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  1. #1

    2016 Off season Improvements

    I todays Win's Word, he said, "We will have fewer big projects this summer." Any idea what exactly this means. I am guessing that just means some new snowmaking pipe and at best increased water capacity. I assume if it was anything bigger someone would have posted a permit application.

    I guess that could also mean some plans for the lodge at the top of Gate House or some other long term improvements.

  2. #2
    I was kind of hoping to see more info on that too, even if it is just pipe replacement or something like that.

    I also hope Win didn't jinx us with posting the snowfall totals for all the years following a low snow year

  3. #3
    Now that we are looking ahead to next season, I have a question for Win: Is there/has there been any thought given to the annual early season Downspout issue? Everyone agrees that Downspout is not an enjoyable experience early season when everyone funnels down this sheet of ice that is rated blue square, but skis double diamond.
    The name Deathspout has been around for a long time, and is well deserved.
    I don't know what other options there are, but I am sure some of the regulars have ideas. I know you don't want to hear about opening Mt. Ellen earlier on, and I agree with you. The Downspout issue will still need to be addressed eventually.


  4. #4
    I think Downspout would stay in better shape if they opened Lower Jester>Coffee ASAP and left Lower downspout closed for a while. I know they have the capacity to make snow on that whole route at the same time so I don't think it would take any longer to open. Since it provides a way to get to the base without taking Downspout it will reduce traffic on Downspout. Also lower downspout is one of the most Boring trails at LP.

  5. #5
    Lower Jester traverses back and forth while Lower Downspout is a straight shot...that alone will mean it requires more snow to open. As a result focusing on Lower Downspout first makes sense if you only have a limited window of opportunity to make snow.

    It is a difficult issue overall to address. Except for Lower Ripcord, there are only 2 trails that lead to the HG chair...Downspout or Heaven's Gate Traverse...Unless they add snowmaking to the traverse there really isn't another option for early season for getting to the HG chair from Jester or the Super Bravo lift.

    If you have cold temps, this all becomes irrelevant as you can spread out quicker on the lower part of the mountain. That was their big problem this year. Limited cold temps early on down low are very challenging and it is tough to think of an easy solution. If they were to increase snowmaking capacity on the lower part of the mountain then they could pump out more snow in smaller windows...but that would probably require some significant investments in new pipes if it is even possible at all with what they can pump up from the pond. The new pipe up Spring Fling allows them to open that very quickly now since they can pump much more water there (as long as you have the temps down low!) Are there other areas of the mountain where they could upgrade the pipes to achieve the same results? I don't know enough about where the bottlenecks in their current snowmaking system are to answer that.

  6. #6
    I dont want to see this happen, but they could cut a new trail from downspout at the bottom of lower OG to ripcord

  7. #7
    I think last year when they made snow on lower downspout they were also making snow else ware on the mountain at the same time. I have seen them open most of lower organ grinder and lower jester in a few days so I think they have the capacity to do it quickly. It defiantly does not take more than 1 extra day to open than lower downspout if it even takes longer.

    I think if they were too add a new trail to the left of downspout it should start at just bellow Alyns though i think a trail heading from the top of Lews Line to the pump house would be better, though that might be too steep. It might be a good idea build a more direct route from the top of bravo to organ grinder that avoids downspout entirely. They could also add a trail to the right of the Domino headwall so you can avoid that section.

  8. #8
    Quote Originally Posted by Benski View Post
    It might be a good idea build a more direct route from the top of bravo to organ grinder that avoids downspout entirely.
    What would you gain by this? There's not a lot of room between the top of Super Bravo and Domino Chute...may as well just use Domino Chute to get to Lower Organgrinder when you get off Super Bravo.

    They could also add a trail to the right of the Domino headwall so you can avoid that section.
    What would be the point of that? Just make a few turns down Lower Organgrinder from the Domino entrance and then cut over the HG Traverse if you want to avoid the Domino headwall.

    Howie's suggestion from OG over to RC somehow is really the only thing somewhat viable to create an alternate to DS...but like him I agree as well that I'd rather not see it. I think we're pretty much stuck with the current trail layout in that area.

  9. #9
    Quote Originally Posted by cdskier View Post
    What would you gain by this? There's not a lot of room between the top of Super Bravo and Domino Chute...may as well just use Domino Chute to get to Lower Organ grinder when you get off Super Bravo.
    Its short and gets you around the top of downspout which often gets badly skied skied off. I have no doubt there is room for such a trail.

    Quote Originally Posted by cdskier View Post
    What would be the point of that? Just make a few turns down Lower Organgrinder from the Domino entrance and then cut over the HG Traverse if you want to avoid the Domino headwall.
    This new trail would be short and therefore relatively cheep. I am sure I will help a little.

    I Don't think either of these will solve the problem with downspout but I think these 2 small trails will help keeping people off Downspout and they are small so they should not cost that much to build. I think Sugarbush should conceder marking Downspout a black also to get the intermediates to use the traverse.

  10. #10
    Why couldn't they invest some money and put some snowmaking on heaven gate traverse. You could easily open birdland to jester to heaven gate Traverse. That would help them also at the beginning of the year with 3+ trail count.

  11. #11
    Quote Originally Posted by nhskier1969 View Post
    Why couldn't they invest some money and put some snowmaking on heaven gate traverse. You could easily open birdland to jester to heaven gate Traverse. That would help them also at the beginning of the year with 3+ trail count.
    Heavens Gate Traverse barely needs snowmaking in the first place since it can be opened with very little snow. I think it usually is open by the second week in december so the snowmaking would only be useful for about 2 weekends on average. I don't think it would be justified since it would get so little use.

  12. #12
    Quote Originally Posted by Benski View Post
    Its short and gets you around the top of downspout which often gets badly skied skied off. I have no doubt there is room for such a trail.
    I've never really thought the top of downspout was much of a problem area. It is a pretty short section that you're talking about.

    This new trail would be short and therefore relatively cheep. I am sure I will help a little.
    I still don't see how this is any better than just using the existing Lower Organgrinder->HG Traverse route.

    I see no benefit to cutting down trees to create short little "bypass" trails when they gain you so little compared to what is already there.

  13. #13
    Quote Originally Posted by cdskier View Post
    I still don't see how this is any better than just using the existing Lower Organgrinder->HG Traverse route.

    I see no benefit to cutting down trees to create short little "bypass" trails when they gain you so little compared to what is already there.
    I don't know that headwall ruins upper domino. As for lower organ grinder to HG Traverse that would be like 3x the traversing.

  14. #14
    Quote Originally Posted by Benski View Post
    I don't know that headwall ruins upper domino. As for lower organ grinder to HG Traverse that would be like 3x the traversing.
    I take lower og to hg traverse quite a bit and there's barely any traversing if you carry a bit of speed onto hg traverse...

    Also don't have an issue with the domino headwall. Any steep head wall will get icy from time to time. I'd rather not flatten out steep stuff. Domino is a diamond after all. Not like it is a blue.

  15. #15
    Quote Originally Posted by cdskier View Post
    I take lower og to hg traverse quite a bit and there's barely any traversing if you carry a bit of speed onto hg traverse...

    Also don't have an issue with the domino headwall. Any steep head wall will get icy from time to time. I'd rather not flatten out steep stuff. Domino is a diamond after all. Not like it is a blue.
    I guess were opposites. Maybe a better rename HG Traverse, HG highway so it sounds more appealing. I think most people try to avoid any trail called a traverse.

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