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win
11-13-2006, 08:48 AM
It is not looking good for this weekend. Based on our forecast this morning, it is going to be too warm even at the top to make any snow. Hopefully, a good amount of the base we have up there will hold. As soon as the temps allow, we will fire up again and make every attempt to at least have the top of Mount Ellen open by Thanksgiving. We are ready to go, and you all well know that forecasting is not an exact science. They can change radically from day to day. We just need Mother Nature to help. The forecast looks bettter as we get into the weekend, and there is a possibility of some snow showers, so let's hope and THINK SNOW!

Lostone
11-13-2006, 09:29 AM
Thanx for the update Win.

Can't say I'm happy to hear it, but can't say I'm surprised, either. It is warm and foggy up here, and supposed to rain tomorrow.

Where are those snow dances, people???

Treeskier
11-13-2006, 12:32 PM
Killington's snow report is saying the same thing. I hope after this warm spell passes it get cold and stays cold till say......................June.

Doing my snow dance.

win
11-14-2006, 02:13 PM
Stay tuned! Our forecast this morning indicates that we could be back into snowmaking late Friday or Saturday and that we could see some favorable temps up top for a few days at least. We'll keep you posted!

Lostone
11-14-2006, 02:30 PM
Notice how many views there have been on this (now) 4 reply post? :shock:

We're tuned! :lol:

summitchallenger
11-16-2006, 07:50 PM
Not happening this weekend. (http://www.sugarbush.com/snowandtrails/snowreport.asp) :(

Mike_451
11-16-2006, 11:54 PM
heh, at least they are possibly looking at mid next week, I am heading up on monday, and well, I guess I will have all tuesday to hone my edges. Seems like a wise decision to delay things, and open by snowmaking, verses opening with a cat track wide swatch of snow from elbow down.


At least the forcast is looking positive at this point, as there is a chance of snow all weekend, and some decent temps, a far cry from this time last season, but at least beter than it could be. Lets just hope things stay positive, and as that is really all we can do. Think Snow, and before we know it, we will all be on the slopes. At least camping out in a resort parking lot is better than camping out infront of a best buy, wating for the PS3 to come out, as people have been doing for the last week.

Hapy trails, hopefully within a week or so.

Bubba
11-17-2006, 10:35 AM
Seems like a wise decision to delay things, and open by snowmaking, verses opening with a cat track wide swatch of snow from elbow down.






At 4 am it was 65 degrees and POURING.
If there is a cat track left up there I'd be amazed. But sit tight campers, it'll come, it'll come.

notorious
11-17-2006, 04:53 PM
We're depending on you as snow missle early warning system. Hope you will inform us of splashdown (oops... wrong word) ...errr, ..of early arrival of anticipated cargo from hyperspace.
Jonesin' for snow friday afternoon.

notorious
11-17-2006, 04:58 PM
No offense . We're depending on you ,too!
Rsvp (but only with good news)

win
11-17-2006, 07:50 PM
The snow guns are coming on late tonight or early tomorrow! We are shooting for Thursday!

notorious
11-18-2006, 07:14 AM
Thanks, Win. Any other major mtn. where the owner keeps the peeps up to the minute? Stowe-AIG. K-Mart -ASC, atc? I think not. Thanks again Win, keep 'em coming.

HowieT2
11-18-2006, 11:01 AM
Thanks Win. I just hope your open by friday (b/c if not, my son and I are stuck at my in-laws) :x Think Snow! Actually pray snow.

win
11-18-2006, 07:38 PM
The temps are keeping us up top right now. We may try to get a start on Lincoln Peak up high as well over the next few days, so we can be ready to get the lifts turning there on 12/9. We don't want the new Gatehouse Lodge to get lonely! Keep doing that dance Tree Skier!

Treeskier
11-18-2006, 08:30 PM
Working up a good sweat Dancing hard.

Could use a few more people on the dance floor.

Doing my Snow Dance! :)

Lostone
11-18-2006, 11:14 PM
Rest assured that there are lots on that dance floor! :)

It's a big floor! :lol:

skiladi
11-19-2006, 11:30 AM
Working up a good sweat Dancing hard.

Could use a few more people on the dance floor.

Doing my Snow Dance! :)

May I have this one? ; }

win
11-19-2006, 04:37 PM
I hiked up to the bottom of Spread Eagle this afternoon and passed WCAX (channel 3) coming down in one of our trucks with Hardy and JJ. They filmed our snowmaking and it will be on the 11pm news tonight.


