The "Sugarbush Thread"

[WWF-VT]

When do Mt Ellen $30 Thursdays go into effect? The website shows 1/4 as the first one so I am to assume nothing in December?

Correct - December 28th is holiday/peak pricing

 

[Hawk]

Ripcord and Spills were really nice on Saturday. I really don't know what happened on Sunday to Ripcord. I don't know if they lost pressure or the temps warmed up but I wish they shut the guns down before it happened. We were the first down and some of the guns felt like straight water. It's not going to matter after the challenging weather over the next 72 hours. Hopefully we get some snow after that. The forecast is mildly optimistic.

 

[djd66]

Ripcord and Spills were really nice on Saturday. I really don't know what happened on Sunday to Ripcord. I don't know if they lost pressure or the temps warmed up but I wish they shut the guns down before it happened. We were the first down and some of the guns felt like straight water. It's not going to matter after the challenging weather over the next 72 hours. Hopefully we get some snow after that. The forecast is mildly optimistic.

It was really warm, i was surprised they were able to blow snow. At this point in the season - who cares what they blow - just build some base - which is what i think they were doing.

My only issue with Ripcord was the exit to downspout - it sucked!

I love that the new guns sound like an small aerosol can, rather than a high pressure air gun. You can actually hold a conversation while riding the lift.

the amount of terrain open for 1st weekend in December is amazing!

 

[tumbler]

Ripcord and Spills were really nice on Saturday. I really don't know what happened on Sunday to Ripcord. I don't know if they lost pressure or the temps warmed up but I wish they shut the guns down before it happened. We were the first down and some of the guns felt like straight water. It's not going to matter after the challenging weather over the next 72 hours. Hopefully we get some snow after that. The forecast is mildly optimistic.

It warmed up pretty quickly I think. Last I looked late night Saturday it was 22 and when I woke up early it was 27 at the summit. Could also tell it was getting warm by the amount of water/grease dripping off the sheaves. They should give you a poncho for that, the middle seat looked like a mechanic by the time we got to the top. Watched the snowmakers do a gun run on Saturday from the lift and they weren't checking snow quality, just sledding down the trail. There were a few in there running pretty wet that I had to stop and clean the goggles off. Oh well, it is what it is.

 

[Hawk]

It was really warm, i was surprised they were able to blow snow. At this point in the season - who cares what they blow - just build some base - which is what i think they were doing.

My only issue with Ripcord was the exit to downspout - it sucked!

I love that the new guns sound like an small aerosol can, rather than a high pressure air gun. You can actually hold a conversation while riding the lift.

the amount of terrain open for 1st weekend in December is amazing!

I don't understand your thinking. You care about how loud the guns are but don't care about the quality of the snow coming out of them. That is just so contrary to what most people think. Sorry I can not relate to what you are saying.

 

[djd66]

I don't understand your thinking. You care about how loud the guns are but don't care about the quality of the snow coming out of them. That is just so contrary to what most people think. Sorry I can not relate to what you are saying.

Apparently you know what everyone thinks.

Yep, my experience on the mountain is not about listening to a loud snow gun. To be honest, the quiet snow guns greatly improve my Mountain experience. I have to believe many people feel the say way - but I have never taken a survey.

As far as the quality of the snow being made - it was 30 degrees on Sunday - what were you expecting velvet powder??

 

[Orca]

With Hawk on this one for sure. Quality of snow is paramount. High air content in the crystals is the elusive goal. Think about it this way: Any garden hose can put down a rink-like ice base. It is that which we'd prefer to avoid.

 

[cdskier]

I enjoyed my first day out today. I lapped og, jester and spring fling so can't comment on ripcord's snow. The trails I skied were fine. I had no desire to ski bumps under guns in the marginal temp range this early in the season. I am still amazed how quiet the guns are every time I see them running, but I'd never consider that a factor I would care about. Loud or quiet doesn't matter to me. The snow quality is definitely more important.

RFID was cool so far and worked fine for me. Granted it is midweek and no one is here. One minor criticism (and it could be my imagination), but I feel like the gates close too quickly. I seemed to feel a couple times like my poles almost got caught. I may just not have the timing down and am wasting too much time looking at the display instead of moving as soon as the gate opens. I'll have to stop staring at the display next time and see what happens.


Sent from my iPhone using AlpineZone

 

[Hawk]

Apparently you know what everyone thinks.

Yep, my experience on the mountain is not about listening to a loud snow gun. To be honest, the quiet snow guns greatly improve my Mountain experience. I have to believe many people feel the say way - but I have never taken a survey.

