the double fall line, it'd make a great natural snow trail.

As stated above, it is my understanding as well that 2 is only used weekends and school group nights because about 95% of the terrain served by it can be accessed by traverses from 1/Visions or 4.

Although originally built in 1963, 2 was heavily reworked in '96 or so. It was shortened and got a brand new drive. At some point it got Borvig chairs. Just a couple of years ago, it got brand new grips as well.

It may not look it, but I would bet 2 is in the 2nd best condition of all the fixed lips. 5 is in pretty decent shape as well.



Re other trails:

They also need to look at their trail ratings. Upper Atlas needs to be reranked to a blue. If you did that as your first black, you'd be in for a rude awakening when trying the others. If Fields is a blue, upper Illiad should be as well. Fields is steeper than Illiad. In fact Illiad used to be a blue and Fields used to be a black.



Re Visions unload:

They ripped out the old unload ramp as they had to put a new footer in. They then rebuilt the unload ramp.

My thoughts about a lower unload point is that IF necessary (which I doubt), the unload for a HSQ or HSS could have been even with the top of the tree line skiers' left of Fields as this would provide about 75-100 feet more space for a higher capacity lift. Any new lift installed (as in even if 1 was ripped out and no matter what side of the base of Illiad it started on) would have ended around where Visions currently ends for beginners' access Karyatis.

 

[kbird]

Went up yesterday 12/23 for trip 1 of the season. Generally speaking it was ok in the morning and conditions got better as it warmed up in the afternoon, pretty typical conditions for the place. The Quad and Chair 3 were busy all day, the quad stopped more times than any other Chair, seemed to defeat the true purpose of it being there in my opinion. I just avoided it altogether since the lines weren't long on others. Chair 2 was not running. The place seemed to be short on staff, but not on visitors. I'm glad I made the trip, I got about a dozen runs in being as busy as it was, I recall in the past skiing far less.

I was happy to see the backside open as I drove by so I headed there first. Alsos was broken in a bit which made it skiable, took a fun 4 laps until the inevitable bare spots materialized then bailed. All pow crusted over since last weeks dump, which made tree skiing limited to Alsos and 1/2 of Asops. I only lapped Asops a couple of times since Chair 2 wasn't running, I thought it skied pretty well.

After that I caught Chair 4 crossing my fingers for Labyrinth. Unfortunately, it hasn't been opened yet and that left it almost completely untouched. I decided to poach it anyway hoping that the crust had softened up, nope. I ended up bailing onto Trojian via the access road and headed back over to Chair 1. I spent the rest of the day on Fields trying to help build up a zipper. It wasn't warm enough for anything substantial to build up, but I still had fun trying. I didn't bother with much else while I was there since Olympian, Odyssey, Hercules and Zeus all were closed. Looking forward to our next big dump for sure!

 

[Cornhead]

Skied from opening till 11 today. No rain, soft snow, uber flat light. Good morning of high speed groomers, even hit skier's right of Fields, ungroomed, soft bumps.

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[skibum636]

The quad stops all the time because of the loading belt and gates. From day one they have had problems with it. It also causes a lot of loading issues catching people off balance. The sad part is they don't need it to run the chair at its current speed. They should get rid of it unless they speed up the lift.

 

[kbird]

Glad to hear you had a good time Corn!

The quad stops all the time because of the loading belt and gates. From day one they have had problems with it. It also causes a lot of loading issues catching people off balance. The sad part is they don't need it to run the chair at its current speed. They should get rid of it unless they speed up the lift.

You're probably correct, doubt they'll get rid of it or speed it up though. I'm glad it's there, it creates a draw and shortens the line on Chair 1

 

[doublediamond]

IDK why everyone has such difficulty with the carpet, it's pretty simple: lean against the gate, gate opens, you slide onto the carpet and chair slowly arrives saving your legs.

 

[Cornhead]

IDK why everyone has such difficulty with the carpet, it's pretty simple: lean against the gate, gate opens, you slide onto the carpet and chair slowly arrives saving your legs.

Yeah, you don't have to be a rocket scientist, or a ski forum owner, to safely load a conveyor lift. Right Nick? You remember Nick, he used to post here occasionally, and keep the site running smoothly, you know, back when you could actually access this site.[emoji12]

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[IamBlackDiamond]

Quite a while back when Ronnie's was permanently closed I had words with a patroller who told me that 'liability insurance was the sole reason for Ronnie's being permanently closed and will never be reopened again'. It was roughly 10 years later that they reversed that decision and decided to modify the trail and reopen it as Aesop's with the mandatory thin and bare spot signs littering the trail heads. Of course myself and countless others were ecstatic to see those beautiful new signs!

Completely false. Ronnies Run has never "permanently closed"