Snowguns have been running continuously since midnight last Friday night, with 1 to 2 feet of snow now on Upper Rim Run at Mt Ellen, and Elbow getting whiter by the hour. As of Sunday afternoon, 50 snowguns are running to connect a white line from the top to the bottom of the Summit lift. As soon as this run can be skied, we will be open! Temps were marginal at midflats by the Glen House but getting better tonight, so this is where the most snow is going to be needed over the next few days. As temps come down more guns can be added.

Snowmaking has also been in production at Lincoln Peak since Saturday evening, on Upper Organgrinder and Downspout trails. Lincoln Peak is still scheduled to open on December 9.

Our snowmakers at ME saw two bear running across Elbow today! Hopefully they were running to hibernate! It's time!

Strat
11-19-2006, 05:05 PM
Win,
I absolutely love these up-to-the-minute updates. Now is there anyway we can get them right onto sugarbush.com so curious folks who aren't part of this community can see them too? Maybe even a seperate "Win's Word" or "Words from Win" column with a nice little picture of you in the upper corner or something. At least in my eyes it seems like this would be a great marketing move as well, really put a tangible face on the resort to add to the already very personal resort experience that you guys have set up.

Even minus the whole personal column, it would be excellent if someone could go on to sugarbush.com and on the lift/trail report see that there is in fact snowmaking on Rim Run and Elbow and the rest. Would definitely make others as thrilled as we are that our season is quickly approaching.

Think Snow!

Tin Woodsman
11-19-2006, 05:20 PM
Win,
I absolutely love these up-to-the-minute updates. Now is there anyway we can get them right onto sugarbush.com so curious folks who aren't part of this community can see them too? Maybe even a seperate "Win's Word" or "Words from Win" column with a nice little picture of you in the upper corner or something. At least in my eyes it seems like this would be a great marketing move as well, really put a tangible face on the resort to add to the already very personal resort experience that you guys have set up.

Even minus the whole personal column, it would be excellent if someone could go on to sugarbush.com and on the lift/trail report see that there is in fact snowmaking on Rim Run and Elbow and the rest. Would definitely make others as thrilled as we are that our season is quickly approaching.

Think Snow!

Great call, Strat. I couldn't agree more on all counts. Make it happen, Win!!!

Strat
11-19-2006, 08:28 PM
http://www.sugarbush.com/snowandtrails/snowreport.asp

Much better 8)

BushMogulMaster
11-19-2006, 08:55 PM
From what I can see of Mt. Ellen from home (Fiddlehead), Elbow is at least coated. The guns were on it most of the day today. Everything else was well cloud covered. Somehow Mt Ellen seemed to miss out on most of the snow that Lincoln Peak got the last couple of nights. Maybe tonight?????

Anyway, let's think snow, and as Strat said... Win, thanks for the constant updates.

Treeskier
11-19-2006, 09:08 PM
Communication is key.

Thanks Win/Sugarbush for keeping us informed on what is going on day to day. To the Chatters/Strat do understand that we passionately read the chat room day to day to find out what happened in the last hours. But in the snow report...I understand that general public often reviews the report every several days/the day of a trip.. after not looking at it for multiple days/weeks to see what is up. So realize that the snow report needs to be a little more global and generically correct. For example on a Thursday after two days of rain but a weekend audience reviewing.... the snow report would probably say something like " back part of the storm brought us snow with 1 " new. Snow making on XXXXXX & XXXX with X trails and X lifts running.

Thanks Win for keeping us informed on a more hourly/daily snow report.

Doing my snow dance.

Strat
11-19-2006, 09:31 PM
Communication is key.

Thanks Win/Sugarbush for keeping us informed on what is going on day to day. To the Chatters/Strat do understand that we passionately read the chat room day to day to find out what happened in the last hours. But in the snow report...I understand that general public often reviews the report every several days/the day of a trip.. after not looking at it for multiple days/weeks to see what is up. So realize that the snow report needs to be a little more global and generically correct. For example on a Thursday after two days of rain but a weekend audience reviewing.... the snow report would probably say something like " back part of the storm brought us snow with 1 " new. Snow making on XXXXXX & XXXX with X trails and X lifts running.

Thanks Win for keeping us informed on a more hourly/daily snow report.

