sundown opening day friday 12-18

[Greg]

Right now it looks like Friday afternoon solo, Saturday with my oldest daughter and Sunday with the whole family. May even return for the Sunday night session if it's good. Rumblings about something offshore which is too far out to sea right now, but so far this year, storms have over-performed. Time will tell. Either way gonna be a great weekend at the beloved molehill.

 

[Madroch]

I'll be there working most of the day on Saturday, stop by and say hi if you see me.

Will do.

Sundown AZers can count on an epic local powder bump day sometime around x-mas because I will be out of state and out of skiing commission. I surmise a nice 10-14" dump between 12/23 and 12/26 will materialize. If it does, take lots of vid.

 

[severine]

Will do.

Sundown AZers can count on an epic local powder bump day sometime around x-mas because I will be out of state and out of skiing commission. I surmise a nice 10-14" dump between 12/23 and 12/26 will materialize. If it does, take lots of vid.

Thanks for taking one for the team!

 

[Greg]

Sundown AZers can count on an epic local powder bump day....

Sundown AZers can expect epic local powder bumps starting Friday! :lol: Just got a real spirited PM from God.............uh, I mean Chris Sullivan. Some highlights:

• We have a shit load of snow
• I expect wall to wall Friday with a park and seeded powder bumps on stinger
• Everything but Gunny by Saturday
• Gunny by Monday

WOW!

 

[o3jeff]

I'll be there working most of the day on Saturday, stop by and say hi if you see me.

I'll probably be there Saturday morning, please put some cookies aside for me!

 

[severine]

Sundown AZers can expect epic local powder bumps starting Friday! :lol: Just got a real spirited PM from God.............uh, I mean Chris Sullivan. Some highlights:

• We have a shit load of snow
• I expect wall to wall Friday with a park and seeded powder bumps on stinger
• Everything but Gunny by Saturday
• Gunny by Monday

WOW!

When they roll it out, they do it big time! Bravo!!!!!!

I'll probably be there Saturday morning, please put some cookies aside for me!

:lol: What makes you think he'll have cookies with him Saturday?



...Am I that transparent? :lol:

 

[bvibert]

Sundown AZers can expect epic local powder bumps starting Friday! :lol: Just got a real spirited PM from God.............uh, I mean Chris Sullivan. Some highlights:

• We have a shit load of snow
• I expect wall to wall Friday with a park and seeded powder bumps on stinger
• Everything but Gunny by Saturday
• Gunny by Monday

WOW!

Sweet!

 

[Greg]

When they roll it out, they do it big time! Bravo!!!!!!

No doubt. I know it's a small hill, but 100% open within a few days of opening is pretty impressive. Gonna be great to see Gunbarrel get blasted all weekend.

 

[bvibert]

I'll probably be there Saturday morning, please put some cookies aside for me!

If I get cookies on Saturday I'm only sharing with those who show up to work for me...

 

[Madroch]

No doubt. I know it's a small hill, but 100% open within a few days of opening is pretty impressive. Gonna be great to see Gunbarrel get blasted all weekend.

I am a huge fan of Sundown's ownership, management and crew, and believe they truly love the sport and make an admirable effort to please the varying tastes of the masses... but, I would have traded 50% open last weekend for 90% open Friday. I could have gotten two more days in, at the very least. Thus, while I certainly appreciate the challenging weather conditions so far this year, I can't quite rave over 90% on opening day... when opening day is December 18, 2009 and when they could, in my admittedly uneducated opinion, have opened last weekend (albeit with less).

That being said-- sure beats 50% on December 18, 2009.. or not being open at all- so I am not suggesting that have not made a huge effort, just that they could have shared a smaller part of their effort earlier.

Would have loved to ski spring bumps tonight....


End of gripe.

 

[bvibert]

I am a huge fan of Sundown's ownership, management and crew, and believe they truly love the sport and make an admirable effort to please the varying tastes of the masses... but, I would have traded 50% open last weekend for 90% open Friday. I could have gotten two more days in, at the very least. Thus, while I certainly appreciate the challenging weather conditions so far this year, I can't quite rave over 90% on opening day... when opening day is December 18, 2009 and when they could, in my admittedly uneducated opinion, have opened last weekend (albeit with less).

That being said-- sure beats 50% on December 18, 2009.. or not being open at all- so I am not suggesting that have not made a huge effort, just that they could have shared a smaller part of their effort earlier.

Would have loved to ski spring bumps tonight....


End of gripe.

I hear what you're saying, and agree for the most part. However, if they had opened last weekend there may not be any bumps to play on yet. Opening also would have hampered their snowmaking effort somewhat since they would have had to put effort into pushing out the snow and moving snow guns around to make room for the customers. With the snow pushed out they likely would have lost more of it in the rain that we had on Sunday. I think they made the right call to delay the opening in this case.

