Loon South Peak Expansion

[LoafSkier19]

Tomorrow shows six lifts and most open terrain in NH. thinking loon is my best option tomorrow, then cannon over the weekend to dodge loon crowds.

Yep. Saw that last night and decided to make the trip. Really good conditions up top and a lot open already. Kanc trails are going to need another groom or two with all the ice marbles. But overall a great start for Loon

 

[sugarbushskier]

Yep. Saw that last night and decided to make the trip. Really good conditions up top and a lot open already. Kanc trails are going to need another groom or two with all the ice marbles. But overall a great start for Loon

Second that! Saw the first groom on these trails, and while expected, knew that they needed more attention to be good. Nice to see the expansion. Even yesterday's options were plenty more me.

 

[thebigo]

Loon tends to push trails out quickly, the result is often uneven grooming and death cookies for a couple days after opening a trail. They are however absolutely dominating their competition when it comes to getting snowmaking terrain open. It is not dust and run, everything open is DEEP. I would guess they start blowing cruiser and timbertown this weekend.

Open acres as of December 5:

Loon: 186 acres
Bretton Woods: 131 acres
Waterville: 75 acres

Not the same market but for comparison:

Killington: 211 acres
Sunday river: 208 acres
Stratton: 146 acres
Sugarloaf: 149 acres

 

[bigbob]

Come on, can't you guys find something to complain about other than a first groom. How about the Kanc opened 20 minutes late today! Great day today other than a cool start. Not crowded and pretty much ski on with few on the trails. Did I forget no wind....

 

[bigbob]

DHS, I was at Loon on Tuesday and they were building the park and had a cat pushing snow into the pipe at the bottom to the west of the gondi line. Almost all the mountain with the exception of the East Basin trails and Ripsaw were open or had snowmaking on them. Pretty impressive.

 

[deadheadskier]

DHS, I was at Loon on Tuesday and they were building the park and had a cat pushing snow into the pipe at the bottom to the west of the gondi line. Almost all the mountain with the exception of the East Basin trails and Ripsaw were open or had snowmaking on them. Pretty impressive.

Did you mean this message for someone else? I rarely ski Loon simply because of the crowds. I go early season some years as long as the day tickets aren't outrageous.

I like the mountain, think it's run well and I'm excited to see what the full build out for South ends up looking like.

 

[bigbob]

No, it was ment for you. I think it was last year you had commented that they and other areas don't build pipes any more. Just sharing that it looks like they will be opening the pipe this season.

 

[deadheadskier]

No, it was ment for you. I think it was last year you had commented that they and other areas don't build pipes any more. Just sharing that it looks like they will be opening the pipe this season.

Maybe? There certainly seems to be less and less of them. Not that I'm still riding them like I did as a teenager anyway.

 

[127y]

Can’t remember if it happened last year but Loon is opening Timbertown daily for the month of February as opposed to the Friday-Sunday schedule it has had so far.

 

[bigbob]

Here is the whole email from Brian:

403: A New Milestone​

For the first time in nearly three years, Loon is officially 100% open—all 73 trails. And thanks to 18 inches of fresh snow on Monday, we’ve also reached another major milestone: more than 400 acres of open terrain, a first in Loon’s 60‑year history.

The last time we were fully open was before the Timbertown Quad and the South Peak expansion, and before Undercut evolved from a glade into a true trail. Which brings us to the story behind this moment.

Undercut has been the one trail standing between us and that 100% mark. It’s a fun run—but a challenging one. The Operations team has been steadily working through a multi‑phase plan to transform it from a rarely‑open glade into a reliable, groomed anchor at South Peak. This summer we cleared debris from the first construction phase, positioning us to open as soon as Mother Nature cooperated—and this week, she did. Our long‑term plan includes further grading and eventually adding snowmaking, and we’re getting closer to making that happen.

The expansion at Timbertown is what pushed us past 400 acres, but operating the lift only four days a week meant losing that beginner terrain—and those skiable acres—midweek. Many of you asked why.

We heard you, weighed the options, and we’re making a change. We plan to run the Timbertown Quad seven days a week throughout February. Since opening in 2023, it’s become a guest favorite, and we’re focused on keeping it spinning next month.

Bottom line: we’re 100% open with more than 400 acres—and we’re going to work hard to keep it that way for as long as conditions allow.

We’ve got 11+ weeks left in the season. Let’s make them count.

See you on the mountain,

Brian

True since 2001

 

[machski]

About time. I don't know if any of those newer mansions and newer townhomes are occupied midweek, but if they are I'd be pissed I couldn't ski in/out then at those prices. SR may have curtailed certain things this year (appears Oz Quad not running is the latest) but they have Merrill Hill spinning daily. Was that way last season too.

 

[urungus]

East Basin Double not running today, a sold-out Saturday with 100% of trails open. Does this lift ever run ? Maybe on days too windy for the gondola ? Also what is easiest way to get to the Summit Cafe without taking the gondola ? How much uphilling required ?

 

[thebigo]

There is no easy way to get to the summit without the double or gondola. The summit is in no way worth the effort to hike from bottom of sunset.

East basin has historically run when wind shuts down north but come to think of it, not sure the double has spun this year?

My loon days tend to run in a circle: Lincoln, kanc, 7BX, north, back to south. Avoid the summit if at all possible.

 

[4aprice]

East Basin was open last weekend

 

[127y]

East Basin has been weird this year. In recent seasons it ran weekends and holidays starting Christmas week and would only run before that if the Gondola went down. This year it only ran on select days during Christmas and about half to 2/3 the weekends after.

 

[bigbob]

There is no easy way to get to the summit without the double or gondola. The summit is in no way worth the effort to hike from bottom of sunset.

East basin has historically run when wind shuts down north but come to think of it, not sure the double has spun this year?

My loon days tend to run in a circle: Lincoln, kanc, 7BX, north, back to south. Avoid the summit if at all possible.

I avoid the Gondola as much as possible. I have been starting at South Peak lodge now that Cisco is GONE, lap the trails there once. Then I head over to the main mountain. I ususally head to North Peak chair or down to the Kanc 8. Lunch just after 11 to avoid the crowds, which midweek isn't bad. Then do another hour and head home. Usually get 25+K verticle a day there.

 

[urungus]

Thanks for your responses. One other question, where is best view of Loon Pond ?

 

[127y]

Thanks for your responses. One other question, where is best view of Loon Pond?

Sunset and the summit cafe deck are the only places where you can get a good look at the entire pond.