The "Sugarbush Thread"

[HowieT2]

New to this forum - new to Mad River Valley. Skied Sugarbush Sunday, MRG yesterday. Both just awesome! Looking for knowledge/guide for off trail/side country experiences. NOT looking for lessons. Warmed up on Paradise both days. Or, if anyone knows any teens that are skiing and can use a ski partner, my 13 year old can ski anywhere, but needs a partner/guide for the trees. Here today and tomorrow...

welcome aboard

 

[djd66]

N

wow this is too long for my limited attention span, but let me throw out my 2 cents.

background, I skied SB almost exclusively for over a decade around 50 days a year until the last few seasons when circumstances reduced my mrv visits and brought me to various mountains out west where my son now lives and skis a lot.

the lift situation at SB is not worse since altera took over. Not to cast shade on win and company, but there were issues before altera. Sometimes better and sometimes worse. The lift situation is not the result of lack of caring, spending money or incompetence. There was a time when heavens gate was acting up. It was addressed and it will be replaced this summer. The NRX has been a continuing problem. They've spent time money and effort multiple times to get it right but to no avail. I'm no engineer nor mechanically inclined, but it seems to me there is something (unique chain drive thingamajig design?) that is fundamentally unsound with the lift. The lift is not "old" and with all the work done to it, it "should" work reliably, but it does not. To put it into car terms, it's a lemon. This is not the result of lack of maintenance or spending.
Other than the NRX, the other lifts at SB are about as reliable as at other mountains. I've experienced lift issues at pretty much every mountain I've visited the last few years. My son reports similarly, specifically this season with the eagle wind lift at winter park which has been on the fritz the whole season. shit happens.

I skied mellon on sunday. The lift lines looked really bad. They were in fact, not so bad. didnt wait longer than 10 minutes at any lift on a day that saw record or near record number of skiers. Don't get me wrong, i wish nrx and/or sbx were running on sunday. I probably would have gotten another run or 2 in. Whatever, thankful and grateful that I was able to enjoy one of the best ski days of my life. while I understand the frustration of seeing an idle lift whilst waiting on a line, this is a first world problem.
I wish NRX was being replaced this summer if for no other reason than not to have to hear the whining about the lift situation. But that will have to wait another year. In the meantime enjoy the rest of the season. It’s only 6 months until the annual snowmaking complaints start.

Nice Post, well said.

 

[cdskier]

wow this is too long for my limited attention span, but let me throw out my 2 cents.

background, I skied SB almost exclusively for over a decade around 50 days a year until the last few seasons when circumstances reduced my mrv visits and brought me to various mountains out west where my son now lives and skis a lot.

the lift situation at SB is not worse since altera took over. Not to cast shade on win and company, but there were issues before altera. Sometimes better and sometimes worse. The lift situation is not the result of lack of caring, spending money or incompetence. There was a time when heavens gate was acting up. It was addressed and it will be replaced this summer. The NRX has been a continuing problem. They've spent time money and effort multiple times to get it right but to no avail. I'm no engineer nor mechanically inclined, but it seems to me there is something (unique chain drive thingamajig design?) that is fundamentally unsound with the lift. The lift is not "old" and with all the work done to it, it "should" work reliably, but it does not. To put it into car terms, it's a lemon. This is not the result of lack of maintenance or spending.
Other than the NRX, the other lifts at SB are about as reliable as at other mountains. I've experienced lift issues at pretty much every mountain I've visited the last few years. My son reports similarly, specifically this season with the eagle wind lift at winter park which has been on the fritz the whole season. shit happens.

I skied mellon on sunday. The lift lines looked really bad. They were in fact, not so bad. didnt wait longer than 10 minutes at any lift on a day that saw record or near record number of skiers. Don't get me wrong, i wish nrx and/or sbx were running on sunday. I probably would have gotten another run or 2 in. Whatever, thankful and grateful that I was able to enjoy one of the best ski days of my life. while I understand the frustration of seeing an idle lift whilst waiting on a line, this is a first world problem.
I wish NRX was being replaced this summer if for no other reason than not to have to hear the whining about the lift situation. But that will have to wait another year. In the meantime enjoy the rest of the season. Its only 6 months until the annual snowmaking complaints start.

