Killington: Devil's Fiddle - will it see snowmaking this year?

[Geoff]

Kinda funny to see this thread and this thread going on at the same time.

You don't often ski on natural snow on a low elevation slope that faces southeast.

The humor I see in the sour grapes day tripper "I won't go because there is no good natural snow" is that northern Vermont had been hammered in the last week and has quite a bit of natural snow. I guess it's much easier to sit at your desk bitching about bad snow than to find out where the skiing is good and get out and ski it.

http://www.famousinternetskiers.com/trip-reports/09-10/the-labyrinth/

 

[Puck it]

I can't believe Superstar has not seen a gun yet. WTF.

 

[Newpylong]

Thank you captain obvious.

I was more curious if Tom Horrocks may have some updated information to share with us other than a "maybe".

Are you on crack? The place wasn't even open for Thanksgiving and is scrambling now to get the runs in K Basin open and you think they are going to make snow on the Fiddle?

 

[skiingsnow]

I can't believe Superstar has not seen a gun yet. WTF.

Snowmaking starts tomorrow on Superstar.

http://www.killington.com/winter/beast/blog/authors/tom/snow-at-our-fingertips-and

 

[Highway Star]

Are you on crack? The place wasn't even open for Thanksgiving and is scrambling now to get the runs in K Basin open and you think they are going to make snow on the Fiddle?

It's a legitimate question with legitimate timing. I'm curious if they have enough left in the budget to get around to trails like Devil's Fiddle, Conclusion, Vertigo and Ovation...or not. I'm not even asking for a major snowmaking effort.....just enough icey base to cover up all the rocks and keep them skiable on natural snow for the remainder of the season.

And why do you care anyway, you don't even ski at Killington.

 

[Highway Star]

I can't believe Superstar has not seen a gun yet. WTF.

Superstar will probably be open this weekend...

 

[Newpylong]

It's a legitimate question with legitimate timing. I'm curious if they have enough left in the budget to get around to trails like Devil's Fiddle, Conclusion, Vertigo and Ovation...or not. I'm not even asking for a major snowmaking effort.....just enough icey base to cover up all the rocks and keep them skiable on natural snow for the remainder of the season.

And why do you care anyway, you don't even ski at Killington.

I don't? I've been 6 times already this year and I don't even have a pass there anyway. This is the first year I haven't had a pass at Killington, as I have moved...

I can answer your question for you though, although I am just not sure what wasn't clear from the mountain's answer.

- If all of the major runs and secondary runs get covered, it will see snowmaking. I don't see it happening given the late jump this year. But who knows, they are expanding very rapidly...

 

[Highway Star]

So, it's early january.........the only two snowmaking trails that haven't seen it yet are vertigo and devil's fiddle. Will they see snowmaking?

 

[drjeff]

So, it's early january.........the only two snowmaking trails that haven't seen it yet are vertigo and devil's fiddle. Will they see snowmaking?

If they don't with the forcast of cold, relatively tranquil air for the next 10 days or so, then the Fiddle's pipes will likely remain empty for another season

 

[Highway Star]

If they don't with the forcast of cold, relatively tranquil air for the next 10 days or so, then the Fiddle's pipe will likely remain empty for another season

Well, I certainly hope they get after it soon. This is the perfect time to lay down a base that will ensure it stays open more often, assuming we get more snow than rain (lol). I really dislike how it gets down to rocks soooo fast on the lower half in the bumps, without the snowmaking.

 

[moguler6]

So, it's early january.........the only two snowmaking trails that haven't seen it yet are vertigo and devil's fiddle. Will they see snowmaking?

And Valley Plunge :grin:

If they are still planning on seeding bumps on Vertigo they will blow on it. Personally I hope they don't blow on Fiddle. I prefer the thin cover to the man made ice, which Killington seems to be blowing lots of this year. If they do, they'll only blow on skiers left and leave the other side natural.

 

[Newpylong]

And Valley Plunge :grin:

If they are still planning on seeding bumps on Vertigo they will blow on it. Personally I hope they don't blow on Fiddle. I prefer the thin cover to the man made ice, which Killington seems to be blowing lots of this year. If they do, they'll only blow on skiers left and leave the other side natural.

