Sunday River 22-23

[Newpylong]

"Snow guns will turn on after skiing hours and make snow across trails such as Bear Paw, Cut Off, Rocking Chair, Over Easy, Prism, Express Lane, Broadway, and Quantum leap"

QL and Prism make the cut.

Assuming those get done that leaves Shockwave, Top Gun and Eureka right.

 

[parahelia]

"Snow guns will turn on after skiing hours and make snow across trails such as Bear Paw, Cut Off, Rocking Chair, Over Easy, Prism, Express Lane, Broadway, and Quantum leap"

QL and Prism make the cut.

Assuming those get done that leaves Shockwave, Top Gun and Eureka right.

Upper Downdraft as well (though it was skiing pretty well au naturel before the last storm), I don't think it's seen any snowmaking.

Notably - Merrill Hill is listed as scheduled to run tomorrow, 9-3:45. Prism is the only trail seeing snowmaking, so I'm assuming that's what's on tap. I'm surprised they didn't mention it in the afternoon update.

The ungroomed surfaces were funky but skiable today. ROTD was Wildfire under the guns, that was soft and fun to lap.

 

[Newpylong]

I think they already made snow on the other trails on MH judging by what Machski said? It could be all of them open. Anyway, I look forward to pictures!

 

[machski]

Yes QL got it's guns and hose, top 3 guns running off North Peak summit, majority of trail is not lit up yet. MH is open, at lift open only Double Refraction was open. Spectra and Brilliant will open shortly only Patrol sets those trails up. Prism will not open today due to snowmaking in a quantity not quality push (IE cement).

Upper Downdraft is still lacking connection/control boxes on its fancy new Impulse sticks. So unless they install those, it won't be seeing snowmaking likely.

Aside from those Newpy, yes Shockwave, Eureka and Top Gun along with Backside/Polaris are all that remain for Snowmaking runs to get some. As I've said, Agony's line is not being used this year as air hydrants were all removed and capped.

I'll grab a couple shots off MH next and post.

 

[Newpylong]

Can't wait to see those. Hopefully someone took some vid riding the chair too.

Polaris and Backside pipe is still damaged from the freeze a couple years back they did not get to it yet. I do know there is a valve for it at the top of North Peak so maybe eventually they were repair it.

 

[machski]

Lift ride shots and the panorama of the Mahoosucs that greets you up top is awesome though a bit obscured this morning by snow showers.

 

[machski]

The views of Aurora, Oz and Jordan are impressive off Double Refraction. Beyond that, not a very interesting trail but the only one of the 3 you cap lap off the Triple.


Views East are more cutoff by the side of North Peak but an interesting viewpoint still.

Double Refraction features a new KLIK setup that allows older style low E guns to get the single control lever treatment through the standard hose connectors. Only DR has this setup, the rest of the trails use the older low E guns but standard hosing.

 

[machski]

Spectra (or Brilliant, two signs this way but never saw a split anywhere) starts off fun...

Has the closest to occupant ready house off it in MH development and this one won't have views of the resort, but nice vista to Mahoosucs.

Stays interesting through an S turn across the bridges and then goes flat for quite a bit. Required skate skiing a bit on new machine made snow. Powder? Have fun with that!

Not sure if straight ahead at end of bridge is a lot or future trail on the backside back to backside lift.

This is definitely a future trail dropping lower on the backside and going over another bridge setup.

 

[machski]

I did get a video of the lift ride but this forum won't let me post. It will be on the SR enthusiast FB page.

 

[Newpylong]

Thanks! Looks like an area my kids would like and likely no line? Impressive they got all those trails covered.

 

[machski]

Thanks! Looks like an area my kids would like and likely no line? Impressive they got all those trails covered.

Yeah, after the 9am first chair line for MH, it was ski on. Of course, 2 of the 3 trails off the top require dealing with the hoards in South Ridge for either the Quad or Chondi to cycle back.

