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The 2020-2021 Ski season thread


Skivt2
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Killington blew a bunch of snow all over the mountain this past week. There are mini piles of snow like the big superstar piles on other trails.  I’ve never seen them do that before.  It seems like they must have a goal of keeping more terrain open longer.  It’s hard to say but as big as superstar is, it might be slightly smaller then past years.  

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6 hours ago, mreaves said:

Damn, that's pretty cool. I was wondering if something like this was available. I could easily have a glade setup right in my own backyard with something like this.

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23 hours ago, Skivt2 said:

Killington blew a bunch of snow all over the mountain this past week. There are mini piles of snow like the big superstar piles on other trails.  I’ve never seen them do that before.  It seems like they must have a goal of keeping more terrain open longer.  It’s hard to say but as big as superstar is, it might be slightly smaller then past years.  

Yeah... little Wachusett blew snow Sunday night... they never do that this late in the season. 

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On 3/16/2021 at 1:00 PM, PhineasC said:

Sunday River was kinda meh. 

Reminded me of skiing in the Poconos. So many out of control skiers from the cities dumping into merge areas and flopping all over the place. 

They are also really, really into the COVID stuff too. Way more restrictive feeling than the NH places. 

The lift access scanner system is also laughably dumb. It creates huge mobs of people that seems to defeat the purpose of the COVID precautions. Not inclined to get season passes here for next season. 

Conditions were OK. Definitely more man made snow around but skied nice. Many bare spots off the trails. The layout of the peaks is sort of bewildering the first time. Will need to learn this mountain over time. 

Damn wish I knew you were going. Stay away on vacation weeks holidays , learn the NH Maine school vacations, ski mid week . Use Barker Lodge parking as your base after you get tickets, take second left off the access road after the Grand summit road or right if you get your tickets at South Ridge ( sign says Brookside Condos keep following road to Barker Lodge) Stay away from Barker Chair from 10 to 2. Go all the way skiers right ( left going up chairlifts) in the morning.  Ski White Heat chair runs then work your way to Tempest chair, ski that area, then go left down Cascades to Barker chair and ski left until you hit Grand Rapids to North Peak chair. That area is a blast, take Paradigm off North Peak to the Aurora chair, couple nice runs there. Then take lefts to Jordan bowl runs then ski back to Barker by Kansas run. Hit Barker and Spruce chairs for the afternoon.  Believe me its a helluva lot better when you know the mountain. Covid year with lots of WFH people kids out of school.  Obviously zoom school is the worst invention ever for mid week skiers lol. Give it another shot on a Tuesday . DM me  anytime, I skied there for 30 plus years and can answer any questions you have.

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4 hours ago, Ginx snewx said:

Damn wish I knew you were going. Stay away on vacation weeks holidays , learn the NH Maine school vacations, ski mid week . Use Barker Lodge parking as your base after you get tickets, take second left off the access road after the Grand summit road or right if you get your tickets at South Ridge ( sign says Brookside Condos keep following road to Barker Lodge) Stay away from Barker Chair from 10 to 2. Go all the way skiers right ( left going up chairlifts) in the morning.  Ski White Heat chair runs then work your way to Tempest chair, ski that area, then go left down Cascades to Barker chair and ski left until you hit Grand Rapids to North Peak chair. That area is a blast, take Paradigm off North Peak to the Aurora chair, couple nice runs there. Then take lefts to Jordan bowl runs then ski back to Barker by Kansas run. Hit Barker and Spruce chairs for the afternoon.  Believe me its a helluva lot better when you know the mountain. Covid year with lots of WFH people kids out of school.  Obviously zoom school is the worst invention ever for mid week skiers lol. Give it another shot on a Tuesday . DM me  anytime, I skied there for 30 plus years and can answer any questions you have.

Thanks for the lowdown, that’s the kind of thing you learn over time for sure. It’s a cool mountain with a lot of terrain and we will definitely be back to give it another go. It’ll be between there and Wildcat for our other season pass (already have BW and Cannon).

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15 minutes ago, PhineasC said:

Thanks for the lowdown, that’s the kind of thing you learn over time for sure. It’s a cool mountain with a lot of terrain and we will definitely be back to give it another go. It’ll be between there and Wildcat for our other season pass (already have BW and Cannon).

Older Season pass holders hang at Barker and are a very laid back cool bunch with parking lot barbecues in the Spring. I would pick SR as their snowmaking and grooming is way above Wildcat and you won't get bored. There are a ton of hidden trails as well as glades. Their expansion plans are also big so expect a lot more terrain.  Sorry to act like a fan boy but it was my home mountain for a reason.

