Pat's Peak: Mar. 10, 2015

[joshua segal]

Mar. 10, 2015 - Tues.
This was my first trip to Pat's Peak since the 1989-90 season and I was particularly curious to see how the area has changed over the intervening years. For starters, they have a wonderful beginner area and after one graduates from that beginner area, they have a great variety of green circle runs to ski. There was a substantial quantity of blue squares. The bumps on Hurricane were magnificent and it is really the only run on the hill that I might agree with their "Double Diamond" rating. Vortex looks like it might be a good run, but it quickly rejoins Hurricane. To make sure people don't take the lower part, they put up b-netting: not just a rope to let guests know it is not a trail to be skied!

I liked FIS as a racing trail.

I think that it is great to have easier glades that are accessible to a wide range of guests. I thought the glades which are all rated single or double black varied from green circle (on Cascade Basin) to low end single black. I worry that someone skiing one of their glades could find themselves on Julio's (Killington) saying, "Well I skied the Hurricane Glade which was double diamond!"

The snow was great, starting as packed powder and transitioning to a wet powder as the day progressed. I'd be curious to hear from a Pat's Peak regular how the mountain absorbs the traffic when all three summit lifts are operating at capacity. (They all unload within 50 feet of each other.)

No question that Pat's has location on their side being just off I-89 so it is almost a 65MPH speed limit drive from any place on I-93 or Rt. 3 (to I-293).

If it's not clear from what I said above, I had a great time!

 

[Quietman]

Traitor!!!

Just kidding.

Seriously, after riding the Rocket all year, do the fixed grips at Pat's seem really slow, or are they short enough not to be annoying? Glad that you had a nice day!

 

[joshua segal]

Traitor!!!

Just kidding.

Seriously, after riding the Rocket all year, do the fixed grips at Pat's seem really slow, or are they short enough not to be annoying? Glad that you had a nice day!

Wow! That's harsh! Actually, I think it is important to see what the competition has to offer. Guests are always asking questions about that and I believe we should be conversant on other ski areas. That's one of the reasons I've been to 175.

Yes. The fixed grips felt really slow: 7 min. for 700 vertical on the Hurricane Triple vs. 3.5 min. for 860' vertical on the Rocket. I was there for 5 hours and according to the "Ski Tracks App" on my IPhone, I did about half the vertical I would have on the Rocket in a comparable time frame.

Never-the-less, I have nothing bad to say about Pat's Peak. They provide a quality product as do we at CM.

 

[xwhaler]

I take it the Vortex dbl was not running?
Never timed it but that feels like about a 3.5 minute ride for 618' of vert which is more palatable than either the Hurricane Triple or Peak Double.
Pats does have the better access over CM but everything else points to CM IMHO. Maybe the kids learning area is better at Pats?

 

[hammer]

Been to both places a fair number of times, both are great smaller areas closer to Boston. Pats is easier to get to, the doubles at Pats actually go at a decent clip IMO (especially the Vortex), and the trails are a little more interesting at Pats as well, no wide trails right down the fall line like at Crotched. Crotched wins lift wise, glades are more interesting and challenging, and the while the base lodge won't win any style contests it's very functional.

Think each area has its strengths.

 

[xwhaler]

Good point Hammer. The trails at Pats do have a bit more character but CM wins for on and off map glades by a wide margin.

 

[deadheadskier]

Moguls at Pats >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Crotched. (simply because there hardly ever are any at Crotched)

Pats wins in Lodge (Character, especially the bar), Moguls and Access

Crotched wins in Glades, Lifts and Vertical. It also doesn't feel like such a kids mad house when it gets busy.

Both are well run "feeder hills" and are integral to the NH ski industry IMO.

 

[hammer]

Actually, Crotched has upped their mogul offerings, mainly by not grooming the entire width of a few runs.

Pats lodge has more character but when it's busy it feels quite cramped. Do like the bar though, especially the popcorn...

 

[Smellytele]

Glad you enjoyed it. Being a pats regular I have to say The Vortex chair is the fastest on the mountain and I can not stand the hurricane triple which is dead ass slow. the Middle half of Vortex can be skied by cutting through the woods from FIS. Also the lift line under the peak double chair is opened sometimes as well. While the Hurricane glades are not really double d's the entrance to them when you drop in can be tricky. Once in I agree just a single d. I have never experienced a crowded trail there when all 3 chairs have run to the top even when the lines are longer.
Like the pub. Is there an bar now at the Crotch? Last time I was there in the warehouse there was just that area with the half wall. Not even a wall more like a changing screen.

