PDA

View Full Version : The mountain is open!



Lostone
11-25-2005, 10:35 PM
This is the Friday after Thanxgiving. As we have had a couple days of widely advertised snow, I expected a crowd. I was not disappointed. I arrived early and was in the line for the GMX when it opened. We’d had a lot of snow overnight. I was expecting powder for the first run and maybe a touch left for the second. I was disappointed. Everything had been groomed this morning. The only powder was on FIS, and that is not a first run trail for me.

I headed down Rim Run. Looked on the right. Small strip, but nothing. When the trail turned left, I saw a one person wide strip of powder on the lefts side. Quickly checking and finding that I was only one person, I decided to give it a try. There were a few places where I had to abandon it due to a snowgun or a few branches, but mostly it was great! I had my own personal powder run while everyone around me was making much better time back to the lift, cruising the packed powder. (The packed powder, by the way was a really nice surface. It was mostly soft and so carveable that I almost dumped a few times on the early part. I was setting a slight edge and it was taking quicker than I expected.)

I did one on Looking Good (with a detour onto the trail formerly known as Zip.) and one on Elbow. They were ok, but there were a lot of people at the lift. Second run the singles line worked, but the third, it was well beyond the regular line and I made better time pairing (quadding?) up with some other people.

On the third run I met up with the people that I was supposed to be meeting, so I figured I’d maybe head out after the fourth. As I approached Northridge, I saw the Thin Cover sign by Exterminator. Not one of my favorite trails, but I figured that if it was to be a four run day, I should at least run one down something tough.

I went past the sign and found that although there were rocks around (On Exterminator? Imagine that!) but that the snow was all soft, and what bumps there were, were powder puffs. It told me to come back and see it sometime. And I did so… twice more. Then I was getting ready to head out, but as I came across the traverse, toward that lift, there was an ambassador saying that they would be opening to the bottom in about an hour. There was also a line halfway across the flats to the downloading side of the lift. Hey, I can do Exterminator again.

By the time I got down to the bottom of Lower Elbow, they were pulling the rope off the way down to Cruiser. The line to the lift had been pretty long, and I was stopping to take a few pix along the way, but there was no way it was as much as a half hour. Still, I was there. What could I do?

I went around the rope, cut hard left and had a great untracked powder run for about 50 yards. Then I hit the area that had been covered by the snowgun. I bounced off the top.

The rest of the way down was very tricky. There was unbreakable crust, breakable crust and heavy powder. There were a few times I had great untracked powder on the right side, tight up by the woods and others when I was doing my best not to get killed.

Cruiser was tough. Straight Shot was ugly! There was a packed line, which had a lot of people crashing all over the place. The left side was where the guns were working, and that was more of the maybe, maybe not breakable crust. There were also a lot of moving rocks in the packed line. As I got to the bottom of Crackerjack and saw people coming down it, I realized I’d made a bad choice.

At the bottom, my friend headed and his wife headed in. I headed back to the lift. It was tough, but there was enough snow to justify another try. On the way up, I noticed people coming down Cliffs. Then I saw people coming down Encore. Then I realized they had thrown the mountain open.

There were lots of rocks around, but there was a lot of natural snow. If you went past a Thin Cover sign, don’t whine about the rocks. Enjoy the snow.

I went down Cliffs. By the time I got there a lot of people had found it, so there was no untracked powder. Still, all the snow was soft, and it was a true blast. At the bottom, I diverted to Crackerjack. There were lots more rocks around and the waterbars were… exciting. Still, there were large patches of semi and untracked snow. I went up, did the same, again.

Then I decided that there is a thin line between having a great run and having a sled ride to the bottom. I decided to leave the rest for others. I left the mountain with a very sore back, two very sore legs, and… a really big smile.

Pix to follow. :wink:

ski_resort_observer
11-26-2005, 01:18 AM
Great report! I will be up there this weekend but unfortunately of have to work at LL Bean on Sunday so I won't have time to do my errands and ski. If I have the time I will get to the base for a look see.

Lostone
11-26-2005, 08:49 AM
If you go to the base for a looksee, expect to see a lot of people. This is the zoo day.

