• Welcome to AlpineZone, the largest online community of skiers and snowboarders in the Northeast!

    You may have to REGISTER before you can post. Registering is FREE, gets rid of the majority of advertisements, and lets you participate in giveaways and other AlpineZone events!

VAIL SUCKS

Zand

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 30, 2003
Messages
4,149
Points
113
Location
Spencer, MA
I get that the delay issues are awful. In defense of the folks who work hard to make snow, it's not like they've had a ton of COLD weather, with extended stretches of GOOD snowmaking temps since the Christmas Day washout.

Mother nature has also played a roll in things when it comes to trail roll outs the last few weeks, and this generally zonal, West to East weather pattern we've been in for the last 10 days or so, and likely will be in for another 10 days or so, certainly is keeping the good snowmaking temps way up in Canada, as well as the storm track, especially over the next week or so, down through the mid Atlantic states.

We can all blame Vail for plenty this season. That isn't in question. One does have to give them a bit of a pass when mother nature isn't giving good wet bulb temps for extended runs though
Thats just an excuse. Cannon has plenty of terrain open. Loon has plenty. Killington has plenty. Hell, Wachusett has 100% of their snowmaking terrain open and while I understand it isnt that big, it's certainly more acreage than Wildcat and Attitash each have open. Even Sugarbush is blowing Stowe away in open terrain. Mt Snow seems to be lagging behind Stratton which never used to happen.

Simply put, it's a Vail thing. The VT comparisons aren't as bad but what they're doing in NH is straight up shameful.
 

deadheadskier

Moderator
Staff member
Moderator
Joined
Mar 6, 2005
Messages
27,971
Points
113
Location
Southeast NH
I'll put how little snowmaking terrain Vail had open today in NH in perspective.

I've skied Sunapee four of the past six days. I've done so because they've had by far the most compelling terrain offering of the four NH Epic areas. The skiing for what it is as just groomers has been pretty decent, even on Sunday when it was very busy.

I skied everything Sunapee had open today save for the beginner quad and trail in under 90 minutes. That included a few five minute lift lines. Shared some lift rides today with some locals and both said they can't recall a trail roll out so slow in even the worst of winters. No lift lines it probably would have taken 1:10.

Looking at everything else open by Vail in the state and assuming no lift lines you could ski all of:

Wildcat in 30 minutes
Crotched in 45 minutes
Attitash in probably 1:20 and that's only because of the slow triple.

Combine all of the terrain open in the state and you could cover it all in only 3.5-4 hours!

On January 6th

It's pathetic in comparison to the competition. Pathetic
 

Vince

Member
Joined
Apr 7, 2008
Messages
105
Points
18
Location
Boston
Vail does suck. But the last few days Okemo has been well staffed with good surface conditions. They have cut back the snowmaking budget for sure. They claim 350 acres open but only have one trail open on Jackson Gore and 2 trails on the South side. Snowmaking mounds on the open trails are not as big as would normally be. Same size crowd as last year on this same week.
I think they got a memo from HQ on the covid stuff. The black ski mask with the holes is not good enough. The six person chair they ask you if you will take a single. Summit lodge they scan your ticket.
Thanks to all for the info saving me a trip to Attitash. Hopefully Wildcat gets it together for the spring
 

thebigo

Well-known member
Joined
May 15, 2005
Messages
1,886
Points
113
Location
NH seacoast
Decent report form both attitash and wildcat this AM:

Good morning! We are open today from 9AM - 4PM. Today will be sunny with temperatures topping out in the low 30s at the base. Snowmaking is back on line with Lower Saco, Ammo, Cathedral, Highway and Cub's Cut to Kachina to Bearfoot. We expect additional terrain and the Flying Yankee to be open for the weekend.

Thursday Jan. 7, 2021 Happy Thursday everyone. Today you will have 2 lifts and the snowbelt turning to access groomed, packed powder terrain for all abilities. Our snowmaking team continues working hard to cover more terrain. They are blanketing Polecat, Cattrack, Middle Wildcat and Bobcat right now. We hope to have Polecat (Top to Bottom) ready to ski and ride for Saturday, so get ready!. We've sent the grooming team out to work their magic on almost all of our open terrain. It should groomed, pack powder goodness.. Lessons and rentals are available too. Our team of fun, hardworking, friendly, awesome and dedicated employees ask that you help keep everyone safe. Wear your face covering, maintain social distancing and be kind to each other while visiting. We'll see you on the mountain.
 

cdskier

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 26, 2015
Messages
6,492
Points
113
Location
NJ
It's 35f outside currently at my house near the north area.. Temps barley broke freezing last night..
35? Is your thermometer in the sun by any chance? I'm seeing temps in the low 20s to mid 20s around the base of Hunter currently on several weather stations in the area. Summit temp is 19. But I also see many guns going on the webcam...so not really sure what else some people want them to do.
 

Funky_Catskills

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 22, 2014
Messages
1,341
Points
48
Location
Hunter, NY
Just checked my car thermometer as well.. It says 33 in the shade.
From my window looking at the North side - only snowmaking up high.. probably Belt - nothing on lower mountain.
 

cdskier

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 26, 2015
Messages
6,492
Points
113
Location
NJ
Just checked my car thermometer as well.. It says 33 in the shade.
From my window looking at the North side - only snowmaking up high.. probably Belt - nothing on lower mountain.
Weird...temps currently showing 26 at a couple sensors right near the base.

Still blasting all the way to the base on the main mountain:
1610043783663.png
 

JimG.

Moderator
Staff member
Moderator
Joined
Oct 29, 2004
Messages
12,000
Points
113
Location
Hopewell Jct., NY
Finally blowing Racer's I see.

kingslug has been complaining about that he'll be happy.
 

kingslug

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 30, 2005
Messages
7,036
Points
113
Location
Stamford Ct and Stowe
Conditions at Hunter have been good..yea Racers is down for the count..but that will take some dollars to fix that system..and the west side..maybe feb?? Hopefully..
 

cdskier

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 26, 2015
Messages
6,492
Points
113
Location
NJ
Possible that one side of a mountain has different temps than another... The top of their webpage says 31f....
Definitely possible.

As for the temp on the top of their website...who knows where Vail's standardized web template pulls that data from. 🤣
 

catskillman

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 6, 2009
Messages
1,174
Points
48
I never got any email or texts from Vail or Hunter all season.
Today I get one at noon telling me that I have a reservation today at Hunter ! They are closed today !!! Really
 
Top