The 2022 - 2023 Ski Season Thread

[STILL N OF PIKE]

6 hours ago, snowgeek said:

Once it gets more consistently cool, the trails with no snow on them now will probably be in better shape than the ones that are currently open which will have a nice foot of ice on the bottom. The kind of ice that fresh powder just slides off of (especially the steeper sections). Boiler plate baby!!!


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Lol , awesome 

[powderfreak]

7 hours ago, snowgeek said:

I have noticed more and more of my 8th and 9th grade students talk to me about skiing each year. The sport Is definitely becoming more popular. A student just said to me , “Guess what, we’re going to Alta this winter.” For a long stretch, I had almost no students that skied. This year it’s at least 10.

Some people point to ski industry “skier days” statistics to try to show that skiing/riding isn’t growing or becoming more popular… some metrics are flat for overall resort visits.

But there are a couple things happening:

A) Skiing is better mass marketed by the larger companies and pass programs (some think the wider reach is good, others bad). So there is without a doubt deeper penetration into markets, demographics that were previously untapped.  No one will ever convince me that skiing as a whole hasn’t expanded its “reach” to new demographics and income levels in the past 3-5 years.

B ) COVID played a significant role.

C) Skier visit numbers in the industry (used to describe sport growth or stagnation) are calculated by person per day who ride lifts.  It does not calculate all the people who earn their turns or ski without getting on a lift that day.  IMO, there are many people who skin or earn turns (usually the core segment) throughout the winter that are not counted in industry metrics.  Many of those core segment skiers have left the resort counting metrics, and their space is filled with newcomers.  The core segment is still skiing, still posting skiing on social media, but every time they ski without using a lift they aren’t counted as a “skier.”

So there are new skiers moving into lift serviced, and others moving away from lift serviced.  Most of those who skin, also ride lifts but usually on different days.  Maybe it’s a pre-work skin, or a backcountry adventure on a weekend when lifts are busy.  Early/late season uphill adventures.  None of it is calculated or caught by metrics that are used to judge participation.

The industry is growing in popularity, reaching new demographics, and no one will convince me otherwise.

[HoarfrostHubb]

16 hours ago, snowgeek said:

I have noticed more and more of my 8th and 9th grade students talk to me about skiing each year. The sport Is definitely becoming more popular. A student just said to me , “Guess what, we’re going to Alta this winter.” For a long stretch, I had almost no students that skied. This year it’s at least 10.


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My school ski group still hasn’t gotten back to pre Covid levels.  Inflation is also part of the issue is my guess.  Prices keep increasing.  I’m up to 25 students now so that’s not terrible.    During the winter of 2020-2021 I only has a dozen and they had to get to the mountain on their own since we couldn’t get a bus. 

[snowgeek]

Interesting perspectives. Definitely want skiing to be popular enough to thrive but not so popular that it’s crowded lol.


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[snowgeek]

Some people point to ski industry “skier days” statistics to try to show that skiing/riding isn’t growing or becoming more popular… some metrics are flat for overall resort visits.
But there are a couple things happening:
A) Skiing is better mass marketed by the larger companies and pass programs (some think the wider reach is good, others bad). So there is without a doubt deeper penetration into markets, demographics that were previously untapped.  No one will ever convince me that skiing as a whole hasn’t expanded its “reach” to new demographics and income levels in the past 3-5 years.
B ) COVID played a significant role.
C) Skier visit numbers in the industry (used to describe sport growth or stagnation) are calculated by person per day who ride lifts.  It does not calculate all the people who earn their turns or ski without getting on a lift that day.  IMO, there are many people who skin or earn turns (usually the core segment) throughout the winter that are not counted in industry metrics.  Many of those core segment skiers have left the resort counting metrics, and their space is filled with newcomers.  The core segment is still skiing, still posting skiing on social media, but every time they ski without using a lift they aren’t counted as a “skier.”
So there are new skiers moving into lift serviced, and others moving away from lift serviced.  Most of those who skin, also ride lifts but usually on different days.  Maybe it’s a pre-work skin, or a backcountry adventure on a weekend when lifts are busy.  Early/late season uphill adventures.  None of it is calculated or caught by metrics that are used to judge participation.
The industry is growing in popularity, reaching new demographics, and no one will convince me otherwise.

