Lincoln Peak snow making plan

[random_ski_guy]

So what is the snowmaking plan for early season skiing at Lincoln Peak? Over the years I've become accustom to the Mt Ellen rollout. While I have a good idea what the plan is, maybe there is a surprise twist...Win?

Would they ever download on the Super Bravo if need be?

-Random

[Lostone]

The way it worked in the past was Downspout - Jester - Allyn's Traverse - Downspout (Lather, rinse, repeat) - Lower Downspout (Or download on Super Bravo, depending.)

Then add Organgrinder. Then add Lower Jester. Then add Murphy's, and by that time, hopefully, Mother Nature kicks in and the whole place opens up.


That said, I really don't know this year's plan.

But I'm getting ready to go. :wink:

[random_ski_guy]

thanks Lost-one (when will you add that hyphen? :) ).

Contrary to popular ski are management practices (which dictate that one focus on opening the greens, blues and blacks before double blacks), I've always wanted to see Ripcord opened within the first few weeks of the season so that all the expert skiers can separate themselves from the intermediates/low experts on organgrinder and downspout. I realize Ripcord takes a great deal of snow to open, but I really think it would vastly improve the early season experience. I would open Ripcord from bottom to top, so that lower Ripcord could be opened to give breathing room to Downspout first. With any luck, middle/upper Ripcord would come online there after.

[Lostone]

But the hyphen could also be after the 2nd or third letters. :? Or... :wink:

[castlerock]

Depending on what natural we get, I can see two possibilities. One being Bravo only and the other a combination of Bravo and Heaven's gate.

For the Bravo and Heaven's Gates scenario, the could work on skiing up high. Jester/deathspout and Grinder/deathspout, with downloading on Bravo. Yes, the lower deathspout section is relatively low on the hill , but it faces north and has plenty of gun coverage.

I guess the other would be Bravo only, that would only require staff for one lift, but would also require making snow to the bottom. Could be dicey temperature-wise.

Based on the current snow making on Jester, probably the former. Anyone have real insight into this?

[random_ski_guy]

until someone share's some real insight, allow me to indulge on what I would do.

1) start with upper jester to deathspout with downloading on bravo;
2) then move on to grinder and lower ripcord, again to spread the crowds as per my earlier post;
3) then try to connect to the base area with lower deathspout if the weather is cooperative;
4a) if the weather is uncooperative down low, I would shift resources to ripcord proper in order to give deathspout breathing room;
4b) if the weather is cooperative down low, I would shift the focus to murphys and lower jester;
5) staying low, next up would be upper and lower birdland. i've always like lower birdland, with a little snow it could help soak up some early season traffic without a lot of effort to open it.

with that, we should be well into winter now....

[kcyanks1]

until someone share's some real insight, allow me to indulge on what I would do.

1) start with grinder to deathspout with downloading on bravo;

Wouldn't that require a lot of walking to get back to Bravo for downloading? After Downspout, I'd think they need to open Jester because it gets you closest to the lift, and then they can worry about Organgrinder and Ripcord. Getting from Organgrinder to Super Bravo for downloading wouldn't be too fun.



2) then move on to upper jester and lower ripcord, again to spread the crowds as per my earlier post;

How does one get to Lower Ripcord without skiing Spillsville, which won't be open obviously? Perhaps I'm forgetting about some cutoff from Organgrinder? I think they'd have to get all of Ripcord open, unless there is enough natural snow that Spillsville can be opened. And even in that case I'd probably leave Lower Ripcord natural, because making enough snow on Lower Ripcord for the benefit of those skiers who would ski a natural snow expert trail doesn't seem to be the best use of resources. Though maybe I'm forgetting about some cutoff.

[Tin Woodsman]

They have to start with Jester and Downspout - that is the lowest common denominator unless they are going to try to make snwo down to the base - highly unlikely. As Lo-stone, Los-tone, Lost-one, or Lost-on-e said, the natural next move is to Grinder. It would be nice to have a cut-through from Deathspout to Lower Ripcord so as to spread out the traffic there, but it doesn't exist today unless you've got a few feet of natural base in the woods.

Thereafter, Murphy's or Birdland along with Lower Jester, Lower Downspout, and then Lower Grinder have to be on the map, though not necessarily in that order (Lower Deathspout likely being the priority there).

[random_ski_guy]

until someone share's some real insight, allow me to indulge on what I would do.

1) start with grinder to deathspout with downloading on bravo;

Wouldn't that require a lot of walking to get back to Bravo for downloading? After Downspout, I'd think they need to open Jester because it gets you closest to the lift, and then they can worry about Organgrinder and Ripcord. Getting from Organgrinder to Super Bravo for downloading wouldn't be too fun.



2) then move on to upper jester and lower ripcord, again to spread the crowds as per my earlier post;

How does one get to Lower Ripcord without skiing Spillsville, which won't be open obviously? Perhaps I'm forgetting about some cutoff from Organgrinder? I think they'd have to get all of Ripcord open, unless there is enough natural snow that Spillsville can be opened. And even in that case I'd probably leave Lower Ripcord natural, because making enough snow on Lower Ripcord for the benefit of those skiers who would ski a natural snow expert trail doesn't seem to be the best use of resources. Though maybe I'm forgetting about some cutoff.

Good point on step 1 (stumbled out the gate) so I went back and revised my post to start with upper jester. From upper jester you can ski down to the Glen House and make the short scamper to download on the Super Bravo. BTW, does the super bravo have downloading capability?