Doing my snow dance.
Not trying to be confrontational at all, just wondering how the sample report you provided contradicts what Tin and I were requesting... as long as the report is clear and thorough I don't see quite why it would be an issue for any audience to view... I mean my suggestion is I believe most effective in this early season time when there's confusion amongst the general public about how much snowmaking there is going on and where, and we of the forum much appreciate Win enlightening in this regard, but I mean if I picture a potential skier from, say, Massachusetts who is thinking about coming up for Thanksgiving but may decide not to if he doesn't see any evidence of a push to open from sugarbush.com, his only source of info, then what happens?

Just don't see how it would hurt in any way. Maybe even keep up an archive of the last few hours'/days' reports so these once-a-week checkers could see how things have progressed? Can it hurt to provide more information rather than less?

freeheel_skier
11-19-2006, 10:06 PM
Ditto Strat....

Communication is key and Details are important. The sno-phone can give the "global and generically correct" info. The "more" detailed report can be on the website? :D

Lostone
11-19-2006, 10:07 PM
Quick answer is it depends on how the program is set up and how much time the people updating it have to spend on that task. Remember this is a set program, and the ability to make small changes may not be there.

Still, never any harm in asking.

As for the people looking in on reports, here, anyone can look in. Only those registered can post, but most people don't want to post, most of the time. But we welcome all to look in and see what is up on the mountain(s) and in the valley.

This thread (as of now) has 23 posts and 1334 views. There are a lot more people looking in, here than those posting. :wink:

We welcome all to look in. If there is something you would like to see, speak up. If it involves gathering info, you're also welcome to gather that info. :wink:

We're very fortunate to have input from Win and others at the mountain. We're also happy to have input from Eric at MRG (When he comes out of hibernation. :lol: ) and from Noski, on things related to the valley.

The Website for the mountain has far more information collected in a far more organized fashion than we could ever hope to have here, other than the little tricks such as saying "See what is happening at the mountain?" (www.sugarbush.com)

What we do have, here, is the ability to say, "I didn't get this aspect. Could someone explain it to me?" And there might possibly be somebody here that knows the answer and might even be willing to offer it. :wink:

HowieT2
11-19-2006, 10:16 PM
This thread (as of now) has 23 posts and 1334 views. There are a lot more people looking in, here than those posting. Wink

I don't know how accurate that it is b/c most of the posters (and regulars) are logging multiple views. Correct me if I'm wrong. I would think a very small percentage of those interested actually check out this board.

Lostone
11-19-2006, 11:21 PM
I agree with the multiple views per poster, and even say that for every post, there are two views.

Still, there are a lot of people looking in that don't post, or post very seldom. I speak to them all the time. :wink:

Mike_451
11-20-2006, 02:34 AM
Well I am heading to SB in about 2 or 3 hours, (it is 2 in the morning now :roll:) I guess, I will have a few days to train, wax my skis, and polish up my edges. The snowmaking progress sounds promising, and I guess things might warm up on monday, but monday night at mid flats level will supposedly be arround 15 degrees :!: so it looks like they will be able to keep things going consistantly into the middle of the week.

At least the weather forcast hasn't has stayed pretty neutral, and moved a bit to the cold side.....

Win, I really appreciate the up to the minuet updates, and I like the fact you are personaly involved in customer relation, something pretty unique to the Sugarbush Management.

ALRHA
11-20-2006, 12:08 PM
if SB opens up say thursday, is there any chance some first-timer slopes might be open as well? or would it really only be blues and blacks?
My wife has never skied before, and I'd love to come, but only if there's a chance she'll get to ski on thurs and fri.
also, is there anything else to do in the area other than ski? (in case [heaven forbid] there is no skiing)

Lostone
11-20-2006, 12:30 PM
VERY little chance of a green being open. This time of the year, there is usually an Advanced Skiers only sign by the lift.

There WILL be skiing on Thursday! (He bravely states!) But there are also other things to do in the area. Lots of little shops ti explore.

(Of course almost everything will be closed on Thursday, but I'd expect everything to be very alive by Friday. )

Click the Mad River Valley logo at the top-right of the page to go to their website. You can also go to the Mad River Valley section of this board for answers to any specific questions you may have. 8)

Hope I've helped.

ski_resort_observer
11-20-2006, 12:35 PM
if SB opens up say thursday, is there any chance some first-timer slopes might be open as well? or would it really only be blues and blacks?
My wife has never skied before, and I'd love to come, but only if there's a chance she'll get to ski on thurs and fri.
also, is there anything else to do in the area other than ski? (in case [heaven forbid] there is no skiing)

Hi ALRHA, welcome!

