I agree with Howie. I'd normally be sitting in my office in NJ with similar temps to NYC, but most of this week I'm actually up in one of my offices near Boston. It was close to 60 up here yesterday and in the 40s up here today, but still not enough to make me say "WTF why isn't SB open". Probably better for me personally that they don't open. Driving from NJ to MA back to NJ and then up to VT all in one week would have been a lot and I have a lot of things to get done at home. If they were open I would have been tempted to push it. Now I'll just hope they get some decent weather and can get a bunch of terrain open by around December 7th when I can spend some time up there using up my remaining vacation days for the year.
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The "Sugarbush Thread"
- Thread starter thetrailboss
- Start date
I agree with Howie. I'd normally be sitting in my office in NJ with similar temps to NYC, but most of this week I'm actually up in one of my offices near Boston. It was close to 60 up here yesterday and in the 40s up here today, but still not enough to make me say "WTF why isn't SB open". Probably better for me personally that they don't open. Driving from NJ to MA back to NJ and then up to VT all in one week would have been a lot and I have a lot of things to get done at home. If they were open I would have been tempted to push it. Now I'll just hope they get some decent weather and can get a bunch of terrain open by around December 7th when I can spend some time up there using up my remaining vacation days for the year.
The relevance being that it was not just "someone" but the SB rep who just got done saying, "gee, we are probably not going to make it" and then posts pictures of his ski day at MRG.
I get who it was, but I still don't see the relevance. It could have been Win himself doing that and I still wouldn't see what that has to do with SB not being able to make enough snow to open this weekend. To me doing that and posting that simply helps to get people excited that skiing is coming and nothing more...
billski
Active member
Just saw a note from Stowe, they're not going to open until Nov. 25th. Pushed out from this weekend.
steamboat1
New member
Maybe because Sugarbush isn't allowing uphill hiking at this time. How's the hiking at Snowbird? Oh that's right they're not allowing hiking either
My point is that it seems odd to be saying you can't open because of conditions but yet you can hike and earn turns at a place that is not blowing ANY snow. Seems like a contradiction.
Yes, you are right that both don't allow hiking. I don't really care. Honestly, it is quite dangerous to be on the slopes of Snowbird in early season with unmaintained avalanche areas, snowmaking, and other equipment operating. Same with Sugarbush, sans the avalanche issues.
benski
Active member
It is supposed to rain later this week so some of the snow will melt. Also based on what win said on skimrv you can ski down to Heavens Gate now but the coverage is not good enough to open.
Not really a contradiction. One person (or even a handful of people) being able to hike and ski on a few inches of natural snow is not the same as having a surface that can be skied on all day long by hundreds of people.
Smellytele
Well-known member
this
steamboat1
New member
There were people skiing MRG over 2 weeks ago with the first natural snowfall. There were pictures posted.
As for Sugarbush they're doing fine. Been pounding upper Organ Grinder & Jester from what I understand. Besides it being to warm at lower elevation it doesn't make sense to try if it's only going to get washed away anyway
As for Sugarbush they're doing fine. Been pounding upper Organ Grinder & Jester from what I understand. Besides it being to warm at lower elevation it doesn't make sense to try if it's only going to get washed away anyway
personally, i think it a complete waste of money and resouces to blow snow until we have sustainable cold weather. we do not have sustainable cold weather now. Who care about SR and KT. I would much rather SB spend thier snow maing budget on snow when it matters - December, January and Feb. Its fricken 60 in Boston!
WWF-VT
Well-known member
Where are the pictures on Facebook ?
personally, i think it a complete waste of money and resouces to blow snow until we have sustainable cold weather. we do not have sustainable cold weather now. Who care about SR and KT. I would much rather SB spend thier snow maing budget on snow when it matters - December, January and Feb. Its fricken 60 in Boston!
benski
Active member
I would guess if it were a waist of money Sunday river and killington would have stopped doing it by now. I assume early season there is only enough demand for 2 ski areas to operate profitably.
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Newpylong
Well-known member
Yep. I'm willing to bet outside of a handfull of people no one cares that they arent open yet. Just look at the weather.
It was on FB yesterday. Interestingly, I see the post:
But they took the picture down of their skiing at MRG, which looked pretty decent.
I guess my overall question is do you all think they are improving other things at the sacrifice of the ski product? If I was a homeowner there I'd probably shrug about a later opening and not being bullish with snowmaking because now I've got a ton of stuff to do in the summer and other things are better. But when I was a passholder I was only interested in getting onto the snow ASAP.
No, I think they produce an excellent ski product and aren't sacrificing anything there. They want a high quality product for opening day and I can appreciate that. If they weren't attempting to make snow then I would be concerned. The other day they had 80 guns going on Upper Jester/Downspout to HG and 12 on Upper Organgrinder. 92 guns at LP at once doesn't sound like sacrificing anything to me.
As a passholder, I consider anything in November a bonus. Early season is way too dependent on weather to consider it a given. As long as I see them trying, I'm happy.
Believe me, if we could make this weekend, we would open. But it's all about delivering a quality product, as Win has said many times on here in the past. The weather so far this month hasn't been ideal for snowmaking. We were all set to fire up Nov 1, but it was 60 deg during the day and 40 at night. And the first couple nights two weeks ago we made snow, temps were marginal, even up top. If it was a consistant 30s during the day and 10s-20s at night, then no problem. But it hasn't been. It has enabled us to get important things done like repairs, assist with the new Valley House lift, etc.
The Sugarbush snow report has said in it since November 1 that the mountain is closed until opening day. I see no mention of the same on the MRG page, so they may have the policy of "hike it if you can".
And for those looking for some snowmaking "porn", this is the link for all my snowmaking shots this season:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/shadyjay/albums/72157660257834278
Thanks, and enjoy!
The Sugarbush snow report has said in it since November 1 that the mountain is closed until opening day. I see no mention of the same on the MRG page, so they may have the policy of "hike it if you can".
And for those looking for some snowmaking "porn", this is the link for all my snowmaking shots this season:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/shadyjay/albums/72157660257834278
Thanks, and enjoy!
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