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Mt Snow 20-21 Intel

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Sep 15, 2011
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Heading up on Tuesday for first day out. Since Vail's websites are useless, what's the current snowmaking/lift situation for this coming week? Any chance Carinthia area gets opened to spread folks out?

I'd like for more than one option down from North Face area as well, but since their snow reports are written as cursory and vague as possible, there's never any real intel.

Any details or first hand knowledge is appreciated.
 

SLyardsale

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Nov 6, 2007
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they were showing off their water supply today with guns on all over the place. They are blowing at least Gulch on Carinthia - perhaps more but couldn't tell. A Little John / Ridge route could also be ready. Chute on the North Face. Ridge/Coopers Jct along the Tumbleweed line. Not sue if all of this by Tues, although it appears they can run guns non stop perhaps over the next 36-48 hours if they want.

edit - they had tried to make snow on Gulch and at Carinthia base last week, but production was limited due to wet bulb. They were a bit ahead on those, so I would think with that head start, Gulch may be 1st to expand.
 
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Cobbold

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Skied Mt snow today, considering Mother Nature has not helped at all this season, conditions were pretty good, all things considered, Mt snow is what 600 acres of trails, my guess they had 85 to 90 open. Good sized crowd considering, all pass holders today, I think, theirs a ton of epic pass holders,lol. My guess they had 2k their today, maybe more.
 

MikeDeJ

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Gluch in Carinthia is going to be setup as a park on Tuesday, so open Weds or Thurs. So for Tues no carithia as I see it. I think Chute and Ridge will have the snow by Tues depends if they let it sit and open wiht whales or keep closed to drain.

I was there today also, good crowd handled well. With all passholders lift never stopped!!!!
 

FBGM

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Id assume the Carinthia area will be much less park then previous years. Vail will scale back parks. Especially there with that new lodge. Maybe 2 trails of park and rest normal. They fired that idiot peak resorts park guy right off the bat. Less snow needed. Less money. Better terrain for the people that actually pay over there
 
Joined
Sep 15, 2011
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Northern CT
Thanks for this information. I'd trade a Carinthia trail for Chute and Ridge as additions any day. I guess I was hoping to be able to park at C to avoid a potentially loooong walk from the main lot, but doesn't sound that way.

Last year I skied Chute the first day it was opened and the snowmaking whales were huge, but it was the ROTD so I'm hoping they open it and just let it drain while being skied.
 

keyser soze

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I've never skied Mt. Snow and was wondering how it compares to Killington & Sugarbush. I have an Ikon so not likely to get there, but just curious.
 

drjeff

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20201206_204132.jpgfan guns now at about a 30hr run on Snowdance, Canyon, Ridge, parts of Long John, Cooper's Junction, Gulch, Discovery, and the Carinthia base area. Air/Water guns on Chute, Little John, High Traverse, N.E. Time and parts of Deer Run, and some isolated other areas. Currently 19 degrees with moderate NW winds at about 10:30 Sunday night.

Guns on Chute were running wet and making base snow today for sure based on the 8 rides up Outpost my son and I did today that had us looking like a popsicle, all the while enjoying the skate over to lap freefall.

Wouldn't be surprised to get Little John open tomorrow, and Gulch, if they want as a trail, not a park (my sons friend who is a park competition kid told him today that they had used the previous snowmaking runs on gulch to already pre form some features and were using the current run to enhance things and connect the patches between where they harvested snow for builds). Tuesday would be my guess as to when Ridge, Chute, Snowdance and N.E. Time get a rope drop based on historical precedence to open them. Then if the normal pattern is followed (and who knows for many reasons this season) I'd expect to see Nitro, lower Titanium, Mineshaft, Lodge and either Plummet or Fallen Timbers, and possibly Drop to see snowmaking heading towards next weekend.

As of right now, it doesn't appear that Vail is holding back on running the snowmaking system at/very near its maximum capacity. And if that continues, expect another handful or so of new trails every 2-3 days as long as the temps hold

And for reference the maybe 3" of snow on my back deck railing in this picture (and I'm at about 2200 feet elevation- about 300 feet above the base area for reference) is what fell yesterday. Maybe another 1-2" at the summit, and all rain down by Brattleboro and along route 31 from the junction with 100 to roughly the base of the Stratton Access rd in some of my Christmas Shopping excursions the last 2 days
 
Last edited:
Joined
Sep 15, 2011
Messages
331
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Location
Northern CT
I've never skied Mt. Snow and was wondering how it compares to Killington & Sugarbush. I have an Ikon so not likely to get there, but just curious.
As a former 30 year SB second home owner, I'd say that MT Snow doesn't have the same extreme challenge areas or size/vert that K or SB has, but with that said, MS skis much bigger than you'd expect.

