The 2021-2022 Ski season thread

[PhineasC]

2 hours ago, powderfreak said:

Conditions at Waterville got heavier later in the day once the precipitation tapered off and the sun even came out.  Temps warmed up above freezing and the snow fell out of the trees.  Again though, great conditions for testing all-mountain skis and having interesting conditions for brands to showcase their boards made for eastern/western conditions made for a great day. 

Some lower angle but wide-open glades were fun in the wet snow...surfy.  Temps were 33-35F at this point as the snow fell/dripped out of the trees.

Basically a 1,600 vertical foot high speed quad was the only lift we rode... and a ski area really wins my heart with 1500-2000ft laps off a high-speed lift.  That's a huge plus in terms of maximizing ski time and not sitting on a lift.  For whatever reason, I love longer vertical foot gains in short periods of time.  Lapping that is fun regardless of terrain... but there were a few good steep rollovers in there.  Lower Bobby's Run was something we did several times.  Tracked out crud and push piles, mixed with moguls is fantastic ski test terrain.

 

I know @MarkO has talked about a smaller local slope nearby there as he has a cabin in the area... I'd love to know if that's what we saw across the valley.  In the photo above there's that small three trail ski area across the valley. It made me think that's the one Mark talks about.  Fun to see a different neighborhood.

Overall, fun day, diverse conditions, and WV has some vertical that is lap-able from a single base area (seems good for kids, can't get lost, end up at bottom regardless) on a high speed quad.  There are some ancillary lifts that would be good on crowded days, along with another high speed servicing learning terrain in the middle of the mountain.  Aesthetically pleasing layout for the overall size of the hill; laid out well.

Glad you had a fun NH day (albeit in a "work" context so I get that aspect of it). See, it snows here too!  

 

[PhineasC]

2 hours ago, powderfreak said:

Since I was able to get out of my usual neighborhood, I'll post some thoughts on Waterville Valley as a first trip. Had a great day of skiing and I liked the Waterville set up.

This is what is considered a "business trip" in this line of work but headed out to chat with some some of our normal ski reps and meet some new ones in a large industry demo-day.  Tried about 10-12 different skis from different brands throughout the day, but the only one I didn't want to give up was the next generation Atomic "Bent" Chetler 10.  Skied 4 runs on that ski alone and may take the brand rep up on a pair.  It's 100 underfoot but skis like 90 and the shovel/tip design really excelled in today's conditions (90-100 underfoot is my personal sweet spot for a daily driver eastern skiing mix of groomers/glades/ungroomed).  That Bent Chetler got my seal of approval for the day out of the flagship skis from brands like Salomon, Head, Dynastar, Rossi, K2, Black Crows, etc.

Waterville Valley reported 1-2" of new snow but that may have been at the base.  I love a good conservative snow measurement; it's one of my favorite things.  In the morning before things warmed up a bit, I'd say a dense creamy 4" was more accurate up on the hill.  We call these conditions "visiting the cream cheese factory."  Very surfy and great for testing wider width skis.

Attachment limits mean another post is needed....

 

Thanks. That WV report would have been measured around 13" at Jay in a windblown gulley...  

Sorry @bwt3650  

[bwt3650]

8 hours ago, PhineasC said:

Thanks. That WV report would have been measured around 13" at Jay in a windblown gulley...  

Sorry @bwt3650  

Lol..when the snow report has really been lacking, I head out to a snowmaking whale with a yard stick.

[MarkO]

Snow's used to open up for season pass holders (before my first season pass), but I've AT'd it before. It faces southwest. Someone told me it was the "original" ski area at Waterville. 

Anyway, glad you enjoyed your day. We usually hit the White Peaks express most of the day, but after years of skiing the same trails off it, it gets boring, so I find myself going over to Green Peak, or even laps up the tee bar to the top. I noticed there was only one trail closed that day, Tangent, my favorite. Old school, no snow making and from it you can hit Preston's Path (under the old double that hasn't run in years), or periphery. 

