The "Sugarbush Thread"

[cdskier]

Yeah, I hated that they only made snow on the Forty-Niner, Upper Pike, and the Golden Express areas, and even then they made snow to open these areas and then shut down. As I have said before in here, if Pico were anywhere else but where it is located (right beside Killington) it would have made it. Ironically, because it is beside Killington, it is still alive. Such an underutilized resource.

Like other parts of Killington, they have removed a lot of lifts and tried to streamline things a bit too much. Look at the trail map from like 1990. Birch Chair, Summit Poma, Outpost, Little Pico, Gnomes Knoll were all distinct pods that really made for some interesting options. A lot of these areas are now lift-less or not open very often.

Natural trails and glades are amazing at Pico. Little Pico has some legit expert terrain. Summit Glades is an all-time favorite of mine because there are just so many options and neat knolls, paths, and nooks and crannies. Upper KA and Sunset '71 are fun old New England trails.

Yeah, I miss the place. My 2000-2001 season there was epic because it was a good snow year. My last season there--2006-2007 was much less stellar conditions-wise.

Upper KA has snowmaking and was open (1 of 2 summit routes open along with Forty Niner). Upper Pike was not open. What was left on it was likely too thin to groom. That's a bit of a pet peeve of mine as I always feel like trails under a lift that have snowmaking capacity should have enough made on them to be open until the end of that lift being open.

And yes, love their glades and natural trails. I don't really see an issue with them removing the Birch chair or Summit Poma though. The summit quad adequately serves all that terrain and I don't see a need to separate the summit into any smaller pods.

They made snow on every single trail at Pico with snowmaking capabilities this year, including on Outpost which had been 20-ish years since they last used it. The only trail that they sometimes drag hoses to is Sunset 71 but they chose not to do that this year.

Sunset 71 was one I was wondering about...the map has the snow-making icon on that trail and I couldn't recall if it had pipes. It was pretty bare so I suspected they either didn't make snow there or made very little. Upper Giant Killer was the other major one I was wondering if they made snow on this year...looked pretty bare as well from a distance...

Unfortunate timing with the Outpost chair breaking the year they made snow on that area.

 

[Newpylong]

Yeah, Giant Killer Snowmaking has been non-operational since the Poma was removed, so that tells you how long ago.

Upper Pike is extremely challenging to get good coverage down with the width, wind and lift.

 

[cdskier]

Yeah, Giant Killer Snowmaking has been non-operational since the Poma was removed, so that tells you how long ago.

Upper Pike is extremely challenging to get good coverage down with the width, wind and lift.

And yet they still list it (Giant Killer) on the map as having snow-making. They should really update that lol (Would be like if Sugarbush still showed Exterminator with snow-making on the map)

 

[flakeydog]

Pico is just the Sugarbush North of Killington (aka neglected forgotten step-child). Best thing about ikon is I always get 1-2 days down there, the skiing there rocks!

 

[letitsnow1]

Just saw on the news someone died on stiens yesterday afternoon. They fell and slid off into the woods. Ski patrol found them unresponsive

 

[solar]

Skier dies after fall at Sugarbush Resort

Vermont State Police investigating death on Stein's Run trail

www.wcax.com

 

[vtski802]

Just saw on the news someone died on stiens yesterday afternoon. They fell and slid off into the woods. Ski patrol found them unresponsive

I was below at the gondolier intersection and saw people responding to this. They temporarily closed Bravo. You could see blood in the woods later. What a terrible accident.

 

[Lotso]

Patrol and clinic staff were pretty shaken. If you see any today, give them a pat on the back. Tough stuff.

 

[cdskier]

That was the first thing I saw pop up in my news feed this morning when I looked at Facebook. Really sad to hear that.

Today is really nice. I rarely say this, but the groomers did a fantastic job last night. Everything I skied this morning at Lincoln Peak was beautifully groomed. You'd never know we just had a thaw/freeze 3 days ago. Night and day from what I skied yesterday down the road.

 

[Lotso]

re: grooming: It was scary watching the clueless skinners coming down Spring Fling last night around 6 while the groomers were on it. Stupid and dangerous. No wonder resorts are clamping down on skinning. Policy is pretty clear and generous: Stay on GH side for the pm freebie skiing.

 

[vtboarder]

Patrol and clinic staff were pretty shaken. If you see any today, give them a pat on the back. Tough stuff.

Sounds like it was a late afternoon event? Hate to say but I won't be surprised if booze was involved. Sad even so.

 

[kbroderick]

Sounds like it was a late afternoon event? Hate to say but I won't be surprised if...

Can we not speculate on tragic events, please? If there's a lesson to be learned that should be passed on, hopefully that will come out. But no one with facts is going to be able to speak publicly right now, and it would be respectful for the rest of us to keep our mouths shut.

 

[Lotso]

Sounds like it was a late afternoon event? Hate to say but I won't be surprised if booze was involved. Sad even so.

I won't speculate. Could have been anything. Snow was hard as a rock and trees are unforgiving. Sad regardless.

 

[ducky]

Someone else died on Ripcord earlier in the week.

Can't imagine why vtboarder would say such a thing. Many people don't drink at all. Smh

 

[Lotso]

Someone else died on Ripcord earlier in the week.

Can't imagine why vtboarder would say such a thing. Many people don't drink at all. Smh

That was a cardiac arrest, I believe. No easier for patrol, I am sure.