opening thread 2015

[gostan]

Hmm I saw ski patrol standing on deathspout every time I skied it

So did I, but if they just stand there and make no attempt(s) with their arms/hands to slow down the very fast out of control riders/skiers, then what are they really doing? If there is no other way down by next weekend, then i would suggest placing "slow skiing" sign banners on XXX Deathspout.

[Hawk]

It is what it is folks. Sunday it was pretty entertaining. What confuses me is why they didn't crank up the guns on it ever for a few hours. The temps at my condo were in the middle twenties at 10pm. That is cold enough to make snow. Any new snow would have made a difference.

[winjr]

There was a skiing banner up on Downspout and patrol was there, but I will chat with them about being more aggressive if that was not happening. Hawk, we are set to begin snowmaking once wetbulb temps hit 28 and we can see several hours. You can't just push a button and turn the system on. The lines have to be charged and then the guns and towers have to be turned on. This takes some time. This time of year what you see at your house is not what you see on the mountain. This morning for instance there was an inversion where the temps where in the 20's in the low Valley and much higher on the mountain and not snowmaking levels. Also with the number of skiiers on Downspout last weekend, a little more snow would not have made much of a difference after the first couple of hours. The early grooming was good, but scrapped off quickly. What will improve it is having another way like Jester open and also Lower Ripcord so people skiing that are not exiting on Organgrinder and coming down Downspout.

[Hawk]

Thanks for the response Win. I know it takes time crank up the system. I just felt that based on the conditions on DS they would have planned to blow snow and would have pressurized the system. My place is at 1,800 feet. off Upper Village road and is about the same elevation as the base of Castle rock. Temps were pretty cold up there on Saturday night. That is all I am saying.

There was a skiing banner up on Downspout and patrol was there, but I will chat with them about being more aggressive if that was not happening. Hawk, we are set to begin snowmaking once wetbulb temps hit 28 and we can see several hours. You can't just push a button and turn the system on. The lines have to be charged and then the guns and towers have to be turned on. This takes some time. This time of year what you see at your house is not what you see on the mountain. This morning for instance there was an inversion where the temps where in the 20's in the low Valley and much higher on the mountain and not snowmaking levels. Also with the number of skiiers on Downspout last weekend, a little more snow would not have made much of a difference after the first couple of hours. The early grooming was good, but scrapped off quickly. What will improve it is having another way like Jester open and also Lower Ripcord so people skiing that are not exiting on Organgrinder and coming down Downspout.

[shadyjay]

We were on standby on Saturday night waiting to make snow in the base since it was warmer up top, but by 1:30am it was 29 degrees wetbulb and not falling fast enough to the magic number so we called it a night. Was definitely in the 30s wetbulb up top. I was up there... it was warmer. But colder than 29 down in the valley.

[Benski]

Will mount ellen still open on the 18th if downloading is needed?

Pray for snow!

[winjr]

That would be the plan. We have done it before.

[winjr]

Updating after being on the mountain this morning. The temperatures really stink mid-mountain down, but are better at the Peaks, so hopefully we can keep running there through Wednesday night. Then it looks warm through the weekend, but a turn in the tide is possible beginning around Tuesday. We made snow on Valley Traverse anticipating a move to Snowball/Spring Fling next week so skiers can connect there from Upper Jester and get to the bottom. Today through Wednesday, we are focusing on getting Lower Ripcord in shape and resurfacing Ripcord and Upper Grinder which are still thinner than needed to keep grooming and to preserve with warm and wet in the forecast. Downspout has good depth and groomed out very nicely last night. With Lower Ripcord open that will take considerable pressure off of Downspout this weekend. And with high temperatures forecast this weekend, it will be a lot softer.

We are setting up the Low Energy Land guns on Domino Chutes and Lower Jester, but it is unlikely we will have the temps to get to those trails before next week. But they will be ready to if things change. With good temps, Snowball/Spring Fling can be skiable in 48 hours.

ME will open on the 18th even if we have to download, but it is way to early to call that. If temps change on Tuesday, a lot can happen as Rim Run and Elbow will be ready and we can move down Northstar and/or Cruiser and Straight Shot. With the new pipe on Straight Shot more water can got up those trails this year.

[Ride Delaware ?]

It is starting to look much better on Lower Ripcord. It would be nice to have it by the weekend.


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[cdskier]

Was pretty nice out there today. I didn't ski ripcord as I didn't want to push it on my first day out with low visibility under the guns on uneven terrain. I did ski organ grinder under the guns though. The top half was especially nice. The bottom half was a little sticky (and a patroller that skied down after me made the same comment as I was cleaning off my goggles at the bottom of grinder which made me feel better knowing it wasn't just me lol). Guns have been going all day up top. Cold down low would be nice though to get things spread out.

[skimore]

Anyone know what time Brovo will spin this weekend, are they moving to the 8:00am start?

[winjr]

No we will likely stay at 9am opening until we get some more terrain open. A very disappointing night of snowmaking as the temperatures never came down very much. Production was a lot less than we had hoped for. We had guns on Upper Orgrangrinder, Ripcord and Middle Jester and had to shut off in the am as temps rose above 28 wetbulb. We stayed on a bit later at ME as it was colder there longer but that is shutting down too. GMVS did have there first race of the season on Inverness - a slalom - which was great for them. The forecast for the next several days looks terrible. Maybe a cool down on Tuesday and a one day window for more snowmaking. However, we have our fingers crossed ( and I don't want to jinx it) that the pattern looks to change and the longer range forecast in calling for temps in the teens and maybe even some "free" snow. Do the dance!

[HowieT2]

i dont see much of a pattern change in the weeklies before the new year.

[Boxtop Willie]

Got my first rental house cancellation today. Group had the house weekend before Christmas (5 days). Another group that has Christmas week called and asked what else is there to do in the Valley...and asked what my cancellation policy is. God, please, let it snow, or at least get cold.

[HowieT2]

Got my first rental house cancellation today. Group had the house weekend before Christmas (5 days). Another group that has Christmas week called and asked what else is there to do in the Valley...and asked what my cancellation policy is. God, please, let it snow, or at least get cold.

yeah, its not just the snow, it hasnt felt like winter at all.