The "Sugarbush Thread"

[Lotso]

Agreed. It’s definitely disappointing not getting a new nrx especially for regulars but I guess replacing it doesn’t do anything in terms of marketing. It’s not like a new nrx will bring anyone to ski Mellon. And there’s no real estate to sell.
Whether what theyre doing makes sense financially depends on how much money theyre putting into the old lift and we dont know that. Personally, if replacing the nrx with a fixed grip quad would happen sooner than a detachable, I’d take the fixed grip.

I am old enough to remember the old NR double....brrrrr. I will wait for the new NRX, personally. However I agree that it is a critical lift for ME. Inverness is out of comission and Summit is so STUPIDLY slow, it is hard to enjoyably access the trails above the top of GMX, IMO. You all are welcome to your own opinions, of course.;

 

[djd66]

Personally, if replacing the nrx with a fixed grip quad would happen sooner than a detachable, I’d take the fixed grip.

I would say a hard no on replacing it with a fixed grip quad. That would completely change the skiing experience (negatively) I'd rather wait for a HSQ.

 

[doublediamond]

Why does Summit run at like 300 ft/minute? It already has a long chair spacing.

 

[Newpylong]

I am old enough to remember the old NR double....brrrrr. I will wait for the new NRX, personally. However I agree that it is a critical lift for ME. Inverness is out of comission and Summit is so STUPIDLY slow, it is hard to enjoyably access the trails above the top of GMX, IMO. You all are welcome to your own opinions, of course.;

Inverness WAS out of commission. Got a new drive this off-season, should be fine now. Agreed on North Ridge, I was in town the last year of the double it was brutal.

Only thing I can think for the Summit Quad is the motor is inadequately sized. That lift sux.

 

[cdskier]

Inverness WAS out of commission. Got a new drive this off-season, should be fine now.

Woo hoo! At least that's one positive. (You would think they would have included that in the list of things they mentioned as recent upgrades/investments this summer).

 

[slatham]

Woo hoo! At least that's one positive. (You would think they would have included that in the list of things they mentioned as recent upgrades/investments this summer).

They don’t want the general public to get too excited about a lift that will be used predominately by GMVS and not us average Joe’s.

 

[djd66]

I'm definitely not excited about the Inverness lift, I hardly use it when I'm skiing Ellen.

 

[cdskier]

They don’t want the general public to get too excited about a lift that will be used predominately by GMVS and not us average Joe’s.

Nah...GMVS is more likely to use their shiny new Poma most of the time. That thing is faster than Inverness anyway! (Unless we're also getting a speed bump with the new drive).

I'm definitely not excited about the Inverness lift, I hardly use it when I'm skiing Ellen.

I use it for some peace and quiet sometimes. If Semi-tough and Walts are skiing well, I enjoy taking a few rides on Inverness to ski those and have some quiet time.

 

[Plowboy]

Lots of cutting back of trails...looks like it was with some bad-ass flail, as some branches and trees shattered but more area for snow. I know that's routine maintenance, but still good to see

They bought a Volvo EC140E Excavator with a Brown's Brontosaurus Mulching Head. Beats using a chain saw!!

 

[thetrailboss]

Inverness WAS out of commission. Got a new drive this off-season, should be fine now. Agreed on North Ridge, I was in town the last year of the double it was brutal.

Only thing I can think for the Summit Quad is the motor is inadequately sized. That lift sux.

Summit used to be a lot faster if memory serves me right. Was the motor replaced since like 2007 or so? In my last seasons there it seemed slower.

 

[Newpylong]

I lived in Waitsfield from 94 to 99 and it was just a slow then as it is now.

 

[tumbler]

The NRX upgrade is hiring fulltime people just to push the chairs through the terminals.

 

[Hawk]

Well there are Ellen people that live and die with what happens over there. And then there are people like me that shoot over there to ski when we need a change of scenery or ski some woods. I have never got all wrapped up in the goings on. No matter what happens I will be alright with the timing. The positives are that Ellen has all new pumps, piping and a ton of new guns. That is way more than what Lincoln peak has recieved. Also the Lodge and Walts is seeing love. I think Ellen is in better shape them most give it.

 

[Lotso]

Inverness will only run if crowded or GMX goes down. GMVS uses the t-bar unless the t-bar track melts out...t-bar is far faster and has a midstation if they are using the lower flat for little kids of if that's where they have snow.