Living in northern CT, I was looking for a replacement mountain and MS fit the bill. It's less than a two hour drive for me so day tripping is the norm. Their snowmaking system is probably the best or close to the best in the east. When looking at the trail map, the mountain seems to be nothing special, but it really does ski like 4 separate areas with the main face for long decently pitched runs, some real challenge on the north face, a quieter, laid back (albeit slow lift) Sunbrook area and Carinthia for park and terrain interests. Lifts in general move people around nicely. If you're like me and like to get off the beaten path and away from bulldozed boulevards, there are paths less traveled like Uncles and Ledge that give you a more isolated feeling.

MS can get crowded, but since I ski midweek, it's usually bearable. Park at Carinthia when you can to avoid the lengthy walk from the main lots.

Hope this helps!
 
Joined
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Messages
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Location
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View attachment 49641fan guns now at about a 30hr run on Snowdance, Canyon, Ridge, parts of Long John, Cooper's Junction, Gulch, Discovery, and the Carinthia base area. Air/Water guns on Chute, Little John, High Traverse, N.E. Time and parts of Deer Run, and some isolated other areas. Currently 19 degrees with moderate NW winds at about 10:30 Sunday night.

Guns on Chute were running wet and making base snow today for sure based on the 8 rides up Outpost my son and I did today that had us looking like a popsicle, all the while enjoying the skate over to lap freefall.

Wouldn't be surprised to get Little John open tomorrow, and Gulch, if they want as a trail, not a park (my sons friend who is a park competition kid told him today that they had used the previous snowmaking runs on gulch to already pre form some features and were using the current run to enhance things and connect the patches between where they harvested snow for builds). Tuesday would be my guess as to when Ridge, Chute, Snowdance and N.E. Time get a rope drop based on historical precedence to open them. Then if the normal pattern is followed (and who knows for many reasons this season) I'd expect to see Nitro, lower Titanium, Mineshaft, Lodge and either Plummet or Fallen Timbers, and possibly Drop to see snowmaking heading towards next weekend.

As of right now, it doesn't appear that Vail is holding back on running the snowmaking system at/very near its maximum capacity. And if that continues, expect another handful or so of new trails every 2-3 days as long as the temps hold

And for reference the maybe 3" of snow on my back deck railing in this picture (and I'm at about 2200 feet elevation- about 300 feet above the base area for reference) is what fell yesterday. Maybe another 1-2" at the summit, and all rain down by Brattleboro and along route 31 from the junction with 100 to roughly the base of the Stratton Access rd in some of my Christmas Shopping excursions the last 2 days
Thanks Dr Jeff! Now this is the type of info that would be helpful to see on their "snow report" to help folks plan their schedule.

Fingers crossed for all or at least some of this to come to fruition by tomorrow.
 

njdiver85

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Anybody have any thoughts on why this Friday is fully booked up on the reservation system? Seems odd considering Sat and Sun are still open.
 

Edd

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Important question here since I haven’t skied anywhere yet. Are there porta-potties at the base to keep the lodge crowds down?
 

njdiver85

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Mountain ops on twitter posted that tomorrow's plan similar to today. Guess they are holding off on opening Ridge, Chute, and Snowdance a little longer.
 

abc

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Question about Mt Snow's parking.

The most obvious way to get a parking spot close to the lift is to arrive earlier than everybody else. But failing that, what's the strategy to avoid having to ride the silly shuttle bus? Would parking on the South entrance be a little easier to find?
 

icecoast1

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Question about Mt Snow's parking.

The most obvious way to get a parking spot close to the lift is to arrive earlier than everybody else. But failing that, what's the strategy to avoid having to ride the silly shuttle bus? Would parking on the South entrance be a little easier to find?
Wait until Carinthia opens and park there
 

FBGM

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Mountain ops on twitter posted that tomorrow's plan similar to today. Guess they are holding off on opening Ridge, Chute, and Snowdance a little longer.
Pre Vail, Mount Snow used to open trails with straight up dust on dirt. 1 marginal snowmaking night and they would call it good. Vail wants a decent product down, not the crap old Mount Snow Mountain oops used to do.
 

ss20

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A minute from the Alta exit off the I-15!
Pre Vail, Mount Snow used to open trails with straight up dust on dirt. 1 marginal snowmaking night and they would call it good. Vail wants a decent product down, not the crap old Mount Snow Mountain oops used to do.

Mt. Snow would also not groom Freefall for the first weekish of the season it was open....typically had some of the most fun November terrain you could find in the Northeast. Now Vail grooms it flat and turns it to ice the minute the guns turn off.
 

ss20

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A minute from the Alta exit off the I-15!
@drjeff do you know what's up at the Snow Lake Lodge? For hahas I looked up lodging there but everything is supposedly "sold out" the entire season. 10 years ago that place was one of the best deals in the ski industry...indoor pool, indoor and outdoor hot tub, free breakfast, 10 minute walk (or an even shorter shuttle ride) for like $99 a night midweek.

I can't figure out how to unquote you abc....this has nothing to do with your parking question lol.
 
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