Plan was to blow up on Organgrinder and Downspout and FIS and Rim Run last night. Haven't checked yet to see how we did. Temperatures look like they will start coming down tonight and our additional compressors will be on line tomorrow. The priority is to make sure what we have top to bottom currently at LP is refreshed (it is very thin on Gondolier near Header) and to also focus getting as much as we can open on the Gate House pod by Christmas week. At ME we will be focusing on getting top to bottom on Cruiser and Straight Shot then moving to Northstar so that we have some beginning terrain down from the Glen House. Hopefully the temperatures will stay low enough to keep running down low. If they do not we will move up high again onto Upper Jester at LP and back onto Exterminator at ME. Once we have the priority Holiday week trails in good shape we will start expanding more terrain as temperatures allow. Some of the forecasts we watch are showing some snow in the forecast. The trend is definitely better!

Today, the Heaven's Gate lift will be closed for some maintenance but will reopen tomorrow. The skiing and riding is definitely better at ME. While thin in the middle, I really enjoyed Exterminator yesterday and the early runs on the groomed trails were nice. FIS was FIS but quite skiable expecially on skiers right.

Win, First let me start out and say thanks for what you and your team have done this year with the weather that we are having. You have actually been able to put down snow in a year that would be better suited for golf and fishing. I wish the course was still open so I could have golfed on saturday I have enjoyed what has been open.

I am wondering when your team plans on blowing snow lower on LP? Both my kids (4 and 5) have not been able to go to ski school this year and are starting to get antsy. I know they are still having classes but I choose not to bring them until they can ski.

Please let your team know people who ski in the valley are very appreciative and thankful.

walks wrote:

I wish the course was still open so I could have golfed on saturday

Yeah sure!, You would have just hacked up the course on your way to carding a 103....No wait that would have been me.

But you are right, we have been able to do laps on Grinder, and frankly that has been a miracle...

My prediction big Nor-Easter Christmas eve! White Christmas for everyone from Philly to Bangor!

Quote:

Both my kids (4 and 5) have not been able to go to ski school this year and are starting to get antsy. I know they are still having classes but I choose not to bring them until they can ski.

For the record, they did set up a little course on Gondalier, near the maintenance fence. They seemed to be having an ok time.

Saw the course. Didn't see any kids from my kids class or the instructor there. May have already been inside the lodge at that point.

I need those snow tires if that snow storm is coming and I have to drive up from Philly. Calling them today.

win wrote:

Plan was to blow up on Organgrinder and Downspout and FIS and Rim Run last night. Haven't checked yet to see how we did. Temperatures look like they will start coming down tonight and our additional compressors will be on line tomorrow. The priority is to make sure what we have top to bottom currently at LP is refreshed (it is very thin on Gondolier near Header) and to also focus getting as much as we can open on the Gate House pod by Christmas week. At ME we will be focusing on getting top to bottom on Cruiser and Straight Shot then moving to Northstar so that we have some beginning terrain down from the Glen House. Hopefully the temperatures will stay low enough to keep running down low. If they do not we will move up high again onto Upper Jester at LP and back onto Exterminator at ME. Once we have the priority Holiday week trails in good shape we will start expanding more terrain as temperatures allow. Some of the forecasts we watch are showing some snow in the forecast. The trend is definitely better! Today, the Heaven's Gate lift will be closed for some maintenance but will reopen tomorrow. The skiing and riding is definitely better at ME. While thin in the middle, I really enjoyed Exterminator yesterday and the early runs on the groomed trails were nice. FIS was FIS but quite skiable expecially on skiers right.

Thanks for the update. We've been dealt a rough hand this season (so far), but the 'Bush team has proven their dedication and ability to make it happen no matter what Mother Nature throws at them. Good work.

Hopefully the optimistic snow forecasts are right and we'll finally get a bit of white fluff soon. I'm dying for some powder bumps! These past couple of weeks have definitely substiantiated the old Vermont saying, "If you don't like the weather, wait a minute!" 60 and rainy one day, 15 and snowing the next. Or even... 60 and rainy in the morning, 15 and snow by that evening. Welcome to Vermont weather.

Anyway, thanks again to Win and the Mt Ops team for making it happen in the not-so-ideal weather.

Just curious, how much extra snow making can you get from the compressors? Since the compressors are (I assume) diesel operated, there should be no additional draw off the power companies lines. Is GMP still strict on power usage??? and will it affect the snow making this week and next?

If anyone else is getting really tired of our 6 trails - Killington has 43 trails open and there was practically nobody there today. Normally I wouldn't go there, but it's the most terrain in the NE right now and until this weekend it will be largely deserted.

sugarboarder wrote:

If anyone else is getting really tired of our 6 trails - Killington has 43 trails open and there was practically nobody there today. Normally I wouldn't go there, but it's the most terrain in the NE right now and until this weekend it will be largely deserted.

How was the snow?

I'm happy with what we've got now. I don't enjoy the idea of driving 1hr south for more trails if there is barely snow on some of them.

freeheel_skier wrote:

How was the snow? I'm happy with what we've got now. I don't enjoy the idea of driving 1hr south for more trails if there is barely snow on some of them.

Snow was about the same as here - more in some places. I'm usually not a fan of K-Mart but I was just SO bored with the trail selection here at this point.

On another note - there is this strange white stuff in the air this morning...I think Camel's Hump may have erupted?!?!

So what's going on with the snowmaking effort at LP? The extra generators were much discussed, leading to speculation of rapid terrain expansion due to increased firepower.

Yet judging only by the website (that's the only way to know unless I'm there), it seems that the effort at LP has been underwhelming thus far. Basically, just resurfacing/deepening on OG and Downspout/Gondolier. Nothing on Jester, Easy Rider, Hotshot/Waterfall, or Snowball/Springfling.

One would thinkt hat with base temps hovering around 20 degrees this morning that they'd be blasting the lower mtn for all they're worth. Those kind of temps won't be around very often this week. Again, I'm not there so I don't know how accurate the website is capturing the true magnitude of the effort.

Tin,

The diesels went on line last night. We are focusing all the production now on Organgrinder, Downspout, Jester, and Gondolier as well as the Welcome Mat area and the First Timer. We lost a lot in the warm days and need to make sure that we have good quality top to bottom. The temperatures are rising again after today and production down low is not looking as favorable as we would like. If that is the case we will stay up high and do all we can. It doesn't make sense to start on new areas in marginal temperatures. You make a lot of noise and do very little production and do not accomplish very much. As I mentioned earlier, we meet everyday at 1pm and make the plan for the next day and look at the most recent hour to hour forecasts at various elevations.

The diesels we brought in can add up to 50% more capacity when temperatures are in the teens. As most of you know the cold and the drier it is the more efficient the snowmaking can be.

Believe me - no one want more terrain that we do.