I'm getting ready to do my laundry. :wink:


.

ski_resort_observer
11-27-2005, 02:57 PM
:cry: never had time to get there but ran into a ski patroller who told me there were 500 paid skiers yesterday which is pretty good considering. Since my place is rented I hung out in Chelsea, about 6" of snow is on the ground, looks like winter and snowed ever so lightly all day.

As I was cruising by the Vermont Law School I yelled out Trailboss's name but all I got was a few confused looks. :lol:

Lostone
11-27-2005, 05:28 PM
As I was cruising by the Vermont Law School I yelled out Trailboss's name but all I got was a few confused looks. :lol:


That may work over in the Alpine Zone, young man... But not over here! :x

Over here, you'd have to call out Summit Challenger's name. :lol:

:wink:


.

bvibert
11-28-2005, 09:18 AM
Nice TR, wouldn't it have fit better in the Trip Reports forum though? ;)

Sounds like a great day, I wish I was on the slope somewhere instead of doing whatever it is I was doing... :( Now where are those pics?!?!

Lostone
11-28-2005, 06:32 PM
I could have put it in the trip report section, but I feel a little guilty, when my "trip" is about 2,5 miles. :roll: :lol:

As for the pix, didn't realize I hadn't posted them here. See some of them here. (http://www.flickr.com/photos/lostone/sets/1451950/)


There is a link on the top, right to view as a slideshow. :)

http://static.flickr.com/30/66661948_2e472a7867.jpg


.

bvibert
11-29-2005, 08:36 AM
Nice pics! The pic above is pretty sweet! The conditions looked pretty good. :D

Tin Woodsman
11-29-2005, 10:04 AM
The mountain is closed!

Lostone
11-29-2005, 10:27 AM
So... :oops: You're saying I spoke too soon? :?


:lol:

Lostone
12-06-2005, 08:16 PM
Day number 12. I had said, yesterday that I was surprised that they weren't top to bottom. When I got to the mountain, I found that they were. :D What is more, the snow they were making at the bottom was soft and sweet. Did more skiing at the bottom than at the top. (AKA Bottom feeder :lol: )

I was also expecting Elbow to be closed. It was open all day.

Today was pretty much similar, except that Elbow was closed most of the day. On the good side, when the racers went in for lunch, they took down their gates and let us play. :D

On the bad side, there were a couple of the guns were set a little on the wet side. (Set on stun.) This was especially bad for the ones that were on the alley that were either on or above Mainstream. Not a lot of options there, but to run the gauntlet. :?

Skiing was still doing laps, but FIS has been in pretty good shape and the laps had a couple different options.

And at the same time, you could see the snow flurries that have continued, have been working on the other trails. This portends well for the future. 8)

Tin Woodsman
12-06-2005, 09:30 PM
And at the same time, you could see the snow flurries that have continued, have been working on the other trails. This portends well for the future. 8)

Please elaborate. Natural or man-made flurries. If the latter, where are they working on? The website isn't exactly revealing on this subject right now. Or at least it wasn't last I checked this afternoon.

Lostone
12-06-2005, 11:04 PM
What I was referring to was natural ones. :)

That said, they are blasting Cruiser, Straight Shot, Lower Elbow and the base area. They may also have been doing FIS, but I can't remember, right now. 8)

KingM
12-07-2005, 09:00 AM
It's still surprising how little terrain they have open. We probably got an inch on the valley floor last night and there's practically enough to ski on here on our property. I've got to think SB and MRG base would have 30-50% more natural snow than we've got and the upper limits up to 2X.

Yet of the 156 trails in the MRV there are what, five trails open? Six?

I've got family coming into town this weekend for skiing. :roll:

smootharc
12-07-2005, 09:34 AM
....economics of opening. Seems the mellow vibe of the valley extends to a mellow approach to openings...

KingM
12-07-2005, 09:55 AM
Yeah, and I'm sure the resorts know what they're doing. I'd rather have them carefully watching their $$$ rather than extend themselves in such a way that it harms the viability of their businesses.