I never thought that there would be enough people skinning to effect the stats that much. Can’t breed more than 1 percent?


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[powderfreak]

7 minutes ago, snowgeek said:

I never thought that there would be enough people skinning to effect the stats that much. Can’t breed more than 1 percent?


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Yeah I may be off there and biased due to high number of skinning around these parts up here.  Even still I think there’s an exodus off riding chairlifts of the core segment.  Out west especially.

[bwt3650]

1 hour ago, snowgeek said:

Interesting perspectives. Definitely want skiing to be popular enough to thrive but not so popular that it’s crowded lol.


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Then there's the goldilocks perspective. lol.   People want cheaper passes, but less crowded mountains.  Where we really want the sport to thrive is midweek.  We could triple the number of mid-week skiers and still not have crowded mountains.  And I think that's what makes it tough for some people to understand too when they complain about the overcrowding.  The mountains and lift capacity can certainly handle the increased popularity.  It's the one lane roads, parking lots, and some metro ski areas that have shorter seasons and 8 busy weekends a season.  How do you justify the cost to build new roads, parking lots and other infrastructure for 8 weekends a year? 

 

But I do think that midweek has picked up at least some of that skier increase, maybe because the work from home genie is out of the bottle.

[powderfreak]

36 minutes ago, bwt3650 said:

Then there's the goldilocks perspective. lol.   People want cheaper passes, but less crowded mountains.  Where we really want the sport to thrive is midweek.  We could triple the number of mid-week skiers and still not have crowded mountains.  And I think that's what makes it tough for some people to understand too when they complain about the overcrowding. 

Yeah the ski areas on weekends and holidays have been busy gong shows since I was a kid.  I mean my family would go to Okemo and I remember not being able to find places to sit and put your boots on it’s so busy.  Early 1990s style skiing, ha.

Killington crazy town, even Gore on holidays or weekends felt bustling busy, people parking down the access road and riding their shuttle.

The thing is I don’t remember the complaining about it that we do now.  Maybe I was a kid and didn’t care and my parents were swearing behind our backs?  Social media has also become a vehicle for complaints of all type of societal stuff.  But not finding a seat in a lodge to get booted up, or parking in a snowbank and waiting in a healthy liftline, that’s my memory of skiing growing up and I loved it, ha.  Now that’s a social outrage.

I have fond memories of those things, getting bussed from a far corner of the lot at Bromley… my mom making two trips (god bless her) on the shuttle to bring all the gear while I stay with my younger sisters. Now people seem to say if they have kids they need to park right next to a lodge and if they can’t it’s not worth it.  The stuff my mom used to do for us blows my mind now.  Then we’d be so stoked to go ski crushed ice cubes and circa 1991 snowmaking/grooming after a rain event.

[bwt3650]

Yeah the ski areas on weekends and holidays have been busy gong shows since I was a kid.  I mean my family would go to Okemo and I remember not being able to find places to sit and put your boots on it’s so busy.  Early 1990s style skiing, ha.
Killington crazy town, even Gore on holidays or weekends felt bustling busy, people parking down the access road and riding their shuttle.
The thing is I don’t remember the complaining about it that we do now.  Maybe I was a kid and didn’t care and my parents were swearing behind our backs?  Social media has also become a vehicle for complaints of all type of societal stuff.  But not finding a seat in a lodge to get booted up, or parking in a snowbank and waiting in a healthy liftline, that’s my memory of skiing growing up and I loved it, ha.  Now that’s a social outrage.
I have fond memories of those things, getting bussed from a far corner of the lot at Bromley… my mom making two trips (god bless her) on the shuttle to bring all the gear while I stay with my younger sisters. Now people seem to say if they have kids they need to park right next to a lodge and if they can’t it’s not worth it.  The stuff my mom used to do for us blows my mind now.  Then we’d be so stoked to go ski crushed ice cubes and circa 1991 snowmaking/grooming after a rain event.