Well said Howie!

 

[rtjcbrown]

Agreed - these claims have little basis in reality. NRX is a systemic issue, not maintenance, and it will be replaced. Very seldom do mountain's announce concrete dates for lift replacements multiple years in advance. You can argue that NRX should have been before HG, but it is what it is. A fixed grip is cheaper and perhaps that's how the dollars lined up.

The one complaint I would have if I was still a regular is Slidebrook. It's been one excuse after another valid or not... it is a sunk cost and it doesn't do any good just sitting there. Figure out how to run the thing more. I was a passholder that skied 6 days a week from 1995 to 1999 and that lift (yes it was just installed) ran every single day. The solution may be turning the lift into a chondola once the more immediate lift needs are addressed. That would allow it to run in nearly all conditions and would allow for people to ride open chairs when weather permits. That would provide not only tremendous value but provide for quite the marketing hype as well. The redheaded stepchild lift that sits idle that no one wants to speak about all of a sudden becomes what it was intended to be.

Would the current lift be able to be converted to either a Gondola, or a hybrid Chondola? Would it be as simple as swapping the chairs out for cabins?
If it was a gondola, would it be able to be run more often than a chairlift? It seems that the "excuse" given for it not running more often is the lack of snow hindering accessibility for an evacuation if needed. If skiers were protected in an enclosed gondola vs exposed to the elements on a chair, could that change this MO?

 

[Getskied]

Can anyone confirm what the glacier looks like on Steins this year? It seems smaller than in recent past years although last year it was still whaled up at this time. I wasn’t sure if it was my imagination or if there may have been less of a spring build this year.

 

[crystalmountainskier]

Would the current lift be able to be converted to either a Gondola, or a hybrid Chondola? Would it be as simple as swapping the chairs out for cabins?
If it was a gondola, would it be able to be run more often than a chairlift? It seems that the "excuse" given for it not running more often is the lack of snow hindering accessibility for an evacuation if needed. If skiers were protected in an enclosed gondola vs exposed to the elements on a chair, could that change this MO?

Not possible.

 

[STREETSKIER]

Can anyone confirm what the glacier looks like on Steins this year? It seems smaller than in recent past years although last year it was still whaled up at this time. I wasn’t sure if it was my imagination or if there may have been less of a spring build this

 

[Blurski]

No idea, but I have ridden SX later in the season and with less snow under it. My guess is staff

Road SBX the weekend of 16 & 17th

 

[Blurski]

The reason for Slidey B not running is probably they were not able to go out there and groom/pack down the access roads to the lift line. They're not going to send the lift mechanics out there in that much fresh snow on top of bare ground and flowing water.

Used several of the less traveled access road this weekend, had snowmobile track on each of them.

 

[Smellytele]

wow this is too long for my limited attention span, but let me throw out my 2 cents.

background, I skied SB almost exclusively for over a decade around 50 days a year until the last few seasons when circumstances reduced my mrv visits and brought me to various mountains out west where my son now lives and skis a lot.

the lift situation at SB is not worse since altera took over. Not to cast shade on win and company, but there were issues before altera. Sometimes better and sometimes worse. The lift situation is not the result of lack of caring, spending money or incompetence. There was a time when heavens gate was acting up. It was addressed and it will be replaced this summer. The NRX has been a continuing problem. They've spent time money and effort multiple times to get it right but to no avail. I'm no engineer nor mechanically inclined, but it seems to me there is something (unique chain drive thingamajig design?) that is fundamentally unsound with the lift. The lift is not "old" and with all the work done to it, it "should" work reliably, but it does not. To put it into car terms, it's a lemon. This is not the result of lack of maintenance or spending.
Other than the NRX, the other lifts at SB are about as reliable as at other mountains. I've experienced lift issues at pretty much every mountain I've visited the last few years. My son reports similarly, specifically this season with the eagle wind lift at winter park which has been on the fritz the whole season. shit happens.

