ME Complaint: Can I get an honest trail report this weekend?

[BushMogulMaster]

And secondly the way Inverness is roped off plain and simply bad. There is ample room to close Inverness without causing the narrow funneling going to Semi-tough. Give skiers a wider path to Semi-tough by closing Inverness to lift tower 16 and then over to the bottom of the trailhead. Problem solved!

I'm not sure what exactly you're referring to. Obviously, I wasn't there, so I didn't see Saturday's or Sunday's rope setup. But I've skied that area tons and tons of times during races, and have never had a problem or complaint re: roping. Can you elaborate on how exactly it was setup, and what exactly was the problem? Was it roped off from the return terminal to a tree, parallel to the lift line? Was it roped off from the return terminal across the trailhead to the Brambles entrance? Either way, I've never noticed a problem heading down skiers' right of the lift at the top of Inverness. Hop of the lift, take a hard left, and ski to Semi. As soon as you ski past the top terminal of the lift, it widens out and should be plenty of room to make turns down to Semi. It's not like there's much pitch to contend with!

Anyway, I'm just trying to understand what exactly the problem was.

[win]

Madhavok, we will disagree on this point. Over the years I found the best way of really telling what the true condition of a mountain was the percentage of trails open and skiiable. If we have trails like Inverness, Brambles and Spring Fling with great snow, and we report them closed, those percentages get picked up by various snow reporting services and can create a competetive disadvantage for us. We decided a couple of years ago to mark trails that were closed for a full day or a partial day with an R so everyone would know that the general public can not ski those trails. In my opinion this is not at all misleading! One does have to look at the trail report and not just the overall trail summary, but the information is there for all to see and understand. Our trail report is available daily on the website, so there should be no problem getting the information.

[madhavok]

Yeah, I disagree on that point. The way I personally estimate what the true conditions are is by looking at the new snowfall depths, current base depths, & the primary and secondary snow base conditions. But anyway, when I check the trail report in the future I'll keep an eye out for the "R"s. Can't say I've noticed them before, but I assume instead of the trail report having an X for open it will have an R for reserved?

[madhavok]

BushMogulMaster...

First let me clarify, I can more than handle getting to semi-tough under any conditions, but the current closure does make it tough for kids and beginners.

Now I'm not going to be able to describe it in words so I’ll attach some sketches as best as I can remember. Don't hold me the exact placement of the rope, I don't have any pictures and I didn't map it out last weekend. First is the way the trail has been roped off as of late. Its gets tight right as your coming into the trees at the entrance of Semi-tough, causing too many people skiing too close together, and the snow get pushed off. Basically you end up with a couple of moguls with ice between and nowhere to go.




Now since there is plenty of room, I propose something like this.

[freeheel_skier]

That is why I try not to read CAD drawings/blueprints

[Lostone]

I can see that. You know they're not racing that close to the lift. Why not gie Semi-Tough skiers the extra room?

That is how they've roped it off, in the past. In fact, they've gone down to below the entrance, so you could overshoot it a touch and make your way down thru the lower trees.

[BushMogulMaster]

You make a valid point, madhavok. I agree that there is plenty of room to widen it a bit. I guess I just never noticed it being as tight as you described it, but either way, it doesn't hurt to make a little more room.

[madhavok]

Can someone please show me where exactly to look for this "R"? Checked the lift / trail report Sunday am. Great Brambles was clearly marked as open. Didn't see an "R" anywhere on the trail report. So I dragged the family over on Northway yet again, and sure as sh!t Brambles and Inverness were both closed for racing.

So could someone please where on the lift / trail report I should be looking for this seemingly no existent "R"? Obviously I’ve been looking in the wrong spot, or is it just that the “R” for reserved thing just an official policy that is unofficially not used?

[BushMogulMaster]

Can someone please show me where exactly to look for this "R"? Checked the lift / trail report Sunday am. Great Brambles was clearly marked as open. Didn't see an "R" anywhere on the trail report. So I dragged the family over on Northway yet again, and sure as sh!t Brambles and Inverness were both closed for racing.

