SR opens Early, Our Crew Reports From The Hill

[skibumME2009]

So we all know Sunday River opened early, but our crew went out there to do a little investigation. Here is what they found. FYI we all came to the conclusion that a mountain with 100+ runs should have waited before opening with 1\2 a trail. Still they were the first!

APres4eva Team Report Wednesday October 14th, 2009

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Skiing was on T2 upper only, Downloading was slow and strange for skiers, we also noticed frequent sudden stops where snow would turn to grass causing skiers to fall or lurch unexpectedly and we all know skis don't like grass, Fairly consistent surface, guns in the face didn't make for a pleasant atmosphere and the wind pushed the snow all over the place.

We would like to congratulate SR on opening early but the crews opinion of this move even for SR, 1\2 trail was probably a bit premature. They were the first yes, and Ethan of sugarloaf is right TECHNICALLY the Loaf" should have the honor, but they didn't open with a bang.

They will be open tomorrow with one trail upper only, T2 out of Locke Mountain, however at days end we as a crew noticed it was very well skied off by 3:30 pm. The grass was visible all over the trail, maybe they will groom it tonight! People who venture out tomorrow will probably get whats left for $25 a lift ticket.

Enjoy everyone, or wait for more snow, the long range forecast says below normal snowfall and colder then normal temps, but it could all change.

Apres4eva Eval Team (Mountain # 1 Team)

http://APres4eva.ning.com

 

[Rambo]

From what I can see here, the machine made base is quite solid. Machine made snow is so much more denser and durable than natural snow. Machine made snow is crystaline in structure rather than fragile flakes. This kind of machine made base holds up well to high traffic. I see no grass areas in this vid of opening day. I guess the 14th was free skiing and now through the weekend I think is $25.

 

[skibumME2009]

I see no grass areas in this vid of opening day.

Excellent Observation, the vid was shot about 15 minutes after they opened, ask them for a vid of what it looks like right NOW!

That wouldnt make good PR

Nothing wrong with $25 lift tickets as long as you dont have to ride a chairlift back to the bottom!

Course when you really think about it that 25 probably is the fee for the rides back down a perfectly good mountain LOL

 

[BigK]

When I read about the base depth being only 6", I thought (figured) this would happen..Killington is clearly making the right move. Congrats to SR...Hope they are hitting that trail heavily with snowmaking tonight and it improves....Let the piles grow in the higher altitudes at Killington..We will see who opens and stays open first and with how much terrain:beer:

 

[BigK]

double post

 

[skibumME2009]

BigK

I noticed your from Vermont?

What do you think The Killington Resort will open with, I know they are making snow, and a photo on their site shows lots of coverage, hopefully more then half a trail

SR joke there

 

[BigK]

BigK

I noticed your from Vermont?

What do you think The Killington Resort will open with, I know they are making snow, and a photo on their site shows lots of coverage, hopefully more then half a trail

SR joke there

Killington is making a huge amount of snow right now and will for the next few days..I would expect them to open with the "normal" trails for an opening day, but what some are forgetting is that by K getting all this upper snowmaking done they will be able to move down the hill and cover more terrain than normal. The Snowdon quad could be running opening day or very shortly after along with Lower East Fall being open. The snow they are making currently isn't really gonna go anywhere. During the "warm up" they will have a chance to move and set up a ton of snowmaking equipment. Should be interesting. I'm not trying to take anything away from SR, but for Killington's Lift situation the right decision was made. Killington will be able to open within a few days when a 24/7 wetbuld arrives at kbl........

 

[skibumME2009]

"Killington will be able to open within a few days when a 24/7 wetbuld arrives at kbl"

A what?

 

[Vortex]

Down loading is a pain in the ass. I walk down. I can't wait to get up tomorrow working on maybe a later afternoon arrival today. This is what you get in Oct Take it or leave it, not to mention yesterday was free. They are opening to take care of the Season pass holders and to sell Season passes. If you buy a ticket great, but this is a show that the loyal customers matters.

Last year they opened early and kept staying open weekends until they could keep it going daily. I am glad they opened and I will be with a large crew tomorrow who feel the same way.

I would supect it will be much better today as well. The skiers got out and moved it around and it will set up, plus much better snow making condition overnight and tonight. I smell top to bottm.

I'll take anything early and late season, Anyone who does not like coming out early rake leaves.:idea::wink:

This will be the earliest I have ever lift service skied.

