The "Sugarbush Thread"

[tumbler]

Xmas vacation 2 weeks away, going to be skiing off GH and maybe if they are lucky off VH. It's going to be ugly. With the liquid event they are going to need to resurface GH before moving elsewhere but will need to wait for the pond to fill up. It takes a lot of runtime to get HG open and if they do they will have to download Bravo unless they can get VH traverse done. At least MEllen will open on the 21st.
I'm starting to question my plans for that week.

 

[Hawk]

All major structure concrete for towers, drives, top & bottom terminals have been poured for over a month. Sets of 5 test cylinders are taken for each pour, they are tested at 7 days, 14 days & 28 days, you will know if you have a problem with compressing strength on the 7 day break. You cannot erect the towers without the test results proving the concrete has met the design strength, period or an approved engineered fix was signed off on & exiecuted. Just no way around this.
Perhaps they have some low breaks on the pit concrete for the conveyor or something, not so critical they would most likely come up with an end around for that.

Thanks Blurski. Anybody that does construction for a living knows this process well. But there has never been a report or rumor that i know of that mentions the concrete's compressive strength failing. The rumors I heard were that the issues may fall with large voids in the concrete or a cold Joint issue when they had the formwork blow out. That would be an issue with vibrating the concrete duing the pour and they did not clean up the excess after the form blew out. This all has not been confirmed but was out there on a local level in the valley. I do not have an honest comformation so it all may be just BS. Either way, that is on Dopplemayr as they contracted the team and not Sugarbush.

 

[Lotso]

They are currently blowing snow at Mt Ellen that is only getting used by 100 people.

The pond recharged fast. Up a foot from yesterday. Guessing the Mad pond is not so good

 

[tumbler]

At least HG is spinning right now...

 

[VTSkiBike]

Xmas vacation 2 weeks away, going to be skiing off GH and maybe if they are lucky off VH. It's going to be ugly. With the liquid event they are going to need to resurface GH before moving elsewhere but will need to wait for the pond to fill up. It takes a lot of runtime to get HG open and if they do they will have to download Bravo unless they can get VH traverse done. At least MEllen will open on the 21st.
I'm starting to question my plans for that week.

I'm losing confidence that Ellen will open as scheduled. Call it a hunch.

 

[KustyTheKlown]

ya thats rough. i always lock in a lot of new england hotels for the xmas week and decide when it gets close. sounds like the waitsfield option is quickly becoming a nope.

 

[Hawk]

At least HG is spinning right now...

That's a good sign. Also, I have a first hand report that Mt. Ellen is in great shape from the top down to the bottom of northridge and they are now blowing the runnout down to the bottom. Patrolers were going around on Saturday cutting trail side blow downs. Sounds like they are moving to open soon. How soon? I guess we will see.

 

[Cheetah440]

I know I'm late to this discussion but Stratton got sunbowl open this weekend, without food and beverage and the sports shop.

It wasn't schedule until next weekend but they saw the need and pulled the trigger. Heat and bathrooms only and 1 lift staffed. I think they ran a ticket booth too.

Something similar could have happened with Mt Ellen no?

I know Sugarbush would have to open 2 lifts but Don't see why it couldn't have been done.

Apparently suggesting a ME early opening makes you a heretic. Hasn’t been done in decades!!!

 

[jonnyco14]

It was a disappointing weekend. Went to MRG on Sunday and was skiing amazing. My son does GMVS so was over there both days. Lots of snow down low so they could open it if they want to. Another weekend of just gatehouse would be tragic....hopefully they open Ellen so we can ski and not just stand in line all day. The biggest kicker was, why not run village quad just to provide a little relief from gate house.

 

[Shredmonkey254]

It was a disappointing weekend. Went to MRG on Sunday and was skiing amazing. My son does GMVS so was over there both days. Lots of snow down low so they could open it if they want to. Another weekend of just gatehouse would be tragic....hopefully they open Ellen so we can ski and not just stand in line all day. The biggest kicker was, why not run village quad just to provide a little relief from gate house.

I'm wondering if they do not have enough employees to run the equipment and services needed. There has to be some reason for what is going on. I was thinking the same thing as NYDB yesterday while sitting in the sun bowl lodge at Stratton. ME could be open without any services. Skiers really don't need that much to be happy, just lifts that work and trails to slide on!

 

[urungus]

I have the wonder if John Hammond’s days are numbered. Certainly some bad factors coming together this year.

This has been a challenging operational opening for sure. New lift, drought, short snowmaking window. HG has been out of the mix and pretty much been mid Dec best case for a while so they prob figured they would get GH and VH going, blow snow to get ready for HG. Ran out of water. More water is on the way!!!

