The "Sugarbush Thread"

[Joshco0752]

I don't get why the upstairs boot room in the Gatehouse lodge has been closed. I see they've put tables for sixteen people in there and I've yet to see anyone using it. When I asked guest services about the change, they said it would be a "better guest experience." I've been skiing at SB for over sixty years. I have no idea how moving the boot room to only be downstairs improves the guest experience. I thought that was one of the better changes that SB had made when they opened the upstairs boot room.

I'm 6"5" and I don't fit in the downstairs boot area. That means I have to schlep my stuff upstairs, change, schlep my boot bag downstairs.

This is not the biggest deal by any stretch of the imagination. At the same time, it surely doesn't make a better guest experience than a few tables and chairs in the old boot room.

 

[Kingslug20]

Paradise...

 

[WWF-VT]

Fun day today at Mt Ellen. Upper mountain groomers in great shape, took an adventure down the "Experts Only" version of Walt's Trail and Hammerhead was so nice that I skied it twice.

 

[NYSnowflake]

Ok local experts- what will be the best trails to hit first thing tomorrow AM?

I don’t have much powder skiing experience- just that big 30” storm at Hunter a few years ago, and another 36” of powder at Whiteface 2 years ago.

 

[Kingslug20]

Anything will be good..depends on the wind and whats open..also when this thing starts..
I usualy just bomb right under the lift first thing

 

[Kingslug20]

But..wondering if SB be better than Stowe if heavy winds hit...more lifts?

 

[sugarbushskier16]

I don’t think heavens gate, summit quad, or bravo will be open tomorrow morning cuz of the 55 mph wind as I know from my personal experience that those lifts are most susceptible to winds. I could be wrong tho, but the winds do seem to die down later in the day I’m pretty sure. Tuesday will be the day for sure but I got school :|

 

[HowieT2]

A bit windy but just what the doctor ordered for the base.

Enhanced Mountain Point Forecasts

 

[Lotso]

I don’t think heavens gate, summit quad, or bravo will be open tomorrow morning cuz of the 55 mph wind as I know from my personal experience that those lifts are most susceptible to winds. I could be wrong tho, but the winds do seem to die down later in the day I’m pretty sure. Tuesday will be the day for sure but I got school :|

Agreed. East wind though so it may be a mess. My call would be Inverness pod, either by GMX if it opens (wind will hurt) or Inverness (later than GMX). If we have 5+ by then, Semi Tough and Inverness will be the call, with Brambles also possibly good. All nets stowed on Inverness so it's wide open, but I'd go under t-bar and skier's right of that line midway.

Basically anything that is sheltered is the place to be. Exterm can also be good if things align, as can Tumbler. Wind is the key factor. Looking at webcams of souther resorts (Snowshoe, Blue Mt) the winds are crazy...

 

[Lotso]

Stein's closed today? 1/17 Avalanche danger? Halfway serious, given the above reports of ice...

 

[KustyTheKlown]

Ok local experts- what will be the best trails to hit first thing tomorrow AM?

I don’t have much powder skiing experience- just that big 30” storm at Hunter a few years ago, and another 36” of powder at Whiteface 2 years ago.

none because none of the lifts will be running

 

[Lotso]

none because none of the lifts will be running

Bravo and GMX must be running or all those people visible on the webcam skinned up. Summit and HG will probably stay down, given the winds

 

[cdskier]

Bravo and GMX must be running or all those people visible on the webcam skinned up. Summit and HG will probably stay down, given the winds

I'm actually pretty amazed that only HG and Summit are on wind hold. I expected more. Seems the worst wind must be staying a bit further south so far. K and Pico have a substantial amount of wind holds at the moment.

 

[Lotso]

Fingers crossed! Having them stay closed today means some great pow up there when they do open....especially with NR down

 

[Johnny B]

I don't get why the upstairs boot room in the Gatehouse lodge has been closed. I see they've put tables for sixteen people in there and I've yet to see anyone using it. When I asked guest services about the change, they said it would be a "better guest experience." I've been skiing at SB for over sixty years. I have no idea how moving the boot room to only be downstairs improves the guest experience. I thought that was one of the better changes that SB had made when they opened the upstairs boot room.

I'm 6"5" and I don't fit in the downstairs boot area. That means I have to schlep my stuff upstairs, change, schlep my boot bag downstairs.

This is not the biggest deal by any stretch of the imagination. At the same time, it surely doesn't make a better guest experience than a few tables and chairs in the old boot room.

One of the major points of feedback we used to receive was how congested things could become upstairs in the Gate House Lodge with people leaving bags everywhere, taking up space, taking up tables, acting as fire hazards strewn about. When we got rid of boot rooms during last year's operational changes, we started to see what a better experience it could be for people dining indoors. So we decided to go with a hybrid approach, keep the boot room downstairs (and one in Farmhouse too), and eliminate the upstairs bag storage. You could say we should have kept the boot room and just said no to bags elsewhere upstairs, but that's actually what we did for the previous few years and people didn't listen. Signage fatigue perhaps! We had staff essentially dedicated to moving bags from the cafeteria into the storage room, only to then be reprimanded by guests who didn't want their bags moved. The solution was to just keep things downstairs.

For what it's worth, I always try to sit on the end of the bench for more leg room. I'm 6' 3", so I hear you

 

[Hawk]

Personally I think the downstairs bootroom was way undersized even when they had the upstairs room. I just gave up and booted up at my car or I just use other covert options that I am not willing to disclose.

 

[WinS]

Stein's closed today? 1/17 Avalanche danger? Halfway serious, given the above reports of ice...

Groomed last night so early runs were sweet but you could feel the hard pack underneath after awhile.

 

[WWF-VT]

Mt Ellen was about as good as it gets today. Easily 8-12" of new snow and all the natural snow trails in play. Got early runs on Brambles and Semi Tough off the Inverness chair which were awesome and uncrowded. Hit Encore, Hammerhead and Tumbler off the GMX and literally saw only two other skiers the whole way down Encore. Was really lucky timing a GMX lap with the opening of the Summit chair, I had a sublime trip down Exterminator / Lower Exterminator to wrap up the day after an early start and non-stop skiing.

 

[Smellytele]

I am jonesing to get back up there. Will be there Sunday with my wife and middle son.

 

[Kingslug20]

Hmm...maybe tomorrow