Next year they upgrade White Peaks with a 6 pack lift, and supposedly in a few years they're supposed to expand terrain east of Green Peak and will have a gondola connecting the village to the mountain. 

The one thing I don't care about for Waterville is most of the trails face northeast, so they really don't get much sun until mid/late February, but I guess that probably helps with snow retention. 

[mcglups]

Good report on WV, that was my old stomping grounds in the 80's for high school and my knees have a personal connection to the moguls on true grit under the Sunnyside Triple. Places like Waterville an Wildcat with one lift that services the entire mountain are truly enjoyable, however the desire to explore still results in checking out all places. Good stuff!

[hazwoper]

hey all!  Heading up to Okemo next Friday.  Looking like some rain with the cutter pushing out before we head out on Friday am at this point.  Not too worried about that trip as conditions should still be fine.  My question is for March 11-13 up at Stowe.  Bringing family there for that weekend.  Based on all the signs at a warm end to Feb, how's it looking for skiing conditions at Stowe that wkend?  Im staying in townhome on the Toll House lift and praying they can keep it open then.  Thoughts?

[Southshorewx]

Wildcat today.  One of the best new england days I can remember.  36-38 at the base.  Surface softened up to powder but never went mashed potatoes.  Most of the middle mountain was left untamed and a wrong turn brought us (my wife is still pissed) into some big soft moguls.   Just great conditions with everyone on the mountain in a good mood and loving it.  

[SJonesWX]

6 hours ago, hazwoper said:

hey all!  Heading up to Okemo next Friday.  Looking like some rain with the cutter pushing out before we head out on Friday am at this point.  Not too worried about that trip as conditions should still be fine.  My question is for March 11-13 up at Stowe.  Bringing family there for that weekend.  Based on all the signs at a warm end to Feb, how's it looking for skiing conditions at Stowe that wkend?  Im staying in townhome on the Toll House lift and praying they can keep it open then.  Thoughts?

@powderfreakis the man to answer questions specific to Stowe

[PhineasC]

11 minutes ago, Southshorewx said:

Wildcat today.  One of the best new england days I can remember.  36-38 at the base.  Surface softened up to powder but never went mashed potatoes.  Most of the middle mountain was left untamed and a wrong turn brought us (my wife is still pissed) into some big soft moguls.   Just great conditions with everyone on the mountain in a good mood and loving it.  

Easy to make wrong turns at Wildcat and end up on a pretty gnarly trail. 

[powderfreak]

On 2/11/2022 at 11:57 AM, hazwoper said:

hey all!  Heading up to Okemo next Friday.  Looking like some rain with the cutter pushing out before we head out on Friday am at this point.  Not too worried about that trip as conditions should still be fine.  My question is for March 11-13 up at Stowe.  Bringing family there for that weekend.  Based on all the signs at a warm end to Feb, how's it looking for skiing conditions at Stowe that wkend?  Im staying in townhome on the Toll House lift and praying they can keep it open then.  Thoughts?

Daily ski conditions are impossible to know at any lead time and can change on a dime.  A passing rain shower just prior to a freeze, or a nice 2-3" round of snow showers lead to extremely different conditions.  The east is fun like that.  The actual surface snow that we ski on that day is what matters, not the conditions leading up to or after a certain day.  Very hard to predict at any lead time.

I hear ya on the Toll House concerns.  It's the lowest elevation area (all natural snow) at 1,300-1,400ft with no snowmaking.  That terrain needs to maintain snow.  The Mansfield Stake up top has only been in the low/mid-40s lately.  Below normal but serviceable.  Very dense.  The Toll House base area right now with daily grooming is only a foot of depth.  Ski area grooming machines are very heavy and compact the snow quite a bit.  That foot of packed snow would take time to melt, but a warm week could also end the Toll House lift.  Operations will manage it as best as possible, limiting grooming when temps are highest and avoid grooming in the rain.  No reason to open up the snowpack with a large machine in thaw times.  Snowfall at lower elevations is always a good thing for Toll House.