 

[Newpylong]

Well there are Ellen people that live and die with what happens over there. And then there are people like me that shoot over there to ski when we need a change of scenery or ski some woods. I have never got all wrapped up in the goings on. No matter what happens I will be alright with the timing. The positives are that Ellen has all new pumps, piping and a ton of new guns. That is way more than what Lincoln peak has recieved. Also the Lodge and Walts is seeing love. I think Ellen is in better shape them most give it.

The stuff at Ellen pre-dated ASC it was so old. Whereas Lincoln largely got an all new system for the 94-95 season under LBO. Getting tired (lots of cheap thin walled pipe) but not as bad as it was on Ellen. Ellen got the love because it was inoperable (in the case of Upper FIS) and getting there everywhere else.

 

[machski]

I get what you’re saying, but if you were a SB regular and owned property there then you’d have a different take. Plus you’re not considering what I said about considering less expensive lift options (8 vs 10, fixed grips at DV) in the equation.

I would agree about the short lift choices at DV, but HSQ's have been the luxury standard there for quite some time. If they are trying to stay in the niche, then that is what is required. Now dropping coin on a short D-Line is a bit excessive since a UNI-G can give almost similar features now (aside from the gearbox less direct drive).

I have not seen Dopp build a D-Line Gondi smaller than 10 pax box. So, given the length of Big Blue at Steamboat and the potential wind exposure on that length, I will not try and say a UNI-G 8 pax go do would have sufficed there. I think the D-Line 10 was the correct choice and Steamboat needs that lift out of their singular base in the .mornings.

 

[machski]

Considering NRX a secondary lift is a poor take as any ME regular would tell you. That lift allows you to ski the vast majority of key terrain at ME off a single lift. Not going to the summit is not a big deal. There's not a whole lot of terrain above the top of NRX (or below it). The best terrain at ME is mid-mountain or the natural trails on Inverness.

I also don't know what you mean by "new GMC for out base lift". GMX isn't new and has been problematic on and off for a while as well. Inverness was dead last year and hopefully they at least fixed that this off-season.

Wow, ok then some history. NRX was the GMC in that same alignment prior to LBO coming in. When he put Slidebrook in, he took out GMX and reinstalled it as NRX which was fine and great coming from South off Slidebrook. But if starting at North, to summit North, you now had to take 3 lifts to do so (Inverness or a short FGQ out of base, NRX then Summit). After LBO was out, a new HSQ was installed in the old GMX line (I assume that was Win??). So that GMC is actually the newest HSQ on the entire hill.

The idea of replacing Bravo and having Dopp do a full refurb isn't completely nuts. Remember, Dopp basically makes those returns like all new machines. All wear parts are completely overhauled or replaced, electronics are upgraded to the latest gear, etc. A resort can get what is basically a new machine at half the cost or better as all the steel is reused. I think if Bravo is in the timeline for upgrade, that could be something they should explore with the delay now on NRX replacement.

 

[cdskier]

Wow, ok then some history. NRX was the GMC in that same alignment prior to LBO coming in. When he put Slidebrook in, he took out GMX and reinstalled it as NRX which was fine and great coming from South off Slidebrook. But if starting at North, to summit North, you now had to take 3 lifts to do so (Inverness or a short FGQ out of base, NRX then Summit). After LBO was out, a new HSQ was installed in the old GMX line (I assume that was Win??). So that GMC is actually the newest HSQ on the entire hill.

I'm aware of the history. Just because it is the "newest" detach at ME doesn't make it "new". It is still a 20+ year old detach lift that has also had a number of problems over the past several years.

 

[thetrailboss]

I'm aware of the history. Just because it is the "newest" detach at ME doesn't make it "new". It is still a 20+ year old detach lift that has also had a number of problems over the past several years.

Yeah I still consider GMX “new” but I watched it going up now 22 years ago so it isn’t new!

 

[cdskier]

Yeah I still consider GMX “new” but I watched it going up now 22 years ago so it isn’t new!

I will add that GMX ran pretty well last season (they put a lot of work into last summer). But that still doesn't negate the need to ensure NRX runs well one way or another. (which was one of Mach's arguments about why NRX doesn't need to be a priority). The mountain skis very differently and the experience is very different without NRX. That's the bottom line. Again, I hope whatever they did this summer works out. If it doesn't, I know there will be a good number of unhappy people (especially once they find out it isn't being replaced next year). I know the two of us don't always see eye to eye, but I think on this one we're both in agreement for a change