Mount Snow: Inside Track

[skiur]

Sugarbush had a good crowd as well.

Killington had a great crowd with some incredible skiing!

 

[slatham]

Killington had a great crowd with some incredible skiing!

April skiers congregate at the areas with a well known reputation for late season skiing that is the result of being further north, higher in elevation with colder temps and more snow - and having the business model to be consistently open late (vs. Stowe for instance, though they are going a bit later than last year due to snow and Easter).

SoVT even with it's snowmaking prowess cannot overcome the advance of spring as well as the K, SB, Wildcat etc.

 

[MountSnow]

We've always said we're going to be a major player when it comes to early-season operations. Our $30M in snowmaking upgrades have set us up to be able to hit it hard and fast as soon as we have good temps in the fall. As for late season, we'll leave that up to Wildcat, they are much better situated for late season operations, plus they are right across the street from Tuckerman Ravine!

 

[NYDB]

I think mount snow could build a reputation as a semi late season player. They could bury the north face and ski til 5/1. Probably not a money maker for 5+ years since you'll need to build the rep, but first stop off 91 with late season bumps would be a draw.

They could turn that lodge over there into a big party.

I know not a part of the business model but it seems they are only using 1/2 the potential on their muscular snowmaking system.

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[drjeff]

I think mount snow could build a reputation as a semi late season player. They could bury the north face and ski til 5/1. Probably not a money maker for 5+ years since you'll need to build the rep, but first stop off 91 with late season bumps would be a draw.

They could turn that lodge over there into a big party.

I know not a part of the business model but it seems they are only using 1/2 the potential on their muscular snowmaking system.

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When they presented the plan for the Snowmaking system post West Lake, it was always in reference to the goals of things such as double the opening day terrain over the old roll out, all Snowmaking terrain covered by Christmas week, and faster recoveries over more acres of terrain, never about going deeper into April or May....

It's tough though to watch much of it sit idle now basically from late January on, knowing they could bury some trails for May skiing if they wanted too.

Peak and late season is going to be all about Wildcat.... Not an awful thing, but totally feels like they leave stuff on the table with that strategy....

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[zyk]

I was surprised Saturday that Carinthia seemed busier and more lively than the main mountain. Could present a different type of option for late season.

 

[Smellytele]

Aw the golden children don’t get their late season skiing. At least they can get to their summit during their season unlike peaks Attitash.


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[skiur]

I was surprised Saturday that Carinthia seemed busier and more lively than the main mountain. Could present a different type of option for late season.

You could be onto something there, not many, if any parks still open at this time of year, I bet leaving a park open late would bring enough people in, you have the snow....just sacrifice a big jump or two and you have the snow to keep everything else going.

 

[Glenn]

You could be onto something there, not many, if any parks still open at this time of year, I bet leaving a park open late would bring enough people in, you have the snow....just sacrifice a big jump or two and you have the snow to keep everything else going.

A few years back, they closed out the season with just Carinthia open. It was a fun day.

 

[drjeff]

Just finished a nice hike around the mountain and some Summer enhancements are noticeable and coming along nicely!

First, Snowmaking expansion is happening! I noticed new air and water pipes installed on Fools Gold over at Carinthia and on the Moonwalk, Little Dipper, Moonbeam loop in Sunbrook! I'm guessing some tree cutting on skiers/riders left will be happening for the Sunbrook loop expansion as all of that pipe was a good 20-25+ feet into the woods. A bulldozer was dragging the last few sections of pipe up the hill to the top of Moonwalk this morning while I was out hiking.

Second really noticeable thing was the section of Long John from the top of Ridge down to the top of Carinthia. Skiers/riders right was significantly blasted and widened above and beyond what was done 2 Summers ago. That entire section is now basically 100 feet wide from the Snowmaking pipe on skiers/riders left over to the blasted out, graded and filled rock wall on the right now.