 

[Newpylong]

Yeah, after the 9am first chair line for MH, it was ski on. Of course, 2 of the 3 trails off the top require dealing with the hoards in South Ridge for either the Quad or Chondi to cycle back.

It does seem odd they didn't try to get at least a cut back to the lift from Prism. Does the topology make that impossible or would that cut up their real estate potential?

 

[machski]

It does seem odd they didn't try to get at least a cut back to the lift from Prism. Does the topology make that impossible or would that cut up their real estate potential?

Well, where Prism connects onto SkiBack is right where SkiBack goes from a Nordic trail to an Alpine trail. They probably had enough area to cut back to the chair but it may have interfered with the final lot or 2 in the Glades Ridge Run development. Also, SkiBack only has Snowmaking to Prism up from Ridge Run, it doesn't extend all the way across to Aurora RD/Double Refraction. That portion of the trail is so flat I'm not sure what their plan was/is there. It may have been cleared just for construction access but they do groom the flat section when there is enough natural snow.

 

[kbroderick]

Speaking of how flat that trail is, I came across it today and noted skating tracks...in both directions.

The view of Aurora, Oz, and Jordan from Double Refraction is indeed impressive.

 

[parahelia]

We took the MH lift a few times over the weekend…. as noted, the views of Aurora/Oz/Jordan are quite something. When you’re skiing those peaks you don’t necessarily appreciate the geographic span of the area.

While the currently open trails aren’t that exciting skiing-wise, they are very peaceful and removed from the busy parts of the resort. We were talking about how it’d be a perfect place to bring our beginner/low-intermediate visitors. They could lap double refraction and get practice away from the south ridge hubbub.

 

[Newpylong]

That's why I mentioned it. I wonder if the Ski School has the same thoughts... If they could get Prism linked back in even better to get more usage of running that lift all day, though sounds like that's off the table. I don't know the geography of MH at all.

Do you think when more homes get built the lift will run mid-week too?

 

[Andrew B.]

FWIW
There was a rumor going around that the lift would eventually be exclusive to property owners.

 

[machski]

FWIW
There was a rumor going around that the lift would eventually be exclusive to property owners.

I think we heard that at the same time from the same source . That would be a tough retract now, and am doubting the current triple will turn that way. Now, the backside lift to access phase 2+ lots and trails, I can totally see that lift and the access trails limited to owners only akin to Loon's South Peak river Double and those few runs.

 

[urungus]

I think we heard that at the same time from the same source . That would be a tough retract now, and am doubting the current triple will turn that way. Now, the backside lift to access phase 2+ lots and trails, I can totally see that lift and the access trails limited to owners only akin to Loon's South Peak river Double and those few runs.

I was under the impression that Loon South Peak “Rivers Edge” double and unmarked access trail were open to the public ? Please correct me if I am wrong as I have been wanting to ride this “secret lift”. Curious as to how they would know whether or not you are a homeowner (at either Loon or SR) when you arrive at the lift ?

 

[machski]

I was under the impression that Loon South Peak “Rivers Edge” double and unmarked access trail were open to the public ? Please correct me if I am wrong as I have been wanting to ride this “secret lift”. Curious as to how they would know whether or not you are a homeowner (at either Loon or SR) when you arrive at the lift ?

Well, good luck on Loon's Double, I have never seen that thing loading (I've seen it turning for MX but that's it). The trails leading down to it off Boom Run are marked private, homeowners and guests only. Not sure what would happen if you venture down to an actually loading chair and you are not one of these. I would think SR would have to sign the trail entrances that lead to a future backside lift as private, homeowners and guest of only. How they would enforce I do not know, but in both cases, if you aren't the correct type of guest, they could pull your pass before shipping you up that particular lift as both Loon's Double and a backside MH deposit you either at a base or last lift you can reach and not need a pass to go back up. Well, I guess you could ride MH frontside as no gates there, but you get to lap 1 whole trail via that lift.