Guess how I voted

 

[riverc0il]

Uploading and downloading for only one trail is not unprecedented and happens more often than you might expect. Waterville Valley does this with the High Country Double to open earlier than they could top to bottom. Sugarbush did it late season for a few years at Mount Ellen for only two and a half routes down. Heck, Killington used to truck people up to mid-mountain and then upload/download. At one time, Cannon used the tram to upload when they gave early season a shot once. Etc. Beggars can't be choosers when it comes to October skiing and if that means uploading and downloading on a reduced speed chairlift that stops frequently... well, I think if you are criticizing this practice for one run then it says more about your standards than about whether or not it should be done. I think Sunday River will need to see what the ticket sales (and new season pass sales, probably more important from their perspective) are to see if this is worth while. It was when they did it the last two years on Halloween so they must think opening with just T2 is worth it.

As for the conditions, it is early season on an expert run. Killington has a lot of grass and rock showing on Bunny Buster when they open early, or at least that was the case when I was last there (probably better now due to higher standards and fewer ticket/season pass sales). There will be evening snow making temps every day for the forseeable future, so I suspect conditions will continue to improve. And if it gets skied off by closing time, I suspect it is still just fine and dandy to most die hards.

I hope I don't sound too critical of your report, but for $25 in mid-October, I think your expectations may have been a little too high. Then again, take my thoughts for what they are worth, because during early and late season, I do regularly ski patches of grass (literally all grass, no snow) if needed to link patches of snow and do so giddily. :lol:

 

[Vortex]

Waterville and Loon both down load each year when they open. SR had down loaded for the last 2 years early season. Without it you don't ski early. Rant know completed. See you all on the hill.


Ya I am a proud skiing homer early and late Season.:razz:

 

[deadheadskier]

I really don't see how anyone can make an argument that an area opened too early, especially if the first day is free and the next several is only $25.

They know that loyal pass holders and die hards are out there. It's part marketing money, but also part gift to the people that want to ski, even if it is WROD.

If you don't like WROD with a download. Don't go. It's as simple as that.

 

[skiadikt]

early season there's often downloading. for all those years when k WAS the beast, there always was downloading on the k chair early & late skiing. we'll take it. beggars can't be choosey ...

 

[jerryg]

Skiing is skiing. If K had the downloadling capacity, they would do the same thing. The base they opened with is fine given the temps right now and the crowd. It's actually VERY GOOD PR for SR/Boyne because it shows that they care about getting the place open for skiing and riding and that equates to more people coming throughout the season. Furthermore, it gets people talking about skiing earlier. It would only be too early if Boyne felt that it was too early. They are paying and they wanted to do it. You can only ski a few feet of vert at a time and with the huge window of snowmaking at SR right now, they will have more open soon and long before anyone else spins. If someone else was the first to open, I'd go there, but they didn't. Congrats to SR.

 

[Razor]

As an SR regular, I'm proud of the management for opening like this. Great PR and a bone thrown to locals and others with the jones. But I went last year under these circumstances and I have to admit that it's not worth a 4 hour drive and overnight stay to ski such a short run. I'll wait until it's top-to-bottom. But props to those who venture out there.

 

[Greg]

Thin cover, i.e. grass poking through, downloading, and guns in the face just have to be expected if you want to ski on October 14...

 

[bvibert]

Thin cover, i.e. grass poking through, downloading, and guns in the face just have to be expected if you want to ski on October 14...

That's actually far better than I would expect for skiing in the North East on October 14th.

 

[Vortex]

As an SR regular, I'm proud of the management for opening like this. Great PR and a bone thrown to locals and others with the jones. But I went last year under these circumstances and I have to admit that it's not worth a 4 hour drive and overnight stay to ski such a short run. I'll wait until it's top-to-bottom. But props to those who venture out there.

I think top to bottom may be today. Probably safe to say tomorrow. If you turn the river web cam just so, you can see the guns on lower punch rigth know.

 

[bobbutts]

Below is a picture of October skiing at Killington from the 80's. Note the dirt patches and that downloading was required. October is all about satisfying the Jones. Coverage, surface, and terrain variety are expected to be poor. The other option is to be like Killington is these days, waiting for T2B and failing to open first.

 

[Rambo]

Found this pic from SR of Oct 14th before the surface got skied off: