Professional Lurker Posted November 5, 2012 Share Posted November 5, 2012 Well I'm champing at the bit to hit the beast too, but with impending torch it would be foolish to turn on the guns. Maybe Kmart can justify it with a big upcoming weekend especially if they pull some pow from the nor'easter, but not so much our little gem in Charlemont. I hear you. It would be a complete waste for then right now. I'm just saying that they should be prepared to make snow at any time now, and I can tell you that they're not even close. I just wish that they'd consider blowing mountains early so that they'd have it to use on a terrain park, which they desperately need tho improve upon. ...they're just miles behind the curve in soooo many ways. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clinch Leatherwood Posted November 5, 2012 Share Posted November 5, 2012 Not sure if this was already posted...Sunday River is opening this Tuesday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ginx snewx Posted November 5, 2012 Share Posted November 5, 2012 Not sure if this was already posted...Sunday River is opening this Tuesday. Yahoo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Torchey Posted November 5, 2012 Share Posted November 5, 2012 Yahoo Steve, does it seem a bit strange these mountains are blowing this much snow considering the forecast starting this weekend and beyond into November? I always wondered what mountain operations used for long range weather guidance and if it deterred them from making snow especially this early in the season. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Damage In Tolland Posted November 5, 2012 Share Posted November 5, 2012 Steve, does it seem a bit strange these mountains are blowing this much snow considering the forecast starting this weekend and beyond into November? I always wondered what mountain operations used for long range weather guidance and if it deterred them from making snow especially this early in the season. Hopefully not Powderfreak's. He's gonna be found hanging by his striped scarf from a ski lift chair next week Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Torchey Posted November 5, 2012 Share Posted November 5, 2012 Hopefully not Powderfreak's. He's gonna be ound hanging by his striped scarf from a ski lift chair next week you are on a roll lately snow must be in the forecast. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Damage In Tolland Posted November 5, 2012 Share Posted November 5, 2012 you are on a roll lately snow must be in the forecast. See sig Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
powderfreak Posted November 6, 2012 Share Posted November 6, 2012 Steve, does it seem a bit strange these mountains are blowing this much snow considering the forecast starting this weekend and beyond into November? I always wondered what mountain operations used for long range weather guidance and if it deterred them from making snow especially this early in the season. It completely depends on the mountain, its location, its climate, etc. For a mountain in the Berkshires, it may not be the best move at this time, but for most of the major ski areas, its November and you get a window to make snow, you make it and cross your fingers. We all know long range weather forecasting isn't a lock and a lot can change. The other thing is these folks in mountain operations have been doing this for a long time. This is nothing new (especially in the time of the torch) to have a warm-up after a good period of snowmaking. There's always that "Indian Summer" period in November (some recent years its all month long, haha), and a lot of time is spent discussing snow management...but in the end, scheduled opening days for a lot of mountains is a week from Saturday. Its not that early in the season when you are talking about the major ski areas that are trying to open by Saturday the 17th (only 12 days away), and Killington & Sunday River with have both been open for a while by that point. Its probably early in the season for spots like WaWa near ORH or places in the Berkshires, but for the bulk of ski country its time to really crank out the snow at any opportunity in order to open ASAP. The other thing is all the snowmaking going on right now isn't going to all melt... I really doubt the major mountains are back to square one by next week. The new technology is amazing, and can pump a ridiculous amount of snow in 72 hours. There's already enough man-made snow to groom on the upper mountain and after the next two nights there will be a good deal of snow on a couple routes... I'm sure its the same at spots making snow like Killington, Sunday River, Mount Snow, Okemo, etc. Man-made snow is durable, especially this time of the year when its very wet snow. Plus, you blow the snow into big piles and don't push it out with a thaw incoming. A big pile of snow that's 5-10 feet deep and cement thick, will not melt because a couple days get into the upper 40s. Just think about how long it takes snowplowed piles of snow to last in parking lots...piles of snow will last a lot longer than an even spread. And you're still talking about elevations generally 2-4,000ft in NNE... I'd feel decent about snow preservation. Even if its in the 60s in the valleys, it'll be mid/upper 40s at upper elevations. We'll see how it plays out, but the high temperature at the base of the mountain today was 29F... and tomorrow will probably struggle to get to freezing, too. You can't waste a good 72 hour period of sub-freezing temperatures in November...especially with teens tonight and tomorrow night, most mountains with snowmaking will make a surprising amount of snow those nights, because optimal snowmaking temperatures are in the teens. Hopefully not Powderfreak's. He's gonna be found hanging by his striped scarf from a ski lift chair next week Haha... I've got a pretty good track record as the forecasting consultant. I'm much more conservative in forecasting than I may seem on here. Definitely better than the KFS Its been a good winter weekend... cold temps, even accumulating snow down in town, flakes in the air for a few days...I now have had enough winter to hold me over for a little torch without freaking out, lol. Flakes at home in town... Mid-Winter look on the mountain... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Torchey Posted November 6, 2012 Share Posted November 6, 2012 Beautiful pics Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HoarfrostHubb Posted November 6, 2012 Share Posted November 6, 2012 Wachusett always hopes to open Black Friday... last year it was much later Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LovintheWhiteFluff Posted November 6, 2012 Share Posted November 6, 2012 Headed to Whistler Blackcomb for five days in February. Here is a pic from the last time I went to my favorite mountain. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
powderfreak Posted November 6, 2012 Share Posted November 6, 2012 Beautiful pics Thanks, man. Storm total from Friday-Monday was at least 10" (the current snow depth up top is 10") on 1.48" of melted QPF. A nice long-duration snowfall that pretty much went under the radar for most folks. I hope all is well down there at the coast dude... I know its not and have been listening to quite a bit about your area on NPR. Best of luck in the clean up and never-ending recovery. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
powderfreak Posted November 6, 2012 Share Posted November 6, 2012 Headed to Whistler Blackcomb for five days in February. Here is a pic from the last time I went to my favorite mountain. Nice! I've only been out there once to Whistler... but that was the best ski area I've ever visited, hands down. They are running a slick operation coupled with fantastic terrain/snowfall/lifts/vertical. Its a winning combination. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobbutts Posted November 6, 2012 Share Posted November 6, 2012 Last year places got melted out back to square one several times. Normally that just doesn't happen, especially at higher elevations with northerly exposure. Getting some base laid down now on primary routes allows places to focus on expanding terrain rather than just getting started for the Christmas holidays too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HoarfrostHubb Posted November 6, 2012 Share Posted November 6, 2012 Headed to Whistler Blackcomb for five days in February. Here is a pic from the last time I went to my favorite mountain. Burnt Stew Basin ftw Is the Boot Pub still there? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HoarfrostHubb Posted November 6, 2012 Share Posted November 6, 2012 Nice! I've only been out there once to Whistler... but that was the best ski area I've ever visited, hands down. They are running a slick operation coupled with fantastic terrain/snowfall/lifts/vertical. Its a winning combination. I had to hike most of the way down Blackcomb back in 1993. Ripped the binding out of my ski...hiked down to a lift that brought me to the top of a gondola (I think) and I went to the shop to get rentals and my ski fixed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HoarfrostHubb Posted November 6, 2012 Share Posted November 6, 2012 MRG lives on in the top of this thread Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skierinvermont Posted November 6, 2012 Share Posted November 6, 2012 MRG lives on in the top of this thread What happened to MRG? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ginx snewx Posted November 6, 2012 Share Posted November 6, 2012 Thanks, man. Storm total from Friday-Monday was at least 10" (the current snow depth up top is 10") on 1.48" of melted QPF. A nice long-duration snowfall that pretty much went under the radar for most folks. I hope all is well down there at the coast dude... I know its not and have been listening to quite a bit about your area on NPR. Best of luck in the clean up and never-ending recovery. Some of us where laughed at. Some awesome pics. Nice explanation on snowmaking too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HoarfrostHubb Posted November 6, 2012 Share Posted November 6, 2012 What happened to MRG? They did not get much natural snow last year and had a short season. Better times ahead The dude has his own kingdom now Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
#NoPoles Posted November 6, 2012 Share Posted November 6, 2012 i survived opening day at killington...meh...i don't like the vibe or the outdated and dilapidated look of the lodge and tourist town..once is enough...no need to go back...and the bathroom smelled like sewer... stopped in at okemo on the way back...now that i like....they were also blowing snow but open the 17th... glad to see so many resorts blowing snow... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisM Posted November 6, 2012 Share Posted November 6, 2012 i survived opening day at killington...meh...i don't like the vibe or the outdated and dilapidated look of the lodge and tourist town..once is enough...no need to go back...and the bathroom smelled like sewer... stopped in at okemo on the way back...now that i like....they were also blowing snow but open the 17th... glad to see so many resorts blowing snow... I really dont think you should call it quits after skiing at a place on a day with like 1/1000 of the terrain open. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HoarfrostHubb Posted November 6, 2012 Share Posted November 6, 2012 Snowmaking at WaWa as we.speak Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HoarfrostHubb Posted November 6, 2012 Share Posted November 6, 2012 WaWa this morning.... 15.4F here, probably similar there Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baroclinic Zone Posted November 6, 2012 Share Posted November 6, 2012 130 snow guns running at Stowe right now on 9 trail segments... new snowmaking infrustructure is already paying off because the low energy guns are producing a ridiculous amount of snow with like half the compressed air that last year's guns did. Last year with these temps the mountain would be running like 80 guns. For comparison. Sunday River is opening this AM. Opening Day 2012: A day where you can exercise your right to vote and then exercise your legs and ski/ride!The good news is that last night’s snowmaking went according to plan with nearly 250 guns blasting Right Stuff, T2, Upper Punch, Ecstasy, Sunday Punch, Cascades, and a few smaller trails. In fact, most of these guns are still on and we’ll continue to make snow so long as the temperature allows us to. This makes the less-than thriller news that we’ll be skiing and riding on T2-only so to give the lower trails some time to build a base understandable. But hey, skiing is skiing and if you’re anything like us than you’re just happy to be out there! This means also means that open terrain is for experts only and that the Locke Mountain triple will turn from 9am until 3:30 p.m. with midstation access for continuous turns throughout the day, as well as to download back down to the base. Don’t forget, early season turns and variable snowmaking conditions are a great time to practice Going With the Flow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
powderfreak Posted November 6, 2012 Share Posted November 6, 2012 For comparison. Sunday River is opening this AM. 250 guns is freakin' nuts... that's gotta be the industry leader right there. I wonder what Killington's been able to do the past couple days. Last night when temps dropped to near 20F, Stowe got up near 190... 160 tower guns and 27 fan guns. 6,000+ gallons of water per minute being converted into snow (that's some hearty QPF right there, lol). Good dose of natural snow, too... with 10" of upslope over 4 days from Sandy's remnants. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baroclinic Zone Posted November 7, 2012 Share Posted November 7, 2012 Sunday Rover skiing from top of Locke to Barker Base today. T2 to Sunday Punch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
#NoPoles Posted November 7, 2012 Share Posted November 7, 2012 anyone going to okemo tomorrow? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
powderfreak Posted November 8, 2012 Share Posted November 8, 2012 Stowe's opening for pass holders only on Saturday... a preview type day, if you will. At least 2.5 miles of terrain over 2,100 vertical feet (top-to-bottom) will be available, with the chance of having up to 4 miles of terrain. The snowmakers have absolutely killed it plus 10" of upslope natural snow on the upper mountain. Since its always a friendly competition (lol)... pass holders at Stowe will be enjoying the most vertical and most miles of terrain in New England on Saturday If we can do it, there may even be 2 top-to-bottom runs but that's TBD. The new snowmaking system is for real and mother nature continues to deliver her plentiful natural snow... going to be a good season. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sugarloaf1989 Posted November 8, 2012 Share Posted November 8, 2012 Sugarloaf is opening up on 11/9 with lower mountain skiing on Boardwalk/Lower Winters Way. The Superquad is down for repairs so they can't offer the usual opening day offering of Tote Road. Today at Sugarloaf You guys ready to ski? With the cold temps hanging on throughout the week, plus a shot at a little bit of natural snow tonight and tomorrow, we've decided to go ahead and open up on Friday. That's right, the 2012-13 ski season will kick off at 9am on Friday, November 9, with skiing and riding available on Boardwalk and Lower Winter's Way. Lift service will be on Double Runner East, and lift tickets will be just $25 for all ages. The plan as it stands right now is to remain open on Saturday and Sunday from 8:30am-3:50pm, and then close on Monday to allow for additional snowmaking during the midweek period. Assuming all goes well and the weather cooperates, we'll reopen for good on Friday, November 16. This early opening is the result of a lot of hardwork by our snowmaking team, and the 300 new low-energy HKD snowguns we installed over the summer. The new guns allow us to make greater quantities of snow at marginal temperatures (20-30 degrees), all while using significantly less energy than traditional, older-style snowguns. Snowguns are still blasting away at the moment, but crews will be shutting things down during the overnight hours while tonight's storm blows through. They'll plan to start back up again late tomorow though to get trails polished up and ready for Friday. If you can't make it here for opening weekend, you can still check us out at the BEWI Ski and Snowboard Expo in Boston this Thursday through Sunday. Stop by to take advantage of some show-exclusive ski and stay deals, giveaways, tons of blue-triangle swag, or to meet Olympic Gold Medalist Seth Wescott. Be sure to check right back here tomorrow for the latest updates, and we'll see you Friday! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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