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The 2016-17 Ski Season Thread

Skivt2

By Skivt2,
in New England

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Angus

Angus

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skied at a near empty WaWa yesterday for about 5 hours. it was a mix of heavy and wind compacted snow but was fun just to ski with the snow falling the whole time. the summit lift was on hold until about noon due to icing. Brought a friend which kept me there a couple of extra hours. My strategy today was drive north but stayed up watching hoops last night and when I checked the forecast after midnight, it didn't appear to be alot of clearing in the mountains so I didn't bother. Of course, Wildcat posted a beautiful blue sky picture of mt. washington today! The clouds cleared this morning in metrowest and the blue sky "made me" drive up to Wachusett! Figured no one would be there. Arrived just after 11 and was directed to satellite parking due to crowds! Essentially lapped the bump trail for 2.5-3 hours then left. They were doing their pond skimming today and had a band playing out on the patio. I guess this is evidence of 'when there is snow in your backyard, you go skiing' mentality. It was a funny day, the seeded bump line was filled all day with little kids and adults trying to ski bumps in their snow plow technique...most of WaWa's clientele avoid these bumps but blue skies, soft snow and warm temperatures do strange things to people. Probably my last day there this season. I heard they are going to open next weekend but hoping weather cooperates and I'll go to Wildcat or maybe Sugarbush where I still have a voucher. 

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TauntonBlizzard2013

TauntonBlizzard2013

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It's always kind of weird to see these places closing with almost 100% open terrain.

I guess once you hit April, the cost of running is just too much despite how much snow there is. 

Kind of a strange hobby/business when you really think about it. Spend hundreds of thousands of dollars snow making early in the season, and then close with feet of natural snow still on the trails late in the year.

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Professional Lurker

Professional Lurker

Posted
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Berkshire east was fun8 yesterday. Small crowds, warm temps and bluebird skies made for a great vibe. I think i actually got a slight sunburn. Always love it when that happens.

I didn't have my phone on me since i ditched my coat, but it was pretty funny... on the chair in front of us there was a guy skiing in just his bib snowpants.

They had to reschedule their annual pentathlon for next Saturday, so as long as they can farm enough snow for the main lift, they'll be open.

Sent from my SM-G920P using Tapatalk

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LongBeachSurfFreak

LongBeachSurfFreak

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10 hours ago, TauntonBlizzard2013 said:

It's always kind of weird to see these places closing with almost 100% open terrain.

I guess once you hit April, the cost of running is just too much despite how much snow there is. 

Kind of a strange hobby/business when you really think about it. Spend hundreds of thousands of dollars snow making early in the season, and then close with feet of natural snow still on the trails late in the year.

It's a small segment of the population that wants to ski/ride in April and especially May. Most people have other outdoor activities they would rather do by then. For those that do they know a place like killington will be open as late as possible. So they go after that group. In southern Vermont because of the green mountain national forest April 15th is the closure date by law. I know Stratton still has enough base for weeks unless there is a mega torch but are closing next weekend because of this 

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HoarfrostHubb

HoarfrostHubb

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18 hours ago, Angus said:

skied at a near empty WaWa yesterday for about 5 hours. it was a mix of heavy and wind compacted snow but was fun just to ski with the snow falling the whole time. the summit lift was on hold until about noon due to icing. Brought a friend which kept me there a couple of extra hours. My strategy today was drive north but stayed up watching hoops last night and when I checked the forecast after midnight, it didn't appear to be alot of clearing in the mountains so I didn't bother. Of course, Wildcat posted a beautiful blue sky picture of mt. washington today! The clouds cleared this morning in metrowest and the blue sky "made me" drive up to Wachusett! Figured no one would be there. Arrived just after 11 and was directed to satellite parking due to crowds! Essentially lapped the bump trail for 2.5-3 hours then left. They were doing their pond skimming today and had a band playing out on the patio. I guess this is evidence of 'when there is snow in your backyard, you go skiing' mentality. It was a funny day, the seeded bump line was filled all day with little kids and adults trying to ski bumps in their snow plow technique...most of WaWa's clientele avoid these bumps but blue skies, soft snow and warm temperatures do strange things to people. Probably my last day there this season. I heard they are going to open next weekend but hoping weather cooperates and I'll go to Wildcat or maybe Sugarbush where I still have a voucher. 

We went last night 4-8PM   Parked next to handicapped parking in the front... After 4 it is easy to find spaces...lol

So nice that 100% of the mountain was open. Soft snow until around 7:30 when it started re-freezing a bit.  Restaurant was closed which was a bummer so we settled on cafeteria burgers (yuck).  Can't go today ($5 with Sox gear on, but we have passes anyway) or tonight.  Not sure about next weekend.

I might be done for the season

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MarkO

MarkO

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Skied Waterville Saturday and Sunday. On Saturday they received about 10" of light powder. We got 5th chair up and skied pretty much fresh tracks the first 3 runs. Best skiing of the year as it was light powder over a solid base. Was surprised they actually got less snow than my cabin (about 12-14"). But it snowed throughout the day lightly and another inch overnight. Sunday was a warm blue-bird day with powder/packed powder in the AM, turning sticky by noon, then soft, almost corn snow on sunny facing trails in the afternoon. My 10 year old son had no problem keeping up regardless of the trails. He kept begging to go back into the woods (which we did). It's at the point now where I'm starting to have trouble keeping up with him in the woods! He can navigate better than I can, and doesn't have to worry as much about the momentum a 200# lard-ass carries. :D 

 

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bobbutts

bobbutts

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Posted
12 hours ago, TauntonBlizzard2013 said:

It's always kind of weird to see these places closing with almost 100% open terrain.

I guess once you hit April, the cost of running is just too much despite how much snow there is. 

