Sugarloaf Announces Terrain Expansion to Burnt Mountain and 10-year Development Plan

[Tin Woodsman]

cool.. looks like some good pitch in those pictures.. i don't know the mountain but i think i read others posting that it was "flat" where they were building out phase 1.

I think they were saying the bottom half is flat, which is true. Those pictures are from the steeper upper part near the top of Cant Dog.

 

[deadheadskier]

Wonder if that's the extent of how much work they'll do or if they'll haul some of the wood out of there. Specifically the photo with the capiton under it, "Looking up a brand new line. This is where I'm headed on our first powder day." It looks like you'd need a dense base of at least 3-4 feet for it to be skiable.

 

[wa-loaf]

Wonder if that's the extent of how much work they'll do or if they'll haul some of the wood out of there. Specifically the photo with the capiton under it, "Looking up a brand new line. This is where I'm headed on our first powder day." It looks like you'd need a dense base of at least 3-4 feet for it to be skiable.

I don't think they plan on hauling too much out of there. I looked at that caption and said to myself "maybe not the first powder day ...". When snow gets blown off the summit I do believe a lot of it gets deposited down there which should help with base building.

 

[gmcunni]

maybe they can take some of the logs and build terrain features... call that area super stash

 

[deadheadskier]

I don't think they plan on hauling too much out of there. I looked at that caption and said to myself "maybe not the first powder day ...". When snow gets blown off the summit I do believe a lot of it gets deposited down there which should help with base building.

yeah, I imagine 3 or 4 years from now after things rot and break down it will be skiable a lot more often. Hopefully they continue to maintain it well. That's one thing I noticed as a passholder at Sunday River a few years ago. Many of their gladed areas had 4-5 foot tall hardwood saplings that were quite annoying to ski through.

 

[bvibert]

maybe they can take some of the logs and build terrain features... call that area super stash

:lol:

 

[speden]

Wonder if that's the extent of how much work they'll do or if they'll haul some of the wood out of there. Specifically the photo with the capiton under it, "Looking up a brand new line. This is where I'm headed on our first powder day." It looks like you'd need a dense base of at least 3-4 feet for it to be skiable.

I think I read somewhere that they were helping to pay for this expansion by selling the lumber, so hopefully the big logs at least would be removed.

 

[snowmonster]

Needs very good coverage in the first year. Skied Casablanca last year in January and there were a lot of buried logs underneath the surface that would trip you up. I was unaware of one and the resulting fall slammed me into a tree. It was good that I was going slow.

IIRC, the wind blows west to east most of the time at the Loaf so I hope a lot of snow gets deposited in those woods. Pitch looks good and the spacing is actually wide. I'm getting excited just looking at it and planning my descent. If we get a good snow year (fingers crossed), February to late March/early April should be prime time.

Official or unofficial AZ Summit, anyone?

 

[win]

You need to look at this in comparison with the total terrain at Sugarbush - Lincoln Peak Area, Mount Ellen and Slidebrook. No one in the East has this acreage which contains IMHO the best woods skiing in the East.

 

[deadheadskier]

You need to look at this in comparison with the total terrain at Sugarbush - Lincoln Peak Area, Mount Ellen and Slidebrook. No one in the East has this acreage which contains IMHO the best woods skiing in the East.

No doubt Sugarbush has some massive acreage of woods skiing opportunity.

I think the distinction to be made between what Sugarlaof is doing and Slidebrook is that Bracket Basin will be maintained (cut), regularly patrolled and you can ski to and from the King Pine lift for much of it.

That's taking nothing away from Slidebrook and certainly not saying which is the better quality product.

 

[riverc0il]

Another ski area chimes in with defensiveness, wow! :lol:

 

[Tin Woodsman]

Another ski area chimes in with defensiveness, wow! :lol:

Indeed. Disappointing and revealing all at the same time.

 

[jerryg]

Bracket Basin is where all the snow that blows off the snowfields, goes. Have a look at the new Meatheads film this fall and you've be stoked to get in there. The midwinter coverage will be better in there than any other part of the resort... if it snows. Skied Can't Dog the day before Reggae a couple of years ago and it was totally covered, and Can't Dog doesn't get the same wind blown affect, but what it gets, it holds well.

Locals have been skiing Burnt for a long time and if you ask any of them the #1 priority for the resort, by-in-large, an expansion to gladding on Burnt is that priority. Yes, the runout if pretty flat, but it's not hard to get back to the main areas before hitting the runout. Off the snowfields you get 1700 vert to the bast of King Pine and the terrain is supper steep in many places with lots of natural features. Off the snowfields, on to the saddle, and straight down the ravine in the middle of the basin offers more varied terrain and the natural spacing is already thinner - not as steep, but sustained - and gives you another 300 or so of vert before you turn left and onto Stub's Glade which is pretty flat, but at that elevation, you can get over to Wiffletree pretty easily. Skiing all the way down from the summit to Snubber would be pretty grueling, but not totally flat. The first two routes are the best for Phase One. Skiing Burnt proper will be a whole new ball game and while it will offer less vert, there are some steep pitches and interesting natural drainages.

I would say that the look of the area is very deceiving and until you ski it, it may not seem like a big deal, but ask anyone who's spent anytime out of bounds (formally), east of King Pine, and you will only hear praise. Go in there with a local and you'll find out that this terrain rivals any lift-accessed sidecountry in the NEK.

 

[deadheadskier]

can't wait to check it out. I think for the 'off piste' skier, this development maybe the most exciting thing to come about in the past 20 years.

 

[Newpylong]

Where did you read that Burnt will be regularly patrolled? I find that hard to believe given the inherant qualities of tree skiing...

No doubt Sugarbush has some massive acreage of woods skiing opportunity.

I think the distinction to be made between what Sugarlaof is doing and Slidebrook is that Bracket Basin will be maintained (cut), regularly patrolled and you can ski to and from the King Pine lift for much of it.

That's taking nothing away from Slidebrook and certainly not saying which is the better quality product.

 

[deadheadskier]

I forgot where I read it, maybe K2travs forum. Someone mentioned that the plan was for them to have a Patrol shack over on Burnt. It's a massive area. For the Mountain's own liability protection, I would think regularly sweeping the terrain throughout the day would be a smart move.

 

[Edd]

Where did you read that Burnt will be regularly patrolled? I find that hard to believe given the inherant qualities of tree skiing...

From the news release on AZ:

The new terrain will all be gladed, "sidecountry" terrain, offering skiers and riders a one-of-a-kind backcountry style experience, with the security of patrolled, inbounds terrain

 

[wa-loaf]

Where did you read that Burnt will be regularly patrolled? I find that hard to believe given the inherant qualities of tree skiing...

Try reading the press release first.

 

[jerryg]

Where did you read that Burnt will be regularly patrolled? I find that hard to believe given the inherant qualities of tree skiing...

It is indeed going to be patrolled. They are cutting a cat track to get snow mobiles in and out, if need be.

 

[jerryg]

Another ski area chimes in with defensiveness, wow! :lol:

Very bizarre. What does Slidebrook have to do with anything and why does anyone "have to look at it?"

The Bush is great, but I don't see the relevance.