That is in fact the plan. No firm timeline for 100%, but we hope to continue expansion work this summer. It's either that, or continue to drag hoses through the woods, but that get's old after awhile.
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Mount Snow: Inside Track
- Thread starter MountSnow
- Start date
That is in fact the plan. No firm timeline for 100%, but we hope to continue expansion work this summer. It's either that, or continue to drag hoses through the woods, but that get's old after awhile.
drjeff
Well-known member
Can you give us a sample menu (both food and drink) from the new beer and small bites place in the main base lodge (I forgot what the name of it was on the new sign I saw this past Saturday in the base lodge as active finishing up work looked to be taking place inside....
ss20
Well-known member
If we want to get real crazy... I heard a rumor probably 5 years ago from a Mount Snow ambassador saying that "slackcountry" tree skiing would become a thing off of the Mount Snow/Haystack trail that would drop into the bottom of the Sunbrook bowl.
Crazy story or some truth to the matter? MS needs more good tree skiing. Olympic trees are the only good length ones on the map and everything else (on and off map) is pretty short.
Crazy story or some truth to the matter? MS needs more good tree skiing. Olympic trees are the only good length ones on the map and everything else (on and off map) is pretty short.
drjeff
Well-known member
Marked, like the Trials out off Olympic, don't know if that would happen out by Sunbrook. Unmarked, well that access has been there for years!! The Ridge Trail (Not to be confused with the Ridge trail on the main face), which traverses the ridgeline between the Hermitage and Mount Snow is accessible not too far from the top of Big Dipper in Sunbrook to the skiers right. Just make sure that you have your back country skills intact, and partners that do as well, and know where you're dropping in off the Ridge trail, as while there are some nice lines in there, there's also a bunch of lines where you WON'T end up back on lift served terrain as well...
Been there... hiked out of there as well.....
It's going to be called Canned, and will feature a variety of Vermont craft beers and ciders, as long as they come in cans. As for the food, it's is going to be a variety of gourmet pretzels.
1. Don't belive every rumor you hear from our Ambassadors.
2. That would be an interesting idea for sure. We'll see what happens down the line, but I know for a fact there's a pretty core group of people with touring setups that already ski in that area.
I'm not sure how I feel about 100% snowmaking coverage. Although I suppose the dynamics in S VT are a bit different than further north, so it might be more "necessary" in order to avoid perhaps having some trails rarely open. Personally I like having some "natural" trails that never see a snowgun. 70% snowmaking coverage is probably closer to my ideal, but again I'm looking at this more from the perspective of someone that skis most of the time in N VT where we typically see more natural snow.
Jully
Active member
I agree about the natural trails, but I think it is just so essential for more southern areas. Not sure about Mt. Snow, but in southern NH there are years where non-snowmaking trails are rarely open and only open in short bursts of time right after storms. At Ragged last year, in a relatively good snow year, their natural trails/glades were super spotty.
drjeff
Well-known member
Thanks!! Are the cans meant for consumption solely within the confines of Canned, or will be be able to purchase them and take them home with us? I'm guessing that purchasing and consuming in the general seating area of the main base lodge won't be allowed, just like one can't take a drink out of Cuzzin's or out of the Taproom now....
drjeff
Well-known member
I am also a bit mixed on this. What I'm hoping is that for some of the more narrow, winding, "classical" New England style trails that they say make some snow early season just to put some base down, and then basically let mother nature dictate what the snow surface is the rest of the season, short of an occasional groom in say post rain/freeze events where it appears that natural snowfall and/or a warm up isn't likely in the near future.....
SIKSKIER
New member
Agreed.I dont why one would not want SM on those "natural" trails.I'd much rather have a snow base put down early season and let nature do its thing from there on than to have to wait for many feet of snow to build that base.Better than skiing through that natural and hitting rocks/grass imo.
Smellytele
Well-known member
To me it matters as what the base is. If it is grass then no snow making needed on those. If there is rock then snow making would be welcome
Jully
Active member
Ragged did this last year on Lower Crewcut. In past years it has been all natural (I believe), but they blew some decent sized whales on it and never touched it with a groomer. Skied great all season.
Wildcat did something similar for the first time last year as well. I think it is a good approach and assuming you blow when conditions are right, you never even have to touch it with a groomer.
Not the first time at Cat. They did something similar on Black Cat before about 4-5 years ago. Apparently it's been done on Starr Line before too, but not in the 11 years I've been skiing there.
I'd like to see them do this on Schuss. Catenary and Cougar I'd like left alone. Both have grass and do just fine as natural terrain
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I'd like to see them do this on Schuss. Catenary and Cougar I'd like left alone. Both have grass and do just fine as natural terrain
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drjeff
Well-known member
I kind of look at it this way, if they were to put down a bit of a base early in the season, even on a mainly grassy, non rocky trail, then chances are I'm also going to get an extra week or 2 (or more) of coverage on that trail in the Spring.... Not sure what the best approach to this is..... Skiing natural snow is great for sure, but sometimes it's a big plus to have some snowmaking in addition as well....
Smellytele
Well-known member
My issue is that when man made compresses it seems to get firmer than natural.
Agreed
Man-made often results in boiler plate. I've never skied boilerplate natural snow.
Here's the question though. Is boilerplate more often the result of man-made snow or repeated grooming? Grooming all natural terrain is pretty rare in New England. Last year Cat groomed Cheetah one time when the natural base got particularly deep and the surface stunk. Other than that no natural terrain got groomed
I get what Jeff says about added season length, but on a certain percentage of terrain, I think it's okay to let mother nature take care of things.
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I've been asking myself that same question (and I don't have an answer). Natural trails absolutely seem to not get quite as firm as the ones with snowmaking...but at Sugarbush where I have the most first-hand experience, pretty much all the natural trails rarely (if ever) see a groomer meanwhile the vast majority of snowmaking trails regularly see a groomer. So it is pretty difficult to really answer that question. I personally think both factors contribute to a firmer ski surface, but the man-made I would say contributes a bit more to it than the grooming. (Let's say 65% blame on man-made and 35% blame on grooming).
Rowsdower
Member
Natural after freeze thaw will get just as bulletproof if it melted out sufficiently. I've ridden natural cover dust on crust and the layer underneath is just as unforgiving as man-made boilerplate, I find.
slatham
Well-known member
I think most areas have core trails that they groom, and because of that they need snowmaking, and they need "base building" snowmaking which is wetter and can withstand regular grooming. There are very few snowmaking trails that don't get groomed at least occasionally.
I too believe some trails should never get "base building snowmaking" as it ruins the character - many of the undulations are covered/filled and it's just a boring groomer (I could see Uncles or Jaws ruined in this way). I think that you can "augment" Mother Nature with dry, skiable man made (the kind of man made you would make in weather like we're having now), put down a little base and not ruin the old school nature of the trail.
I too believe some trails should never get "base building snowmaking" as it ruins the character - many of the undulations are covered/filled and it's just a boring groomer (I could see Uncles or Jaws ruined in this way). I think that you can "augment" Mother Nature with dry, skiable man made (the kind of man made you would make in weather like we're having now), put down a little base and not ruin the old school nature of the trail.
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