Mt Snow 20-21 Intel

[sugarbushskier]

Can anyone tell me if Tuesday, January 19th is considered a "holiday" for Mt Snow?

I have Epic Midweek Northeast and would like to ski, but it seems odd that Mt Snow might consider that day a holiday period and therefore my pass might not be eligible? I don't want to go through the reservation process and then have to cancel or worse, show up and have my pass not be valid?

 

[sugarbushskier]

Looks like I jumped the gun. Went to Epic website and NE Midweek isn't restricted.

 

[NYDB]

Someone shared a pic of a liftline from Facebook yesterday I think from carinthia. I'm sure it was after a wind delay or something but Holy Shit. Why don't people just stay at home and hit themselves in the nuts all day instead.

 

[njdiver85]

Someone shared a pic of a liftline from Facebook yesterday I think from carinthia. I'm sure it was after a wind delay or something but Holy Shit. Why don't people just stay at home and hit themselves in the nuts all day instead.

I saw that picture, and it was a little deceiving. For starters, there were actually two lift lines in the that picture, one for Nitro and one for Heavy Metal. The picture made it look like it was a single long line. Second, due to fewer "lanes" due to Covid, the lines are longer in length, but fewer in quantity, so again, a little deceiving.

 

[keyser soze]

Yes, but on the second part while there are fewer people on lines than it appears, the wait is actually that long because people are not filling the chairs, so still a long wait regardless of the amount of actual people.

 

[drjeff]

Yes, but on the second part while there are fewer people on lines than it appears, the wait is actually that long because people are not filling the chairs, so still a long wait regardless of the amount of actual people.

From actually being in, if not that exact line, lines on that lift yesterday of similar length, while not "short", as part of a triple in one of the regular queue lanes, it was about 20 minutes.

Yesterday at Mount Snow, with the big winds having the Bluebird and Grand Summit Express on the main mountain, the Challenger triple on the Northface on wind hold all day, and the Sunbrook area on wind hold until around noon. When you factor in a "sell out" reservation day, the crowds could only move side to side across the mountain and the lines got BIG all over the place with the combo of roughly 1/3rd of the total uphill capacity not available due to wind holds, and the inability to move 360 degrees around the mountain as the crowds arrived all morning.

The crazy thing is that unlike most MLK Weekends, the outer parking lots weren't filled to capacity and there were no tour busses there either!!

 

[abc]

From actually being in, if not that exact line, lines on that lift yesterday of similar length, while not "short", as part of a triple in one of the regular queue lanes, it was about 20 minutes

20 min on a holiday weekend is pretty "normal" from my limited experience. But was it 20 min all over the mountain, every lift? Or just one or two lifts? (yes, I under some chairs are on wind hold).

 

[Ski2LiveLive2Ski]

Lines Sunday were 30 on Canyon Express, 20 on Nitro, 10 on Challenge and Sunbrook, 5 on Sundance. Conditions were some of the best conditions I have ever skied in East with 95% open on 18" of snow over prior 30 hrs with another 6" falling as we skied.

Lines today were about 20 on Bluebird, 15 on Grand Summit / Nitro / Canyon, 10 on Sunbrook, non-existent on Challenge and Outpost. Conditions were just as good with a few more inches fresh to start, more falling throughout the day and all but one trail open. Did lots of great tree runs too.

 

[drjeff]

20 min on a holiday weekend is pretty "normal" from my limited experience. But was it 20 min all over the mountain, every lift? Or just one or two lifts? (yes, I under some chairs are on wind

20 min on a holiday weekend is pretty "normal" from my limited experience. But was it 20 min all over the mountain, every lift? Or just one or two lifts? (yes, I under some chairs are on wind hold).

20 was about the average that I waited in during the wind holds on Sunday. I didn't wait in the line for Canyon, which late morning looked substantially longer than the line for Nitro that was in that picture, far longer than any line that I had ever personally seen for that lift in all the years that I've been a Mount Snow skier.

Most of the lifts that were running on Sunday had LONG lines at them due to the limited number of lifts that the wind holds created.

Not sure how, with a reservation system, the mountain could "pivot" last minute when the wind hold situation becomes quite apparent, and immediately say "cancel" some reservations, many of which were made days, if not weeks, in advance?

 

[ski&soccermom]

20 was about the average that I waited in during the wind holds on Sunday. I didn't wait in the line for Canyon, which late morning looked substantially longer than the line for Nitro that was in that picture, far longer than any line that I had ever personally seen for that lift in all the years that I've been a Mount Snow skier.

Most of the lifts that were running on Sunday had LONG lines at them due to the limited number of lifts that the wind holds created.

Not sure how, with a reservation system, the mountain could "pivot" last minute when the wind hold situation becomes quite apparent, and immediately say "cancel" some reservations, many of which were made days, if not weeks, in advance?

I agree with drjeff and abc about the lines this weekend. The only thing I will add is that I did wait on that Canyon line twice on Sunday when it went back past the waffle cabin. If there were six queues set up at that point, the three on the right went back to the waffle cabin, BUT, the three on the left stopped before the bluebird barn. We waited almost 30 minutes. Yesterday was so much better - lines on North Face and for Beartrap were non existent. Maybe 15 minutes for Nitro? Bluebird looked a little longer.

