Mount Snow: Inside Track

[catskillman]

That's pretty impressive transparency and always refreshing to see resorts share so many details like that. The photos of the damage are impressive as well.

amazing..... while Hunter sent out a memo to "some" of their passholders. I did not get it, but have read it. We do not really care about their excuse - just fix it. we paid for X so delever X. There was not even a coupon for a free cookie on the email I saw............

 

[Glenn]

Awesome job on keeping everyone updated. Not only with a status, but details and pictures. Great job by lifts ops as well.

 

[MountSnow]

Awesome job on keeping everyone updated. Not only with a status, but details and pictures. Great job by lifts ops as well.

Thanks! Our lift ops and lift mechanics have been really doing an amazing job throuhout this whole process. We'll continue to update the blog as we have details and photos to share.

 

[slatham]

Great updates, thx. Hope all goes well and it's running for the weekend.

 

[MountSnow]

Great updates, thx. Hope all goes well and it's running for the weekend.

That's the plan. Hoping to have it in time for the snow!

 

[caribchakita]

Thinking a Mt. Snow blast up and back, Sunday. Parking tips again please, to avoid the crowds? Lifts to avoid? Will arrive 7:30 AM and leave 2 PM. Have 55.00 passes available to me.

We went to MS last April and HATED it. We left calling it Mt. Blow due to super aggressive skiers/boarders and hoards of people. The lunch area was a pig pen. Folks couldn't even clean up after themselves.

 

[jmgard]

Park at Sundance, ride Grand Summit instead of Bluebird, and don't go to Carinthia unless you really feel the need. (They do an awesome job with the parks there but they (especially Nitro) get absolutely overrun with kids and teenagers on weekends and I have come close to landing on people a few times as they cluelessly cut across jump landings or cut in front of me at the last second to jump off the kicker for a feature I was gonna hit). Avoid Long John and Cascade except where you absolutely have to take them to get to something. I won't disagree with you on crowds there though-- Mt. Snow is to CT what Loon is to MA: the closest "real" mountain to a major metro so it's a huge draw for the masses. IMO Grand Junction at Loon is worse than anything at Mount Snow, but not by a huge margin. The summit does get super clogged because there is effectively a high speed 10pack unloading there so I would suggest knowing exactly where you're going before you get off. There are some very enjoyable runs on the North Face (Plummet, Jaws, Trials when they're open) and Sunbrook is a good spot to avoid lines if you can deal with the long and sometimes cold lift. (I hear rumor of an HSQ there soonish though, who knows...) Spring bumps on Beartrap are fun too. Tony's in the main lodge is my preferred spot for lunch, it's a decent deal by ski-food pricing standards and surprisingly good pizza.

 

[ss20]

Agree with jmgard ^^^ on pretty much everything. If you're getting there at 7:30am you might as well go to the Main Base lodge so you don't have to ride Tumbleweed or Seasons out of Sundance. You'll get good parking at 7:30am, no worries. Hit whatever you want to hit on the Main Face from 8am-9am and don't even try to go back after that. North Face and Sunbrook will be good choices. Maybe ride the Sundance lift on the Main Face if it's running.

Hopefully they get a lot of snow Thursday-Saturday. Get some of the natural trails open.

 

[skiur]

Thinking a Mt. Snow blast up and back, Sunday. Parking tips again please, to avoid the crowds? Lifts to avoid? Will arrive 7:30 AM and leave 2 PM. Have 55.00 passes available to me.

We went to MS last April and HATED it. We left calling it Mt. Blow due to super aggressive skiers/boarders and hoards of people. The lunch area was a pig pen. Folks couldn't even clean up after themselves.

It's going to be crowded on a weekend, but Sunday should be better than Saturday so you have that going for you, at 730 am parking shouldn't be an issue, crowds don't really show up until after 9. Get as many runs in as you can early at the peak and when crowds start showing up head to the north peak.

 

[skifree]

park at sundance. pack a lunch/beer. car will be easy walking distance.

 

[njdiver85]

To avoid crowds:

1. Ski mainface first taking base lifts (Bubble & Grand Summit Express)
2. When base lifts get crowded: take Canyon chair to River Run and get over to Northface area
3. Once done with Northface area, enter Sundance area from top of Northface lift exit
4. Once done with Sundance area, take Bear Trap lift out and get over to Carinthia area
5. Once done with Carinthia area, head back to mainface which should be quieter by 2:00

Avoids getting stuck with long wait at main base area during busy periods.

 

[Jcb890]

The Main Face is also usually a bit less busy when the majority of the crowds are in for lunch between maybe 11:30-12:30 or so.

We might be heading up to Mt. Snow this weekend ourselves, not sure when yet. Trying to see what is going to happen with this storm.

 

[gmcunni]

hopefully the bluebird is fixed for the weekend otherwise the other typically less crowded lifts won't be less crowded.

 

[Jcb890]

hopefully the bluebird is fixed for the weekend otherwise the other typically less crowded lifts won't be less crowded.

Yesterday's update says they are planning for Friday and with some luck it could be done Thursday.

 

[gmcunni]

Yesterday's update says they are planning for Friday and with some luck it could be done Thursday.

yup, hope that plan works out.

 

[GregoryIsaacs]

hopefully the bluebird is fixed for the weekend otherwise the other typically less crowded lifts won't be less crowded.

Thats when you substitute the GSE for Ego Alley..... never has a line and you can still huff it to northface from the top if need be.

 

[Jcb890]

yup, hope that plan works out.

Same. If it isn't up and running, I'll probably re-think plans on where to go.

Thats when you substitute the GSE for Ego Alley..... never has a line and you can still huff it to northface from the top if need be.

I feel like I hardly ever see Ego Alley running. That traverse would suck, especially on a board.

 

[ss20]

Same. If it isn't up and running, I'll probably re-think plans on where to go.


I feel like I hardly ever see Ego Alley running. That traverse would suck, especially on a board.

it's uphill more than a traverse...certainly a workout on skis. Had to do it a couple times on a day when all the detach lifts were down for icing

 

[Jcb890]

it's uphill more than a traverse...certainly a workout on skis. Had to do it a couple times on a day when all the detach lifts were down for icing

I was trying to picture it in my head and can see the "traverse" in my mind from the Bluebird. I figured it was close to flat or nearly uphill. In that case, I'll pass on making that move.

Hopefully they'll get the Bluebird up and running.

 

[drjeff]

I was trying to picture it in my head and can see the "traverse" in my mind from the Bluebird. I figured it was close to flat or nearly uphill. In that case, I'll pass on making that move.

Hopefully they'll get the Bluebird up and running.

On my GPS during a hike a few summers ago, it was an 11 foot elevation gain from the top of Ego, across Link, past the top of the Canyon Express and over towards start of River Run. That was in the summer, without any snow on the trails....