100 percent agree..

I have the same memories except I did it in the poconos to ski 600 vert of ice. If we saw a flurry, it was a wintery day. During ski club, the bus would drop us in a lot that seemed like it was a mile away and we would trek through the muddy lots, all our shit dropping everywhere. It was the best times. Loved every minute.

You see posts on social media now about how much so and so resort sucks because the hot chocolate isn’t hot enough.


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[PowderBeard]

Really happy to see Wildcat getting at it this year with opening and some nice communication for a change. Now that it is only a 90-minute drive I might stop in.

Anyone know what is up with Sugarbush? Not their typical early offering, Super Bravo being cranky again?

[Ginx snewx]

8 hours ago, powderfreak said:

Yeah the ski areas on weekends and holidays have been busy gong shows since I was a kid.  I mean my family would go to Okemo and I remember not being able to find places to sit and put your boots on it’s so busy.  Early 1990s style skiing, ha.

Killington crazy town, even Gore on holidays or weekends felt bustling busy, people parking down the access road and riding their shuttle.

The thing is I don’t remember the complaining about it that we do now.  Maybe I was a kid and didn’t care and my parents were swearing behind our backs?  Social media has also become a vehicle for complaints of all type of societal stuff.  But not finding a seat in a lodge to get booted up, or parking in a snowbank and waiting in a healthy liftline, that’s my memory of skiing growing up and I loved it, ha.  Now that’s a social outrage.

I have fond memories of those things, getting bussed from a far corner of the lot at Bromley… my mom making two trips (god bless her) on the shuttle to bring all the gear while I stay with my younger sisters. Now people seem to say if they have kids they need to park right next to a lodge and if they can’t it’s not worth it.  The stuff my mom used to do for us blows my mind now.  Then we’d be so stoked to go ski crushed ice cubes and circa 1991 snowmaking/grooming after a rain event.

We became better technical skiers because of boiler plate.

[STILL N OF PIKE]

Ski’d Sunapee today for first time . Called them in am and tried to get a straight answer about the snow conditions from a human and they were polite and honest . Got there with my 9 year old buddy and we had a blast . Semi challenging terrain as he wanted to start at top but he did well . I believe they made snow last nite and groomed so it was decent .We will be back as it’s a convenient drive . Crowds were not busy today , thou the main run from top had solid traffic . Was  better conditions then I Anticipated and If  you ski the East it wasn’t really bad at all . They had tons of guns blazing from 215 on and it had a good vibe . 

[bwt3650]

Really happy to see Wildcat getting at it this year with opening and some nice communication for a change. Now that it is only a 90-minute drive I might stop in.
Anyone know what is up with Sugarbush? Not their typical early offering, Super Bravo being cranky again?

They had some blog earlier in the season about temps not cooperating for snow making, but they have better lat/elevation than Stratton/snow/okemo etc so at this point, I think they should be further along. Don’t think it’s bravo, as their report says they are blowing jester and coffee run. Kind of disappointing.


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[snowgeek]

Wow, y’all sitting up some pretty good old memories. I started night skiing at Ski Liberty, PA in 1978. Everything you guys are saying rings true. Snow guns pasting your goggles, boiler plate, skis without brakes flying down the hill, slow lifts, dirty smelly overcrowded lodges, muddy strips across the huge parking lots, horrible food…. LOVED IT!! The best of times. I agree that the boiler plate of yore made us better skiers, but at my age I now avoid going when it’s icy. Falls on ice can take a while to recover from lol.