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just have to echo @Ginx snewx recommendation re: SR versus Wildcat, your experience at wildcat this season will be representative of what you find next year. My gripe hasn't been about the grooming but rather commitment to snowmaking so that more terrain was open earlier and the season lasting until late April. Wildcat has a liberal trail opening policy, they leave lots of terrain ungroomed and bumped up, et cetera. One of my observations over the years, chatting to skiers on the lifts at Wildcat is how many Mainers who live in  close relative proximity to SR come over and ski at Wildcat. I have only skied at SR once - May Day free skiing - so obviously my experience is nil but I think of it as a BW in terms of amenities, snowmaking and grooming but with Cannon terrain ( and less the vertical ;-)), a nod to my friends at Sugarloaf! Plus, western Maine could use your $$.

 

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On 3/18/2021 at 5:14 AM, Ginx snewx said:

Damn wish I knew you were going. Stay away on vacation weeks holidays , learn the NH Maine school vacations, ski mid week . Use Barker Lodge parking as your base after you get tickets, take second left off the access road after the Grand summit road or right if you get your tickets at South Ridge ( sign says Brookside Condos keep following road to Barker Lodge) Stay away from Barker Chair from 10 to 2. Go all the way skiers right ( left going up chairlifts) in the morning.  Ski White Heat chair runs then work your way to Tempest chair, ski that area, then go left down Cascades to Barker chair and ski left until you hit Grand Rapids to North Peak chair. That area is a blast, take Paradigm off North Peak to the Aurora chair, couple nice runs there. Then take lefts to Jordan bowl runs then ski back to Barker by Kansas run. Hit Barker and Spruce chairs for the afternoon.  Believe me its a helluva lot better when you know the mountain. Covid year with lots of WFH people kids out of school.  Obviously zoom school is the worst invention ever for mid week skiers lol. Give it another shot on a Tuesday . DM me  anytime, I skied there for 30 plus years and can answer any questions you have.

Need to save this for next year when a venture over there...never been.  Heard they have decent snowmaking.  Is it decent by Jan there?

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25 minutes ago, PhineasC said:

The advice to park at Barker lodge looks really solid after taking a peek at the trail map. I appreciate the tip. We are headed back soon to give that a shot. 

Tuesdays Wednesdays although avoid Vacation week and watch the wind, stay away from Jordan bowl on windy days. 

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2 minutes ago, tamarack said:

SR is rarely bashful about firing up the guns in the early season.  Their relatively low base elevation (for a major NNE ski area) sometimes limits natural snow in bad seasons.

Yea but its usually Jan before enough terrain is covered in low snow years. I have been when its  fully open 1st week of Dec and when its only 53 snowmaking trails in late Dec. But yea they know how to cover a mountain 

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54 minutes ago, PhineasC said:

The advice to park at Barker lodge looks really solid after taking a peek at the trail map. I appreciate the tip. We are headed back soon to give that a shot. 

If we get a good NNE snow year next year you will be well served to go do an overnight trip to Sugarloaf.  Badass mountain.  Stunning back roads drive from your location too.

 

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2 minutes ago, PhineasC said:

It's very far away. 2.5 hours even from Randolph. There is a lot of skiing within one hour of my house. I can get to Stowe in 2 hours. 

Maine is cool but driving there is a slog.

Yeah... it is a hike.  Almost 5 hours from me.  Not to be taken lightly.   Someday I hope you get there and experience it.   

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1 hour ago, PhineasC said:

It's very far away. 2.5 hours even from Randolph. There is a lot of skiing within one hour of my house. I can get to Stowe in 2 hours. 

Maine is cool but driving there is a slog.

Check on whether the snowfields are open (only happens with big natural snow) and the Loaf offers an experience unique in lift-service skiing in the Northeast.

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1 hour ago, tamarack said:

Check on whether the snowfields are open (only happens with big natural snow) and the Loaf offers an experience unique in lift-service skiing in the Northeast.

Well, now that they have Brackett Basin it's surreal in a good snow year.  That was not this year however.

https://www.sugarloaf.com/sidecountry

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22 hours ago, PhineasC said:

Crazy the difference in the COVID stuff between the NH and Maine resorts. Very little coordination at the govt level, clearly. 

Have not been to VT but suspect their COVID regs are similar to Maine's, while the Live Free Or Die state goes its own way.  That said, there's been quarantine-free travel among the NNE states since the first relaxing last June.

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