 

[Greg]

I am a huge fan of Sundown's ownership, management and crew, and believe they truly love the sport and make an admirable effort to please the varying tastes of the masses... but, I would have traded 50% open last weekend for 90% open Friday. I could have gotten two more days in, at the very least. Thus, while I certainly appreciate the challenging weather conditions so far this year, I can't quite rave over 90% on opening day... when opening day is December 18, 2009 and when they could, in my admittedly uneducated opinion, have opened last weekend (albeit with less).

That being said-- sure beats 50% on December 18, 2009.. or not being open at all- so I am not suggesting that have not made a huge effort, just that they could have shared a smaller part of their effort earlier.

Would have loved to ski spring bumps tonight....


End of gripe.

I hear ya. However, if they opened last weekend, I wouldn't have expected bumps. Last year's November 28 opening was an anomaly. We had a week+ of great temps in mid-November and they had several around the clock days. A mid-December opening is not out of the norm. They opened on December 17 in 2004 and December 9 in 2006. Neither opening had bumps. In fact, I don't think Tom's was open either both those years.

So while it would have been fun to slide around on some flat trails last weekend, they probably would have ultimately lost more snow in the rain with it all spread vs. leaving it in whales like they did. They would have also probably closed midweek like they did a lot early last year.

Or perhaps, I'm just a blind Sundown homer. But I'm okay with that... :lol:

 

[Greg]

I hear what you're saying, and agree for the most part. However, if they had opened last weekend there may not be any bumps to play on yet. Opening also would have hampered their snowmaking effort somewhat since they would have had to put effort into pushing out the snow and moving snow guns around to make room for the customers. With the snow pushed out they likely would have lost more of it in the rain that we had on Sunday. I think they made the right call to delay the opening in this case.

Echo? :lol:

Homer. :roll:

:razz:

 

[Madroch]

I hear what you're saying, and agree for the most part. However, if they had opened last weekend there may not be any bumps to play on yet. Opening also would have hampered their snowmaking effort somewhat since they would have had to put effort into pushing out the snow and moving snow guns around to make room for the customers. With the snow pushed out they likely would have lost more of it in the rain that we had on Sunday. I think they made the right call to delay the opening in this case.

No fair... rebutting passion with reason!

BUT-- they would have had a heck of layer of base/ice if they had already flattened the whales prior to Sunday!

 

[Greg]

BUT-- they would have had a heck of layer of base/ice if they had already flattened the whales prior to Sunday!

I think what we're going to find this weekend is a lot of soft spongy manmade with very little ice or hard pack. When they push it around, a lot of air will get churned up into the snow. Presumably that hasn't happened yet so all the rain probably has drained though the big whales of snow. Plus snow making temps the next few nights (and days) look optimal. A nice moderation for the weekend (but not too much) with sun. Should be a great opener.

Either way, it is ON!

 

[Madroch]

I hear ya. However, if they opened last weekend, I wouldn't have expected bumps. Last year's November 28 opening was an anomaly. We had a week+ of great temps in mid-November and they had several around the clock days. A mid-December opening is not out of the norm. They opened on December 17 in 2004 and December 9 in 2006. Neither opening had bumps. In fact, I don't think Tom's was open either both those years.

So while it would have been fun to slide around on some flat trails last weekend, they probably would have ultimately lost more snow in the rain with it all spread vs. leaving it in whales like they did. They would have also probably closed midweek like they did a lot early last year.

Or perhaps, I'm just a blind Sundown homer. But I'm okay with that... :lol:

I was not skiing in 04 or 06- but remember 07- had both kids for the first time on snow one Sunday evening in early December (first or second weekend probably)... we were on little joe with sleet and than light rain...kids were grinning ear to ear and wanted to keep going as the rain became heavier... a memory I will have forever. If they had opened last weekend.. some other father could have a similar memory from Sunday pm... :smash:

Alright, I give up... here's to this year!

 

[bvibert]

Echo? :lol:

Homer. :roll:

:razz:

Beat ya by 3 minutes. It's a little disturbing that we both said pretty much the same thing though..

 

[Madroch]

Beat ya by 3 minutes. It's a little disturbing that we both said pretty much the same thing though..

Where's the Industry Rep tag next to both your names.... ;-)

 

[Greg]

Beat ya by 3 minutes. It's a little disturbing that we both said pretty much the same thing though..

You weren't slick enough to bust out recent opening dates though.




Poser.

 

[bvibert]

Neither opening had bumps. In fact, I don't think Tom's was open either both those years.

Tom's is not typically open for the first weekend It's covered in the second phase of snowmaking, where they cover Tom's and Sunny Side. Then they move onto Gunny with pretty much everything they got. I'm not sure how much the snowmaking plan has been altered with the new water pumps this year though. Sounds like Sunny Side won't be open for Friday (except for Little Joe), but should be online for Saturday, I'd expect the same for Tom's. Really impressive roll out if you ask me.

They would have also probably closed midweek like they did a lot early last year.

I'd say that would have been a pretty good chance given the weather on Sunday and early this week.