The one thing I don't understand this year is the merging of the lines. They are set up nicely for social distancing until you are nearing the lift, and then they all have an awful disorganized merge with everyone standing very close. Why not just keep the spacing and yell front row like in past years?

 

[slatham]

Not sure how, with a reservation system, the mountain could "pivot" last minute when the wind hold situation becomes quite apparent, and immediately say "cancel" some reservations, many of which were made days, if not weeks, in advance?

Thats a really good question. The issue is from a PR perspective, and VT DOH, it doesn't matter, it just looks bad. Not to mention the agony of waiting in those lines. Hopefully it didn't actually result on any Covid issues (I am a big believer that outdoors, masked, 30 mph wind, not an issue.....)

Realistically Mt Snow (or any area) could hold back some ticket sales when the 4-5 day forecast is for high winds (which it was). As you get closer if the wind forecast improves then you free up the tickets. If winds remain in the forecast then you have limited skier visits closer to the AVAILABLE capacity. FWIW I could see some areas doing this, I CANNOT see Vail doing it.

 

[abc]

Not sure how, with a reservation system, the mountain could "pivot" last minute when the wind hold situation becomes quite apparent, and immediately say "cancel" some reservations, many of which were made days, if not weeks, in advance?

The situation is not help with the Vail's vague threat on cancelling reservation. Even though I'm reasonably sure Vail can't possibly justify docking people for canceling on the day of when there's massive wind hold. It nonetheless created a resistance for people who are on the fence to NOT cancel.

 

[jimmywilson69]

I've cancelled a ton for my wife and son and even a few for myself. No communication.

And LOL they aren't going to hold back on reservations because the wind might pick up...

Holidays are busy ALWAYS and when you get wind holds long lines appear at lifts that are running. Everyone is outside COVID risk is small whether it is windy or not

 

[KustyTheKlown]

lol 20 minute lift lines. enjoy your vail corp resorts.

 

[FBGM]

I saw that picture, and it was a little deceiving. For starters, there were actually two lift lines in the that picture, one for Nitro and one for Heavy Metal. The picture made it look like it was a single long line. Second, due to fewer "lanes" due to Covid, the lines are longer in length, but fewer in quantity, so again, a little deceiving.

That makes it worse! If the lift lines for those 2 lifts tangle and you can’t tell, fuck that noise. Might as well just walk up the hill. Or walk home.

I’d rather get a root canal from Dentist Jeff then wait that long to ski flat vail poop.

 

[abc]

Lines today were about 20 on Bluebird, 15 on Grand Summit / Nitro / Canyon, 10 on Sunbrook, non-existent on Challenge and Outpost. Conditions were just as good with a few more inches fresh to start, more falling throughout the day and all but one trail open. Did lots of great tree runs too.

Thanks for that detail description.

I took the punt and skied Mount Snow yesterday and today.

Condition was excellent. Soft fluff here and there, on top of true "pack powder".

Yesterday, I stick to Canyon and Challenger. No lines whatsoever. Today, Canyon was down for a while so I had to skid over to Bluebird, which has a very short line, probably less than 5 min (don't have a watch). Grand Summit has no line whatsoever. (why is everyone standing in line for Bluebird, however short, while Grand Summit is ski right on? What is it that I don't know?)

Fallen Timber was fantastic. A couple inches on top of perfectly groomer surface == hero snow! No one's on it. So I was able to open up and ENJOY! Repeated as many times as my feet could handle (still dealing with some boot issues).

Ripcord top section was super slick. Lower part was roped off.

 

[drjeff]

Thanks for that detail description.

I took the punt and skied Mount Snow yesterday and today.

Condition was excellent. Soft fluff here and there, on top of true "pack powder".

Yesterday, I stick to Canyon and Challenger. No lines whatsoever. Today, Canyon was down for a while so I had to skid over to Bluebird, which has a very short line, probably less than 5 min (don't have a watch). Grand Summit has no line whatsoever. (why is everyone standing in line for Bluebird, however short, while Grand Summit is ski right on? What is it that I don't know?)

Fallen Timber was fantastic. A couple inches on top of perfectly groomer surface == hero snow! No one's on it. So I was able to open up and ENJOY! Repeated as many times as my feet could handle (still dealing with some boot issues).

Ripcord top section was super slick. Lower part was roped off.

Many people will choose to avoid the Grand Summit Express on days like today when snowmaking ops on Exhibition are going on to avoid getting hit with the snowgun product while on the lift.

Also, it is warmer with the bubble down than out in the open on the Grand Summit Express.

Other than that, the Bluebird is slightly faster to the top (just under a minute quicker) and there's a touch more back support due to the higher backed seat vs on the Grand Summit

 

[abc]

Good point.

It's not cold enough to need to close the bubble. (besides, I was sharing it with one other not from my household. Neither of us felt like closing the bubble). Though even with the bubble up, it still provides a little bit of shelter from the wind, and the falling snow.

I kept looking at the Grand Summit as we went up. It SEEMS to be a tad slower but I wasn't sure. Thanks for confirming that. Though the faster time was negated by the 3 minute line on the Bluebird. Grand Summit was ski right on.

 

[Newpylong]

I would choose the GSE any day if given the option. The slightly quicker rope speed of the BB is made up and then plenty more by not waiting to load it.

 

[jaytrem]

With limited loading on the lifts, I suspect the GSE is moving more people per hour these days. Thanks to the closer chair spacing.