Loon 02/03/2013

[hammer]

Date(s) Skied: 02/03/2013

Resort or Ski Area: Loon Mountain, NH

Conditions: Variable (Frozen Granular, Hardpack, manmade), somewhat crowded, cold (approx 10 deg at base in AM) but mostly sunny

Trip Report: Pretty good day at Loon yesterday all things considered. They have no issues with trail coverage, and are doing what they can to bring the trails back to east coast packed powder...but it hasn't been too long since the blow torch or last week so it's still a work in progress. Some trails were pretty well groomed out with some scrape underneath, some were hardpack, some had clear ice patches, some had active snowmaking, and some had recent snowmaking piles which were not groomed out yet.

Crowds were there (it is Loon) but not excessively so. We normally avoid the Gondola but did wait out the line once in the AM and it was maybe 10 minutes at most. When I looked the line went outside for a bit but not too bad. Lines on the other HSQs were around 5 minutes or so at the most. Trails were more crowded than I usually like but most times I didn't feel like I was completely boxed in.

ROTD for me was on Blue Ox which with the rollers can be fun even when groomed out...but yesterday there was snowmaking piles all around which was a nice break from just cruising down the other trails. More capable skiers than I am could have had a lot of fun over on Twitcher and Jobber, two blacks over on South Peak which had active snowmaking and plenty of piles.

Sorry no pictures, I don't have a camera set up which allows me to take pictures without taking gloves off, and it was just too cold to do that.

 

[CTNoob]

I was there and agree it was variable, but I was pleasantly surprised how well it skied overall considering the rain 3 days prior. I ended on Flying Fox and the piles were interesting for me as a lower intermediate skier. Speakeasy is a fun trail. Boom Run on South Peak was a blast and had the best snow, and amazing views.

It was my first time at Loon and I had a good time, could have done without the 10 minute Gondola lines but overall not too crowded.

 

[hammer]

I was there and agree it was variable, but I was pleasantly surprised how well it skied overall considering the rain 3 days prior. I ended on Flying Fox and the piles were interesting for me as a lower intermediate skier. Speakeasy is a fun trail. Boom Run on South Peak was a blast and had the best snow, and amazing views.

It was my first time at Loon and I had a good time, could have done without the 10 minute Gondola lines but overall not too crowded.

I really like Speakeasy for the views but the two times I've been on Lower Speakeasy I had to stick to the sides to avoid the hardpack.

Biggest issue I have with Loon is the crowds, yesterday was tolerable but I've been there over the holidays and on a Saturday and on those times I'll go elsewhere. If the crowds are reasonable then it's a good place to go, lots of snowmaking capability, good terrain variety (unless you are an expert looking for a real challenge), and it's less than 2 hours from my house.

 

[Vortex]

I skied Loon on the way home yesterday. Upper speak easy was a little scrathy. Upper Walking Boss and Angel street were very good. I never made it to the south peak side. I only skied until 12.30. Best runs were off the kank quad. Ram pasture, Rum runner and Picked top to bottom were fantastic. Guns were being shut off during the day, but he place was in great shape.

Johnskismoore, got your text on the way back. Been fighting a cold. Called it and early day.