The "Sugarbush Thread"

[urungus]

With the stated shortage of lift mechanics Slide Brook is not going to be on the priority list of opening. It takes a lot of time to clear the line in the morning. It is also a stress to Mtn Ops when it is running fearing an evac will be needed. Newpy is correct, when it went in in 95 it ran everyday until ASC sold to Win. It was not a snow depth issue, the lift mechanics would take 4 wheelers in on the service roads.

So basically it’s BS when Sugarbush talks about how they have to wait for enough snow to open up Slidebrook

 

[Cheetah440]

Again, IKON pass sales have been flat if not down.....

Yeah but Deer Valley is gonna rock with those new 18 brand new chairs!!

So basically it’s BS when Sugarbush talks about how they have to wait for enough snow to open up Slidebrook

Tear it down and send it right up Organ grinder. It’s a useless albatross that has little utility, and it’s never gonna run again. Go top to bottom, right up the old line, or start at the bottom of Steins.

 

[doublediamond]

Poma doesn't support older model lifts. Look to Killington needing to source parts from Boneyards for their 1996 Needles Eye HSQ. If I was management I'd stay far far away from considering reinstalling someone's used Poma HSQ.

 

[djd66]

Yeah but Deer Valley is gonna rock with those new 18 brand new chairs!!

Tear it down and send it right up Organ grinder. It’s a useless albatross that has little utility, and it’s never gonna run again. Go top to bottom, right up the old line, or start at the bottom of Steins.

It’s 5 miles long, with any extra, you could run a line from top of Heavens Gate right to Castlerock, I’m done with that 20 minute walk

 

[Hawk]

So basically it’s BS when Sugarbush talks about how they have to wait for enough snow to open up Slidebrook

No this is not true. I have friends in ski patrol and I will go with what they say over internet gossip. Until people can ski out of slide brook they do not open the lift. Now.... do they wait a longer to open the lift now-a-days? Probably. Keep in mind that the lift mechanic thing was not an issue until about 3 or 4 years ago. Before that the lift opened once there was a base in the woods. I'm here most weekends for the last 20 years. This phenominon is new for the most part.

 

[ducky]

Even my dog doesn't want to go outside. Mini tornados of snow in an 8˚ snowglobe. Grim.

 

[VTSkiBike]

Snowing hard again here this morning. Might need to take a personal day later this week. Keep that snow coming.

 

[Cheetah440]

It’s 5 miles long, with any extra, you could run a line from top of Heavens Gate right to Castlerock, I’m done with that 20 minute walk

Take the extra for North Ridge. Seriously, what a god damned waste that stupid albatross is. Dumbest vanity lift in the history of skiing.

 

[urungus]

No this is not true. I have friends in ski patrol and I will go with what they say over internet gossip. Until people can ski out of slide brook they do not open the lift.

It is not true that they used to use ATVs to keep the lift open when there was not enough snow to ski ?

 

[Kleetus]

So how are conditions out there now? I have Thursday off. Friday maybe could take the afternoon off but have a mid morning meeting I'm presenting at so can't bail on that. Would be driving up from CNY Wednesday night or Thursday morning.

From what I've gathered sounds like it's a mixed bag. Was at Stratton Saturday and Sunday and it was great and mostly soft on the natural trails and woods with solid coverage which is mainly what I skied. Trying to weigh if it's worth it for the expense getting a room and the drive. Granted they are getting snow so watching that. Worried about wind holds though especially Thursday.

Also interested in how MRG is skiing. If they get the snow I could easily be convinced to buy a day ticket for Thursday there.

My other option is to day trip it close to home Thursday and ski local or Gore. Then head up for the weekend Friday night either to Whiteface, the Bush, or Stratton again (likely not that though because it's going to be busy I'm sure).

 

[VTSkiBike]

I wouldn't call it a "mixed bag." Skiing around MRV has been pretty damn good lately and will be even better later this week.

 

[HowieT2]

i'm after! fly 2/15, banff 2/16 - 21, revy 2/22-27, fly home 28
open to excursions within reason like maybe an a la carte day at kicking horse on my way to or from
my one trip to banff/rev was not in the best snow. ive skied kicking horse tits deep, and fernie. hoping to get the goods at rev this year.

we're flying through Kelowna.
never skied kh but its definitely on the bucket list

 

[bumpcrasher]

No this is not true. I have friends in ski patrol and I will go with what they say over internet gossip. Until people can ski out of slide brook they do not open the lift. Now.... do they wait a longer to open the lift now-a-days? Probably. Keep in mind that the lift mechanic thing was not an issue until about 3 or 4 years ago. Before that the lift opened once there was a base in the woods. I'm here most weekends for the last 20 years. This phenominon is new for the most part.

I can guarantee you that during the 1990's, SlideBrook ran with little to no snow under the lift (7 days a week). Not sure why it became a safety issue. It is irrelevant this season in light of all the other broken lifts and that there are chairs lying around the base of it.

Speaking of which, does anyone have any status on the other lifts not running?? Sunshine Quad? NorthRidge? Castlerock??

 

[Lotso]

AS windy as I have ever seen it up there today, and I have been here 35 years. Nutty

Will be ton of snow in the usual sheltered spots, blasted concrete in the exposed areas.

 

[urungus]

I can guarantee you that during the 1990's, SlideBrook ran with little to no snow under the lift (7 days a week). Not sure why it became a safety issue.

It became a safety issue because that was easier to say than “we are too cheap to run it”

 

[HowieT2]

It became a safety issue because that was easier to say than “we are too cheap to run it”

I actually don't think that was the case. If I remember correctly what happened was, they were running the lift under the same protocols as ASC (just like a regular lift that is above resort grounds where emergency response personal are on scene) when there was one or more than one instances where the lift stopped and people were stuck in really cold sub zero temperatures. This prompted a rethink of when it was "safe" to run the lift given that it traverses wilderness and if god forbid an evacuation is necessary it would take some time for rescuers to get there under the best of circumstances. The only way for rescuers to get to the chairs is via snowmobiles traveling on the lift line. Hence the "new" requirement for sufficient snow pack for the snowmobiles and not running the lift when temps are under 5f.

 

[Hawk]

It is not true that they used to use ATVs to keep the lift open when there was not enough snow to ski ?

Urungus, if the lift dies and you are evac'd down to the ground, 2 miles out in the slidebrook wilderness. You are a beginner. Do you think it is a great idea to have them walk in ski boots all the way out? I don't know what ASC did but I do know that Win and John Hammond think that is a bad idea. There has to be minimal snow cover to be able to ski out.

 

[Lotso]

I think the proof will be in the pudding this weekend. Given the recent snows and the forecast, there will be more than enough snow in there to be deemed 'enough to run the lift'. We'll see if it spins, but I am not holding my breath.

 

[bumpcrasher]

Urungus, if the lift dies and you are evac'd down to the ground, 2 miles out in the slidebrook wilderness. You are a beginner. Do you think it is a great idea to have them walk in ski boots all the way out? I don't know what ASC did but I do know that Win and John Hammond think that is a bad idea. There has to be minimal snow cover to be able to ski out.

You guys are both be correct. However, there is clearly sufficient snowpack and I am highly skeptical SlideBrook is running anytime soon.
I am holding out hope they can get Castlerock. Is it broken as well? Sunshine and NorthRidge are still broken as well??

 

[urungus]

The only way for rescuers to get to the chairs is via snowmobiles traveling on the lift line.

Why can’t they use ATVs like they used to ?