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January 21, 2022 - Windham

slatham

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 17, 2012
Messages
2,400
Points
83
Location
LI/Bromley
Resort or Ski Area
Windham Mountain
Date
Jan 21, 2022
Snow Conditions
  1. Packed Powder
First time skiing Windham (technically skied once years ago, night skiing 2 trails as warm up to the next days very successful Plattekill powder day).

TBH, only skiing Windham because a family medical situation is keeping me home and day tripping, and I have an Ikon pass (mostly for a trip to Taos that will now not happen).

Beautiful blue bird, cold (below zero start) no wind. 2 HSQ and a six pack on a cold Friday meant ski on. Didn’t even ride with anyone (though part of this was my avoidance due to said health issue). RIFD gates and Ikon being “ski on” made a contactless day.

Conditions were good with groomers very sweet and well covered. Monday’s 12” helped a lot, but the recent cold was the real difference maker as I had watched a rapid terrain expansion. All but 3 real trails, and only I would call “core”, are open (and the later is set up and ready). 1 of the doubles, and 1/2 of another, were ungroomed with monster whales. But recent snowmaking made these carvable, styrofoam type snow. Challenging but very doable.

They were blowing cold dust in several places - basically the best that man made can be. Looked like they were working to build depth and go edge to edge on some core trails, and part of terrain park. All were open except one beginner trail. They have a a loop up/down the main 6 pack area with automated HKD Kliks and “vaults” over buried pipes. That was in use. They also have some in the lookers right HSQ pod. They also have a trail in that area with tower pole cats that ran in the am. The beginner trail they were working on was also lined with tower pole cats. Elsewhere was a smattering of snowmaking technology dating back generations. But let there be no mistake, these guys can make snow, and the have been. I would argue they are out doing the “snowmaking capital of the world”.

Windham is a solid mountain but I can see how weekend crowds could cause issues in certain choke spots, especially with a 6 pack. Advertised 1,600’ vertical includes lower magic carpet area, so real vert is the 6 pack which is just under 1,400 (ironically basically same as my “home” mountain, Bromley). Definitely some pitch on West side main peak, though only top 1/3. But that pitch is real, and all 4 stretches were well covered. 2 winch cats mean at least 1/2 that terrain is groomed, and all of it if conditions warrant. Mogul run was Wedel. Steep groomed cruiser was Upper Wolverine.

East peak is nice, 1,000 vert. Some pitch but not the “double black” of west peak. It’s a really nice pod and has more consistent TTB pitch. It also has a nice variety for families, with a green, 2 “high” intermediate and 2 black. The one not open I suspect is left as a mogul run. Cruiser run of the day was “Why not” (favorite trail all in). Wold Cup reminded me of Tick at Magic.

Always fun skiing a new area, something I have not here in the East for a very long time. I would definitely go back, but wold avoid a Saturday unless real cold and /or later in season. An empty weekday with good snow and ski on, 25k in 4 1/2 hours, no brainer.

Edit: I spied several areas of potential tree skiing. More than I expected. Need another 12" though......
 

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Last edited:

IceEidolon

Active member
Joined
Aug 10, 2017
Messages
543
Points
43
I missed the last two Snowmaker's Classics at Windham - most of the Kliks are new since then and they were testing some new TAs and Demacs on the York loop and near the base. Nice to see they hold up well when there isn't 36" of fresh snow!
 

slatham

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 17, 2012
Messages
2,400
Points
83
Location
LI/Bromley
I missed the last two Snowmaker's Classics at Windham - most of the Kliks are new since then and they were testing some new TAs and Demacs on the York loop and near the base. Nice to see they hold up well when there isn't 36" of fresh snow!
I did see one, tower TA fan. Was surprised since everything else was a Pole Cat. Those TA's are pretty sweet. Bromley has 4 portable versions.
 

IceEidolon

Active member
Joined
Aug 10, 2017
Messages
543
Points
43
I love their (T40) slow starts and hard to diagnose valve failures (especially fail open).
 

da-bum

Member
Joined
Dec 26, 2017
Messages
138
Points
18
I use to ski in Windham regularly until I switched to Hunter. Going back once, I felt the run was over before I knew it, so it definitely wasn't anything like the vert of Hunter. Measuring the vert of my top to bottom run with my altimeter watch (this was a long while ago), I got something in the range of 1350'. I did notice that they added some rope tows on the edge of the road so they can technically add some vert, but no way is that even near 200'. Getting some altimeter measurements, I see the base mountain is around 1340', and from the main road to the peak of the mountain is around 1437'. Thats alot of rounding up they are doing.
 
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