Kind of a strange hobby/business when you really think about it. Spend hundreds of thousands of dollars snow making early in the season, and then close with feet of natural snow still on the trails late in the year.

Ragged, where I have a pass, is one of those places.  I was out there on Friday and it was like a ghost town.  Very few skiers and most of them with passes rather than day tickets and very few in the lodge buying food/drink.  As much as I want them to stay open, I'd rather have a reasonably priced pass and a solvent resort to go to.

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tamarack

tamarack

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On ‎3‎/‎29‎/‎2017 at 9:08 PM, Angus said:

Moosehead (and that whole section of Maine) is absolutely spectacular but remote. According to google, Big Squaw is 45 minutes further from Portland than Sugarloaf. There is a state park on the lake which is great for summer camping but go in August to avoid the bugs. It is a short summer season. 

Or late July.  Either time avoids the blackfly peak, usually in early June there, but the night time pests - mosquitos and mingies (aka no-see-ums) - are still active.  In addition to Lily Bay State Park, northeast of Greenville, there's 15,000 acres of State land immediately west of town, with trails on Little and Big Moose Mountains, hike-in trout ponds (with "primitive" campsites, - tent site, table, privy) and no admission fee.

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HoarfrostHubb

HoarfrostHubb

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9 hours ago, Professional Lurker said:

Berkshire east was fun8 yesterday. Small crowds, warm temps and bluebird skies made for a great vibe. I think i actually got a slight sunburn. Always love it when that happens.

I didn't have my phone on me since i ditched my coat, but it was pretty funny... on the chair in front of us there was a guy skiing in just his bib snowpants.

They had to reschedule their annual pentathlon for next Saturday, so as long as they can farm enough snow for the main lift, they'll be open.

Sent from my SM-G920P using Tapatalk
 

Yeah.  The sun brings some interesting folks.  Yesterday there was a dude boarding wearing a fireman's overalls and a fireman's helmet

and nothing else!

Wachusett plans on being open next Fri Sat Sun

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HIPPYVALLEY

HIPPYVALLEY

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47 minutes ago, HoarfrostHubb said:

Yeah.  The sun brings some interesting folks.  Yesterday there was a dude boarding wearing a fireman's overalls and a fireman's helmet

and nothing else!

Wachusett plans on being open next Fri Sat Sun

I took a sick day and met my brother-in-law at WaWa.  $5 tix thanks to the Red Sox shirts supplied by my sister! 

Fantastic weather, fantastic conditions.   Wall to wall snow still.  Spent the day on Smith Walton, 10 th Mountain, Connifer and Ralphs.

 

IMG_1704.thumb.JPG.4a7c17ea11c8d9d3d69d0a38db0d413f.JPG

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Professional Lurker

Professional Lurker

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I took a sick day and met my brother-in-law at WaWa.  $5 tix thanks to the Red Sox shirts supplied by my sister! 

Fantastic weather, fantastic conditions.   Wall to wall snow still.  Spent the day on Smith Walton, 10 th Mountain, Connifer and Ralphs.

 

IMG_1704.thumb.JPG.4a7c17ea11c8d9d3d69d0a38db0d413f.JPG


I heard about that $5 deal while skiing yesterday. ...i seriously contemplated it.

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j24vt

j24vt

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I think the ski areas should give people who buy day tickets in November and on holidays 1/2 off vouchers for any day after March 15th.  My theory is that if you can get them to the mountain once after March 15th you create a lot of business in future years.

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ORH_wxman

ORH_wxman

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14 hours ago, Professional Lurker said:

You guys went and didn't invite me? ...terrible.

 

Sent from my SM-G920P using Tapatalk

 

 

Kidding. Although I haven't met up with anybody this season, and that's kinda disappointing. Next year for sure I'm going to plan a ski gtg.

Yeah I had posted in here that I wanted to do one, but the time just slipped away. It was kind of an up and down season this year, though the March skiing ended up pretty solid...especially after the monster torch at the end of February. It was a good comeback...which is funny to say because roughly mid-February, it looked like there was going to be no reason to need a comeback. The depths were epic across much of the region.

 

Hopefully next season is more consistently great. It would be fun to do a GTG...maybe we can swing a random weekday when there's no crowds at a place like Beast or even one of the southern VT mountains.

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Ginx snewx

Ginx snewx

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5 minutes ago, ORH_wxman said:

Sugarloaf can have some really good skiing in April...their latitude/elevation combo really shines this time of year.

 

Though it's part of what can make it really brutal in mid winter there.

Yep it can be a nightmare mid winter but 8-10 there on the fields and they say its a lot fluffier than they expected, a great day for the lucky ones.

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HIPPYVALLEY

HIPPYVALLEY

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2 hours ago, ORH_wxman said:

Sugarloaf can have some really good skiing in April...their latitude/elevation combo really shines this time of year.

 

Though it's part of what can make it really brutal in mid winter there.

  On years I am lucky enough to get up there I only ski there from March 1 onward.  Could be the coldest mountain in New England midwinter. 

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powderfreak

powderfreak

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4 hours ago, HIPPYVALLEY said:

 Dude, they are at almost 100% terrain open, insane for the date.  The entire Brackett Basin back countryis open. 

 This weekend is their reggae fest, smoke em' if you got em'.

 

 

We are closing parts of the mountain that are/were 100% open.  Mt Ellen closed on Sunday 100% open.

We are sitting with a settled depth of 101" at the Stake, more than most of Colorado.  

Snowiest winter in a decade with 362" at 3,000ft (could be pushing 400" at 4,000ft but who knows).

The amount of snow left here on Mansfield right now is blowing me away with every passing day.  Add in the snowmaking trails and I'm going to be skiing for 6 more weeks.  Going to be posting snow pics till June haha.  

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