The 2013-2014 Ski Season Thread

[powderfreak]

Nice guys! Who we looking at in that second pic?

[Ginx snewx]

Nice guys! Who we looking at in that second pic?

Tequila Barry,Brian, Larvay,Mike Pro,No poles

[Ginx snewx]

Pro Lurker and Larvay killed it today, high speed adventures.

[HoarfrostHubb]

I was so thinking of that all day. Wished I could have gone. Cold start

[HoarfrostHubb]

Lars needs a brain bucket

[Ginx snewx]

I was so thinking of that all day. Wished I could have gone. Cold start

Not bad, no wind other than the 45 mph chill

[eyewall]

A few shots from Smuggs (cell phone except for the ice pillar) yesterday:

 

 

 

 

[Ginx snewx]

powder Freak I think I found NVTs snow, Scotland, no lifts running here

http://www.winterhighland.info/

 

 

[polski]

^^^ is rather elevation-dependent

 

 

 

[ORH_wxman]

Still liking the pattern going forward for some great late season skiing. I'm pretty pumped about Sunday River Mar 21-23. Hopefully we get a nice dumping just prior to that to cover some of the icy spots that probably develop with a lack of natural snow for a couple weeks.

 

But bases are terrific. Natural snow there is prob like 3-4 feet from base to higher up and of course the bases on the snowmaking trails prob a bit deeper.

 

 

Ginxy, you're gonna be up there aorund that time too, right? If you are, we'll have to meet up for a few runs and a beer.

[powderfreak]

Holy crap on those pics Ginxy!

[Ginx snewx]

Still liking the pattern going forward for some great late season skiing. I'm pretty pumped about Sunday River Mar 21-23. Hopefully we get a nice dumping just prior to that to cover some of the icy spots that probably develop with a lack of natural snow for a couple weeks.

But bases are terrific. Natural snow there is prob like 3-4 feet from base to higher up and of course the bases on the snowmaking trails prob a bit deeper.

Ginxy, you're gonna be up there aorund that time too, right? If you are, we'll have to meet up for a few runs and a beer.

what day are you guys arriving?

[Ginx snewx]

Holy crap on those pics Ginxy!

according to the site 56 feet

[ORH_wxman]

what day are you guys arriving?

 

 

Mar 21...two nights, two days.

 

 

Megan hasn't done a "real" mountain yet. Just WaWa. And for all tis good steep terrain, Sunday River is a great learners mountain too on North Peak. Got a nice package deal that gives her a couple lessons with ski rentals and hooks me up with one day ski pass for free...leaving me only needing to buy my Sunday pass. I'll be able to get some runs in on Aurora and Spruce peaks, and Jordan bowl while she's got the lessons going on.

[CoastalWx]

Those mtns in the UK are beyond buried. The number of storms there this winter has been incredible.

[Ginx snewx]

Mar 21...two nights, two days.

Megan hasn't done a "real" mountain yet. Just WaWa. And for all tis good steep terrain, Sunday River is a great learners mountain too on North Peak. Got a nice package deal that gives her a couple lessons with ski rentals and hooks me up with one day ski pass for free...leaving me only needing to buy my Sunday pass. I'll be able to get some runs in on Aurora and Spruce peaks, and Jordan bowl while she's got the lessons going on.

Nice yea even South Ridge is fun,North Peak Chair is my favorite,screams .What time are you getting there Fri? I will Pm you my phone number. Would be awesome to do some runs with you.

[ORH_wxman]

Nice yea even South Ridge is fun,North Peak Chair is my favorite,screams .What time are you getting there Fri? I will Pm you my phone number. Would be awesome to do some runs with you.

 

 

Sent you a PM...yeah North Peak is a good lift for everyone...plenty of easy trails but some decent intermediate and expert runs too. I usually do a few runs on there before straying over to Jordan Bowl and Aurora Peaks...not sure how many Oz runs I'll do this trip since I'm fairly rusty. Those are some challenging runs.

[N. OF PIKE]

according to the site 56 feet

Wow

[Ginx snewx]

Sent you a PM...yeah North Peak is a good lift for everyone...plenty of easy trails but some decent intermediate and expert runs too. I usually do a few runs on there before straying over to Jordan Bowl and Aurora Peaks...not sure how many Oz runs I'll do this trip since I'm fairly rusty. Those are some challenging runs.

You will be fine, no double blacks, woods for me either. Sent a pm, looking ahead wxwise should be awesome

[powderfreak]

What a great day to go for a walk across the Ridgeline... full-winter.  As Cpick often says, even a little below normal winter is still pretty snowy.  At 190" on the season at 3,000ft, we are running roughly 50-inches behind schedule for the end of the first week of March.  Still, it looks pretty darn snowy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Looking out towards the Champlain Valley... right in front of me the terrain drops a solid 3,000 feet, the mechanism for our upslope when weather comes across the valley into the mountain.

 

 

 

 

I skied the Rock Garden and noticed some instability in the snowpack... lots of cracking and whoomphing.  Luckily its not really exposed enough to fully slide.  You can see what would be a fracture line if it slide, but I skied onto this pocket that threatened to collapse.

 

 

And props to the dude who skied the elevator shaft in the Kitchen Wall.  You can see the tracks in the background in that pencil thin chute.

 

 

Another view of that chute...(high right side of photo)

 

 

 

March really is the best ski month of the season... regardless of above or below average, the snowpack is deep enough this time of year to get out there and wander around on some of the more gnarly stuff.  I even ended up getting a light sunburn from the bright sun/snow combo on my face.  Its almost euphoric being out in the strong March sun under perfect conditions...great stuff.

 

 

[eyewall]

Holy hell you have to have some balls to ski that chute.

[sankaty]

Stratton skied quite well yesterday. Firm and fast for the most part, but generally softer than true hardpack and very little ice. Moguls were fun, but required a fair amount of attention and good technique due to the firmness. Trees were nice; still a bit firm, but softer than the open bump trails due to an inch or so of snow in many places with good coverage.

I suspect that with the warmer daytime temperatures over the next few days, the S VT mountains should ski very nicely.

[ORH_wxman]

Stratton skied quite well yesterday. Firm and fast for the most part, but generally softer than true hardpack and very little ice. Moguls were fun, but required a fair amount of attention and good technique due to the firmness. Trees were nice; still a bit firm, but softer than the open bump trails due to an inch or so of snow in many places with good coverage.

I suspect that with the warmer daytime temperatures over the next few days, the S VT mountains should ski very nicely.

 

 

Stratton is one of the few lower VT mountains I haven't been to yet...I've heard its pretty solid. Their walk-up lift tickets are pricey, but they seem to be a place that has a lot of discounts online if you look around.

[sankaty]

Stratton is one of the few lower VT mountains I haven't been to yet...I've heard its pretty solid. Their walk-up lift tickets are pricey, but they seem to be a place that has a lot of discounts online if you look around.

 

Stratton's X2 card is one of my favorite ticket deals around.  The card costs $79 at the beginning of the season (I think it goes up to $89 after the early season) but includes a day of skiing that can be used any day other than holidays (non-holiday weekends are fine).  Then you get $30 off weekdays and $20 off holidays.  If you are able to ski there more than once a year, it's a no-brainer.

 

I was able to ski yesterday for $49 with the card with no advance purchase required.   Mount Snow has equivalent midweek prices if you can purchase online at least two days in advance, but I love the flexibility with the X2 card to make last minute decisions based on weather, etc.

 

I like Stratton's lift system and trees.  The main knocks are that it has few steeps (but that's pretty much true of everywhere in S VT except Magic), and that they can be relentless about grooming, especially early in the year.  We visited after a storm in mid December and they had flattened literally every trail.  Because they trees were not ready, it meant a day of groomers, which isn't really my thing.

 

Mount Snow is more reliable about leaving at least a few North Face trails in their natural state (well, as natural and a ski trail gets).

[ORH_wxman]

Stratton's X2 card is one of my favorite ticket deals around.  The card costs $79 at the beginning of the season (I think it goes up to $89 after the early season) but includes a day of skiing that can be used any day other than holidays (non-holiday weekends are fine).  Then you get $30 off weekdays and $20 off holidays.  If you are able to ski there more than once a year, it's a no-brainer.

 

I was able to ski yesterday for $49 with the card with no advance purchase required.   Mount Snow has equivalent midweek prices if you can purchase online at least two days in advance, but I love the flexibility with the X2 card to make last minute decisions based on weather, etc.

 

I like Stratton's lift system and trees.  The main knocks are that it has few steeps (but that's pretty much true of everywhere in S VT except Magic), and that they can be relentless about grooming, especially early in the year.  We visited after a storm in mid December and they had flattened literally every trail.  Because they trees were not ready, it meant a day of groomers, which isn't really my thing.

 

Mount Snow is more reliable about leaving at least a few North Face trails in their natural state (well, as natural and a ski trail gets).

 

Yeah that deal def sounds like a no brainer, even if you only go twice or three times. I've heard about the grooming...most S VT mountains (also including Okemo and the already mentioned Mt. Snow) seem to be relentless with the groomers...but I like that it has somewhere around 2000 feet of vertical (IIRC) and Stratton is an easy day trip for me...prob only 2 hours. So even if it doesn't have the greatest undisturbed steep trails, it certainly still is an upgrade over a day trip at WaWa if I start getting Cabin Fever. I may jump on that deal next season.

 

 

Now that I got Megan into skiing, I'll def be making more trips than the past few winters.

 

 

I'll have to do some more research on the different deals. I used to be able to snipe awesome deals all the time back when I went more often...I'd look harder. Hoping for good conditions up at Sunday River for Mar 21-23...going for a quick two-dayer-two nighter. March skiing was always a hidden gem after the main winter crowds throw in the towel for the season. Conditions are usually better than early January and December too.

[CT Rain]

Yeah that deal def sounds like a no brainer, even if you only go twice or three times. I've heard about the grooming...most S VT mountains (also including Okemo and the already mentioned Mt. Snow) seem to be relentless with the groomers...but I like that it has somewhere around 2000 feet of vertical (IIRC) and Stratton is an easy day trip for me...prob only 2 hours. So even if it doesn't have the greatest undisturbed steep trails, it certainly still is an upgrade over a day trip at WaWa if I start getting Cabin Fever. I may jump on that deal next season.

 

 

Now that I got Megan into skiing, I'll def be making more trips than the past few winters.

 

 

I'll have to do some more research on the different deals. I used to be able to snipe awesome deals all the time back when I went more often...I'd look harder. Hoping for good conditions up at Sunday River for Mar 21-23...going for a quick two-dayer-two nighter. March skiing was always a hidden gem after the main winter crowds throw in the towel for the season. Conditions are usually better than early January and December too.

 

Try and check out a local ski club, Will. 

 

I am a member of the CT Ski Council (costs $8 per season) and they have some pretty good deals. I skied for 3 days in Stowe in early January for 99 bucks total!

 

http://www.skiclub.com/documents/AW1314.pdf

 

Mount Snow also offers group pricing for CSC members which is like 35 bucks midweek. Great deal. 

[CT Rain]

I generally prefer Mount Snow to Stratton. I think the crowd at Mount Snow is more fun and the lift layout at Stratton sort of annoys me. I also feel like Snow does a better job with snow making and snow quality these days than Stratton. I've had some really ugly days at Stratton over the past few years and not at Snow (could just be a function of small sample size!)

[ORH_wxman]

Try and check out a local ski club, Will. 

 

I am a member of the CT Ski Council (costs $8 per season) and they have some pretty good deals. I skied for 3 days in Stowe in early January for 99 bucks total!

 

http://www.skiclub.com/documents/AW1314.pdf

 

Mount Snow also offers group pricing for CSC members which is like 35 bucks midweek. Great deal. 

 

 

Oh nice...yeah I've heard about the ski clubs in the past but hadn't thought of them recently. My friend belonged to one and hooked me up with like $30 Killington passes...this was like 9 or 10 years ago, lol.

 

I was just pissed that time when I went to Killington and found out they had decapitated the top of Rams Head mountain, lol. I hadn't skied there since I was a teen in the mid 90s...so it went from a nice intermediate peak to a family/easy peak.

 

Still, I can't really complain about Killington terrain...they have good stuff there.

[CT Rain]

Oh nice...yeah I've heard about the ski clubs in the past but hadn't thought of them recently. My friend belonged to one and hooked me up with like $30 Killington passes...this was like 9 or 10 years ago, lol.

 

I was just pissed that time when I went to Killington and found out they had decapitated the top of Rams Head mountain, lol. I hadn't skied there since I was a teen in the mid 90s...so it went from a nice intermediate peak to a family/easy peak.

 

Still, I can't really complain about Killington terrain...they have good stuff there.

 

I really like Killington but don't go there as much as Mount Snow because it's an extra hour drive. For a day trip that's a lot! 

[ORH_wxman]

I generally prefer Mount Snow to Stratton. I think the crowd at Mount Snow is more fun and the lift layout at Stratton sort of annoys me. I also feel like Snow does a better job with snow making and snow quality these days than Stratton. I've had some really ugly days at Stratton over the past few years and not at Snow (could just be a function of small sample size!)

 

 

Mt. Snow invested a ton in new snow making when the new ownership took over from ASC....it seems to be paying off now...your obs confirm it, but I've heard from my ski bum cousin that they had good snow too.