A Great Mountain

[angler]

Wow, I am really surprised at all the issues this year. For reasons that don't include conditions/crowds/lifts I have yet to make it to the 'Bush so I have not experienced the reality. From skiing there for many many years I certainly agree that lifts, snowmaking and terrain have seen limited investment over many years. This is in comparison to Stowe, Killiington etc that have made significant investments, so the gap has grown.

But what is shocking, after years on this blog, is that Win is absent? No comments on some serious issues being discussed by some of the most loyal of Sugarbush fans?! Surprising.

I plan to be up in mid March. I guess I have to hope mother nature delivers...............

Not much Win can say unless he wants to share the 5 year plan........

[beelze]

Don't get me started on how sh**ty the icemaking is at the mountain, did anyone see the new tree destruction on Sleeper? Ice coated trees eveywhere some coated to 60' and toppled over needing to be chainsawed and pitched off the trail.

Last week waterfall/hotshot were left for four days while the snow piles "dried out" To further enhance the skier experience this week snow was blown during regular hours around the Mushroom area and base of Steins. The mountain is closed 15 hours a day. Use some freakin common sense and dont subject your customers to a goggle icing as they approach the lift line. The gun on Steins was blowing more into the chair and woods than the ground. Ripcord was also a scoured mess with mini- whales all the way down. And Mt Ellen? well 'its the more natural experience".. yeah ok.

How much of that is $$$ and how much is just illadvised or dumb I don't know but I do know it has been common place the past few years. Heck they are back to blowing on snowboall and spring fling again today - surely there are some other places which could use it not to mention do it at night?

[ahm]

Maybe it is time for the 2nd Co-op in the Valley.............or just contracting the infrastructure out to the skiers..................

[Hawk]

I couldn't care less when they blow snow as long as they do. I will take anything at this point.

[sglatham]

I agree Hawk, they should make more not less. I don't care when. I have no sympathy for whinning about day time snowmaking on open trails.

[MntMan4Bush]

Well I would agree if the plan was to blow snow 24 hours a day then so long as snow is going to be made then make it all the time. Don't stop on our account. Sadly it is not. If you only plan on blowing for 4? 6? 8 hours? then at night isn't a bad option specifically as it relates to base areas. On trails it is kind of nice having fresh under foot provided its not some wet glop which is unfortunately the norm. I can sympathize with Beelze.

As a suggestion on a day that Killington is turning their mountain into a snow globe how about making a field trip (Snow making team, but specifically the leadership/managers). Buy them some passes and let them have a fun day. No sitting with K-Ton Ops or anything boring. Just skiing in the man made stuff and understanding there is a huge difference. Look I can't tell you much about snow guns apart from which end the snow comes out of. Maybe we have the exact same equipment set on the exact same settings. Who knows. I mean I know they're working hard and doing what they feel is right based off of what they have been trained on.

But as a skier I can tell the difference. Man I'd take the Folgers Tasters Choice Challenge any day and I know I'd come up with Killington's man made snow every time. So why is that? There has to be a reason. Sure quantity is way more, but taking that aside how about quality? Also please don't give me anything about our stuff allows us to stay open longer.

[ThinkSno]

12 FEB 2014 Win's Word: http://www.sugarbush.com/blogs/wins-...son-update-340

[Hawk]

Well we got some detailed answers on the issues and it sounds like they realize they got some problems to work on. I for one am going to relax my critisims and let them work it out for a while. I think that the impending snow and my trip to Jackson Hole next week will improve my attitue for a while. Well at least into March. See you all this weekend. I got my AT setups tuned and waxed while I was waiting for enough snow to use them. I think Saturday will be a good day for that.

[angler]

Well we got some detailed answers on the issues and it sounds like they realize they got some problems to work on. I for one am going to relax my critisims and let them work it out for a while. I think that the impending snow and my trip to Jackson Hole next week will improve my attitue for a while. Well at least into March. See you all this weekend. I got my AT setups tuned and waxed while I was waiting for enough snow to use them. I think Saturday will be a good day for that.

We did get some answers. The disappointing part of the response IMO was the lack of addressing the quad packs, triple packs and quality of snow making. Even when the lifts are running they are not able to keep up with the skier volume. Same goes with the snowmaking as well. The trails are skied off quickly as they become very slick sooner then in the past, in my experience. So again my question is what is the 3- 5 year plan to improve the uphill capacity on the mountain and the ability to make a quality snow that can handle the increase skier volume?
P.S.
Love Jackson one of my favorite mountains and great town..... Have fun!