I skied mellon on sunday. The lift lines looked really bad. They were in fact, not so bad. didnt wait longer than 10 minutes at any lift on a day that saw record or near record number of skiers. Don't get me wrong, i wish nrx and/or sbx were running on sunday. I probably would have gotten another run or 2 in. Whatever, thankful and grateful that I was able to enjoy one of the best ski days of my life. while I understand the frustration of seeing an idle lift whilst waiting on a line, this is a first world problem.
I wish NRX was being replaced this summer if for no other reason than not to have to hear the whining about the lift situation. But that will have to wait another year. In the meantime enjoy the rest of the season. Its only 6 months until the annual snowmaking complaints start.

Most of these post are too long for my attention s…

 

[Newpylong]

Not possible.

Of course it's possible - but at what cost? At minimum you're looking at digging out both terminals to install taller cabins (and their guards) and building a deck all the way around. Worst case scenario you're looking at pretty much two new terminals as those were designed for open carriers. There are also lots of in between scenarios based on what Doppelmayr can do with those terminals. Also do you build a storage barn?

To answer a previous question - yes enclosed cabins change the evacuation scenarios in a beneficial way, no other reason to do it if this wasn't the case. The goal would be to run the lift as often as desired if both mountains are open.

Also whether running the lift would materially change crowding at one side or the other? No, I don't think it would. However it does change the perception of NOT being able to switch sides mid-day if the crowds or conditions aren't to someone's liking. People get the feeling that they can't because the shuttle stinks and lift doesn't run. So they become apathetical. In the ASC days there was not a line on it, but it wasn't uncommon for every chair to have at least one rider on weekends. It was well utilized.

 

[rtjcbrown]

To answer a previous question - yes enclosed cabins change the evacuation scenarios in a beneficial way, no other reason to do it if this wasn't the case. The goal would be to run the lift as often as desired if both mountains are open.

That was my thought when asking. The second part would be. Can it be run in the off season as an attraction, or was part of the agreement allowing the build, curtailing it's use in the offseason? Bears, etc...

 

[cdskier]

That was my thought when asking. The second part would be. Can it be run in the off season as an attraction, or was part of the agreement allowing the build, curtailing it's use in the offseason? Bears, etc...

It cannot be used in the off-season. That was part of the agreement to allow it to be built.

 

[heiusa]

Another solution would be to run more shuttles between the bases. Vail runs a great shuttle bus system, there is even an app for the phone showing where the bus is.

 

[cdskier]

Another solution would be to run more shuttles between the bases. Vail runs a great shuttle bus system, there is even an app for the phone showing where the bus is.

GMT has an app that shows the real time location of the buses. (probably another thing most people don't even realize exists).

You're not wrong about more buses though. Normally I believe there are 2 on the LP/ME route (so you have one leave each base area 30 minutes). Not sure why this weekend there was supposedly only 1 from what was mentioned here. Maybe a staffing issue?

 

[Cheetah440]

Never should have put that dumb lift in in the first place. Should have developed the basin and expanded skiable terrain. 3 trails on on North Lynx? Should be trails all the way to Castlerock with another chair or two. Basin could have multiple chairs. Don’t wanna hear about the black bear. There’s a gazillion acres for the bears.

 

[kingslug]

Slidebrook is important..just as the gondola between park city and canyons is.
Taking the bus at either place sucks.

 

[thetrailboss]

Never should have put that dumb lift in in the first place. Should have developed the basin and expanded skiable terrain. 3 trails on on North Lynx? Should be trails all the way to Castlerock with another chair or two. Basin could have multiple chairs. Don’t wanna hear about the black bear. There’s a gazillion acres for the bears.

The State of Vermont and the USFS would not allow it to be developed. This was the compromise. It is what it is. We’re talking about decisions made 30 years ago….

 

[slatham]

C

The State of Vermont and the USFS would not allow it to be developed. This was the compromise. It is what it is. We’re talking about decisions made 30 years ago….

Correct about Slide Brook, but a Master Plan from the Win Smith era did show trails and lift between North Linx and Castle Rock. Some nice terrain in there…..

 

[djd66]

There could be and definitely should be additional trails off of North Lynx. I know there was talk of this, not sure where it stands.