I doubt the pipes on Valley Plunge are even energized. I haven't seen em used in 20 years since I've been skiing there.

 

[frankm938]

And Valley Plunge :grin:

If they are still planning on seeding bumps on Vertigo they will blow on it. Personally I hope they don't blow on Fiddle. I prefer the thin cover to the man made ice, which Killington seems to be blowing lots of this year. If they do, they'll only blow on skiers left and leave the other side natural.

+1 The fiddle has been great so far this year and there is plenty of base so no need to blow on it. blow vertigo and seed the bumps

 

[mondeo]

And Valley Plunge :grin:

If they are still planning on seeding bumps on Vertigo they will blow on it. Personally I hope they don't blow on Fiddle. I prefer the thin cover to the man made ice, which Killington seems to be blowing lots of this year. If they do, they'll only blow on skiers left and leave the other side natural.

Trail report says tonight/tomorrow for Vertigo...

 

[Highway Star]

+1 The fiddle has been great so far this year and there is plenty of base so no need to blow on it.

Really? I've always thought the bump lines skied better with enough manmade base to cover the rocks.

 

[mondeo]

Really? I've always thought the bump lines skied better with enough manmade base to cover the rocks.

I'll take rocks here and there over the type of base K lays down.

 

[Highway Star]

I'll take rocks here and there over the type of base K lays down.

Here and there? You clearly haven't been skiing the fiddle much the last few years. Once it gets skied and and bumps form on the lower part, it becomes a minefield of rocks. The upper skiers right might be skiing great, but the lower section will then be all rocks. While I can ski bumps while dodging rocks much better than the average person, I've got better things to do. I'll never trash skis skiing bumps.

All it needs is 2-3 ft of snowmaking on the lower part and upper skiers left. Once the bumps form and some natural falls on it, it will ski the same as a pure natural snow trail, but without the rocks....lol.

 

[frankm938]

Here and there? You clearly haven't been skiing the fiddle much the last few years. Once it gets skied and and bumps form on the lower part, it becomes a minefield of rocks. The upper skiers right might be skiing great, but the lower section will then be all rocks. While I can ski bumps while dodging rocks much better than the average person, I've got better things to do. I'll never trash skis skiing bumps.

All it needs is 2-3 ft of snowmaking on the lower part and upper skiers left. Once the bumps form and some natural falls on it, it will ski the same as a pure natural snow trail, but without the rocks....lol.

i skied it everyday last week and it was great because the snow stuck to the trail instead of sliding off an icy snowmaking base. the snow was soft all week and i didnt hit any rocks. i agree that when the rocks pop up at the bottom of the trail, then snowmaking would be nice. but it doesnt need anything on the upper part of the trail.
arent you holding and extreme skiing clinic this winter? if they cover all the rocks, and drops on the upper part of the fiddle, it wont be very extreme

 

[Highway Star]

i skied it everyday last week and it was great because the snow stuck to the trail instead of sliding off an icy snowmaking base. the snow was soft all week and i didnt hit any rocks. i agree that when the rocks pop up at the bottom of the trail, then snowmaking would be nice. but it doesnt need anything on the upper part of the trail.
arent you holding and extreme skiing clinic this winter? if they cover all the rocks, and drops on the upper part of the fiddle, it wont be very extreme

Well that's great. Guess you didn't notice the major ice crust from the rain roughly 10 days ago. It then snowed ~13" two days later. Which means that any snow on the fiddle was there because of the wind being right for it. Not because of snowmaking vs. non-snowmaking base.

 

[millerm277]

I doubt the pipes on Valley Plunge are even energized. I haven't seen em used in 20 years since I've been skiing there.

The pipes on Valley Plunge are abandoned, that's been confirmed by Killington in the past. They can theoretically make snow on it by dragging hoses from GE.....yeah, it's never going to happen.

Lower Pipe Dream I believe is abandoned as well, but I don't know that for a fact.