[djd66]

We did get some answers. The disappointing part of the response IMO was the lack of addressing the quad packs, triple packs and quality of snow making. Even when the lifts are running they are not able to keep up with the skier volume. Same goes with the snowmaking as well. The trails are skied off quickly as they become very slick sooner then in the past, in my experience. So again my question is what is the 3- 5 year plan to improve the uphill capacity on the mountain and the ability to make a quality snow that can handle the increase skier volume?
P.S.
Love Jackson one of my favorite mountains and great town..... Have fun!

Angler -

Seriously - what is your issue? I cannot imagine switching to another mountain and being so obsessed with the way Win is running Sugarbush. Pretty much every post you have on this board is dumping on the mountain and him personally. This issue and some of the posts on this board have gotten ridiculous and made this board a complete joke.

Quite honestly, they letter he sent out today is what I love about the way he runs his business and what I love about Sugarbush. I have never gotten a letter from the owner of a business like the one he sent out today. Trust me - if Sugarbush were run by a big company - we would never have the access to ownership like we do now.

[slaw]

Agree with 66. 2 feet on its way today, that should make everybody feel better. I'll be at Sugarbush for sure.

[Hawk]

Listen. Angler is a little over the top at times but he is not that far off. Make no mistake there are major issues. You guys turning a blind eye to all of it does not help. Win said he was going to fix things and I will give him the benefit of the doubt for the time being. But surface conditions and snowmaking, quad packs and over crowding, lift issues and maintienece are all real and if you choose to just accept it all that is fine. Some of us want more and better.

So yay it is snowing! But next week after a week of vacation crowds and a warm up with possible rain, we will see how people feel.

Sorry I am not part of the "turn a blind eye" crew. But you already knew that.

[angler]

Angler -

Seriously - what is your issue? I cannot imagine switching to another mountain and being so obsessed with the way Win is running Sugarbush. Pretty much every post you have on this board is dumping on the mountain and him personally. This issue and some of the posts on this board have gotten ridiculous and made this board a complete joke.

Quite honestly, they letter he sent out today is what I love about the way he runs his business and what I love about Sugarbush. I have never gotten a letter from the owner of a business like the one he sent out today. Trust me - if Sugarbush were run by a big company - we would never have the access to ownership like we do now.

I still ski both. I do think it was nice to see him take responsibility for the issues this weekend. With that being said I believe the real issue at hand is the mountain infrastructure can not handle the increase skier visit. Even when the lifts are running fine they can't handle the uphill capacity of all the people. The lift line waits are drastically different then they were before. Also the snow making at the mountain can't handle the increase skier use as well. It gets slicker earlier in the day then before. So I think its great that the mountain is bringing more business in from a revenue perspective, but I also feel like they need to put significant money back into the lifts and snow making to make it a quality experience when there is a lack of natural snow. Before this year I was a pass holder for over 15 years and still love skiing at the mountain. I want the on snow experience to be better then it has been and feel like the main reason its not, is the increase skier visits does not match the improvements needed to give a quality experience.

[Hawk]

I have had a pass at Sugarbush for 10 years now and I see upwards of 50 days. I do not miss weekends and I ski most vacation days including Christmas and New years week. My perspective comes from sking that many days or even more for 17 years at Sunday River and then swithing to Sugarbush. Yes I switched for the natural snow and Woods Skiing. Things here have been good up until that last couple of years with all the deals and that they have offered coupled with the increased lift stoppages. I have been here and my observations and opinion is supported by experience. I get the feeling that some of the opionions come from people that ski far less and have a smaller sampling size. How many days do you ski? That could drasically change your perception.

[bumpcrasher]

Not sure if questioning anyone's "ski resume" has to do with their abilities to make a candid observation of the mountain?!?

Angler and Hawk are correct--the Quad Pack has dramatically increased skier visits--especially during the weekends. I truly appreciate Win's recent response and the fact that ownership actually cares about their customers. I do hope they will annouce (at some point) whether they intend to offer the Quad Pack next season as the increase in crowds is the most dramatic change to the Bush I have seen in many years.