Wachusett Thread (Former RSN Chat Room)

[Crock]

hey guys, I'll be a new comer to Wachusett this winter. I learned to ski at Killington, and have called that mountain my home for 6 years or so, but now that I'm away from home and at college, i can't justify driving to killington every weekend. So I bought a season pass to Wawa because I'm going to Fitchburg State college and it's the closest so i'll be skiing during the week a lot. I hear good things about their park, and that's mostly what i'm interested in. Any secrets you'd like to share? where is the best skiing on the mountain?

 

[thetrailboss]

hey guys, I'll be a new comer to Wachusett this winter. I learned to ski at Killington, and have called that mountain my home for 6 years or so, but now that I'm away from home and at college, i can't justify driving to killington every weekend. So I bought a season pass to Wawa because I'm going to Fitchburg State college and it's the closest so i'll be skiing during the week a lot. I hear good things about their park, and that's mostly what i'm interested in. Any secrets you'd like to share? where is the best skiing on the mountain?

Well, you're in for a big change :wink:

K-mart is a lot different than Wa-Wa, but you'll be able to handle crowds and their impact. Don't plan on much treeskiing...pretty much sticking to the trails. Some bumps on 10th every once in a while (if I've got it right). Lots of good grooming and good nightskiing. Good place to ski. Try Crotched as well.

 

[Zand]

Considering you've been sking Killington for the last 6 years, Wachusett will feel very small to you (obviously). Wachusett is a very modernized ski area, much like Killington. The best times to go are weekdays and weeknights. There's no one there on weekdays and weeknights are only crowded from about 4-7. Weekends are a mob scene.

Here is how I think each trail compares to a certain trail at K...

Conifer... Like Header. Crowded, intermediate trail that is all slow skiing. Probably the most popular trail on the mountain. When it's uncrowded, it's a great trail.

10th... Like Chute. Under the lift with some headwalls and probably the best conditions on the mountain. Usually not too crowded. Sucky bumps on skiers left midwinter. Warning: THEY SUCK!!

Smith... Like Mousetrap. Steep, icy on crowded days, and dumps onto a nice crusing trail. Good on a non-windy and non-crowded day.

Hitchcock... Like any of the Bear trails that were recently converted into parks. They ruined a good trail for a beginner park here.

Look Mom... Like Timberline... The Park.

Challenger... Race Trail.

Ralph's Run: Like Great Eastern. Long, winding, and pretty fun on an uncrowded day. The only difference... no trail crossings.

Monadnock is a small version of Snowshed and the Vickery Bowl is a small version of North Ridge.

The park is decent. Not bad for a MA mountain and they have over a dozen features. Hitchcock's park isn't much good. You need a $5 pass (good for the entire season) to use Look Mom. It's actually a good thing as it keeps the idiots away.

 

[Crock]

thanks man, pretty good info. i look farward to skiing wa-wa, and maybe even meeting a few of the locals. I know it'll be smaller, but i can deal. as long as I have ski on m feet, and snow to turn on, i'll be ok.

 

[ThinkSnow]

New at Wa for 2005-6

The half-pipe had been dug-into the ground....in order to save snow....but it's not finished yet (ie, too close to the trees), and new snowmaking pipes to the summit should (?) mean more snow up there more consistently.

Best bet: Ski (weekdays) before noon, or nights after 8pm. Otherwise, hit the bar!

 

[ThinkSnow]

New at Wa for 2005-6

The half-pipe had been dug-into the ground....in order to save snow....but it's not finished yet (ie, too close to the trees), and new snowmaking pipes to the summit should (?) mean more snow up there more consistently.

Best bet: Ski (weekdays) before noon, or nights after 8pm. Otherwise, hit the bar!

 

[Sky]

i look farward to skiing wa-wa, and maybe even meeting a few of the locals.

Welcome Crock!