On to good observation #2, at the moment there isn't a great cut through from deathspout to Lower Ripcord, its located about 1/2 way down upper downspout...I think. The cut through doesn't have direct snowmaking, however, I think its possible to lay snow in this cut through with hose extensions. I could be wrong about that. Technically Lower Ripcord starts at the bottom of Spillsville, this cut through I am speaking of comes in about 1/2 way down Lower Ripcord.

[random_ski_guy]

They have to start with Jester and Downspout - that is the lowest common denominator unless they are going to try to make snwo down to the base - highly unlikely. As Lo-stone, Los-tone, Lost-one, or Lost-on-e said, the natural next move is to Grinder. It would be nice to have a cut-through from Deathspout to Lower Ripcord so as to spread out the traffic there, but it doesn't exist today unless you've got a few feet of natural base in the woods.


Really, there is no cut through from Downspout to Lower Ripcord...not one about 1/2 down Downspout? You are probably right, I don't profess to have total recall on all the trail nuisances. I think a small 30ft wide cut through would do wonders to improve the flow. I know I would ski back over to Lower Ripcord whenever coming from the Super Bravo chair and headed for Hgate.

[Lostone]

Really, there is no cut through from Downspout to Lower Ripcord...not one about 1/2 down Downspout?

That is going the wrong way, unless you like skiing uphill. :wink:

Tin is right. the path just requires a little more snow. :wink:

[random_ski_guy]

ok, so its a plan that can't be done... until a narrow (think reserve traverse) cattrack is in place to bring one from downspout to lower rip. mmmm.

[kcyanks1]

until someone share's some real insight, allow me to indulge on what I would do.

1) start with grinder to deathspout with downloading on bravo;

Wouldn't that require a lot of walking to get back to Bravo for downloading? After Downspout, I'd think they need to open Jester because it gets you closest to the lift, and then they can worry about Organgrinder and Ripcord. Getting from Organgrinder to Super Bravo for downloading wouldn't be too fun.

Good point on step 1 (stumbled out the gate) so I went back and revised my post to start with upper jester. From upper jester you can ski down to the Glen House and make the short scamper to download on the Super Bravo. BTW, does the super bravo have downloading capability?

I believe it does. I think they were downloading some on it last year and believe they also download on it for summer/fall activities. However, because of the "scamper" you refer to from Upper Jester, which takes you to Allyn's but not to the top of the Super Bravo (this is correct??), I don't believe South is especially suited to downloading. It's certainly better than nothing, but it's not ideal, especially given the fact that Allyn's isn't a full-service lodge, so you have to hike the hill twice a day if you are skiing a full day and desire to return to the base for lunch (and that's assuming you'll use the bathrooms at Allyn's). North is much more suited to downloading, IMO, with the Summit and GMX lifts closer together and a full-service mid-mountain lodge. Of course, that battle has been waged, and at least I don't need to get into it any further :-) (If I'm wrong about where Upper Jester lets off, sorry for the confusion.)

[CapeSkiGuy]

I downloaded a few weeks ago on the Super B. It can be done, but somewhat more carefully than on the GMX. There's probably going to be something said about that at setup next weekend. Maybe we will know more after that.

Hopefully no downloading will be necessary, and we will be skiing top to bottom on Thanksgiving weekend.

[HowieT2]

They can definitely download on the Superbravo as they do it for non-skiers who go up to Alyns for an event.

BTW-weather forecast for next week is looking promising.

[summitchallenger]

Yep. That's what I recall from the 2000-2001 season. Jester-Downspout (I love "Deathspout") combo and download on the SuperBravo was what ASC did. It got skied of pretty quickly....but better than nothing.

I second opening Ripcord early. IIRC they always pushed to get FIS going early...why not have a counterpart? But then again, it is a pain in the a$$ to have the towers going when Heaven's Gate is spinning.....

[Tin Woodsman]

They can definitely download on the Superbravo as they do it for non-skiers who go up to Alyns for an event.

BTW-weather forecast for next week is looking promising.
You're not kidding. Not only looking at an extended period of favorable temps, me thinks the upper elevations will see material snowfalls. Maybe not Spillsville opening snowfalls, but it will be a good start. If the forecast verifies, this could be one of the better Thanksgiving ski weekends in some time.

[HowieT2]

They can definitely download on the Superbravo as they do it for non-skiers who go up to Alyns for an event.

BTW-weather forecast for next week is looking promising.
You're not kidding. Not only looking at an extended period of favorable temps, me thinks the upper elevations will see material snowfalls. Maybe not Spillsville opening snowfalls, but it will be a good start. If the forecast verifies, this could be one of the better Thanksgiving ski weekends in some time.

Tin-you must be scanning the same weather boards as I am. We'll have to wait for the precipitation to verify but it's looking pretty certain for good cold temps.

[Tin Woodsman]

They can definitely download on the Superbravo as they do it for non-skiers who go up to Alyns for an event.

BTW-weather forecast for next week is looking promising.
You're not kidding. Not only looking at an extended period of favorable temps, me thinks the upper elevations will see material snowfalls. Maybe not Spillsville opening snowfalls, but it will be a good start. If the forecast verifies, this could be one of the better Thanksgiving ski weekends in some time.

Tin-you must be scanning the same weather boards as I am. We'll have to wait for the precipitation to verify but it's looking pretty certain for good cold temps.

All hail Chuck.

[win]

Jester, Downspout, Organgrinder and a way to the bottom. We will also focus on beginner skiing on First Timer if temperatures allow. After that is temperatures allow, we will move either into Birdland. Murphy's and down or over to Snowball and Spring Fling. As we get the temperatures we will also prioritize the Gate House pod to make sure that is in good shape for Christmas week. The plan at ME will be the same as in the past. Starting on Rim Run, Elbow, FIS and working down the mountain so that too is in great shape by Christmas week.