My parents didn’t ski. My dad could barely walk on snow or ice lol. My brother and I started in the Jr High Ski club. I can’t believe our parents let us go out west in high school without parents! 4 high school boys lol. Steamboat February 83 was my first trip out west. I planned everything. Called toll free numbers and had brochures sent. Reserved a slope side condo. Mailed a check lol. Airfare, greyhound bus over rabbit ears pass. Snowbanks were like 20 ft. tall. One of my best childhood memories. We were there when Steamboat supposedly broke some kind of record for consecutive days with an inch or more of snow. I think it was over 50 days? Upper lifts were dug out with people skiing above you. Hot tub, heated pool. Why could I afford to stay there then when I was in 10th grade when now I wouldn’t want to pay the crazy prices that exist today. I paid for that entire trip with lawn mowing money lol.

I also agree that midweek skiing rocks. When I retire in 2024, midweek here I come!!

New Year’s resolution. Enjoy the crowds, lift lines and chaos! Any skiing is amazing!!


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[STILL N OF PIKE]

29 minutes ago, bwt3650 said:

They had some blog earlier in the season about temps not cooperating for snow making, but they have better lat/elevation than Stratton/snow/okemo etc so at this point, I think they should be further along. Don’t think it’s bravo, as their report says they are blowing jester and coffee run. Kind of disappointing.


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They did have a couple lifts open for the season today . They spun 4 according to their website but with 6 total trails . Not that bad (I don’t Think) a couple years ago or last year they had a poor showing claiming their snow guns were stuck at attitash or something 

[powderfreak]

1 hour ago, bwt3650 said:

They had some blog earlier in the season about temps not cooperating for snow making, but they have better lat/elevation than Stratton/snow/okemo etc so at this point, I think they should be further along. Don’t think it’s bravo, as their report says they are blowing jester and coffee run. Kind of disappointing.

Something seems up at Sugarbush.  It doesn’t make sense to be honest given where they are historically compared to regional competitors. One run each, off the two open lifts that might be 1,000 verts?  And I’ve seen posts saying the two routes that are open are thin.  The weather hasn’t been ideal but it seems a very slow expansion.  Not riding Bravo yet seems off. 

Yesterday in the rain, the Gate House Quad route.

 

Everyone is trying their hardest, and I hope whatever they are up against gets better.  Stuff happens behind the scenes that can amplify a poor weather streak.

[powderfreak]

1 hour ago, STILL N OF PIKE said:

They did have a couple lifts open for the season today . They spun 4 according to their website but with 6 total trails . Not that bad (I don’t Think) a couple years ago or last year they had a poor showing claiming their snow guns were stuck at attitash or something 

If you’re talking about Wildcat, they also had some serious power transmission issues. Unreliable service and remote line work two winters ago.  Then last year was the short staffed (COVID vaccine mandate did not attract staff up there in the Berlin/Gorham area).

There’s always a reason for a deviation for historical output, and sometimes those issues are amplified by nature not cooperating.  Like if you blow out one of your four snowmaking compressors, water intake is down, or have some system handicap arise without an immediate fix… if there’s good natural snowfall and cold, the issue can be hidden and it goes unnoticed.  But when the weather is crap, those things get amplified in a hurry and people start wondering what’s up.

[powderfreak]

1 hour ago, snowgeek said:

My parents didn’t ski. My dad could barely walk on snow or ice lol. My brother and I started in the Jr High Ski club. I can’t believe our parents let us go out west in high school without parents! 4 high school boys lol. Steamboat February 83 was my first trip out west. I planned everything. Called toll free numbers and had brochures sent. Reserved a slope side condo. Mailed a check lol. Airfare, greyhound bus over rabbit ears pass. Snowbanks were like 20 ft. tall. One of my best childhood memories. We were there when Steamboat supposedly broke some kind of record for consecutive days with an inch or more of snow. I think it was over 50 days? Upper lifts were dug out with people skiing above you. Hot tub, heated pool. Why could I afford to stay there then when I was in 10th grade when now I wouldn’t want to pay the crazy prices that exist today. I paid for that entire trip with lawn mowing money lol.
 

