Snowmaking at Hunter

[kingslug]

I could take a bus trip to Killington for 100.00...or pay about 150.00 for Hunter, gas tolls etc..think I'll go to Hunter..they have better conditions...ain't that f'd up...

 

[catskillman]

Hunter is blowing snow today - HBK & Parkway. The skiing has been good.

After Pres WE I would be very very surprised if they blew any snow

 

[ScottySkis]

36 degrees at the mountain now, guns are supposed to go back on tonight. They are almost 100 percent open, what is there to complain about? Go compare that to anyone else, or their neighbors. It's not close.

I love Mt Snow but i think all resorts in southern VT have about the same if not more trails open, i think mount snow is behind a little this winter, but its been horrible temperatures for their snow making to.

 

[JimG.]

I love Mt Snow but i think all resorts in southern VT have about the same if not more trails open, i think mount snow is behind a little this winter, but its been horrible temperatures for their snow making to.

Not even close for me...I'll take the 1:15 drive to Hunter over the 3 hour drive to Mt. Snow anyday.

If I'm driving 3 hours, I'll go to Killington.

 

[oakapple]

I love Mt Snow but i think all resorts in southern VT have about the same if not more trails open, i think mount snow is behind a little this winter, but its been horrible temperatures for their snow making to.

Hunter is about 85 percent open. They don't cite acreage on their website, but the total at Hunter is 240 acres when fully open, so Hunter today has about 204 acres (43 named trails, 6 lifts).

Mount Snow is "only" 72 percent open, but because they're so much bigger than Hunter, it adds up to 335 acres, 46 named trails, and 9 lifts.

There might be reasons why some people would prefer Hunter, but in terms of terrain Mount Snow has them beat by a pretty wide margin.

 

[Hawkshot99]

Hunter is about 85 percent open. They don't cite acreage on their website, but the total at Hunter is 240 acres when fully open, so Hunter today has about 204 acres (43 named trails, 6 lifts).

Mount Snow is "only" 72 percent open, but because they're so much bigger than Hunter, it adds up to 335 acres, 46 named trails, and 9 lifts.

There might be reasons why some people would prefer Hunter, but in terms of terrain Mount Snow has them beat by a pretty wide margin.

But how many of those acres are over at Carinthia were most people who dont hit the jumps never go?

 

[St. Bear]

There might be reasons why some people would prefer Hunter, but in terms of terrain Mount Snow has them beat by a pretty wide margin.

This is a fun game.

There might be reasons why some people would prefer Mount Snow, but in terms of terrain Sugarbush has them beat by a pretty wide margin.

There might be reasons why some people would prefer Sundown, but in terms of terrain Sugarloaf has them beat by a pretty wide margin.

There might be reasons why some people would prefer Ski Shawnee, but in terms of terrain Jackson Hole has them beat by a pretty wide margin.

What exactly is your point?

 

[oakapple]

But how many of those acres are over at Carinthia were most people who dont hit the jumps never go?

That statistic isn't separately quoted anywhere, but given the size of Mount Snow's lead, 335 acres to 204, I suspect it would still have more terrain, even if you subtracted both mountains' terrain parks (Hunter has them too, though not as many).

I know that only one of Mount Snow's currently open lifts is at Carinthia, so all the rest are at the main mountain.

 

[legalskier]

That statistic isn't separately quoted anywhere, but given the size of Mount Snow's lead, 335 acres to 204, I suspect it would still have more terrain, even if you subtracted both mountains' terrain parks (Hunter has them too, though not as many)..

Are you saying that "bigger is better?"

 

[kingslug]

While you can compare Mt Snow to Hunter.they are pretty different in layout. A lot of Mt Snow I consider very intermediate, as Hunter has many advanced trails grouped together, its a more compact mountain. When things are good Mt Snow can be pretty fun to roam around on..you don't really roam Hunter, just blast down all the runs and repeat. It is without question IMHO that Hunter has blown the most snow. Hunter does not invest in real estate, they put it all into snowmaking and that has made the difference. I would like to get to Snow sometime this year, maybe spring..hell I would like to get to all the VT resorts, but not yet, not worth the drive or expense at this point..I look at Hunter as a practice ground for my trips out west..at least they have steeps to slide around on..and Clairs has been pretty good so far..

 

[oakapple]

While you can compare Mt Snow to Hunter.they are pretty different in layout. A lot of Mt Snow I consider very intermediate, as Hunter has many advanced trails grouped together, its a more compact mountain. When things are good Mt Snow can be pretty fun to roam around on..you don't really roam Hunter, just blast down all the runs and repeat.

The conversation has morphed a bit...which is fine. Originally, I was responding to the person who had said, "They [Hunter] are almost 100 percent open, what is there to complain about? Go compare that to anyone else."