 

[joshua segal]

Comments:
xwhaler's question on the Vortex Double: They did open the Vortex Double around 2PM. It was faster, not only because of the higher rope speed, but because it cuts off about a football field length of runout.

Comparisons:
I work at CM; I live at CM; I have a bias toward CM. I think both CM and Pat's provide a quality product and because of my bias, I tried to avoid comparisons - and you will notice that I succeeded in my first posting, but got sucked in by quietman's posting.

Feeder Hills?
While neither CM nor Pat's are destination resorts, I think both offer sufficient vertical, variety and interesting runs, that they stand by themselves as regional ski centers. McIntyre, Bradford, Blue Hills, Nashoba are some examples of what IMO are feeder hills. Let's face it: If you go to Mt. Snow and ski just the North Face, you're only skiing 1000 feet of vertical! While Killington is 3K vertical, most continuous lift pods give only 1000' vertical.

Moguls - I disagree with deadheadskier:
With UFO/Equinox, Solstice (faux) Glade and the east side of Pluto's; I would say that was considerably more than Hurricane and a few small patches at the bottom of FIS and Tornado. Never-the-less, I think both offered some fun bump skiing.

And to hammer who said, "... while the base lodge (at CM) won't win any style contests it's very functional." I agree 100%!

 

[Quietman]

I tried to avoid comparisons - and you will notice that I succeeded in my first posting, but got sucked in by quietman's posting.

Sorry! I really was just kidding!

 

[deadheadskier]

re. Feeder Hills: where significant amount of after school programs occur introducing local young people to the sport. Crotched, Pats, McIntyre, Granite Gorge and Whaleback all fall into this category.

re. Bumps: it took an epic winter for Crotched to deliver something decent. I'll admit during my two visits they had some "B" quality moguls compared to last year when I'd grade them a D- Hurricane at Pats blows anything at Crotched away. Jupiter's Storm should look like Hurricane every year and hardly ever see grooming. This all said you of the opinion that mogul coaches should be criminally charged by their athletes has an entirely different idea about what a mountain's mogul offerings should be like.

 

[xwhaler]

Like the pub. Is there an bar now at the Crotch? Last time I was there in the warehouse there was just that area with the half wall. Not even a wall more like a changing screen.

There is a pub...I've only been going to CM for a few yrs so unsure what it was before but it is separated a bit with a more permanent wall.
They have probably 4/5 booths + a wrap around bar. I think there are some high tops and couches on the side facing the hill.
Not the best atmosphere but it works and food is pretty good. Like the Sled Pub better though.

 

[deadheadskier]

I give Crotched a lot of credit for being able to pull off a decent bar in that warehouse. Agreed it's not the sled, but it works.

 

[Newpylong]

FYI bumps at CM were there before we got all the natural, so management must have decided to leave more this year.

 

[joshua segal]

In the year or so I've been involved with Alpine Zone, there is one thing I can be sure of and that is that deadheadskier and I will disagree - and it's clear we don't agree on the definition of a feeder hill.

Bumps are a year-to-year management decision and management decided they want the snow deep enough so the moguls wouldn't bottom out in the troughs on UFO/Equinox.

As for Jupiter Storm, they tried bumps but after two seasons of ice bumps with snowboarders scraping out the middlebump leaving an icy mess in between, they thought better of it this year.

 

[thetrailboss]

Oh boy looks like a Crotched vs Pats debate. I only skied at Pats. Never been to Crotched. Pats does a great job with what they have. It's better than one might expect. Great ownership and management.


Sent from my iPhone using AlpineZone

 

[joshua segal]

Oh boy looks like a Crotched vs Pats debate. I only skied at Pats. Never been to Crotched. Pats does a great job with what they have. It's better than one might expect. Great ownership and management.

Hey! This was supposed to be a trip report about Pat's Peak. Not a Crotched vs. Pat's debate. But even if it was a Crotched vs. Pat's debate why would you comment if you never went to Crotched? I would suggest that both Crotched and Pat's have great ownership and management and that was never an issue anywhere in this thread!

 

[deadheadskier]

Yes Josh. We disagree. :lol:

 

[thetrailboss]

Hey! This was supposed to be a trip report about Pat's Peak. Not a Crotched vs. Pat's debate. But even if it was a Crotched vs. Pat's debate why would you comment if you never went to Crotched? I would suggest that both Crotched and Pat's have great ownership and management and that was never an issue anywhere in this thread!

I just expressed my opinion. That's all.


Sent from my iPhone using AlpineZone