Snow at Sugarloaf

[Sugarloaf rules]

Hey, I just got this from Sugarloaf a little while ago. It sounds like their higher elevation is keeping this storm all snow.

Their website also has some photos that are making me wish I was out on the slopes instead of sitting here in front of a computer! This weekend is going to be sweeeeeeet!


Sugarloaf's powder alert
Good morning Powder Hounds!

The forecast called for 3-4 inches of snow but the forecast was
WRONG! As of 11 am there is 7-8+ inches of snow on the mountain
and there is no sign of it letting up anytime soon.

Sugarloaf's lofty elevation is making it possible for it to
snow, and snow hard, where lower lying and coastal areas are
seeing r***. (Sorry, I can't even write that word when I'm so
amped up from all this snow!)

To give you an example of how much snow we've received this
morning -- The fresh snow was slapping against my thighs and
above my knees as I came down Tote Road a few minutes ago. It's
like flying, minus the wings.

Sugarloaf is in store for a great weekend of skiing and riding
so make plans to join us. Be sure to log on to
http://www.sugarloaf.com/ for updated conditions and the
latest weather info.

That's all from here, I'm going skiing -- and you should too!

bill
Sugarloafer since 1992

 

[Joshua B]

The photos on their web site ARE great! Thanks for the post. There are some lucky folks up at the Loaf today and tomorrow.

 

[Greg]

Sugarloaf does rule! I'm getting in the car right now!

 

[ChileMass]

Those fresh tracks are killing me.......

 

[First Tracks]

Don't get too excited. Being that far east, it's just later when the warm air arrives. Not to sound like a pessimist, but I don't see it possible for even the Loaf to avoid liquid snow from this system.

 

[beswift]

I wonder how wet and heavy that snow is, too. Unless you live nearby, you will have a long drive and a very slushy weekend, I wouldn't doubt.

 

[bigbog]

re: ...might wanna think twice...

it's most all thick junk........


8)

 

[SAB]

Planning on heading over to Sugarloaf for a week this winter - been trying to make it to Sugarloaf for years now and really looking forward to finally getting there. I have a question for those in the know about the area.

In order to ski the upper Snowfields, what do you need to get there? Is the only lift accessing this area the Timberline lift? If so, can you get back to the Timberline lift from the bottom of the snowfields - or do you need to ski to the bottom of the mountain and take 2 lifts to get all the way back up to the top?

Final question - didn't there used to be a gondola from the base to the summit? If so - what happened to it?

Thanks for any help.

SAB

 

[loafer89]

In order to ski the backside of the snowfields at Sugarloaf, you have to hike a short distance (3-5 minutes) from the Timberline Quad. There is no easy way to access the snowfields, and each round trip requires a ride on two chairlifts. The gondola was shortened in 1994 and ran from the mid-station to the summit until 1997 (if I remember correctly) when it was nearly completly dismantled. While there is snowmaking in the snowfields on White Nitro ext and Winters Way ext, much of the snowfields rely on natural snow that usually is deep enough later in the ski season.

 

[beswift]

Gondolas

Gondolas are almost extinct for good reasons. They were introduced as the solution to windy exposures on chair lifts. Unfortunately, when the wind blows it makes them in-operable as they swing too much. There's a great topside octogonal lodge on the summit of Sugarloaf where the gondy ended. It has been taken over by the ski patrol but is open to the public for viewing. Surgaloaf has more lodges than I have ever seen at one ski area. You won't be able to ski snowfields unless it is a good snow year. There has been a lot of mumbling about the Gondola being scuttled to discourage dangerous or expert skiing. Certainly, the improvements made after the Gondola was dismantled expanded intermediate skiing terrain.

 

[beswift]

Let me add some more on this subject wrapping the ideas up. The latest improvements put in a lift that allowed more than experts to take advantage of the summit views. The summit restaurant closed prabably because it was too hard without the Gondola to supply it. Too often this has been the trend at ski areas. The first one to blast their summit in order to eliminate dangerous pitches to the slopes would have been Suicide Six. This occured back before my time. Suicide Six was a trail which no longer exists. Woodstock was a great ski town which has had it's eyeteeth exctraced. Killington came next. Once it had been developed, they blasted and bulldozed the summit. They elimated some great expert skiing off the Killington chair which now no longer exists.