That’s awesome.  Steamboat was the first place I went out west too. Just the western vibe, ski town, aspen trees mixed with big tall evergreens plastered with snow.  It felt so different than the east.  The wide expanse of everything out there, so much different than our tighter rolling hills in the east.

Great story about your trip, that’s amazing to go out west with friends in HS, ha.

[STILL N OF PIKE]

37 minutes ago, powderfreak said:

Something seems up at Sugarbush.  It doesn’t make sense to be honest given where they are historically compared to regional competitors. One run each, off the two open lifts that might be 1,000 verts?  And I’ve seen posts saying the two routes that are open are thin.  The weather hasn’t been ideal but it seems a very slow expansion.  Not riding Bravo yet seems off. 

Yesterday in the rain, the Gate House Quad route.

 

Everyone is trying their hardest, and I hope whatever they are up against gets better.  Stuff happens behind the scenes that can amplify a poor weather streak.

Are their ticket sales down 

I mean what competitive advantage do they have . I mean I can see smuggs attraction a lot of Burlington folks due to location , Bolton being the value spot that it still dumps , Stowe the upscale ski resort experience . Killington - big size and decent ski town . I could be wrong but I don’t see their competitive advantage when there are so many options . Must be difficult for many resorts to stay profitable enough, is Sugarbush one of those that doesn’t have a big enough “fan base” , or am I wrong on that 

[greenmtnwx]

11 hours ago, powderfreak said:

Yeah the ski areas on weekends and holidays have been busy gong shows since I was a kid.  I mean my family would go to Okemo and I remember not being able to find places to sit and put your boots on it’s so busy.  Early 1990s style skiing, ha.

Killington crazy town, even Gore on holidays or weekends felt bustling busy, people parking down the access road and riding their shuttle.

The thing is I don’t remember the complaining about it that we do now.  Maybe I was a kid and didn’t care and my parents were swearing behind our backs?  Social media has also become a vehicle for complaints of all type of societal stuff.  But not finding a seat in a lodge to get booted up, or parking in a snowbank and waiting in a healthy liftline, that’s my memory of skiing growing up and I loved it, ha.  Now that’s a social outrage.

I have fond memories of those things, getting bussed from a far corner of the lot at Bromley… my mom making two trips (god bless her) on the shuttle to bring all the gear while I stay with my younger sisters. Now people seem to say if they have kids they need to park right next to a lodge and if they can’t it’s not worth it.  The stuff my mom used to do for us blows my mind now.  Then we’d be so stoked to go ski crushed ice cubes and circa 1991 snowmaking/grooming after a rain event.

People complain about everything. I still have fond memories of growing up skiing in the 80s and 90s. My dad would pack sodas and ham sandwiches and midday we’d walk a half mile back to the truck to eat. Best damn ham sandwiches I ever had. 

BTW PF my Son starts at Montana State next August. He’s studying in their business resort management program and trying to pair it up with some of their other mountain courses etc. and also interning at big sky. The people at big sky say they need interns and workers badly and it’s not such a bad career path now with the work that’s out there. If you don’t mind working in a resort winter and summer and maybe not getting rich but having decent work in an enjoyable career maybe it’s a good move for him. He’s a New England guy lol but I’m just not sure he’ll come back

[mreaves]

14 minutes ago, STILL N OF PIKE said:

Are their ticket sales down 

I mean what competitive advantage do they have . I mean I can see smuggs attraction a lot of Burlington folks due to location , Bolton being the value spot that it still dumps , Stowe the upscale ski resort experience . Killington - big size and decent ski town . I could be wrong but I don’t see their competitive advantage when there are so many options . Must be difficult for many resorts to stay profitable enough, is Sugarbush one of those that doesn’t have a big enough “fan base” , or am I wrong on that 

It’s bigger than Smuggs and always seemed to me to be easier to get to from Burlington. I golf with a couple of guys who work over there in winter but those guys are summer friends, I don’t talk to them this time of year lol. 

[greenmtnwx]

4 minutes ago, mreaves said:

It’s bigger than Smuggs and always seemed to me to be easier to get to from Burlington. I golf with a couple of guys who work over there in winter but those guys are summer friends, I don’t talk to them this time of year lol. 

