Trail Conditions up and down the GM spine

[billski]

At the risk of starting a debate, I'll give my observations on trail conditions up and down the state of VT.

In the last four weeks, I have skied day(s) at Jay, 2x Magic, 2x Bush, MRG, Stowe, Burke, Smuggs.

IMHO they all skied quite the same. Hard. Not just hard pack; Boilerplate in many places. The rain hit everyone. The temps up and down hit everyone. The base is now there and the only way to move it is with dynamite. I have a hunch that a shotgun bullet wouldn't make it too far in. It honestly does not matter whether it is 6 inches or three feet of base. It all skis the same.

I'm pretty good at falling, and it hurt just as bad no matter where I was. Groomers did their damn best to chop it up each night, but it got rapidly scraped off.

So here is my recommendation. 1)Ski midweek, 2) ski the first couple hours from opening bell or 3) go to the big boys in Maine. Option (1) may not be an options during the upcoming Pres. day week.

 

[SkiFanE]

Agree, Maine's the place to be. These hardpack groomers are killing me though, landed hard on both elbows last couple weekends (still hurt), whacked a knee on a rock a month ago (still hurts) and came close to a face-o on a rock, but landed in soft snow (lucky day). Don't fall so much in the bumps, these hard, fast cruisers covered in dust are hurting me...it's safer to be in the woods.

 

[swisstrader]

One exception to the VT boilerplate comments is Mt Snow. Because these guys invested a ton of money in some serious snow fans in years past, I've had to pinch myself over the last few weekends that I've skied it. It was that good.

I'm sure its also got to do with a terrific grooming crew, but I've been at other mountains in the past few weeks and there is truly no comparison.

 

[farlep99]

One exception to the VT boilerplate comments is Mt Snow. Because these guys invested a ton of money in some serious snow fans in years past, I've had to pinch myself over the last few weekends that I've skied it. It was that good.

I'm sure its also got to do with a terrific grooming crew, but I've been at other mountains in the past few weeks and there is truly no comparison.

I've skied there 3 times in the past 2 weeks. It's the same as everywhere else in S. VT (all I can personally speak to). Good groomers in the early AM (as billski noted) and scraped off by afternoon. There's no magic in their man-made snow. The fan-gun snow quality is better than older guns, but it still behaves like man-made snow. Closer to the real thing, but not quite there.

 

[Glenn]

I just spent 4 days at Mount Snow. The conditions have been really good as of late. In fact, I'd say they've been a touch better on the weekends when they groom more of the mountain.

I'm a homer, so take that how you want.

 

[snowmonster]

So here is my recommendation. 1)Ski midweek, 2) ski the first couple hours from opening bell or 3) go to the big boys in Maine. Option (1) may not be an options during the upcoming Pres. day week.

(1) I love my job so I can't ski midweek.

(2) First couple of hours isonly doable when I am skiing solo. If I have company, I have to make time for a leisurely breakfast.

(3) Probably the best option. Ski Maine thanks you, billski!

 

[ScottySkis]

L

I've skied there 3 times in the past 2 weeks. It's the same as everywhere else in S. VT (all I can personally speak to). Good groomers in the early AM (as billski noted) and scraped off by afternoon. There's no magic in their man-made snow. The fan-gun snow quality is better than older guns, but it still behaves like man-made snow. Closer to the real thing, but not quite there.

Mount Snow fan guns maked a great snow, Hunter was the ones who developed those guns many many years ago, i have had powdered days midweek at hunter when they use those and they still do.

 

[billski]

One exception to the VT boilerplate comments is Mt Snow. Because these guys invested a ton of money in some serious snow fans in years past, I've had to pinch myself over the last few weekends that I've skied it. It was that good.

I'm sure its also got to do with a terrific grooming crew, but I've been at other mountains in the past few weeks and there is truly no comparison.

I'm curious to hear more. How have these trails held up over the freeze/thaw cycle? How many trails have a lot of snow on them? What consistency would you rate them at, PP, FGR, VC, etc.? Do the greens, blue and black have equal amounts of coverage? Do the blues get scraped off? By what time? When you get below the loose snow, what is the base like? How does the grooming crew do a better job than others? How many cats do they have out there at night? Do they have a replenishing water reservoir? How does the water supply keep up with it? Do they have natural trails that are open? How are they skiing?

I notice that they report 46 of 80 trails open. That's about 50%, on par with other areas of similar size. I'd also like to comment on the Sugarbush 100% open assertion. Quite a few of those open blues and blacks have 'experts only", thin cover, and other signs. They are generally ungroomed and have bullet proof moguls. Indeed they were fun for two hours after 2" fresh. Frankly the blues were skiing like blacks and the black like, uh well, like MRG.

In the final analysis, if you are going to pick a ski area to go to in VT, other criteria other than quality of trails is the way to go. It is what it is.


Not dissing, just looking for more details on how it's done.

 

[Zand]

Still gotta go to northern VT or Maine to get some glades.

 

[drjeff]

I'm curious to hear more. How have these trails held up over the freeze/thaw cycle? How many trails have a lot of snow on them? What consistency would you rate them at, PP, FGR, VC, etc.? Do the greens, blue and black have equal amounts of coverage? Do the blues get scraped off? By what time? When you get below the loose snow, what is the base like? How does the grooming crew do a better job than others? How many cats do they have out there at night? Do they have a replenishing water reservoir? How does the water supply keep up with it? Do they have natural trails that are open? How are they skiing?