As far as the quality of the snow being made - it was 30 degrees on Sunday - what were you expecting velvet powder??

I didn't say I knew what everybody thinks. I just know what the 100 or so people I know that were in the Castlerock were thinking. These are the same people that ski every weekend with me. You ask what I expect? How about this, adjust the air water ratio or shut the guns off. I understand that with the impending rain and temps it's a moot point now but on Sunday they basically rendered that trail useless. We pay $800 for a product and I will be dammed if I just sit back and say, it's ok your doing your best. That's like buying a car with a dent in it and saying its OK. No one would stand for that. And it is OK to question management about anything when you are a paying customer. It's what keeps them on their toes. All of the customer push back is what made them fix the lifts. Now we have a good working lift system.

 

[Hawk]

You know what, if they came out and said "Hey we are sorry about the snow conditions on Ripchord but we are blowing any chance we get so we can build base depths. This may result in heavy wet snow ski with caution". Then at least they were honest. Instead we get, the new guns are working famously blowing fine quality snow. A much better product than before. HA

 

[bumpcrasher]

"Useless"?? Hmm, I usually got your back Hawk but I don't know if Ripcord was useless? Then again, you have one of those fancy Early-Ups passes (very jealous) so yeah, the snow on Ripcord first thing Sunday morning was UGLY!!

I vote to fire up the old Ratnik guns and pierce my eardrums! The low E guns put out a clearly inferior product in marginal temps!

 

[tumbler]

We got to HG just after 9 on Sunday, got on the chair and over half the line was full chairs. I expected Ripcord to be looking like Downspout, like it did on Saturday. I was looking forward to skiing some soft manmade. I saw two people coming down, nobody else. I think Patrol must have been at the top warning people of the conditions.

My rule, esp at SB is that if a trail looks great but nobody is skiing it there is a reason why and I don't ski it.

 

[djd66]

I didn't say I knew what everybody thinks. I just know what the 100 or so people I know that were in the Castlerock were thinking. These are the same people that ski every weekend with me. You ask what I expect? How about this, adjust the air water ratio or shut the guns off. I understand that with the impending rain and temps it's a moot point now but on Sunday they basically rendered that trail useless. We pay $800 for a product and I will be dammed if I just sit back and say, it's ok your doing your best. That's like buying a car with a dent in it and saying its OK. No one would stand for that. And it is OK to question management about anything when you are a paying customer. It's what keeps them on their toes. All of the customer push back is what made them fix the lifts. Now we have a good working lift system.

Yep, you are right - you did not say you know what everyone thinks - this is what you said: "That is just so contrary to what most people think." I guess "most" is not quite "everyone". You ski with 100 people? And you all hang out with you in CRP? You must be the most well connected person at Sugarbush. Funny I have never run into you. Do you guys just sit around and complain all afternoon about the mountain?

 

[Hawk]

No just the snowmaking. ;-)

 

[Hawk]

I love the RFID
I love the Trail system
I love the woods
I love the lifts
I love the new lodges
I love the community
I absolutely can not stand how they make snow, the new guns or their cooked up philosophy on making snow.

In an nut shell.

 

[machski]

I love the RFID
I love the Trail system
I love the woods
I love the lifts
I love the new lodges
I love the community
I absolutely can not stand how they make snow, the new guns or their cooked up philosophy on making snow.

In an nut shell.

He got all those goods leaving SR but lost the Snowmaking. Damn, what a bum deal.

Sent from my XT1650 using AlpineZone mobile app

 

[tumbler]

I love the RFID
I love the Trail system
I love the woods
I love the lifts
I love the new lodges
I love the community
I absolutely can not stand how they make snow, the new guns or their cooked up philosophy on making snow.

In an nut shell.

Couldn't have said it better. Pray for snow.

 

[djd66]

Cooked up philosophy? Do you mean a sustainable business model? Snowmaking costs a lot of money. They have a limited budget on what they can spend based on the amount of revenue the mountain can generate. Unlike most mountains, they need to run to completely separate mountains with 2 systems. This is something that can not change unless you can convince the tree huggers to really connect North and South. Is Win perfect, no. But IMHO, he runs the mountain very well with what he has.

 

[dustyroads]

Good snow making article: https://freeskier.com/stories/mount-snow-making

p.s. don't care to ski Mount Snow. just liked the discussion on snow making.

 

[Newpylong]

Brendan has given me some advice on one of our large projects, he is very sharp and as you can tell, very into it lol.