I'm one of the Wa zealots. It's a great place to keep your skills honed. Definitely hit wa weekeday mornings if you can swing it. YoYo runs on decent terrain and groomed snow. It's a great way to get your fix until you can get to larger terrain elsewhere.

Hope you like the place.

Hope to bump into you there (but we won't see each other in the park pal).

 

[Crock]

yeah definately. i need to meet some of you locals because i'll just be skiing solo.

 

[thetrailboss]

So what's new at Wachusett?

 

[Sky]

HEH! Is this what's called a "bump"?

Here's what's up...the frickin temperature...and the Rain gauge. :<

race league is going OK. My inaugural season is filled with the typical stuff....turning right at the gate, wiping off as much speed and adding as much time as possible. *smirk*

Ahhhh...but I have a good group of pals to guide me the pain.

 

[hiroto]

Great skiing Sunday

I drove there reluctantly Sunday moring (my son is in
the dev team) in the pouring rain but turned out to
be the best day I had there this season.

With superbowl and the weather, the place was almost
empty as expected. Luckly as we arrived at the
mountain, western edge of the rain storm has passed
and the rain stopped. Wet chairlift was uncomfortable
for a while but we never got rained on, and I prefer
wet snow over ice. I heared that the bumps were
rebuilt Saturday and they were in great shape.

Since the snow was soft and slop was empty, I allowed
my 4 years old daughter to go up to the top of the
mountain for the 1st time. It was around 2PM and
we were the only one on Connifer. She managed it
pretty well, said it was easy and went for 2nd.

It was a great spring skiing day, sadly during
the 1st week of February.

 

[Marc]

Son of a biatch.

When will they ever learn.


They insist on seeding those bumps when the snow is wet and the temp's are above freezing. That means when we go back into a freeze cycle, like we are in now, they will freeze and become icy and crappy. WTF.


If they knew anything they'd wait until everything was below freezing, blow lots of snow on that 150 foot patch, and then seed them.

I just don't get them sometimes.

Well anyway, I still enjoyed my hiking experience there, last time I was up, hiking up one of the closed trails in the "Vickery Bowl" and skiing down. Not too often you ski on a trail there and not see another soul.

 

[MichaelJ]

I'll throw in my $0.02 of support for Wachusett, too.

For where it is and what they have, I really like Wa-wa. I try to get out there every week at least one night after work, and despite the after-school crowds which require a little patience until 7ish, I generally have a great time. They overgroom, sure, but given the amount of traffic it seems necessary. Plus, that evening grooming does a good job of chopping up any icing that happened as the sun set.

Very little beats getting out of work and skiing there on a beautiful 25-degree night under a full moon.

 

[Marc]

I whole heartedly agree with you Michael, my only gripe is about their bumps.


I think the grooming is, as you said, necessary. There have been a few times I wished they would just leave Smith alone, but the average Wachusett skier isn't interested in natural bumpy terrain, and I can appreciate that, being on that road myself not too long ago.

Just their mogul making is what kills me. When they're good I can spend all night on them. When they're bad I'm not smart enough to leave well enough alone and I go in a bust my balls on them.

 

[Phildozer]

For my money, I wish they'd just scrap the moguls entirely.

Very few people actually use them. Not sure if it is because they're "challenged" or there's not enough interest from the Wachusett customer.

They push most of the skier traffic to the section under the lift which then gets scraped down to boiler plate.

Still, all things considered, this isn't much to complain about.

 

[Zand]

I think they should take them off 10th and put them down the side of Hitchcock like 2 years ago. They were in a perfect place, not icy, and most people could do them.

As for leaving Smith ungroomed, that's totally up to the conditions. Too many morons ski there to totally bump up a trail.

 

[thetrailboss]

Yeah, I recall those bumps as kinda being a joke.

 

[Marc]

I'll be up there tomorrow to check things out. They must have a hefty snow making budget anyway due to their location. I bet the bumps have frozen already.

 

[Phildozer]

Marc,

Come on up tonight. Sky's buying.

 

[Sky]

Sky's buying.

...and it was good.