I notice that they report 46 of 80 trails open. That's about 50%, on par with other areas of similar size. I'd also like to comment on the Sugarbush 100% open assertion. Quite a few of those open blues and blacks have 'experts only", thin cover, and other signs. They are generally ungroomed and have bullet proof moguls. Indeed they were fun for two hours after 2" fresh. Frankly the blues were skiing like blacks and the black like, uh well, like MRG.

In the final analysis, if you are going to pick a ski area to go to in VT, other criteria other than quality of strails is the way to go. It is what it is.


Not dissing, just looking for more details on how it's done.

I think that it can best be explained in the following way. Since the last rain event about 2 weeks ago, Mount Snow has resurfaced basically every open snowmaking run with on average atleast a 24hr run of fresh snowmaking (and in some cases 48+ hour runs). There's just plain a simple a higher percentage of open terrain that has had a decent run of fresh snowmaking than most areas right now.

That boilerpate you mentioned is there, it just under a good, thick coat of fresh, high quality man made snow, Sure, on some of the more wind exposed knolls you'll get some boilerplate, and a couple of th pitches on the Northface do get scraped of down the middle by 11AM on a busy weekend day, but by in large, you're getting machine groomed packed powder as your primary surface, wih loose granular as the secondary surface and hard pack a distant3rd,

 

[Tooth]

Come to Maine.

 

[Glenn]

I'm curious to hear more. How have these trails held up over the freeze/thaw cycle? How many trails have a lot of snow on them? What consistency would you rate them at, PP, FGR, VC, etc.? Do the greens, blue and black have equal amounts of coverage? Do the blues get scraped off? By what time? When you get below the loose snow, what is the base like? How does the grooming crew do a better job than others? How many cats do they have out there at night? Do they have a replenishing water reservoir? How does the water supply keep up with it? Do they have natural trails that are open? How are they skiing?

I notice that they report 46 of 80 trails open. That's about 50%, on par with other areas of similar size. I'd also like to comment on the Sugarbush 100% open assertion. Quite a few of those open blues and blacks have 'experts only", thin cover, and other signs. They are generally ungroomed and have bullet proof moguls. Indeed they were fun for two hours after 2" fresh. Frankly the blues were skiing like blacks and the black like, uh well, like MRG.

In the final analysis, if you are going to pick a ski area to go to in VT, other criteria other than quality of trails is the way to go. It is what it is.


Not dissing, just looking for more details on how it's done.

Analysis Paralysis. Roll the dice, pick an area and ski. :lol:

 

[deadheadskier]

Observation:

Water is wet

That is all

 

[2knees]

Holy shit bill. Do you really put that much thought into it?

 

[andrec10]

1: Sharpen your edges so you can slice meat with them

2: Stop whining and SKI!

3: Problem solved!

 

[Nick]

Holy shit bill. Do you really put that much thought into it?

he's got passion!

 

[Warp Daddy]

Nope -- i go with the flow when i 'm skiing with friends or family .

BUT If i'm skiing alone i will be more discerning .

Like today i'm hurting , my Buds are at Tremblant , i 'm home nursing a nasty groin pull but thought about driving 90 minutes to go alone then saw the weather report and said NOPE hard pack boilerplate alone could only aggravate the situation. So with no partners i'm a wuss ;>)

 

[SkiFanE]

Nope -- i go with the flow when i 'm skiing with friends or family .

BUT If i'm skiing alone i will be more discerning .

Like today i'm hurting , my Buds are at Tremblant , i 'm home nursing a nasty groin pull but thought about driving 90 minutes to go alone then saw the weather report and said NOPE hard pack boilerplate alone could only aggravate the situation. So with no partners i'm a wuss ;>)

Not a wuss...I call it 'body preservation'. If I want to ski forever, need to opt out of conditions that are no fun and could cause damage...bones, joints and ligaments have to survive for many more years lol.

 

[SkiFanE]

Analysis Paralysis. Roll the dice, pick an area and ski. :lol:

This is when having a ski area commitment pays off - we head up to ski every weekend without a thought..and have come home happy every single weekend. Some days have been fabulous, but people overthink it and stay home, which just leaves more fabulous-ness to me

 

[Cheese]

I just spent 4 days at Mount Snow. The conditions have been really good as of late. In fact, I'd say they've been a touch better on the weekends when they groom more of the mountain.

Riding the lift at Okemo Sunday I swapped reports with someone who skied Mt. Snow on Saturday. I felt Okemo had better conditions than Stratton and he shared that Okemo had better conditions than Mt. Snow.

I was at Stowe in late January (before the most recent rain) and the front 4 were a disaster. I can't believe they've improved since then, but others who've visited more recently can chime in.

I haven't been to Maine this year but if I were to rate conditions in VT and NH today, the order would look something like this.

Okemo
Bretton Woods
Stowe
Waterville
Loon
Stratton

Granted, my #1 and #2 are intermediate mountains, but expert terrain is pretty rough right now. I've spent more days this season skiing blues than I ever remember. That said, if I'm going to ski blues, the ratings should reflect where I can ski the most variety of blues.