[powderfreak]

2 hours ago, Southshorewx said:

Wildcat today.  One of the best new england days I can remember.  36-38 at the base.  Surface softened up to powder but never went mashed potatoes.  Most of the middle mountain was left untamed and a wrong turn brought us (my wife is still pissed) into some big soft moguls.   Just great conditions with everyone on the mountain in a good mood and loving it.  

It was hard to complain today.  Conditions were perfect for the steeper terrain around NNE.

[alex]

On 2/8/2022 at 9:31 PM, powderfreak said:

Conditions at Waterville got heavier later in the day once the precipitation tapered off and the sun even came out.  Temps warmed up above freezing and the snow fell out of the trees.  Again though, great conditions for testing all-mountain skis and having interesting conditions for brands to showcase their boards made for eastern/western conditions made for a great day. 

Some lower angle but wide-open glades were fun in the wet snow...surfy.  Temps were 33-35F at this point as the snow fell/dripped out of the trees.

Basically a 1,600 vertical foot high speed quad was the only lift we rode... and a ski area really wins my heart with 1500-2000ft laps off a high-speed lift.  That's a huge plus in terms of maximizing ski time and not sitting on a lift.  For whatever reason, I love longer vertical foot gains in short periods of time.  Lapping that is fun regardless of terrain... but there were a few good steep rollovers in there.  Lower Bobby's Run was something we did several times.  Tracked out crud and push piles, mixed with moguls is fantastic ski test terrain.

 

I know @MarkO has talked about a smaller local slope nearby there as he has a cabin in the area... I'd love to know if that's what we saw across the valley.  In the photo above there's that small three trail ski area across the valley. It made me think that's the one Mark talks about.  Fun to see a different neighborhood.

Overall, fun day, diverse conditions, and WV has some vertical that is lap-able from a single base area (seems good for kids, can't get lost, end up at bottom regardless) on a high speed quad.  There are some ancillary lifts that would be good on crowded days, along with another high speed servicing learning terrain in the middle of the mountain.  Aesthetically pleasing layout for the overall size of the hill; laid out well.

For fast vertical, you should really try Wildcat if you haven’t already. A single chair, 2100+ feet of vertical, and fast ride up. 

[powderfreak]

19 minutes ago, alex said:

For fast vertical, you should really try Wildcat if you haven’t already. A single chair, 2100+ feet of vertical, and fast ride up. 

I do love big vertical on a fast lift.  That’s what makes for a big mountain ski experience.  When you get on a lift and it delivers you quickly (line speed of 800ft/min or more) to large vertical of 2000+ feet, it’s a fun experience.  The difference in weather and snow surfaces can be extreme over that distance.  Gotta love it.

[PhineasC]

29 minutes ago, alex said:

For fast vertical, you should really try Wildcat if you haven’t already. A single chair, 2100+ feet of vertical, and fast ride up. 

I love that quad at Wildcat. It really hauls ass. Why don't all detachable quads move like that? 

I like skiing there now just for the lift and easy access to the entire mountain.

[psuhoffman]

@powderfreak I’m getting very nervous for spring skiing in Vermont this year. Late March and April is my favorite time to hit up Sugarbush Stowe and sugarloaf when things soften up and you can usually even get another powder weekend in somewhere. But the base is pathetic this year for this time of year. And I see a lot of warm and rain in the next 1-2 weeks. Do you share my concern or historically do they turn it around when in this situation. Just seems to be getting late to need to build base. Sugarbush and Killington were down to dirt and rock all over on their natural terrain last weekend.  

