Mountain Creek update

[ERJ-145CA]

I drove past MC today on my way to the grocery store, oddly they weren't blowing any snow at 11:30 AM when I first drove by but they were at about 12:30 PM on my way home. Lots of snow at the tubing park, Sugar Slope has quite a bit and South has a thin cover on a bunch of trails, nothing on Granite, and nothing else on Vernon except for Sugar.

 

[Maksim]

They are definitely easy graded at MC. Most blacks, as you say, are blues anywhere else. Pipeline would be a double black elsewhere too if it was longer, but it's really sort.

Thank you, I knew I wasnt crazy. :beer: I guess there also is a difference between getting down a black diamon, and skiing a black diamond. Thank you sir.

 

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

From what I remember..didn't Vernon Valley/Great Gorge have some of the best snowmaking..I've never been there but sometime when I do work in the Newton area..I'll hit up MC..

 

[millerm277]

From what I remember..didn't Vernon Valley/Great Gorge have some of the best snowmaking..I've never been there but sometime when I do work in the Newton area..I'll hit up MC..

If they do, they don't use it enough...Generally they make snow once on a trail, and that's it for the season. From my trips there, it isn't the most impressive, at least with the way they use it.

 

[ERJ-145CA]

From what I remember..didn't Vernon Valley/Great Gorge have some of the best snowmaking..I've never been there but sometime when I do work in the Newton area..I'll hit up MC..

Intrawest is pretty cheap with the snowmaking, they don't blow anything after Presidents day no matter what the weather. I guess it makes enough of a profit just because of its location.

 

[hardline]

Intrawest is pretty cheap with the snowmaking, they don't blow anything after Presidents day no matter what the weather. I guess it makes enough of a profit just because of its location.

its true unfortunatly

 

[hardline]

looks like they blaming the storm for the problems they where having the day before with the quad. south wont even be opening on saturday

 

[ERJ-145CA]

I guess the power is out at MC and HV, HV says they won't open tomorrow and to check the site later to find out if they are opening Sunday. I live 10 minutes away and it was just rain here last night but must have been icing on the mountains. I've got electricity here at home but it has been flickering periodically today. Hopefully they get power back soon, it's gonna be in the teens the next few nights and it would be a shame to lose good snowmaking temps 'cause the power is out.

 

[Dr Skimeister]

I have a view of South from my office window. The trees on the top 1/3 of the hill are glazed over with ice. The lower 2/3 looks typically late fall.

 

[hardline]

the thing i dont get is if its a pwer issue how can they run north. on thursday they where running south on diesel when i left so i would imagine they are going to do the same at north but thay brings the question is it legal to operate on your diesel backup.

 

[RootDKJ]

the thing i dont get is if its a pwer issue how can they run north. on thursday they where running south on diesel when i left so i would imagine they are going to do the same at north but thay brings the question is it legal to operate on your diesel backup.

I'm pretty sure it is, we run on diesel, propane or natural gas all the time when power goes out.

 

[hardline]

but then what happens when that drive goes down

 

[RootDKJ]

everybody get out and push?

A better design would have the diesel generator used an a replacement for primary power, thus running on emergency power. 2nd drive would only replace the main motor if a mechanical failure occurred.

 

[gores95]

I wanted to resurrect this thread for all us "lowly" NJ skiers. We have only been there one time this year (we went during a powder day in mid-December) and although we have had season passes the past five years, this might unfortunately be the last. I cannot believe that Granite is not open yet and I hear through the grapevine that while there have been some really warm days this winter they have not taken enough advantage of all the cold temps.

Any locals care to chime in?

 

[hardline]

i was there today it was good. grany has snow one they just have to groom it out. they also blew snow down to the triple. bear has a ton of snow on it. and great northern just has to be groomed out. they are actually ahead of where they where this year. by the weekend they will be 80%. they blew a ton of snow over at south and built a ton of new features. just take a look at my TR's to see whats going on im there almost all week every week.

 

[St. Bear]

I have a 5x7 pass and was there last weekend. It was crowded, of course, but the trails that were open weren't in bad shape. The two blacks were in surprisingly good shape, Lower Eagle especially. We only stayed half the day because you can only ski the same trail so often. I know they've been making snow on Granite all week long, so that should open up this weekend. (I just checked their website, and they opened up Granite and the blues today.) The previous poster is correct in saying that they are ahead of last year. Lower Eagle didn't open until late Jan last year, and even then there was a creek running across the bottom of the trail, so I was pleasantly surprised. I don't think I'm going to be able to make it out this weekend, but after that, I plan on being their most weekends and hopefully some weekdays as well.

 

[hardline]

o and last night i saw that they opened a new bar at vernon. no more chillin in the hex in the buble tent. ill have to check it out when i get back from vt.

 

[legalskier]

STRONG SKI SEASON

Representatives of New Jersey's three ski areas reported a strong season.

Mike Motejl, general manager of Campgaw in Mahwah, called the results "close to a record" for that small area, with an unusually early opening for them on the first weekend of December.

Sheri Eichler, sales director at The Hidden Valley Club in Vernon, called the 2008-09 season "one of the best" for them, which she attributed to "a combination of the weather and the new owners." Those new owners are four local businessmen, organized as the Hidden Valley Club.

Across the valley, Rob Megnin, director of marketing for Mountain Creek, also in Vernon, termed the season "a strong one. When it snows and is cold, people recreate whatever the economy.

"January was our best in history. This will end up as one of our best seasons of all time."

Hidden Valley is in the process of switching to semi-private status. Eichler said that means after a certain number of memberships are sold, only members will have access to the snow weekends and holidays; the general public will have use of the facilities at night.

While some memberships have been purchased -- and members had priority lines for the lifts this year -- Eichler said the economic crisis has set back the company's time line. Another factor affecting the projections is the number of repairs the new owners had to undertake before opening this season.

The economy is also slowing the plans Intrawest, a major North American resort owner, has for Mountain Creek. Megnin said improvements made last summer consisted of "heavy maintenance stuff " and at this point he couldn't make any announcements for going into the 2009-2010 season.

Motejl said the company which operates Campgaw -- the property belongs to Bergen County -- will submit plans to the county government this spring for a new lease.

Meanwhile, he said, tubing has proved a very popular addition to the skiing and riding there. He estimates that 25 percent of the revenue comes from tubing. For next year, they'd like to "improve the snowmaking and there's lift work we want to do."

http://www.nj.com/sports/njsports/index.ssf/2009/04/jersey_shore_guy_takes_top_hon.html

 

[RootDKJ]

Good for MC!

 

[St. Bear]

I took advantage of their Spring Sale to upgrade from a 5x7 to an All-Access Pass for next season. I was thinking of doing something crazy like getting a 'Noreaster, but decided to play it safe and save some $$ (at least in the short term, knowing me I'll just end up spending more by buying one-off lift tickets every time I go North).

The article was right in that the conditions were excellent this year. Jan and Feb were stellar (relatively), then it went downhill quickly in March, but that's to be expected in NJ.