Sugarbush has a great following and really is a true resort in the Mad river valley. It’s a little off the beaten path but I think that’s its niche it’s pretty quiet big mountain. Not the wildest amenities but classic Vermont style and tons of skiable acreage there. Pretty good back country scene as well. As far as families go I think it caters to the ones looking for quieter quaint Vermont feel a little off the beaten path but still upscale. 

[bwt3650]

11 hours ago, greenmtnwx said:

Sugarbush has a great following and really is a true resort in the Mad river valley. It’s a little off the beaten path but I think that’s its niche it’s pretty quiet big mountain. Not the wildest amenities but classic Vermont style and tons of skiable acreage there. Pretty good back country scene as well. As far as families go I think it caters to the ones looking for quieter quaint Vermont feel a little off the beaten path but still upscale. 

Yeah, I agree.  They have a big following and there are a ton of metro ski clubs that have houses half way between them and Killington.  Being unlimited on Ikon helps too. 

Altera just bought them two years ago, so I can't imagine that would buy into a losing market, but this start and not running slide brook all last year (i know about the snow requirements, but they punted it).  Something has to be up.  Don't know if it's aging infrastructure failures, staff, cost cutting, but they've lagged really since Win sold the place.  That picture of the trail under Gate house speaks volumes.  It hasn't been a great December, but there have been enough windows to do better than that.  Mt. Ellen usually opens in a week or two also.  Don't know how you can justify that if you're still less than 50 acres on Lincoln Peak.

[PowderBeard]

12 hours ago, greenmtnwx said:

Sugarbush has a great following and really is a true resort in the Mad river valley. It’s a little off the beaten path but I think that’s its niche it’s pretty quiet big mountain. Not the wildest amenities but classic Vermont style and tons of skiable acreage there. Pretty good back country scene as well. As far as families go I think it caters to the ones looking for quieter quaint Vermont feel a little off the beaten path but still upscale. 

I think it gets overlooked stuck between Killington and Stowe/Smuggs. It is massive (Mt. Ellen is like 2600' of vert), their trail pods are ~1,500' or more, and it gets tons of snow. The trails have "character" and they open trails when most other places would not so that makes it fun. Stein's is one of the best spring-bump runs in New England imo.

I had a season pass there for a couple seasons and it was well worth it even though it was a 3.5 hour drive each way. Even on weekends, I never waited more than about 10 minutes and that always from the base. Awesome to make the hike to Castlerock when they don't run the lift and there is fresh snow. When I was in the midst of internship placements I was pretty excited with Dartmouth, probably because it was only about an hour from MRV lol

[MRVexpat]

55 minutes ago, bwt3650 said:

Yeah, I agree.  They have a big following and there are a ton of metro ski clubs that have houses half way between them and Killington.  Being unlimited on Ikon helps too. 

Altera just bought them two years ago, so I can't imagine that would buy into a losing market, but this start and not running slide brook all last year (i know about the snow requirements, but they punted it).  Something has to be up.  Don't know if it's aging infrastructure failures, staff, cost cutting, but they've lagged really since Win sold the place.  That picture of the trail under Gate house speaks volumes.  It hasn't been a great December, but there have been enough windows to do better than that.  Mt. Ellen usually opens in a week or two also.  Don't know how you can justify that if you're still less than 50 acres on Lincoln Peak.

I am not sure the reason why but I have heard from friends that are still local that the snowmaking pond was drained completely in the fall...can't imagine that helps the situation. Just about the only positive in this rain is that it will help in that regard! 

[bwt3650]

1 hour ago, PowderBeard said:

I think it gets overlooked stuck between Killington and Stowe/Smuggs. It is massive (Mt. Ellen is like 2600' of vert), their trail pods are ~1,500' or more, and it gets tons of snow. The trails have "character" and they open trails when most other places would not so that makes it fun. Stein's is one of the best spring-bump runs in New England imo.