To that comment, it is reasonable to point out that Hunter's 100 percent is less than many other places' 50 or 60 percent; and anyway, Hunter is not 100 percent open.

This, of course, is without taking into account how far you would have to drive, or the specific type of terrain you are looking for. You are entirely correct that Mount Snow and Hunter have very different layouts, and for certain needs Hunter, even though smaller, might actually be better.

It is without question IMHO that Hunter has blown the most snow. Hunter does not invest in real estate, they put it all into snowmaking and that has made the difference.

I will go ahead and question that. Hunter does a good job, and I won't take that away from them, but again: there are many places (outside the Catskills) with a lot more terrain, and I am not sure how we compare them, or what real estate has to do with it. I don't see any evidence that Mount Snow or Killington has skimped on snowmaking so that they could build houses. (Real estate deals, where they exist, are usually run through separate corporate entites with their own P&Ls.)

 

[BenedictGomez]

You are entirely correct that Mount Snow and Hunter have very different layouts, and for certain needs Hunter, even though smaller, might actually be better.

What are you getting at there, expert terrain?

 

[ScottySkis]

From NYC i used to take a ski bus so choice being Hunter or Mount Snow i took the Snow trip every time, North Face is bigger then Hunter West I think.

 

[JimG.]

Hunter is about 85 percent open. They don't cite acreage on their website, but the total at Hunter is 240 acres when fully open, so Hunter today has about 204 acres (43 named trails, 6 lifts).

Mount Snow is "only" 72 percent open, but because they're so much bigger than Hunter, it adds up to 335 acres, 46 named trails, and 9 lifts.

There might be reasons why some people would prefer Hunter, but in terms of terrain Mount Snow has them beat by a pretty wide margin.

Yes, this is correct, as well as what others have said about "roaming".

I was coming strictly from the drive time perspective.

 

[JimmyPete]

I started the thread and really was questioning the dearth of snowmaking even where the nights seemed pretty cold. IMHO Hunter is a great mountain for where it sits. Hunter has always had a rep because of the crowds that can inhabit a place so close to the City and North Jersey. But it has mellowed. It would be wonderful if they could cut one or two more blues from the top. The other problem with Hunter is that all the tentative skiers use Belt Parkway, it gets crowded and skied off especially on the weekends. While many of the blacks are really upper intermediates when groomed the Belt seems to be the safest bet for the cautious. Don't know if that could be remedied. Anyway happy 95th birthday to Mr. Slutzky , they've done a great job.

 

[oakapple]

It would be wonderful if they could cut one or two more blues from the top. The other problem with Hunter is that all the tentative skiers use Belt Parkway, it gets crowded and skied off especially on the weekends. While many of the blacks are really upper intermediates when groomed the Belt seems to be the safest bet for the cautious. Don't know if that could be remedied. Anyway happy 95th birthday to Mr. Slutzky , they've done a great job.

I assume there are environmental obstacles to cutting more trails, as the Hunter trail map has been static for decades, and the benefit of another non-black route from the summit is obvious. Really, this problem occurs at any ski area where there is only one easy way down from the summit. Long John/Little John at Mount Snow are similarly crowded.

If Hunter could add one more trail from the summit, I would make it a meandering green, as I think there is a pretty big difficulty gap between Hunter's only long green (Mossy Brook) and the next step up, which is Belt Parkway. That is why you see so many people on Belt Parkway who are gingerly making their way down.

The coding of trails as blue or black is all relative. Belt Parkway is certainly the easiest way down, with Jimmy Huega second-easiest. Something has to be the easiest black.

 

[JimG.]

Snowmaking has resumed.

From what I understand (not skiing today) guns are blazing on many trails.

 

[millerm277]

I assume there are environmental obstacles to cutting more trails, as the Hunter trail map has been static for decades, and the benefit of another non-black route from the summit is obvious. Really, this problem occurs at any ski area where there is only one easy way down from the summit. Long John/Little John at Mount Snow are similarly crowded.

If Hunter could add one more trail from the summit, I would make it a meandering green, as I think there is a pretty big difficulty gap between Hunter's only long green (Mossy Brook) and the next step up, which is Belt Parkway. That is why you see so many people on Belt Parkway who are gingerly making their way down.

I would say it's more a geographic issue. Hunter is the steepest mountain I've ever seen on a topo map, it's steeper than every other area I could think to compare to.

http://g.co/maps/ts5qn

The ski area is the steep thing in the center of the map. This is also why Hunter's expert runs on the main face still twist and turn constantly, IMO.

I don't think it's possible to cut a beginner run off the top, especially not when the already existing trails are factored in.