That doesn't help those of us who anxiously watch the weather like kids counting the days until Christmas. :wink:

freeheel_skier
12-07-2005, 11:05 AM
I suppose if everything was open people would complan about bare spots and being open for trail counts????

KingM
12-07-2005, 11:09 AM
I suppose if everything was open people would complan about bare spots and being open for trail counts????

Quite. :lol:

ski_resort_observer
12-07-2005, 12:03 PM
I suppose if everything was open people would complan about bare spots and being open for trail counts????

So true, so true. :)

On the other hand it seems, perhaps only temporary, things are changing. During ASC's regime they always started their commercials with " the most open terrain in northern Vermont'. They were obsessed with having more terrain, even by one trail,, than Stowe. Before I bought a small place in the valley I commuted from Montpelier for 2 years. Every moring I would listen to the ski report on the radio on my way in and chuckled how the Bush always had just enough terrain open to keep that marketing claim true. Heck, they paid people to sit in Stowe's parking lot and count cars. Stowe did the same thing. Don't know if it continues. Thought about asking when I worked there last winter but it's one of those little secrets they don't like talking about.

IMHO, what is going on is that Stowe has gotten a bunch more natural snow so far this year. The Bush is opening terrain pretty much like they have in the past only backwards in that Mt Ellen is opening first. The Bush is being conservative financially but maybe that's what they need to do to continue moving forward. The owners are not thinking about today or next month, that plan is already set. They are thinking about next year, the next five years. Having the mountain open during the week, with alot of terrain, this time of year is hard on the finances. As most of you know the Bush is owned and operated by individuals while Stowe is owned by a huge multi-national insurance giant. Financial resources between the two are very diferent.

BTW, Jay has only 6 trails open, Smuggs - 8, Bolton -4 so it's not like the Bush is the only one with very limited terrain currently. I also think that this weekend you will see alot more terrain open way above the typical 4 trail opening at Lincoln Pk.

Keep the faith fellow Sugarbushers the season is still yet young, much great skiing is in your future.

smootharc
12-07-2005, 02:17 PM
It does remind me of a part of the Sugarbush Thread on AZ where I was curious about the Stowe vs. Sugarbush/MRG snow totals, at least as posted by the resorts. Stowe is at 333" for their "Average Annual Snowfall" on the website, while the Bush claims Annual Totals of 270". Huh, I asked. I always thought the MRV got "an extra little frosting". But, anyways, I patiently wait...

skibum1321
12-07-2005, 03:50 PM
I suppose if everything was open people would complan about bare spots and being open for trail counts????

So true, so true. :)

On the other hand it seems, perhaps only temporary, things are changing. During ASC's regime they always started their commercials with " the most open terrain in northern Vermont'. They were obsessed with having more terrain, even by one trail,, than Stowe. Before I bought a small place in the valley I commuted from Montpelier for 2 years. Every moring I would listen to the ski report on the radio on my way in and chuckled how the Bush always had just enough terrain open to keep that marketing claim true. Heck, they paid people to sit in Stowe's parking lot and count cars. Stowe did the same thing. Don't know if it continues. Thought about asking when I worked there last winter but it's one of those little secrets they don't like talking about.

IMHO, what is going on is that Stowe has gotten a bunch more natural snow so far this year. The Bush is opening terrain pretty much like they have in the past only backwards in that Mt Ellen is opening first. The Bush is being conservative financially but maybe that's what they need to do to continue moving forward. The owners are not thinking about today or next month, that plan is already set. They are thinking about next year, the next five years. Having the mountain open during the week, with alot of terrain, this time of year is hard on the finances. As most of you know the Bush is owned and operated by individuals while Stowe is owned by a huge multi-national insurance giant. Financial resources between the two are very diferent.

BTW, Jay has only 6 trails open, Smuggs - 8, Bolton -4 so it's not like the Bush is the only one with very limited terrain currently. I also think that this weekend you will see alot more terrain open way above the typical 4 trail opening at Lincoln Pk.

Keep the faith fellow Sugarbushers the season is still yet young, much great skiing is in your future.

Jay should be opening a ton more this weekend. They've been getting dumped on.