[alex]

9 hours ago, powderfreak said:

I do love big vertical on a fast lift.  That’s what makes for a big mountain ski experience.  When you get on a lift and it delivers you quickly (line speed of 800ft/min or more) to large vertical of 2000+ feet, it’s a fun experience.  The difference in weather and snow surfaces can be extreme over that distance.  Gotta love it.

That chair is 1000 ft/min or so. As @PhineasC said, it hauls ass  

[Ginx snewx]

12 hours ago, PhineasC said:

Easy to make wrong turns at Wildcat and end up on a pretty gnarly trail. 

Lol I was thinking the same thing. Had some oh fuk moments there for sure but survived. 

[Ginx snewx]

9 hours ago, powderfreak said:

I do love big vertical on a fast lift.  That’s what makes for a big mountain ski experience.  When you get on a lift and it delivers you quickly (line speed of 800ft/min or more) to large vertical of 2000+ feet, it’s a fun experience.  The difference in weather and snow surfaces can be extreme over that distance.  Gotta love it.

That's North Peak at Sunday River. I could spend all day there when conditions are right. Even has a cliff jump for those so inclined. 

[powderfreak]

9 hours ago, PhineasC said:

I love that quad at Wildcat. It really hauls ass. Why don't all detachable quads move like that? 

I like skiing there now just for the lift and easy access to the entire mountain.

 

18 minutes ago, alex said:

That chair is 1000 ft/min or so. As @PhineasC said, it hauls ass  

All detach high speeds are usually 1,000ft/min... many can actually do 1,100/min but are run at 1,000ft/min as the tramway board approved line speed.  Our FourRunner Quad, Gondola and Sensation Quad run at that line speed unless wind or something else dictates a slower speed.  Sunny Spruce Quad services a lower level skier beginner/low intermediate so that gets run at 800ft/min to help with load/unload.  In the summer we'll do 800 or lower on the Gondola as that foot traffic is more sightseeing and also less knowledgeable at loading/unloading like skiers.  They can be a bit more timid as many have never ridden a gondola, so the line speed is dialed back.  Its also more of an experience than skiing which is just "get me to the top as fast as you can."

Places will run their lifts at what is optimal speed too... meaning that maybe 1,000ft/min leads to more stoppages as people fall or misload... but at 800ft/min there are less stops so it actually is more efficient to run at that speed in some cases, if you average the throughput.

 

[powderfreak]

40 minutes ago, psuhoffman said:

@powderfreak I’m getting very nervous for spring skiing in Vermont this year. Late March and April is my favorite time to hit up Sugarbush Stowe and sugarloaf when things soften up and you can usually even get another powder weekend in somewhere. But the base is pathetic this year for this time of year. And I see a lot of warm and rain in the next 1-2 weeks. Do you share my concern or historically do they turn it around when in this situation. Just seems to be getting late to need to build base. Sugarbush and Killington were down to dirt and rock all over on their natural terrain last weekend.  

Definitely a concern.  It can change in a hurry both ways... a couple big rainers or one 2 foot wet snow bomb.  But yes right now there's definitely some concern of natural snow if we start stacking rainers.

We are over a foot below normal right now, that's spring base depths if everything had an extra foot on it.

[alex]

48 minutes ago, powderfreak said:

Definitely a concern.  It can change in a hurry both ways... a couple big rainers or one 2 foot wet snow bomb.  But yes right now there's definitely some concern of natural snow if we start stacking rainers.

We are over a foot below normal right now, that's spring base depths if everything had an extra foot on it.

Wowzer. It doesn’t feel like it was such an awful winter but that graph tells another story 

[alex]

57 minutes ago, powderfreak said:

 

All detach high speeds are usually 1,000ft/min... many can actually do 1,100/min but are run at 1,000ft/min as the tramway board approved line speed.  Our FourRunner Quad, Gondola and Sensation Quad run at that line speed unless wind or something else dictates a slower speed.  Sunny Spruce Quad services a lower level skier beginner/low intermediate so that gets run at 800ft/min to help with load/unload.  In the summer we'll do 800 or lower on the Gondola as that foot traffic is more sightseeing and also less knowledgeable at loading/unloading like skiers.  They can be a bit more timid as many have never ridden a gondola, so the line speed is dialed back.  Its also more of an experience than skiing which is just "get me to the top as fast as you can."

