where are we going this weekend?

[Jcb890]

For the moment, Okemo is a good play for spring bumps/less drive/lots of trails/some groomed.

Mount Snow an excellent play for this weekend, North Face will be amazing and Olympic Woods still skiable.

Have to admit Sugarbush currently takes the cake for most interesting current offering. I do like those chutes past Paradise in corn/sun conditions, might get up there for Sat or Sun.

If Jay didn't have problems with the Tram right now they'd be #1 easily. If Stowe didn't decide to close a month early they'd be up there as well.

Mount Snow woods on Carinthia today::::

Won't be a much better chance for spring skiing than this weekend and the next few days after. Then say bye bye, hop on a bike, and watch YouTube POV ski videos when it's 100 degrees out.

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It seems like I haven't spent enough time over by Carinthia. Those woods look decently-spaced, which is not like most of the woods at Mt. Snow. There's a few sections with nice spacing, but most if it is really tight, IMO.

Originally the plan was Killington Sunday, but with them shutting down so much terrain, we might do somewhere like Okemo or Snow this weekend since they are open and have more open acreage. Then, Killington can be an option next weekend after most of the other players are done. Hmmmmmmmmm

 

[Killingtime]

Disappointed I won't get to ski Bear this season. I really need to start using my spring pass, but this endless winter is sapping my will to make the trip.

From the webcam it looks like Outer Limits still has a lot of snow. I've seen people have a truck waiting at the bottom of Bear to bring them back to the K-1 base after poaching it.

 

[bdfreetuna]

I wouldn't bother poaching Bear but plenty of woods that will be "closed" on Snowden, Canyon, Skye

Anything higher on the mountain should still have a really good base

 

[abc]

Yeah right now just looking at their website Killington only has 136 acres open, now things could change for the weekend, but that is a lot of shrinkage. Okemo essentially has the entire main mountain served by the Sunburst 6 still open at 318 acres, Mount Snow still has a whopping 455 acres still open. For the Max Pass Okemo seems to me like the best play. No way I'm driving up to Maine for a day trip.

This time of year is hard to plan. Weather aside, mountains are not running all their lifts during the week (or not even open mid-week, like Gore). It's a guess work on how much terrain are available when the weekend comes.

 

[Jcb890]

This time of year is hard to plan. Weather aside, mountains are not running all their lifts during the week (or not even open mid-week, like Gore). It's a guess work on how much terrain are available when the weekend comes.

Killington is being very open about their offerings. Which, while disappointing, is nice that they are being transparent. What they have open now appears to be what they plan to offer on a daily basis (including weekends) until they switch to Superstar-only.

The Ramshead, Snowshed, Skyeship and Bear Mountain Base Lodges have closed for the season. As you know, we pride ourselves on hosting the longest season in the East, and we are committed to keeping lifts open as long as the snow lasts. We hate to close base areas when there’s still snow remaining, but we are on a tight schedule this summer, with $16 million worth of capital improvements to build in the coming months. In order to fit it all in before the snow flies again, we need to start now. We have already begun plowing work roads to begin these construction projects. This week we will also begin dismantling the Snowdon Quad, in preparation for its replacement–a brand new 6-person detachable bubble chair.

This weekend we plan to have the K-1 Express Gondola, North Ridge Triple, Canyon Quad and Superstar Express Quad turning. Beginning Monday April 23, the Superstar Express will continue to operate daily through May 1. Beginning May 4, the Superstar Express Quad will turn Friday through Sunday until the snow is gone. The K-1 Lodge will be open whenever lifts are turning.

 

[bdfreetuna]

"We hate to close base areas when there’s still snow remaining, but we are on a tight schedule this summer, with $16 million worth of capital improvements to build in the coming months." - Killington


That's great, but just be aware that in the meantime you're losing in the fall due to World Cup and losing in the spring by shrinking not only pods but closing passable trails early.

Maybe these are necessary sacrifices for a great mountain to continue on in greatness.

 

[Jcb890]

"We hate to close base areas when there’s still snow remaining, but we are on a tight schedule this summer, with $16 million worth of capital improvements to build in the coming months." - Killington


That's great, but just be aware that in the meantime you're losing in the fall due to World Cup and losing in the spring by shrinking not only pods but closing passable trails early.

Maybe these are necessary sacrifices for a great mountain to continue on in greatness.

I was texting my wife with the same thoughts. They have really been disappointing in terms of early season and late season this year.

 

[sull1102]

"We hate to close base areas when there’s still snow remaining, but we are on a tight schedule this summer, with $16 million worth of capital improvements to build in the coming months." - Killington


That's great, but just be aware that in the meantime you're losing in the fall due to World Cup and losing in the spring by shrinking not only pods but closing passable trails early.

Maybe these are necessary sacrifices for a great mountain to continue on in greatness.