Unfortunately I don't think there will be any bunny slopes open on Thurs/fri, altho with the cold temps this weekend maybe that will change sooner rather than later.

The area has alot of non-skiing things to do, check here www.madrivervalley.com. If the chamber is open on Fri they can give you lots of info. Personal fav for the wife and me is to head over to Burlington and spend the day walking along the waterfront, they have a real nice pathway built, shopping at Church Street Marketplace and having a great dinner. Other popular things to do in the area is to check out Montpleier, Ben&Jerry's and the Cold Hollow Cider Mill.

Come on, get out of the city, come to Vermont and relax! :D

noski
11-20-2006, 01:40 PM
If the chamber is open on Fri they can give you lots of info. Personal fav for the wife and me is to head over to Burlington and spend the day walking along the waterfront, they have a real nice pathway built, shopping at Church Street Marketplace and having a great dinner. Other popular things to do in the area is to check out Montpleier, Ben&Jerry's and the Cold Hollow Cider Mill.

Come on, get out of the city, come to Vermont and relax! :D

I'll be here with my turkey sandwich, 8am-5pm. If posters are around, stop in and say hi. I like Cape Cod dark russet chips and any cookie except peanut butter- sounds like a personal ad. I can give maps/directions to most anywhere if you are doing some exploring.....

win
11-20-2006, 02:18 PM
Unfortunately, there will not be any beginner terrain open this weekend. Looks like we will have Upper Rim Run to Elbow to Spread Eagle to Lower Rim Run ready by Thursday. Today and tomorrow look productive for snowmaking. The rest of the week looks "iffy" at this point. However, the temps have come in lower than our forecast, so there is hope. If we get the temps we will begin expanding terrain up top as soon as possible.

Thanksgiving dinner at the Sugarbush Inn if you are not cooking your our turkey!

ALRHA
11-20-2006, 08:30 PM
wow, thanks for all the replies guys, you sure are doing a good job at convincing me.

i'm just trying to decide if i'd want to come now, or rather come in a month when there will be more open (i'm not gonna just ski and leave the wife in the room to cook the turkey).

we are coming with our dog and suggarbush village seems to be the only condo place that allows pets.
any other ski places in the area that may have beginner slopes that would be less than say an hour drive?
(i know bretton woods and mount snow plan to have 'first timer' areas open, but they are pretty far from sugarbush).

personally, i always love sugarbush and have been there at least 10 times (but always to ski the mountain, never did anything else in the area).

Strat
11-20-2006, 08:40 PM
I really don't think there's any resort that is going to open beginner terrain this early... I mean over the last few years a precedent has been set of a Thanksgiving or earlier opening but really the season doesn't truly swing in until the last few days of November into the first few of December, so really the goal is simply to be open... just logistically too it's tough because typically beginner terrain is at the bottom of the mountain, and the focus is on getting the top up and running...

ski_resort_observer
11-20-2006, 09:17 PM
The Powderhound welcomes dogs, they have small one bedroom units, reasonably priced and at the bottom of the Sugarbush access road. I think the Golden Lion accepts pets but they have standard motel type rooms.

ALRHA
11-20-2006, 09:20 PM
yeah, maybe we'll just come anyway and hang out in the area or whatever. if something nearby opens a begginer area, we'll just take the drive, otherwise it will be the Ben & Jerry's factory (and perhaps a hike or something in the area if there are any).
We are also planning to come mid december, but figured since we're off for this weekend, might as well come now too rather than just sit home.

freeheel_skier
11-20-2006, 10:19 PM
the hyde away allows pets too.... http://www.hydeawayinn.com/

Pet/dog friendly is always good.

ALRHA
11-21-2006, 12:46 AM
the hyde away allows pets too.... http://www.hydeawayinn.com/

Pet/dog friendly is always good.

thanks, just took a peak at their site...
while the hydeaway has the advantage of being on mt ellen this week, the mountainside condo's look a bit nicer by the pictures.

Bubba
11-21-2006, 08:09 AM
...also, is there anything else to do in the area other than ski? (in case [heaven forbid] there is no skiing)



Sugarbush/Big Picture Rail Jam and Funk band.



http://www.snowboard-mag.com/node/16563

random_ski_guy
11-21-2006, 06:31 PM
Win, care to give an update on opening day? It seems like we have been getting good cold nights to support the snowmaking.

win
11-21-2006, 09:39 PM
See the skinny