Places will run their lifts at what is optimal speed too... meaning that maybe 1,000ft/min leads to more stoppages as people fall or misload... but at 800ft/min there are less stops so it actually is more efficient to run at that speed in some cases, if you average the throughput.

 

Interesting. That doesn’t make the Wildcat chair seem particularly exceptional, even though it’s always felt that way to me. Might be their marketing lol… “The Wildcat Express is the fastest and longest detachable Quad chair lift in New Hampshire and possibly the fastest in the Northeast.”

[PowderBeard]

13 hours ago, PhineasC said:

Easy to make wrong turns at Wildcat and end up on a pretty gnarly trail. 

Have you found "Kitty Litter" or "The Litter Box" yet? lol

[MarkO]

Great day at Bretton Woods. Cream cheese, woods were great.

[PhineasC]

12 hours ago, PowderBeard said:

Have you found "Kitty Litter" or "The Litter Box" yet? lol

Nope, where's that?

[PhineasC]

13 hours ago, powderfreak said:

 

All detach high speeds are usually 1,000ft/min... many can actually do 1,100/min but are run at 1,000ft/min as the tramway board approved line speed.  Our FourRunner Quad, Gondola and Sensation Quad run at that line speed unless wind or something else dictates a slower speed.  Sunny Spruce Quad services a lower level skier beginner/low intermediate so that gets run at 800ft/min to help with load/unload.  In the summer we'll do 800 or lower on the Gondola as that foot traffic is more sightseeing and also less knowledgeable at loading/unloading like skiers.  They can be a bit more timid as many have never ridden a gondola, so the line speed is dialed back.  Its also more of an experience than skiing which is just "get me to the top as fast as you can."

Places will run their lifts at what is optimal speed too... meaning that maybe 1,000ft/min leads to more stoppages as people fall or misload... but at 800ft/min there are less stops so it actually is more efficient to run at that speed in some cases, if you average the throughput.

 

Wildcat's main lift definitely feels faster than most other quads. It must be at a slightly higher speed than the BW lifts at least. It also loads earlier in the cycle than other lifts typically do.

[Angus]

woke up early this AM and drove up to WV and hiked Welch Dickey and then drove up to the ski area and found a spot in the first parking spot. Getting out of my car, I spotted a woman walking down from the hill and asked her how the mountain was skiing. Her response was 'a sheet of ice.' She'd taken one run and decided she was done - season passholder she said who'd been skiing since Thursday. I got back in my car and went down to the lake house and spent a couple of hours walking on the lake. Should have been smart and brought the xc gear.

[mreaves]

I know this is the skiing thread but in other snow sports, we tried to do a little snowmobiling   today and the conditions were basically the same as described above. Ice packed trails, frozen ski tracks that made steering difficult, couple of sleds overheating. Overall not a real enjoyable outing.  

[alex]

Bretton Woods was actually pretty nice today. Fast packed snow but no ice to speak of. Fun on the groomers (and so different from yesterday)

[bwt3650]

Took a ride to where the Olympians train today; Burke.  First time there..cool mountain.  It seemed like it was made for speed.  The woods looked cool too, but after dipping in once, it was pretty bad conditions.  Anything natural was also garbage, but the groomers were fast and fun and in great shape.

 

Hit jay in the afternoon and the 2” up top really made a difference.  Upper tramside glades were legit packed powder.  What a difference from Burke.  Really dreading this upcoming thaw/freeze.  It’s gonna destroy the Vt mountains that relay on natural.  Hoping for a more productive March and maybe a little help fixing it from the weekend clipper.  Def want to hit Burke again with good snow.