THE KILLINGTON CUP.

[skiur]

Only covid restrictions at K this year is you have to wear a mask on the shuttle buses. I believe that is a state impossed rule.

 

[asnowmobiler]

Not blaming them.
Just in general I’m tired of it all the conflicting theories and media/profit driven agendas

 

[Zand]

I have learned that when it comes to snowmaking prowess and Killington, especially when given a situation as daunting as getting enough snow on Superstar by mid November to host Worldcup races, don't doubt them!!

They know how to pull off some magic. Remember being there in June a couple years ago. Looked thin on the cam before dark with lots of breaks in the snow, then a massive thunderstorm hit in the night followed by thick fog and humidity. Couldn't see how bad it looked underneath the fog in the morning, but as I neared the top I was shocked to actually see people skiing over the headwall and the trail was skiable top to bottom.

 

[machski]

I'm amazed they keep passing snow control. You'd figure 1 out of 5 November's here in the NE they'd fail. Covid might've been a bright side for them last year as it cancelled the race and the November was the most mild I can ever remember. No way they would've been able to make it happen.

Yeah, I think they would have managed last year. SR opened only 3 or 4 days later last year than this with a lot more terrain (TTB multiple routes day 1 last year) than this. K pulled this off by absolutely hammering the upper portion of SS whenever they had temps to the point they could push enough snow downhill to pack in an initial base down low before they got low elevation temps. They definitely have game plans for almost all contingencies on SS. Hell, they may even have helicopters on standby to transport snow down from Quebec if needed.

 

[Newpylong]

It likely wouldn't have happened last year. November was abysmal and 72,000 CFM ultimately can't cange physics. The week before is too late, it takes a week just to push the snow out the way they want it and build the starts. That's working 24/7. Winch cats are required and for obvious reasons that limits the amount of cats on the trail usually to 2. Management I know there didn't even think they could have pulled it off.

 

[skiur]

I think that without covid they would have found a way to pull it off. They had chances to stockpile snow up high that they would have used had the race been on. Didn't look so good this year but they gave them the green light with favorable weather conditions a week out.

 

[Newpylong]

As mentioned not even my contacts in ops at Killington feel they could have pulled it off. See attached image from last November. Assuming no inversion, take a degree or two off because the base of SS is higher than the weather station and 4 degrees for the top of Skye. Not listed, but the last two nights in October were "good" snowmaking days. However, look at the daytime highs throughout the month, much of the (marginal) night progress would have been erased. The days I crossed out are no snowmaking possible. The days that are circled orange are probably marginal nights, the days circled blue are probable "good" snowmaking nights. Note some of the nights that appear to be cold would not have been because of humidity (always high during precipitation in that temperature range). Also of great importance, these would have been nearly all night windows, next to no 24/7 runs. By the time you get going 100 portable air hogs it would have been time to shut them down again.

This year they got a positive snow control 10 days from race day because the next 10 days were nearly all "good" snowmaking. There was no such stretch in 2020, not even close. There was no World Cup and they still did not have T2B until 11/20. That alone speaks loudly of the weather last fall. There simply were not enough hours.

 

[skiur]

They were ttb Nov 20, while the cup would have been the 28th.

 

[snoloco]

Snow control is 10 days before. They don't have to be fully race ready, but pretty close in order to pass. That wouldn't have happened in 2020. Just because they opened top to bottom on the 20th doesn't mean they could've held the race, even a week later. I was there that first weekend and the coverage at the base was all super thin. It's fine for public skiing, but you can't hold any race on that, much less a World Cup. They can open a trail for public skiing on a 10 inch base, but the World Cup needs around a 3 foot ice layer the whole way up and down Superstar.

 

[machski]

Snow control is 10 days before. They don't have to be fully race ready, but pretty close in order to pass. That wouldn't have happened in 2020. Just because they opened top to bottom on the 20th doesn't mean they could've held the race, even a week later. I was there that first weekend and the coverage at the base was all super thin. It's fine for public skiing, but you can't hold any race on that, much less a World Cup. They can open a trail for public skiing on a 10 inch base, but the World Cup needs around a 3 foot ice layer the whole way up and down Superstar.

Ok, the bottom was a bit thin last year. Hmmm, kind of sound like they had to attack SS this year, piling up a ton at the top due to temps at the base and moving it downhill. They did not get low level decent temps until around snow control this year to blast the lower part of SS well. So, did I miss something between the two years?? Seem very similar to me but last season the race would have been a bit later on the actual calendar

 

[Newpylong]

See the image I attached in the thread earlier. The week prior to the event's date (this year vs last) was as dissimilar as oil is to water. No amount of blading snow down would have fixed the simple lack of hours. They would not have even asked for a snow control by how things looked 10 days out.

 

[ScottySkis]

K now required all gondola people to use masks waas of today wow:
"Killington is now requiring masks on gondolas. This leaves Stowe, Loon, and Sunday River as having the only gondolas in the Northeast that do not require masks, and Cannon the only tram. "

 

[machski]

K now required all gondola people to use masks waas of today wow:
"Killington is now requiring masks on gondolas. This leaves Stowe, Loon, and Sunday River as having the only gondolas in the Northeast that do not require masks, and Cannon the only tram. "

Negative. Loon has been requiring masks on Gondola all season (and in the fall as well for scenics).

 

[Geoff]

Negative. Loon has been requiring masks on Omnicrondola all season (and in the fall as well for scenics).

Fixed

 

[thebigo]

Negative. Loon has been requiring masks on Gondola all season (and in the fall as well for scenics).

With maybe 25% compliance.

 

[Smellytele]

With maybe 25% compliance.

I never wore one the 3 times I have been to loon and I went on the gondola nor did anyone tell me I had to. No signs saying it either. If you went inside the lodge you had to and there were signs telling you to.

 

[jimmywilson69]

What does any of this have to do with the Killington Cup which has been held and successfully completed for more than a month?

 

[machski]

I never wore one the 3 times I have been to loon and I went on the gondola nor did anyone tell me I had to. No signs saying it either. If you went inside the lodge you had to and there were signs telling you to.

Then you missed the signs. Right before the RFID gates it says masks required as does Loon's website about it's mask requirements. But as someone else said, I did not see Gondi attendants enforcing the policy, even when trying to pack a cabin with unrelated parties. Curious if anywhere else with Mask requirements on Gondis is actually enforcing this.

 

[Geoff]

What does any of this have to do with the Killington Cup which has been held and successfully completed for more than a month?

I assumed the thread popped up as on-topic because Mikaela Shiffrin tested positive. I don't understand the "masks on the K1 and Skyeship" rant by a Mah Freedums type. With 8 strangers jammed into The Box, you'd certainly hope everyone was wearing a mask. That's pretty basic.

 

[Smellytele]

partially successful