Skiing Sunday River 2019-2020

[thetrailboss]

IMO the number one lift priority in Boynes New England network should be the Superquad.

Barker has a worse track record for reliability than the Superquad, but SR has a far better lift network overall than SL. When the Superquad goes down, SL is a horrible place to ski on a weekend. They just don't have the capacity elsewhere to spread people out. Even when it's running, Sugarloaf has an uphill capacity problem on weekends. A HS6 or 8 would help considerably.

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Yes. SuperQuad is pretty old. IIRC it was built around 1994 or 1995 when SKI owned it.

 

[EPB]

That lift line can also be extended to end at the Locke mid station or summit of Barker. Les liked to give himself options....

The White Heat and Oz quad lines could be extended to the bases of white cap and Jordan, respectively. There could be more examples, too.


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[EPB]

What if the upload terminal for a new lift is shifted uphill and an area cleared above Tempest? Could they use that cutover that already exists above there? I am in agreement once the uphill capacity goes up it will be critical to get people onto Obsession.

That lift line can also be extended to end at the Locke mid station or summit of Barker. Les liked to give himself options....

The White Heat and Oz quad lines could be extended to the bases of white cap and Jordan, respectively. There could be more examples, too.

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[machski]

Is it Tempest or White Cap Quad?

They are the same, SR is going to change the lift's name to the Tempest Quad as that is how it is referred to by most guests and is less confusing. I have no idea where Tempest being upgraded to a HSQ from a refurbed Swifty came from, in my conversations over the years, management has been very consistent they did not want to add a detachable chair to White Cap Basin. So the carpet will get added first, like the old Spruce triple got before the top fell over, and then the drive terminal and maybe the top return and some of/all the towers get replaced with new gear but stay as a FG reusing the carpet.

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[machski]

I know Boyne fully owns the place now and has more flexibility to do what they want, but 5 or 6 new high speed chairs in the next ten years? I'll take the under.

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Not that many, just Barker, Jordan and South Ridge are likely to be Detach. Wouldn't shock me if North Peak is cut back to a Fixed Grip again (was it Owl's Head in QC that did that recently, removed a detach and installed a new FG with a load carpet? One of them did that up there) but it could go Detach as well. My reasoning is North Peak was upgraded to HSQ before Chondi went in and before Chondi was used much more heavily. Now, it is a much more lightly used lift. Would not surprise me if either or both North Peak and Lincoln Expresses from Loon wind up at SR if they get upgraded to sixes or more at Loon. I would think South Ridge would be prime for that.

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[machski]

That lift line can also be extended to end at the Locke mid station or summit of Barker. Les liked to give himself options....

The White Heat and Oz quad lines could be extended to the bases of white cap and Jordan, respectively. There could be more examples, too.

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Extending Tempest to Locke midstation now is just insanity. That area is a total CF now thanks to the racing T-Bar, which means extending it there only gets you Cascade as you wouldn't be able to cut over with the set up. You could in theory extend the top uphill into Cascade to give you Snowbound access (and lower Obsession) but the lift would have to cross over Cascade, so it would have to be high where it would be most exposed (IE, wind holds would ratchet up). It won't be moving, same alignment and will always be a Fixed Grip quad. The new chair will just be an new gear likely from Dopp (either like King Pine at SL with just a new tristar drive terminal at the base or the Spruce deal with all new gear except re-using the carpet they intend to install in the near term).

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[Slidebrook87]

Not that many, just Barker, Jordan and South Ridge are likely to be Detach. Wouldn't shock me if North Peak is cut back to a Fixed Grip again (was it Owl's Head in QC that did that recently, removed a detach and installed a new FG with a load carpet? One of them did that up there) but it could go Detach as well. My reasoning is North Peak was upgraded to HSQ before Chondi went in and before Chondi was used much more heavily. Now, it is a much more lightly used lift. Would not surprise me if either or both North Peak and Lincoln Expresses from Loon wind up at SR if they get upgraded to sixes or more at Loon. I would think South Ridge would be prime for that.

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Barker should definitely be the #1 priority. It is constantly having mechanical issues and can only run at 700 ft/min. It dates back to 1987 and clearly needs to be replaced. Personally, I don’t think South Ridge or North Peak need replacement. Even though South Ridge runs extremely slow for a detachable (550 ft/min) it can still move a good amount of people due to close chair spacing. It serves as a great beginner lift and since the Chondola exists now, it doesn’t serve the critical role that it used to. Personally I don’t think North Peak will be going anywhere soon. I know it’s listed as part of the 2030 plans, but I’m doubtful that it will actually happen. Doppelmayr 2nd gen UNI lifts are very reliable and SR has maintained the lift very well. It mostly serves as a park lift nowadays so nothing really needs to be done. It’s unfair to compare it to Owl’s Head as this is a very different case, but I do partially understand the point you are trying to make. If anything, they will just keep the current North Peak, not downgrade it to a fixed grip. White Cap/Tempest should be upgraded soon, but a carpet should do for now. Maybe a couple of new trails could be cut when that lift is upgraded.

