The "Sugarbush Thread"

[thetrailboss]

I recall them starting to blow snow on FIS last year and then a pipe blew. I can't recall if they ever went back to it after that.

Ouch. That sucks. That is a steep trail to do a repair on in the off-season.

That trail is a personal favorite of mine.

 

[cdskier]

Ouch. That sucks. That is a steep trail to do a repair on in the off-season.

That trail is a personal favorite of mine.

I'm hoping it is fixed by now since that was over a year ago...but for all I know maybe that's the reason they haven't touched it this year yet.

 

[Slidebrook87]

To be fair, nobody really skis the part of FIS that they blow snow on. That typically becomes pure ice and everyone resorts to the skier's left side of the trail with natural snow. It's virtually impossible to create a good, non-icy surface on a natural trail with snowmaking unless it is groomed at some point. Sunday River really has the problem of making snow on their natural trials, then just leaving it. All of these trails were pure ice and virtually unskiable when I went in February last year. Honestly a better route would be to abandon snowmaking on Upper FIS just like they did on Exterminator about 10 years ago.

 

[Hawk]

I almost always ski the right side away from the guns. Also I have to disagree with most everything you just said. Sunday River makes some of the best man made snow on the planet.

 

[thetrailboss]

To be fair, nobody really skis the part of FIS that they blow snow on. That typically becomes pure ice and everyone resorts to the skier's left side of the trail with natural snow. It's virtually impossible to create a good, non-icy surface on a natural trail with snowmaking unless it is groomed at some point. Sunday River really has the problem of making snow on their natural trials, then just leaving it. All of these trails were pure ice and virtually unskiable when I went in February last year. Honestly a better route would be to abandon snowmaking on Upper FIS just like they did on Exterminator about 10 years ago.

Then it would never open.

 

[cdskier]

To be fair, nobody really skis the part of FIS that they blow snow on. That typically becomes pure ice and everyone resorts to the skier's left side of the trail with natural snow. It's virtually impossible to create a good, non-icy surface on a natural trail with snowmaking unless it is groomed at some point. Sunday River really has the problem of making snow on their natural trials, then just leaving it. All of these trails were pure ice and virtually unskiable when I went in February last year. Honestly a better route would be to abandon snowmaking on Upper FIS just like they did on Exterminator about 10 years ago.

Eh? Skier's left is under the guns...or do you mean between the guns and the tree-line where there's a little bit of room. I ski both skier's left and skier's right (and down the middle) depending on conditions. I've never had a particular issue anywhere they made snow on FIS. Whatever they've done in the past on that trail has worked well I think.

 

[Lotso]

Skied LP today. Wonderful to ski in the sun with no wind and pleasant temps. Started on GH side with Birch and Sunrise- lovely surface and casual bumps on Sunrise. Then to Slowpoke and Sleeper. Jumped on SB then Domino and Lower Domino...very pleasant, given the lack of snowfall. Then laps on Jester/Snowball/LS/ SFling...'Jestercross' was a hoot with no traffic and fantastic snow.

And all this was after noon, so nice job on the surface, folks!

Now let's hope we get the goods on Thursday and Friday...

 

[mikec142]

My big concern is the ride up...and then a secondary concern is where to stay (at mountain somewhere or further out).

 

[Slidebrook87]

Last time I skied it in 2020 the skier’s right was pure ice and the skier’s left was much nicer in comparison. All of Sunday River’s natural trails with snowmaking were pure ice when I skied them compared to the ones without which were rather pleasant. Last year a bit of snow was made on FIS before the pipe burst but the rest of it opened on natural alone.

 

[cdskier]

Last time I skied it in 2020 the skier’s right was pure ice and the skier’s left was much nicer in comparison. All of Sunday River’s natural trails with snowmaking were pure ice when I skied them compared to the ones without which were rather pleasant. Last year a bit of snow was made on FIS before the pipe burst but the rest of it opened on natural alone.

