The Future of South Ridge

[GSKI]

Re :"Echo Woods"

It was a glade originally when first planted. The whole area was burned out. When it grew back it was just luge chutes through the pines, not much fun then, or now. It's way too flat for a glade if you ask me. Keep it grown in as a wind barrier.

Actually "Echo Woods" was blown down completely in the 1990s by a severe windstorm. I remember all the trees blown down and laying flat like matchsticks. Maybe it burned after that? Worthless to ski anyway except for the kiddies.

[skifaster]

Re :"Echo Woods"

It was a glade originally when first planted. The whole area was burned out. When it grew back it was just luge chutes through the pines, not much fun then, or now. It's way too flat for a glade if you ask me. Keep it grown in as a wind barrier.

Actually "Echo Woods" was blown down completely in the 1990s by a severe windstorm. I remember all the trees blown down and laying flat like matchsticks. Maybe it burned after that? Worthless to ski anyway except for the kiddies.

True, but well before that it burned in a fire. Not sure on dates. I was there after said windstorm, mountain was a mess...

[Highway Star]

Re :"Echo Woods"

It was a glade originally when first planted. The whole area was burned out. When it grew back it was just luge chutes through the pines, not much fun then, or now. It's way too flat for a glade if you ask me. Keep it grown in as a wind barrier.

Actually "Echo Woods" was blown down completely in the 1990s by a severe windstorm. I remember all the trees blown down and laying flat like matchsticks. Maybe it burned after that? Worthless to ski anyway except for the kiddies.

True, but well before that it burned in a fire. Not sure on dates. I was there after said windstorm, mountain was a mess...

I saw it once in the late 80's. Was pretty much like it is now, except the trees were shorter, and the paths were a bit more pronounced. It has definitely grown up and in. If there was tree damage, it probably didn't do much to the overall arrangement. It was on the map from the 70's to the mid 2000's, from looking at skimap.org.

Wasn't lower pipe dream gladed originally, and destroyed by a wind storm....?

[VTbound]

Re :"Echo Woods"

It was a glade originally when first planted. The whole area was burned out. When it grew back it was just luge chutes through the pines, not much fun then, or now. It's way too flat for a glade if you ask me. Keep it grown in as a wind barrier.

Actually "Echo Woods" was blown down completely in the 1990s by a severe windstorm. I remember all the trees blown down and laying flat like matchsticks. Maybe it burned after that? Worthless to ski anyway except for the kiddies.

True, but well before that it burned in a fire. Not sure on dates. I was there after said windstorm, mountain was a mess...

"I built my castle, then it tumbled into the swamp. I rebuilt it, and it burned to the ground then tumbled into the swamp..."

[roundabout]

This is a picture of the enterance to "Echo Woods" in March of 1993:

[GSKI]

[/quote]

I believe that picture was post tree blow down and subsequent removal.

[Geoff]

Wasn't lower pipe dream gladed originally, and destroyed by a wind storm....?

Sort of. Originally, lower Pipe Dream was narrow and right next to the lift (as required by the original permitting for the lift) with glade skiing to skier's left of the cut trail. The upper part was similarly narrow. Eventually, Preston Smith chainsawed the mega-wide mess we have now. Shortly afterwards, the wind took down all the trees at the top. The uber-wide chainsawing of the upper part of the trail certainly contributed to the loss of all those trees. The scrub pine that replaced the hardwood sucks. Adults used to be able to ski in there.

I'm not aware of any fire up there since I became a Kmart regular in the early 1980's.

[Ragged#1]

Does anybody know about all those snow guns that were at the top of south ridge this year? Are they finally putting snow making on lower pipe dream?

[Dr. NO]

Does anybody know about all those snow guns that were at the top of south ridge this year? Are they finally putting snow making on lower pipe dream?

The were moving all the hoses and guns to the base to be hauled over to maintenance by K1. I don't think there is a gun on the mountain now except for the towers.

[wannabeskibum]

Wasn't lower pipe dream gladed originally, and destroyed by a wind storm....?

Sort of. Originally, lower Pipe Dream was narrow and right next to the lift (as required by the original permitting for the lift) with glade skiing to skier's left of the cut trail. The upper part was similarly narrow. Eventually, Preston Smith chainsawed the mega-wide mess we have now. Shortly afterwards, the wind took down all the trees at the top. The uber-wide chainsawing of the upper part of the trail certainly contributed to the loss of all those trees. The scrub pine that replaced the hardwood sucks. Adults used to be able to ski in there.

I'm not aware of any fire up there since I became a Kmart regular in the early 1980's.

There was never a fire - just a horrendous wind storm around 1985

[Ragged#1]

I like echo woods. I still go over there and scope it out when i go.
I don't understand why they don't put snow making on lower pipe dream. It would really make sense. Maybe that will be one of the added trails they do it on this year since they anounced snowmaking improvements.

[millerm277]

I don't understand why they don't put snow making on lower pipe dream.

It had snowmaking at one point. Was barely ever used, and is now non-functional. Also, if you put snowmaking on it, it will just be a boring, wide intermediate run. Maybe for a base, but beyond that, it's best served as a natural snow run, which fits with the rest of the pod and the crowd it attracts.

It would really make sense. Maybe that will be one of the added trails they do it on this year since they anounced snowmaking improvements.

No it wouldn't, they don't even make snow on all the trails they have functional snowmaking on in a year, what's the point of spending money on putting in snowmaking if no one is going to spend the money to use it?

[skiadikt]

I don't understand why they don't put snow making on lower pipe dream.

It had snowmaking at one point. Was barely ever used, and is now non-functional. Also, if you put snowmaking on it, it will just be a boring, wide intermediate run. Maybe for a base, but beyond that, it's best served as a natural snow run, which fits with the rest of the pod and the crowd it attracts.

It would really make sense. Maybe that will be one of the added trails they do it on this year since they anounced snowmaking improvements.

No it wouldn't, they don't even make snow on all the trails they have functional snowmaking on in a year, what's the point of spending money on putting in snowmaking if no one is going to spend the money to use it?

though i prefer the skiing to be au natural, if they actually went ahead with the original plan and moved the snowdon quad over there, i could see them installing/repairing the snowmaking on lower pipe dream so the skiing would be more reliable given the southern exposure there. i see many lower level skiers get shipwrecked unable to negotiate the thin conditions that often exist there. the trail is one of the widest at k, so any snowmaking would only cover a portion of it (perhaps skiers left), so it might not be a "terrible" thing. then again, like you said, if it has snowmaking, no guarantee they'd turn it on.

[Ragged#1]

Exactly

It would be a smart idea snowmaking on it. When they get a new lift over there it would be nice to have snowmaking for this trail due to the southern exposure.

[skifaster]

If they don't add snowmaking, which I don't see them doing anyway.
In a dream world, it would be great and beneficial if they planted tree's on lower Pipe, adds shade for snow preservation, and character to the trail.
Again, all a dream...