 

[machski]

Barker should definitely be the #1 priority. It is constantly having mechanical issues and can only run at 700 ft/min. It dates back to 1987 and clearly needs to be replaced. Personally, I don’t think South Ridge or North Peak need replacement. Even though South Ridge runs extremely slow for a detachable (550 ft/min) it can still move a good amount of people due to close chair spacing. It serves as a great beginner lift and since the Chondola exists now, it doesn’t serve the critical role that it used to. Personally I don’t think North Peak will be going anywhere soon. I know it’s listed as part of the 2030 plans, but I’m doubtful that it will actually happen. Doppelmayr 2nd gen UNI lifts are very reliable and SR has maintained the lift very well. It mostly serves as a park lift nowadays so nothing really needs to be done. It’s unfair to compare it to Owl’s Head as this is a very different case, but I do partially understand the point you are trying to make. If anything, they will just keep the current North Peak, not downgrade it to a fixed grip. White Cap/Tempest should be upgraded soon, but a carpet should do for now. Maybe a couple of new trails could be cut when that lift is upgraded.

Ok Slidebrook, to be clear (though Boyne was not), Barker is the first lift change out. Sounds like we have to wait one more season, I am hearing 2021 (could be the order book for Dopp is already strained). North Peak I am guessing is a pipe dream of sorts, though again, I think it relates to how it ties into Merrill Hill. Saying Owl's Head is a different story is totally wrong, North is served by another detach already, the Chondi. Very similar to the Owl's Head set-up. South Ridge is a high time machine, time to change it out. It is a critical beginner lift as well as critical for Chondi windholds (which is more often than the MTN would like). As I have said before, Tempest will remain a FGQ even after it is "replaced". Where would you propose new trails off the Tempest Quad?

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[Edd]

Nice. Going tomorrow.


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[Edd]

Nice. Going tomorrow.

Aaaand all of the upper lifts are on wind hold. This is literally the 3rd time this has happened to me out of the last 6-7 visits here over 3-4 seasons. That’s a bad average. Might bail to Wildcat.

 

[thetrailboss]

Aaaand all of the upper lifts are on wind hold. This is literally the 3rd time this has happened to me out of the last 6-7 visits here over 3-4 seasons. That’s a bad average. Might bail to Wildcat.

That sucks. I would think that Wildcat would have windholds going as well if you have them at SR.

 

[Edd]

That sucks. I would think that Wildcat would have windholds going as well if you have them at SR.

That’s what you’d think but it hasn’t proven to be true. Today they opened up later in the morning, luckily. SR, as much as I love it, goes down for wind more than any hill I know.

 

[thetrailboss]

That’s what you’d think but it hasn’t proven to be true. Today they opened up later in the morning, luckily. SR, as much as I love it, goes down for wind more than any hill I know.

Well, you can always go to Mt. Abram for the old school experience. Or Black Mountain of Maine.

 

[deadheadskier]

Well, you can always go to Mt. Abram for the old school experience. Or Black Mountain of Maine.

Neither operate on Wednesdays except for vacation weeks.

Mt Abram is Thursday through Sunday
BMOM Friday through Sunday

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[thetrailboss]

Neither operate on Wednesdays except for vacation weeks.

Mt Abram is Thursday through Sunday
BMOM Friday through Sunday

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I was wondering if they were closed midweek.

 

[Edd]

Conditions were quite good yesterday. Didn’t hit any trees but they were looking ok. If they get some accumulation today they’ll be set up nicely for vacation week.


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[Edd]

Skied SR yesterday, 26Feb. Spring conditions; was awesome. I usually skip White Heat and consider it a waste of time but yesterday it was actually fun to ski.

We need snow, though. Hopefully this storm delivers. I just woke up 20 minutes from Wildcat. Haven’t looked outside yet.


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[machski]

It is snowing on mountain since 7am at least at White Cap. Very wet snow, having trouble accumulating down low. Took the dog for his walk and up at Barker base it was dramatically different in terms of accumulating. Higher will be better. Don't plan for powder, this is cement. And with the coll down coming tonight thru Sunday, this stuff will set quite firmly most likely.

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[machski]

Yup, great day. Everything on and off map out west is fully juices up, no need to hold back for the crap lurking below. The Eastern glades? Well, you had better know the crud danger zones, a lot thinner over there but still doable. Upper sections of those lines are great, but you may pay the price down lower. West is best, if only this one had delivered at it's full potential, the entire hill would be surreal!

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[Slidebrook87]

My original plan was to go to SR on the 14th and the following few days, but judging by the weather I think it will have to be switched to Tremblant.


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