Snowmaking underway at Killington

[deadheadskier]

It was a masterpiece of marketing and it worked.

and a disaster of trail design.

Shockwave and Obsession are two of my favorie trails on the mountain, especially Shockwave. They should have made Heat about the width of Agony and then thrown another trail inbetween it and Shockwave.

Think how much better that would make Whitecap.

 

[jerryg]

and a disaster of trail design.

Shockwave and Obsession are two of my favorie trails on the mountain, especially Shockwave. They should have made Heat about the width of Agony and then thrown another trail inbetween it and Shockwave.

Think how much better that would make Whitecap.

Totally agree. White Cap could have had a much better design, but Les was looking for an answer to OL and he thought he found it in WH. A lot of people still think that WH is a some super-hard trail that they want to conquer while realistically, it's just a wide sheet of ice that is underutilized now. I remember skiing June 1st of WH back in like 94 and you had to walk from the base of the WH lift to the base of White Cap. Shockwave is a fabulous trail, which I think is one of the best in the east in the right conditions. Obsession can be a lot of fun and has proven to be a good racing trail. I've never thought much of Chutzpah, but Hard Ball is a really fun glade if you know where to ski it.

 

[deadheadskier]

Shockwave is a fabulous trail, which I think is one of the best in the east in the right conditions.

One of the biggest shit eating grins I've had in the past five years was on Shockwave a few seasons ago after a recent dump when they hadn't mowed down the snowmaking whales. I remember I think four years ago when it didn't open it all. It always seems to be a very low priority trail for them to get open despite how great it is. I think the biggest factor in why many don't ski over on Whitecap is the Temptest Quad. Such a crappy lift to get out of that area when you want to.

My favorite areas of SR are Aurora and Whitecap (when SW is open). They seem to be the least popular areas of the mountain. BobR will probably kill me for saying this, but I think Vortex ranks second behind WH for the biggest Fup design on the mountain. It often is just a wide boilerplate as well. Should've made two narrower trails in that valley instead of the wide swath.

......or seed bumps wall to wall on Vortex.

 

[jerryg]

but I think Vortex ranks second behind WH for the biggest Fup design on the mountain. It often is just a wide boilerplate as well. Should've made two narrower trails in that valley instead of the wide swath.

......or seed bumps wall to wall on Vortex.

I love Vortex. The snow has been much better in recent years and it's a got a very good consistently steep pitch.

 

[millerm277]

Every ski resort lies about it's snow totals, but nobody lies as bad as Killington. Although, the mos recent ownershipp seems a bit more reasonable.

Having made nearly every decent storm at Killington in the past couple years....they don't lie in any way I can tell, the numbers are usually roughly about what it "feels" like to me for overall snowfall.

However, Killington often gets some serious winds along with the storms (especially Skye Peak), and not always in the same direction. As a result, they can get 2ft of snow, and depending on where you head to, you might find wind scoured nothing, or 6ft drifts.

 

[deadheadskier]

I love Vortex. The snow has been much better in recent years and it's a got a very good consistently steep pitch.

haven't had a pass there in a few seasons. When I did have a pass there it was almost always just a boilerplate swath down the middle with bumps on the sides.

I don't think trails like Vortex should ever be groomed outside of freeze events.

 

[Terry]

I've gotta admit... I have no idea what the stated, projected or actual total was... and I didn't that weekend... I didn't take a ruler out with me... I just had a friggin blast.

-w

We were there for early turns with management that saturday morning and man you should have heard the hooting and hollering! I don't know how deep it was but it seemed bottomless. It was the deepest I have skied in a long time. And our group had it all to ourselves for an hour before the masses showed up!

 

[bigbob]

Were either of you there for that storm? 57 inches is probably exagerated, but not by much. Over in Oz and Jordan I would say they got at least 48 inches over the course of the storm. The snow was DEEP. Sure, Southridge got 2 feet of sludge, but this was one of the biggest snow events at elevation that I have seen at Sunday River in the 23 years I have skied there.

Measuring snowfall is more than sticking a ruler in at the end of the storm. Snow compacts and settles as more snow falls on top of what has already fallen. The NWS has a standard procedure for using an elevated snowboard and clearing off the snowboard after a 6" accumulation to lessen the compaction. If you measured 48" at the end of the storm, it would not surprise me if the true total was 57".

 

[Smellytele]

One of the biggest shit eating grins I've had in the past five years was on Shockwave a few seasons ago after a recent dump when they hadn't mowed down the snowmaking whales. I remember I think four years ago when it didn't open it all. It always seems to be a very low priority trail for them to get open despite how great it is. I think the biggest factor in why many don't ski over on Whitecap is the Temptest Quad. Such a crappy lift to get out of that area when you want to.

My favorite areas of SR are Aurora and Whitecap (when SW is open). They seem to be the least popular areas of the mountain. BobR will probably kill me for saying this, but I think Vortex ranks second behind WH for the biggest Fup design on the mountain. It often is just a wide boilerplate as well. Should've made two narrower trails in that valley instead of the wide swath.

......or seed bumps wall to wall on Vortex.

I have also been on shockwave when after rain and freeze when they hadn't mowed down the snowmaking cliffs (whales). It was the worst trail I have ever skied. It shouldn't have been open and it was the only trail I have ever thought about taking the skis off. I should had done my home work because it snow 10 inches in MWV and rain at Sunday river. I have skied it on good days as well. Skied the next day at Wildcat and had a great day.

 

[Vortex]

Don't ski Vortex and Black hole. Way over rated. Ski Jordan and White cap, that is where the cool people hang.:wink: Upper section or Vortex on a powder day is unreal.

 

[Newpylong]

and a disaster of trail design.

Shockwave and Obsession are two of my favorie trails on the mountain, especially Shockwave. They should have made Heat about the width of Agony and then thrown another trail inbetween it and Shockwave.

Think how much better that would make Whitecap.

Agreed 100%. Obsession is one of the best runs to rip turns on anywhere. Shockwave is also a blast. White Heat is just fun watching on the ride up, lol.