Sunday River 22-23

[Newpylong]

"We're excited to announce that snowmaking has begun on Merrill Hill, marking the first activity on that hill this season. Keep an eye out for announcements on opening!"

 

[machski]

"We're excited to announce that snowmaking has begun on Merrill Hill, marking the first activity on that hill this season. Keep an eye out for announcements on opening!"

Well, I guess it did get connected. Still odd they did not denote any of the 4 trails as Snowmaking coverage on the new trail maps.

 

[Newpylong]

Yep. I imagine it'll be Trail 1 that's gets it being the only lappable run but maybe I'm wrong.

 

[machski]

Yep. I imagine it'll be Trail 1 that's gets it being the only lappable run but maybe I'm wrong.

Double Refraction, yup it got Snowmaking as I skied the end coming out of Yetiville today. Could hear some guns up top, but did not see any lined on Ski Back connection onto Ridge Run after the tunnel. Those are the more interesting runs, Double Refraction is more boring than Lolla. Bit you are correct, the only run off Merrill that returns to the chair (except for Liftline if they open that).

 

[deadheadskier]

I wonder what the realtors tell the people building multi million dollar properties on Merrill about season length for ski in / out access?

Obviously an extraordinarily bad start to the season for temps in a really lousy energy market, but man I'd be thinking twice about buying something over there if the potential is there I still have to drive and park near the end of January.

 

[machski]

I wonder what the realtors tell the people building multi million dollar properties on Merrill about season length for ski in / out access?

Obviously an extraordinarily bad start to the season for temps in a really lousy energy market, but man I'd be thinking twice about buying something over there if the potential is there I still have to drive and park near the end of January.

Well, in all fairness, none of the homes under construction are ready for occupancy up there this season. So why burn Snowmaking capacity for that terrain? Only 1 trail off the top of Merrill is lapable back to the chair. The others dump you out in South Ridge. I am pretty sure Dana Bullen meets with each buyer on Merrill Hill so I doubt the realtors need to address ops. The Mountain President .OST likely handles that.

 

[drjeff]

I wonder what the realtors tell the people building multi million dollar properties on Merrill about season length for ski in / out access?

Obviously an extraordinarily bad start to the season for temps in a really lousy energy market, but man I'd be thinking twice about buying something over there if the potential is there I still have to drive and park near the end of January.

Ski in/out by Christmas is likely what the majority of buyers will be interested in

 

[deadheadskier]

Well, in all fairness, none of the homes under construction are ready for occupancy up there this season. So why burn Snowmaking capacity for that terrain? Only 1 trail off the top of Merrill is lapable back to the chair. The others dump you out in South Ridge. I am pretty sure Dana Bullen meets with each buyer on Merrill Hill so I doubt the realtors need to address ops. The Mountain President .OST likely handles that.

Makes perfect sense. I assumed some of the homes were done and didn't realize things were still in there infantile stages.

 

[Newpylong]

I think this is "we put all this sh*t in let's have a soft opening on it to prepare for next year." That's why its at the tail end of the snowmaking plan for the year.

Trail report says snowmaking on Agony. Is this really the case? It would make sense because they're on Rocking Chair (feeds Agony) and South Paw but I thought I read from someone here that they pulled the air valves.

After that I think it's just Shockwave, Top Gun, Eureka and Quantum to hit every trail that has snowmaking. Pretty impressive considering this winter.

 

[chuckstah]

Probably the 100 yards of Agony from Southpaw back to Punch, just a guess. Hopefully they light up the whole thing. Enjoy it in the spring.

 

[Zand]

Yup can confirm just the very bottom of Agony. Have they ever dragged hoses into the rest of it?

 

[Newpylong]

They don't need to there are pipes all the way up. Used to make snow there every year. It's been a bit though. I'd imagine they'll get replaced when the trail is widened for the new lift. I'll find out soon.

 

[machski]

I think this is "we put all this sh*t in let's have a soft opening on it to prepare for next year." That's why its at the tail end of the snowmaking plan for the year.

Trail report says snowmaking on Agony. Is this really the case? It would make sense because they're on Rocking Chair (feeds Agony) and South Paw but I thought I read from someone here that they pulled the air valves.

