Ragged gets a new GM

[thebigo]

Snowing all day, never changed over. Wind died down. Six is opening, they are digging out spear. Going to be a fun afternoon.

 

[Newpylong]

They got it running around noon and too his credit management is front and center.

View attachment 52696

Barnes?

 

[Newpylong]

Snowing all day, never changed over. Wind died down. Six is opening, they are digging out spear. Going to be a fun afternoon.

Showboat is the place to be in this cement!

 

[Abubob]

Will they drop the ropes on the ravine?

 

[Abubob]

Snowing all day, never changed over. Wind died down. Six is opening, they are digging out spear. Going to be a fun afternoon.

Flying Yankee?

 

[thebigo]

Ropes were falling everywhere. Ravine was open from the ragged side but my legs died before we made it in there, heard it was decent.

We were first tracks on sweepstakes, skied it a couple times then headed over to raggae for a couple. At this point, a beer break was needed. Plan after break was to work our way from cardigan across both mountains scouting woods lines, I always like to see where people are dropping into the woods after a storm.

Best laid plans, we hit tree hugger to ridge runner off cardigan, it was so damn fun we had to lap it several times. At this point I was done with trees, thought we would wrap the day with one each yankee and showboat lap but I have a building problem in one knee that was screaming after the yankee lap. Nine year old daughter headed back up for a showboat lap and in her words it was "fantastic".

Will post some pictures and other thoughts after I get the kids fed.

 

[thebigo]

A few pictures from today:

 

[thebigo]

At the risk of talking to myself. We showed up around 9:30, only the barnyard was running, the mountain could have easily bagged the day and with a cheap pass, nobody would have blamed them.

They didn't bag the day, they worked to get both lifts open. I may be jaded from years of getting screwed over by vail but this is how a ski area is supposed to be run.

They tried to get the six running around ten but the wind prevailed. They got it running around noon and the entire lift line was cheering. Tim made sure everyone in line knew that Tyler the lift mechanic was the reason we were skiing from the summit, a 'tyler' chant, worthy of fenway, ensued.

And yes on Sunday, the busiest day of the year, Barnes was talking up the parking attendants then standing in front of the six taking questions when it was down.

 

[Newpylong]

Hopefully we see more of him front and center there is no better way to lead than from the front lines. Gamble and Schramm were very good GMs but never left the office it seemed.

I just checked the cam and it looks like snowmaking on Lower Ridge and Wild Side Park building as they said would happen post storm. I also saw a snowmaker go into the valve station by the Spear lift. That station controls the uplines for both Exhibition and Birches (switch them off of Spear/Barnyard) so I assume he was lining one of those up for next.

 

[TahoeDad]

My daughter works at Ragged and got some sweet turns in on her break and late in the day. Her photos look very similar to thebigo's in an earlier post. Great little mountain and great staff [I am biased].

 

[Newpylong]

The staff is amazing! Always smiling and they know their jobs.

 

[thebigo]

Still hitting wild side/ride hard. There is a strange microclimate here that allows the snow making cloud from one trail to cover the entire resort when it is cold enough, park snowmaking was coating both chairs all morning. I will never understand how these parks are worth the snowmaking investment but a topic for another day.

Rope dropped on lower ridge, it is skiing good and a nice addition on that side. Also took a run down easy winder, they ran a couple groomer passes, good run but it needs more snow.

Good crowd today, F & B appear to be printing money.

 

[Newpylong]

All I have to say is the smart mountains wait until temps like this to make the snow. It is a lot no doubt.

Hopefully they are done and go to Upper Ex > Birches tomorrow.

Easy Winder is a weird trail. Very...unfinished? It had snowmaking installed (and even towers) but never used. Its disconnected right now. My kids love it though it would be a nice addition with regular snowmaking and grooming so you could keep speed up at the bottom.

 

[Mum skier]

Two questions for the group.
1. When is the cut off the for cheapest rate season pass at Ragged?
2. Are they going to be over run next year wiht people bailing from Vail?

We have done Epic 4 years now. Really no major complaints as other than last year a single trip to a Western resort justifies the cost of a local pass, and we like Sunapee. And wiht a family of 4 the savings add up. But time commitments to our kids other sporting events probably means we won’t make a trip west the next few years. We are also not early morning people so I need an unlimited option near to Boston to make shorter days worth it. Can’t bear to use a “day ticket” for a few hours skiing. We have a second house in Plymouth, NH. So I am thinking Ragged for most weekends and Indy for local driving Christmas/February trips which don’t need to be booked in advance and can accommodate the kids other sports competitions.

But is Ragged going to suffer next year with Vail bail? (That rhyme.....)

 

[thebigo]

Two questions for the group.
1. When is the cut off the for cheapest rate season pass at Ragged?
2. Are they going to be over run next year wiht people bailing from Vail?

We have done Epic 4 years now. Really no major complaints as other than last year a single trip to a Western resort justifies the cost of a local pass, and we like Sunapee. And wiht a family of 4 the savings add up. But time commitments to our kids other sporting events probably means we won’t make a trip west the next few years. We are also not early morning people so I need an unlimited option near to Boston to make shorter days worth it. Can’t bear to use a “day ticket” for a few hours skiing. We have a second house in Plymouth, NH. So I am thinking Ragged for most weekends and Indy for local driving Christmas/February trips which don’t need to be booked in advance and can accommodate the kids other sports competitions.

But is Ragged going to suffer next year with Vail bail? (That rhyme.....)

Few random thoughts over coffee before getting the kids up at 6 AM to head over for yet another day race training.

I suspect the majority of epic pass holders either haven't caught on that anything is wrong or have no idea ragged exists. I would expect ragged to raise the price next year's, $400 sounds like a reasonable step; in my mind they could easily charge $500 for what they offer. The cutoff was early to mid April, i found it with a Google search the other day looking for the pats benefit. Today is day 40 for me, more than half at ragged - it has only felt crowded when there is a race and only in the lodge. I have not had the human gates or getting run down by dogs feeling once. If I lived in Boston and had a second house in Plymouth, I would be all over cannon passes every year.

 

[Newpylong]

Snowmaking on Birches now

 

[thebigo]

Snowmaking on Birches now

Haven't been out since Sunday but watching the web cam. Appears they hit town meeting and upper expo earlier this week, now working on lower expo and birches. Should about wrap it up, wonder if they will touch up blueberry down to the junction after? The junction gets a bunch of traffic and may not hold up if we get a warm Feb.

 

[thebigo]

Blowing again on birches as of this afternoon. Plan to be there at opening tomorrow, also mowed VG for a border cross course - the only park feature I actually use.

 

[Abubob]

Blowing again on birches as of this afternoon. Plan to be there at opening tomorrow, also mowed VG for a border cross course - the only park feature I actually use.

I always hit that boarder cross feature. S'fun!

I'm glad about Birches but d'ya think they'll get Lower Ridge open or is that off the table?

 

[Edd]

I’m planning on trying Ragged for the first time this Monday. Always been curious.