So could someone please where on the lift / trail report I should be looking for this seemingly no existent "R"? Obviously I’ve been looking in the wrong spot, or is it just that the “R” for reserved thing just an official policy that is unofficially not used?

It is printed on every lift/trail report posted at the mountain, including on the tv monitors. Isn't it on the web trail report as well? If not, that should definitely be addressed ASAP.

[Lostone]

These are on the lift/tail status reports that are posted many places, on th mountain. (Guest Services, rentals, lodge, tickets, ect.) Just happens I worked on Sunday and have the report. (It was in my bag of recycling.)

Inverness and Brambles are marked with an R where the x for open normally is.

I don't know about the web trail report, but I do know it is not on the interactive map, and I doubt the programming is in to do that, as it is yellow when closed and white when open. Not sure which color would be for racing, and that they have the option.

[madhavok]

Before I decide which mountain I am going to ski I check the lift / trail report at www.sugarbush.com (not to be confused with their interactive trail map). So now your telling me the only way to get an accurate trail report is to drive to one of the mountains and check a special printed lift / trail report? This just keeps getting more frustrating and more absurd. If you can mark a trail as being open with an "X" on the web lift / trail report then you can certainly mark one with an "R" without any special programming.

[BushMogulMaster]

Before I decide which mountain I am going to ski I check the lift / trail report at www.sugarbush.com (not to be confused with their interactive trail map). So now your telling me the only way to get an accurate trail report is to drive to one of the mountains and check a special printed lift / trail report? This just keeps getting more frustrating and more absurd. If you can mark a trail as being open with an "X" on the web lift / trail report then you can certainly mark one with an "R" without any special programming.

Lostone's programming comment was re:interactive map. Chill out a little, and perhaps suggest a solution instead of continuing to point out the problem. You've made that abundantly clear. So how would you like to see this problem corrected?

[/rant]

Having said that, I agree that it should be listed on the website. It will be addressed, I assure you.

[Tin Woodsman]

Before I decide which mountain I am going to ski I check the lift / trail report at www.sugarbush.com (not to be confused with their interactive trail map). So now your telling me the only way to get an accurate trail report is to drive to one of the mountains and check a special printed lift / trail report? This just keeps getting more frustrating and more absurd. If you can mark a trail as being open with an "X" on the web lift / trail report then you can certainly mark one with an "R" without any special programming.

Lostone's programming comment was re:interactive map. Chill out a little, and perhaps suggest a solution instead of continuing to point out the problem. You've made that abundantly clear. So how would you like to see this problem corrected?

[/rant]

Having said that, I agree that it should be listed on the website. It will be addressed, I assure you.

I'd suggest that not only should you have an R on the web report, you should have a quicknote on the bottom of the report, or on the Snow Report page, that says Such and Such trail is open but will be restricted to racers only until 2:00. that way, SB gets to claim the credit for the trail count while providing its customers with the information they need.

[Lostone]

If you can mark a trail as being open with an "X" on the web lift / trail report then you can certainly mark one with an "R" without any special programming.

That is not necessarily so. It is possible that they way they set up the program is it is open (x) or closed. (no x)

Restricted for racing might not have been on the minds of those that did the programming. I claim no knowledge of the programming, on that site, but have been involved with programming and programming decisions in past lives. If you knew how the phrase "It is just a few lines of code" can get to programmers, you'd realize the possibilities.

I'm not saying it can't be done, just that it might be more complicated than you stated. Do you really think they type in those Xs? More likely there is a Select All button and you deselect the ones that are closed, for when the mountain is mostly open, and you select only those that are open, when it isn't.

I like Tin's suggestion about the note at the bottom. In fact, I just checked the sheet I have, and it is mentioned in the Events & Notes segment. That would be a separate sheet, right next to the trail reports at most mountain locations, as listed above.

[ski_resort_observer]

Gee, all this time I thought the little (R) next to trail name meant.... if you were under 13 you could not ski it unless accompanied by an adult.