If skier's right was pure ice, I can't see how that has much to do with snow-making. You may get some blowover from the guns (which would be lighter/drier snow and shouldn't really ice up much), but the majority of the man-made will be closer to the guns themselves on skier's left.

 

[machski]

Last time I skied it in 2020 the skier’s right was pure ice and the skier’s left was much nicer in comparison. All of Sunday River’s natural trails with snowmaking were pure ice when I skied them compared to the ones without which were rather pleasant. Last year a bit of snow was made on FIS before the pipe burst but the rest of it opened on natural alone.

Yes, the ungroomed experts at SR can get icy on the snowmaking snow, but often that is because those trails HAD SNOW prior to a R@!n event. Often, the pure naturals had nothing so no water saturated snow after the natural did fall. We would never want the mountain not to make snow on say Shockwave, Top Gun, Vortex or Lost Princess. Most of those would never open without snowmaking because of rock fields below. Vortex opened once on 100% natural in '18 after the Snovember November. Yes, it was awesome but you HAD to respect patrol bamboo pole markers or the end result would be very bad.

I do not know what Upper FISlooks like on bare ground, but it is quite a wide trail as compared to it's next door neighbor under the Summit Quad. Without snowmaking, it would likely get windblown out at a minimum, resulting in it not being able to be open very often.

 

[ducky]

Last time I skied it in 2020 the skier’s right was pure ice and the skier’s left was much nicer in comparison. All of Sunday River’s natural trails with snowmaking were pure ice when I skied them compared to the ones without which were rather pleasant. Last year a bit of snow was made on FIS before the pipe burst but the rest of it opened on natural alone.

We ski the right, ice or not. It's called the mens tee for a reason.

 

[cdskier]

I do not know what Upper FISlooks like on bare ground, but it is quite a wide trail as compared to it's next door neighbor under the Summit Quad. Without snowmaking, it would likely get windblown out at a minimum, resulting in it not being able to be open very often.

A little rocky

 

[pinion]

A little rocky


View attachment 52967

Wow, never realized it was that rocky. The few times I've been on it must have been great coverage (would have been 1999 and 2000).

Also, slap a "thin cover" flag on that pic and it'd be "Open" at Wildcat.

 

[Hawk]

Last time I skied it in 2020 the skier’s right was pure ice and the skier’s left was much nicer in comparison. All of Sunday River’s natural trails with snowmaking were pure ice when I skied them compared to the ones without which were rather pleasant. Last year a bit of snow was made on FIS before the pipe burst but the rest of it opened on natural alone.

This is what I don't get about your post. The guns do not reach over to the right side so it is most likely blown in natural snow with a mix of the lighter man made that traveld all the way across. Almost always good for me. I think your limited experience with that trail has given you a bad impression. Also at Sunday River, if a trail is a "natural" trail" it does not have snow making. So what exactly are you talking about? Again I think your experience is based on limited times spent there and not knowing which trails are natural or snowmaking. I skied there for 15 years, 50 plus days a year so I truely understand what they do and how good it is on most days.

 

[Lotso]

I usually stay right, from the men's tee, unless things are really slick on the entrance. More often than not, there is a nice line of bumps on the treeline. Can get pretty boney though. It really depends on the winds and the snow year. One of the best runs I had there was while tower guns were on, skiing under the guns themselves. Then skiing it right after it's been groomed....wow. I guess I am saying that it can have many different 'moods', from day to day and from side to side. Pretty cool for such a short trail. I imagine it won't see snowmaking this year, especially with the storm coming in. Might be a good thing!

 

[jaybird]

This may all be moot Friday pm .. if Punxsutawney has any say in the matter

 

[Hawk]

What will be moot?

 

[jaybird]

What will be moot?

How FIS gets covered. The right side tree line has always relied on drifting. That problem doesn't exist on BDR

Less turns .. more air

 

[Hawk]

Right! I have not been over there in a couple of weeks and was wondering how the wind affected things. The new snow should start heavey and get lighter hopefully. Probably what we need.