I just read that Woodbury opened today. Ugh!...I remember when we opened as close to November 1st as possible and where almost all ways open for the ski swap. Ironically this year would have been possible. We had a good stretch of cold air and remember we have the two lifts at North to be able to offer top of the MT skiing and then down load. I understand the MT is in the midst of a great new project and just off of a lousy year but after seeing Kmart’s parking lot stuffed to over full last year with day ticket buyers....we should have just opened. I understand why we did not but to all of you Sugarbush addicts let get our friends and other to come ski this year....increase sales....so in the future we can afford to use the North trump card and maybe....just maybe....we can open 1st.

Doing my snow dance!

Woodbury gets a lot of mileage out of opening early. I would rather have Mt Ellen properly open on Nov 18th than bragging rights from a hill in CT

http://www.woodburyskiarea.com/winter/webcam.htm

Woodbury get a lot of mileage out of opening early. I would rather have Mt Ellen properly open on Nov 18th than bragging rights from a hill in CT

That looks so lame. I would be psyched if I was 4.

Sure the early openers get some free press, but they also risk skewing first-timers' experiences to the negative if you push it with so-so or crappy conditions just to get that precious sound bite. Not to mention committing a meaningful portion of your snowmaking budget on a wish and a prayer...not sound business to me by any strech of the imagination. Just too easy for Ma Nature to throw a curve ball this point in the outer season. Suggest keeping it in your pants for a couple more weeks, and do that snow dance for good measure. I'm with you in Spirit....

I agree that it is a business decision.

As for disappointing the hardcore that would be there for the first part of the season, I've seen the "Rock skis strongly recommended" signs. That is not a problem with the early/late crowd.

More, I think it is the fact that these are the pros. They bring their lunches and cut every corner. They're there to ski! If you make anything it is the day pass from those from other areas.

The real long term gain is from those who come to check the place out because they're one of the few that are open and come back. There are some of those. I'm one.

Sugarbush says the reason for starting at Mt Ellen is they can just work the top and start earlier and end later, but they are always within days of areas that must open top to bottlom due to the fact that they have no top only area. Then, they keep Northridge closed, when that would be a great 2nd step, leaving the slow Summit.

I think they shouldjust go back to running Lincoln Peak, early and late... but like has been said above...

It is a business decision.

It is a business decision that balances guest satisfaction, marketing and economics. We are not going to open both base areas early. The fact is that ME for us holds a greater probability of good early skiing and riding. How many others have had a double black open on opening day the past two years along with some good intermediates. The GMX allows for more convenient downloading than Bravo. When the Slug was here, we had to open at Lincoln Peak. The first year we owned the mountain we had no other option. In our opinion ME is the better option for both guests and our bottom line. I would also ask that we are focused on making quality snow in depth and no just putting out thin cover and bad quality. Others have different approaches and that is what makes a ball game.

The temps are not looking great the next couple of days. We had depths of 2-3 feet on Elbow and Upper Rim Run, and we think the snow will hold well these warmer days. We also blew a bit on FIS when temps were rising below and it made sense to stay up top. When the temps return we will be focusing on the balance of Riim Run, Lower Elbow and getting the Mid-Flats ready for the 18th. Quite a bit of snow is need there to make it functionable for an opening day. We are shooting to have at least as long a season as last year (153 days), so I am more interesting in what we provide the many over the course of the season than being the first out of the gate.

Good point on FIS, no other hill even thinks about that kind of pitch for opening day

Now, lets keep downloading to a minimum.....I HATE downloading....

I forget the year, but one early season (pre-Xmas) a half pipe was made super early at the bottom of FIS on ME for some big event. It was funny to see this really honking half pipe at Sugarbush when most places had a few runs open on cover so thin it was like the rocks were painted white. I'm not a half pipe person and it was awesome seeing this audacious creation.

castlerock wrote:

Now, lets keep downloading to a minimum.....I HATE downloading....

I agree completely . . . but . . . I would rather get some good early season runs in like you can do at Mount Ellen and have to put with downloading than not getting any runs in at all

I agree, however, with the concept of getting top to bottom at North as soon as they can vs. opening more upper mountain terrain.

I guess the question comes to would you rather download, and have good cover on FIS, lookin good, lower elbow up to way back, upper exterminater to way back, or have crusier and strait shot?

Mike_451 wrote:

I guess the question comes to would you rather download, and have good cover on FIS, lookin good, lower elbow up to way back, upper exterminater to way back, or have crusier and strait shot?

Give me the top of the hill (FIS, elbow etc) and then a 5 foot wide swath of snow to the bottom. (Kind of like late April)

castlerock wrote:

Mike_451 wrote: I guess the question comes to would you rather download, and have good cover on FIS, lookin good, lower elbow up to way back, upper exterminater to way back, or have crusier and strait shot? Give me the top of the hill (FIS, elbow etc) and then a 5 foot wide swath of snow to the bottom. (Kind of like late April)

Heh, doesn't take much to make things skiable. Seems strange that durring the spring they don't mind keeping the sketchy stuff open, (I remember some time in late march down on CR runnout having to hike 8 feet over a bare spot, and having to navigate down a foot wide swatch dead ending in servile spots up on birch run) but at the begining of the season there are plenty of trails just sitting there with with a foot or two of pow roped off, with the occasional track of a poacher.