Don’t forget the cluster-f in the spring when they shut down HG on a couple days notice and screwed over folks who bought spring passes …. Not sure how much of this is John Hammond’s fault and how much is Alterra’s

 

[Shredmonkey254]

Don’t forget the cluster-f in the spring when they shut down HG on a couple days notice and screwed over folks who bought spring passes …. Not sure how much of this is John Hammond’s fault and how much is Alterra’s

Xmas vacation 2 weeks away, going to be skiing off GH and maybe if they are lucky off VH. It's going to be ugly. With the liquid event they are going to need to resurface GH before moving elsewhere but will need to wait for the pond to fill up. It takes a lot of runtime to get HG open and if they do they will have to download Bravo unless they can get VH traverse done. At least MEllen will open on the 21st.
I'm starting to question my plans for that week.

Another thing I have been wondering and probably should be posting to the Stowe thread but I would be if Stowe announced Epic local passes are back on sale this week - Holiday Special - I'm willing to be they would sell hundreds of them to the greater Burlington residents and also to the local home owners in the MRV. Would result in a quick six figure revenue boost for the end of the year for them.

 

[Cheetah440]

I'm wondering if they do not have enough employees to run the equipment and services needed. There has to be some reason for what is going on. I was thinking the same thing as NYDB yesterday while sitting in the sun bowl lodge at Stratton. ME could be open without any services. Skiers really don't need that much to be happy, just lifts that work and trails to slide on!

Do they not have to have resources there for the ski team? It’s not like it’s an abandoned ski area.

 

[Lotso]

That's a good sign. Also, I have a first hand report that Mt. Ellen is in great shape from the top down to the bottom of northridge and they are now blowing the runnout down to the bottom. Patrolers were going around on Saturday cutting trail side blow downs. Sounds like they are moving to open soon. How soon? I guess we will see.

Which Way and SS are being blasted, and the pond is a foot higher than it was yesterday...go figure. I think Wednesday will make a move to ME their only option for any kind of acceptable offering for the weekend, as LP will be down to rebuilt Slowpoke and Pushover/PChute.

And either the thermometer at the summit is broken or no on paying attention, but it's been 34 degrees up there for the past week...according to the conditions page...

 

[HowieT2]

Thanks Blurski. Anybody that does construction for a living knows this process well. But there has never been a report or rumor that i know of that mentions the concrete's compressive strength failing. The rumors I heard were that the issues may fall with large voids in the concrete or a cold Joint issue when they had the formwork blow out. That would be an issue with vibrating the concrete duing the pour and they did not clean up the excess after the form blew out. This all has not been confirmed but was out there on a local level in the valley. I do not have an honest comformation so it all may be just BS. Either way, that is on Dopplemayr as they contracted the team and not Sugarbush.

wouldnt sugarbush have declined the handover of the lift from dopplemeyer if there was an issue with the concrete?

 

[Hawk]

Howie, I have no idea what is true and what is a rumor lately. Yes if there was a problem with the concrete the hand over would be delayed. But, the lift is not handed over yet so we will see what is true and what is not.

 

[tumbler]

It's been 34 at the summit since they took everything offline for HG replacement. Alterra has stated that management is done at the local level not from HQ and I do believe that. They underestimated how quick they would run out of water at LP and have not gotten the storms that have bailed them out in previous years. I will take the benefit of a new HG lift going forward for short term pain but not pivoting to SB-Fling sooner and getting VH open is a huge blunder.
Beating the dead horse but just frustrated because other mountains have much more open and the communication is terrible.

 

[Shredmonkey254]

It's been 34 at the summit since they took everything offline for HG replacement. Alterra has stated that management is done at the local level not from HQ and I do believe that. They underestimated how quick they would run out of water at LP and have not gotten the storms that have bailed them out in previous years. I will take the benefit of a new HG lift going forward for short term pain but not pivoting to SB-Fling sooner and getting VH open is a huge blunder.
Beating the dead horse but just frustrated because other mountains have much more open and the communication is terrible.

You should just be driving down to Killington these days. It's only an hour south and you will actually be skiing! If you think the two hour drive time is too much, add up all the time you are spending waiting in the lift line for beginner terrain... I bet it adds up to more than drive time to the big K!

 

[Carl_Greig]

Listening to scanner. Sugarbush is filling water barrels. (and are running out of water)
Presumably Heavens Gate Quad load test is underway.

 

[slatham]

Oh that would be rich “HG load test delayed due to lack of water”.

No skin in the game, but IMHO it’s Ellen this weekend or tar and feathers- take your pick Mr Hammond.