I had a season pass there for a couple seasons and it was well worth it even though it was a 3.5 hour drive each way. Even on weekends, I never waited more than about 10 minutes and that always from the base. Awesome to make the hike to Castlerock when they don't run the lift and there is fresh snow. When I was in the midst of internship placements I was pretty excited with Dartmouth, probably because it was only about an hour from MRV lol

While I think Jay wins the east if you are speaking strictly about glades and number of powder days, there is an argument to be made that Sugarbush has the best overall terrain in the East. 

[Hitman]

14 hours ago, powderfreak said:

Something seems up at Sugarbush.  It doesn’t make sense to be honest given where they are historically compared to regional competitors. One run each, off the two open lifts that might be 1,000 verts?  And I’ve seen posts saying the two routes that are open are thin.  The weather hasn’t been ideal but it seems a very slow expansion.  Not riding Bravo yet seems off. 

Yesterday in the rain, the Gate House Quad route.

 

Everyone is trying their hardest, and I hope whatever they are up against gets better.  Stuff happens behind the scenes that can amplify a poor weather streak.

I think they chose to make snow first to get beginner terrain open off the gatehouse instead of what they usually do which is the more advanced terrain off heavens gate.  They hit gatehouse first and then the valley house side.  So now they're struggling to make snow up top when in previous years, they would be struggling to get the beginner terrain open before the holiday.  Temps this week don't look promising.  Don't know that I agree with the choice but its more likely you have good temps to make snow at elevation than down below.

All that being said, sugarbush always looks bad in comparing early season trail counts/acreage because they have about half of the snowmaking capacity over at mt ellen which won't open for another few weeks.  The systems are separate. So they're making snow on trails which won't show up on the stats until mt ellen opens for business.

[Hitman]

1 hour ago, PowderBeard said:

I think it gets overlooked stuck between Killington and Stowe/Smuggs. It is massive (Mt. Ellen is like 2600' of vert), their trail pods are ~1,500' or more, and it gets tons of snow. The trails have "character" and they open trails when most other places would not so that makes it fun. Stein's is one of the best spring-bump runs in New England imo.

I had a season pass there for a couple seasons and it was well worth it even though it was a 3.5 hour drive each way. Even on weekends, I never waited more than about 10 minutes and that always from the base. Awesome to make the hike to Castlerock when they don't run the lift and there is fresh snow. When I was in the midst of internship placements I was pretty excited with Dartmouth, probably because it was only about an hour from MRV lol

Sugarbush does get good snow but not as much as further north on the spine.

It's also beyond the reach for the NYC metro crowd.  As someone who did it weekly for a decade, we were one of the few families from NY making the trek.  We would see pretty much all the cars exiting for stratton and killington on the way up.  But we came from the northern burbs making it a 4.5 hour drive whereas from anywhere else, nj manhattan its over 5 hours on a good day.  and forget about from long island or brooklyn.

[Hitman]

1 hour ago, MRVexpat said:

I am not sure the reason why but I have heard from friends that are still local that the snowmaking pond was drained completely in the fall...can't imagine that helps the situation. Just about the only positive in this rain is that it will help in that regard! 

I also heard there was an issue with the snowmaking pond but I don't think that has anything to do with the situation which was their decision to make snow on gatehouse first.  Apparently they installed a new inflatable weir on the pond over the summer.

[powderfreak]

1 hour ago, Hitman said:

I also heard there was an issue with the snowmaking pond but I don't think that has anything to do with the situation which was their decision to make snow on gatehouse first.  Apparently they installed a new inflatable weir on the pond over the summer.

So I did hear a rumor their snowmaking pond temp is really high or was as of a week or two ago.  Because they had to refill it late and it was so warm in Oct/Nov, the pond temp was still in the 50s when it should be 30s now.  Not sure but that would jive with what you said.  My snowmaking vendor source said it was requiring more compressed air to make snow than normal because if the water temp.  It has to drop fast though and that might’ve only been for a week or two.