The 8 trails at Smuggs is a pretty shady count. The 4 trails at Sterling are 1 run, as are the 2 at Madonna and the other 2 are at the beginner hill.

beelze
12-08-2005, 02:00 PM
I suppose if everything was open people would complan about bare spots and being open for trail counts????


The Bush is being conservative financially but maybe that's what they need to do to continue moving forward. The owners are not thinking about today or next month, that plan is already set. They are thinking about next year, the next five years. Having the mountain open during the week, with alot of terrain, this time of year is hard on the finances.

BTW, Jay has only 6 trails open, Smuggs - 8, Bolton -4 so it's not like the Bush is the only one with very limited terrain currently. I also think that this weekend you will see alot more terrain open way above the typical 4 trail opening at Lincoln Pk.


If they are unable to honor their commitments to season pass holders then they should not make them in the first
place (ie being open every day, opening all trails that are available not just those they feel like patrolling, etc).

As to Jay and Smuggs - last I checked a pass at both was significantly less money than one at the Bush, which
is now on par with Stowe and also more than Kmart (preseason). If you are going to charge top dollar, then
you should give top dollar service too with out making excuses. However with Sugarbush, every year there
are excuses. Maybe it would be better to hope that AIG buys Sugarbush instead.

freeheel_skier
12-08-2005, 03:18 PM
I suppose if everything was open people would complan about bare spots and being open for trail counts????


The Bush is being conservative financially but maybe that's what they need to do to continue moving forward. The owners are not thinking about today or next month, that plan is already set. They are thinking about next year, the next five years. Having the mountain open during the week, with alot of terrain, this time of year is hard on the finances.

BTW, Jay has only 6 trails open, Smuggs - 8, Bolton -4 so it's not like the Bush is the only one with very limited terrain currently. I also think that this weekend you will see alot more terrain open way above the typical 4 trail opening at Lincoln Pk.


If they are unable to honor their commitments to season pass holders then they should not make them in the first
place (ie being open every day, opening all trails that are available not just those they feel like patrolling, etc).

As to Jay and Smuggs - last I checked a pass at both was significantly less money than one at the Bush, which
is now on par with Stowe and also more than Kmart (preseason). If you are going to charge top dollar, then
you should give top dollar service too with out making excuses. However with Sugarbush, every year there
are excuses. Maybe it would be better to hope that AIG buys Sugarbush instead.




Then buy a pass at Jay or Smuggs. Most people who buy season passes definitely get the best bang for your buck. No matter what resort. Look at Mad River Glenn. Their season pass is reasonable. Not only have season pass holders they have shareholders too. Their operating budget is far less than the Bushes. Are they open yet? I seriously do believe that Sugarbush would have opened if it could have. Just talk to someone with Mtn. Ops. These people perform miracles all the time i.e. moving snow to the base area because there was a wash out in mid-January. I believe this happened sometime last year. They also have to take into consideration conserving the snow pack they currently have. Ok....open to for 2 crappy days, loose some of your early season base, and take the chance that it will be too warm to make snow. Now people would complain that the bush was open for pass holders only. Now they are down 2 trails or closed for the weekend lift ticket buyers. I also believe if you ask a patroller who has been patroling the same 2/4 trails for weeks now will tell you they can't wait to open up more trails. More trails=more snow. I am a season pass holder and this time of year you must keep in mind that mother nature usually holds all the cards. Just my .02 cents. :D

WWF-VT
12-08-2005, 03:51 PM
If they are unable to honor their commitments to season pass holders then they should not make them in the first
place (ie being open every day, opening all trails that are available not just those they feel like patrolling, etc).



As a season pass holder I was not aware of of these "commitments"...it's only December 8th with a long season to go

ski_resort_observer
12-09-2005, 02:00 AM
If they are unable to honor their commitments to season pass holders then they should not make them in the first
place (ie being open every day, opening all trails that are available not just those they feel like patrolling, etc).



As a season pass holder I was not aware of of these "commitments"...it's only December 8th with a long season to go

I too was wondering exactly what "commitments" are you referring to.