Lastly, the mountain ops building that burned in the Spring has been leveled, and some foundation work, of a much smaller footprint as of now atleast, is going on on the area of the old building that was closest to the main base lodge. Looks to be roughly 1/4 to maybe 1/3rd of the footprint of the old building right now.

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[drjeff]

Also there's about 20 SMI Polecat fan guns stationed in one of the outer parking lots currently.

They're not new, as the 3 control panels that weren't fully encased in plastic wrap had between 1600 and 2300 hours on them.

Not sure if they're going to be installed at Mount Snow or shipped out to a different Peak resort??

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[ski&soccermom]

That is exciting - especially Sunbrook. Thanks for the update!!

 

[ss20]

Fool's Gold, and the Little Dipper loop are fine places to add snowmaking...put it on my record that I said that :lol:

As long as they don't touch trails like Jaws, Olympic, Challenger, Big Dipper, and keep a few Main Face naturals like Ledge and One More Time natural I'm happy.

I am surprised to see additional snowmaking terrain in Sunbrook before a new lift goes in. Purely from a logistics standpoint I'd think it'd be easier/cheaper to put in snowmaking up there while you already have a bunch of heavy machinery putting in a new lift.

 

[drjeff]

Fool's Gold, and the Little Dipper loop are fine places to add snowmaking...put it on my record that I said that [emoji38]

As long as they don't touch trails like Jaws, Olympic, Challenger, Big Dipper, and keep a few Main Face naturals like Ledge and One More Time natural I'm happy.

I am surprised to see additional snowmaking terrain in Sunbrook before a new lift goes in. Purely from a logistics standpoint I'd think it'd be easier/cheaper to put in snowmaking up there while you already have a bunch of heavy machinery putting in a new lift.

Looked like it was all being done in house with a couple of excavators and a bulldozer, all of which the mountain has.

Given the amount of pipe they've replaced in the last few years, I'm guessing the mountain ops crew is well versed in what they're doing

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[FBGM]

Looked like it was all being done in house with a couple of excavators and a bulldozer, all of which the mountain has.

Given the amount of pipe they've replaced in the last few years, I'm guessing the mountain ops crew is well versed in what they're doing

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Well versed at doing it ghetto backwoods style. Vail will change this starting soon. Get ready for correct construction you backwoods inbreds.

 

[ss20]

Well versed at doing it ghetto backwoods style. Vail will change this starting soon. Get ready for correct construction you backwoods inbreds.

Yeah say goodbye to those crappy 5-digit $$$ costing fan guns that Mount Snow has the most of of any northeast ski resort...

 

[Pez]

I’ve gone on record as saying I’m against and modernization on that side of the hill. However I guess it’s inevitable. Just kind of hope they keep the laid back feel over there.


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[Newpylong]

Say what you may about Peaks, and specifically the personal issues some people here have with their Director of Projects, they know how to design and install snowmaking. I've seen the work up close and know some people putting the equipment on the hill, and they fall far shy of "getto."

There are only really two outside outfits that do large scale installs (Tatro and Royal) in this region. Peaks will use them for the major items such as feed line installs (like West Lake) but the rest is done in house and is of good design and workmanship.

 

[Jcb890]

Awesome stuff, thanks for the intel Dr. Jeff!!

 

[drjeff]

Awesome stuff, thanks for the intel Dr. Jeff!!

Not a problem Jcb!

And for me this was a case where my standard plan of attack for hiking a ski area in the off season paid off with the discoveries I found.

My typical plan of attack is to start up established work roads (much easier than "bush whacking" through knee high grasses, brambles and other associated ground cover) and then if I come across any "fresh" excavator/bulldozer tracks that deviate off of the main work road, I follow them! More often than not I find some new stuff, and worst case, I end up hiking a different route than I may have never done before.

In this case, based on some social media comments I read last week about a new park at Carinthia, I knew I wanted to hike over there to check things out, and then I saw fresh bulldozer tracks heading from the top of Carinthia over towards Sunbrook, and just followed them (and all the newly installed pipe) all the way to the top of Sunbrook

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