After that I think it's just Shockwave, Top Gun, Eureka and Quantum to hit every trail that has snowmaking. Pretty impressive considering this winter.

Ok, Agony line is shot and will not be used at all this year. Air hydrants were removed and capped. Snowmaking happening on South Paw is using two guns at the end of South Paw line onto lower Agony and two at the Punch valve house blowing up Agony. Usually they use connections on lower Agony but not this year. Quite honestly, it is skiing great au natural right now anyway! As to Top Gun, from what I have seen all Hydrants are in place but I don't see any guns or hose on trail. My guess is they started prepping for upgrades on these 2 trails when the new Barker lift goes in. Have heard the alignment need to change as code may not allow an open chair to launch out over a pond like current Barker does.

MH is interesting. They put the lift in 2 summers ago and I know they didn't finish all the ski infrastructure for last year (need a few skier bridges which didn't get installed for the winter on several trails, they are now). Still think they don't have all the Snowmaking hooked up, could very well just be double Refraction getting Snowmaking this year and around the "summit". Pretty good natural base right now to groom out and allow the other East trails to open as well without snowmaking.

Lastly, Shockwave will be interesting. This much natural with Snowmaking on top is how they slide that trail quite often. My guess is they will wait for wed/Thurs system to drop whatever it will drop (sounds like a good snowfall but system is trying to wet the end) and then see about making that trail.

 

[Newpylong]

Thanks for the info.

That will totally suck if they have to realign the new lift. The place I grew up skiing at had an identical situation (snowmaking pond between the base and tower 1) and they built a wooden deck over the whole thing. I wonder if that's be an option.

https://www.newenglandskihistory.com/lifts/Massachusetts/brodie/dotslift-2002-0309a.jpg

 

[kbroderick]

Thanks for the info.

That will totally suck if they have to realign the new lift. The place I grew up skiing at had an identical situation (snowmaking pond between the base and tower 1) and they built a wooden deck over the whole thing. I wonder if that's be an option.

https://www.newenglandskihistory.com/lifts/Massachusetts/brodie/dotslift-2002-0309a.jpg

My understanding is that the engineering and surveying has been done, and the alignment will be adjusted just enough to get the loaded side over solid ground. I don't know what the actual code says, but trying to evac over water doesn't sound like a great time.

 

[2Planker]

Yes. Over water is a huge mess…. Generally you have to bump the chair, on diesel/generator to get those chairs over ground. Moving the chair at all is a huge project as all lines have to come down then go back up.

 

[machski]

As a side note, can definitely see Snowmaking on Double Refraction and Brilliant/spectra on MH today. Cannot tell if Pri is getting any, that is the only real interesting run over there aside from the liftline which isn't on the trail map as yet.

 

[Dickc]

I wonder what the realtors tell the people building multi million dollar properties on Merrill about season length for ski in / out access?

Obviously an extraordinarily bad start to the season for temps in a really lousy energy market, but man I'd be thinking twice about buying something over there if the potential is there I still have to drive and park near the end of January.

When they built the first houses off of Ridge Run, they promised buyers they would have the trail snow made for Christmas., I owned at South Ridge at the time and we were all pretty happy about that.

 

[2Planker]

When they built the first houses off of Ridge Run, they promised buyers they would have the trail snow made for Christmas., I owned at South Ridge at the time and we were all pretty happy about that.

And everyone buying in at The Summit in the early 90's was told it was being built by "professional contractors".
Ha ha

 

[machski]

So, after looking around today, I'm thinking Eureka and Quantum Leap will not be seeing snowmaking this year. Years past they had SR7 ground guns at each hydrant, this year there are none prepositioned. They still could but they have to move guns and hose to do so. Top Gun still has guns at each hydrant but no hose as yet. Went up WH quad and Heat is curing after getting pushed out and tracked (has yet to get power tilled) and didn't see any guns set yet on the very top of Shockwave.

Finally, Upper Downdraft. It has shiny new Impulse towers and new pipes but I don't think it will get snow either. The gun bases seem to be missing the connection/control boxes.