I was just thinking the same thing. I want to get up to K to ride K-1 this year, but they close Sunday. Mount Snow has more than double the acreage open and half the ride leaving little reason to go to K. In the fall it was the exact same issue and that's the reason I didn't make the trip north then in Nov-Dec. Mount Snow has kind of quietly kicked ass this year, crowds have been bigger than any of the last 5 years every weekend, snowmaking has impressed to say the least, and they've had more terrain open than almost anyone during the early and late season. Oh and Minus Zero was a great new event that brought a Coachella headliner to Mount Snow a week before that festival went off. Now that's a good way to end the year.

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[ss20]

Regarding Killington... A LOT more terrain should/will open up once (if?) things soften up this weekend. There's no way Ovation or Downdraft melted out...more than likely they're glacial as they've been for the past couple weeks. They finally got a groomer up Double Dipper so that re-opened for the first time in weeks. I also wouldn't doubt a couple naturals like Escapade and Old Superstar to be open. Powerline and Ridge Run up on the North Ridge are open and they are naturals.

Of course this is all dependent on things softening up. But base depth should not be an issue.


Given it's the third weekend of April I do not fault Killington for "just" having the K1 and Superstar areas open. That's pretty much typical this time of year. The only thing I wish they were doing differently this spring was re-opening the Snowshed Crossover. That way you could ski Needle's Eye and Vertigo (or at least the top 3/4 of each of them).

 

[Harvey]

I get where you guys are coming from, but I have a hard time faulting Killington. With all this other stuff going on they aren't as long as usual but still how much more than everybody else?

IMO If we want to reap the rewards of Beastdom, which is let's face it — a branding play — we have to accept World Cup and the upgrades.

 

[ss20]

I get where you guys are coming from, but I have a hard time faulting Killington. With all this other stuff going on they aren't as long as usual but still how much more than everybody else?

IMO If we want to reap the rewards of Beastdom, which is let's face it — a branding play — we have to accept World Cup and the upgrades.

Exactly. People complain about having one of the worst lift networks in the East... but when they close to build the darn thing they complain again because it cuts Snowdon's season by a week.

 

[Jcb890]

Exactly. People complain about having one of the worst lift networks in the East... but when they close to build the darn thing they complain again because it cuts Snowdon's season by a week.

Or they could keep it open and hire more workers once the season is done. But, it makes more sense financially not to do that of course.

 

[Teleskier]

Why not join the chorus...

'It must be that darn Vail that is behind Killington closing so much terrain so early'.

 

[ss20]

Or they could keep it open and hire more workers once the season is done. But, it makes more sense financially not to do that of course.

When Mount Snow closed their summit triple to put in the Bluebird they closed the lift in mid-March because they needed snowpack to drag the towers down the hill due to their forestry regulations. Killington is also on state land so maybe they're required to do the same thing?

Required or not it's probably much easier and safer to drag towers down the hill on a groomer than tie them to a flatbed and drive them down the hill on a narrow twisty work road.

 

[machski]

Regarding Killington... A LOT more terrain should/will open up once (if?) things soften up this weekend. There's no way Ovation or Downdraft melted out...more than likely they're glacial as they've been for the past couple weeks. They finally got a groomer up Double Dipper so that re-opened for the first time in weeks. I also wouldn't doubt a couple naturals like Escapade and Old Superstar to be open. Powerline and Ridge Run up on the North Ridge are open and they are naturals.

Of course this is all dependent on things softening up. But base depth should not be an issue.


Given it's the third weekend of April I do not fault Killington for "just" having the K1 and Superstar areas open. That's pretty much typical this time of year. The only thing I wish they were doing differently this spring was re-opening the Snowshed Crossover. That way you could ski Needle's Eye and Vertigo (or at least the top 3/4 of each of them).

From what I have heard, they are plowing out snowshed crossover this year. Probably to accelerate the meltout for the rework with the tunnel for next year. At K-zone it was posted there is a sign at the top of Superstar warning that the back of Skye Peak has heavy equipment already in work.

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[BenedictGomez]

Why not join the chorus...

'It must be that darn Vail that is behind Killington closing so much terrain so early'.

Better that than your spreading of totally false information (i.e. "the State of Vermont told Stowe to close").

 

[The Sneak]

That pic...Prob Mineshaft glades in Carinthia?


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[lerops]

I was thinking K over Okemo because Okemo is lower altitude and there was some precipitation before the weekend. But that seems to be a non-event now.


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[kingslug]

Yup..people complain about the roads..then complain about..the roadwork. I think its been a pretty good season. 4 noreasters helped for sure or it would have been..not so good. We should all be pretty darn thankfull for that. Or we wouldnt be even talking about all this..we would be playing...golf..lol.

 

[bdfreetuna]

That pic...Prob Mineshaft glades in Carinthia?

Don't know the name but whatever the glades are just to the right side of the main trail as you're riding up the Quad.