renovations & spring build on supe

[skiadikt]

from the current conditions report:
Look for some serious trail renovations later this week, and in the meantime, expect corduroy on 67 trails for Monday. We also plan to have some extra snow guns touching up spots throughout our 450+ acres, in addition to our top-to-bottom spring build on Superstar.

so a trail renovation is different than the daily groomed corduroy? can anyone tell the difference? we haven't.

guess the good news is the use of the term "spring build" on superstar. couple that with the facebook statement, "our season can run into the beginning of May" - obviously many factors involved but does give a bit of hope for a long spring.

[JerseyGuy]

guess the good news is the use of the term "spring build" on superstar. couple that with the facebook statement, "our season can run into the beginning of May" - obviously many factors involved but does give a bit of hope for a long spring.

[HelmetCam]

The climb from the top of the Superstar Quad to the top of the pile is close to 20 feet. They definitely plan to keep it going to feed those umbrella bars.

[MrsG]

There is also a "cannot see over" pile at the top of the SPQ . . . and the whalebacks on Superstar are way above the chair . . .

[Ski_the_Moguls]

So, is it worth losing the terrain expansion (DD, Dip, DF, Ov) in order to get a longer Spring in the Superstar area? I am not sure how I feel about that (pros and cons). What do you all think?

[MrsG]

At this point and with the upcoming forecast, waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay more important to "build for Spring" . . .

[skiadikt]

So, is it worth losing the terrain expansion (DD, Dip, DF, Ov) in order to get a longer Spring in the Superstar area? I am not sure how I feel about that (pros and cons). What do you all think?

to me the tradeoff is not supe for those other trails but the dew tour for those trails and where their priorities are. or even blowing the dreammaker park when that snow could have been used to open upper dreammaker and vertigo. at this point those other trails are not gonna happen so might as well enjoy a hopefully long spring on supe.

[tyrolean_skier]

So, is it worth losing the terrain expansion (DD, Dip, DF, Ov) in order to get a longer Spring in the Superstar area? I am not sure how I feel about that (pros and cons). What do you all think?

to me the tradeoff is not supe for those other trails but the dew tour for those trails and where their priorities are. or even blowing the dreammaker park when that snow could have been used to open upper dreammaker and vertigo. at this point those other trails are not gonna happen so might as well enjoy a hopefully long spring on supe.

Unfortunately, we also need to ski the Stash and the Dreammaker park to supplement the variety of trails that we ski. I was pleasantly surprised that I could ski Skyhawk yesterday. I did eye middle Ovation and old Superstar but did not venture under the ropes because I am not sure there is enough on top of the icy layer.

[Sgt Eddy Brewers]

It does really seem like Kton is blowing some snow for later in the season. Lots of spots that have a decent base are getting more snow. But only at strategic locations. To me it looks like a strategy for using limited resources (limited spending in a tough year actually sounds sane to me!) to get the mountain ready for a reliable and perhaps extended spring season.

The upper half of SS has plenty of snow but they are still blasting it. OL got a late start for snow but it has also received a lot of the current snow making. If you wanted to be sure you had a decent spring but didn’t want to spend too much money I think you would do pretty much what they are doing.


So if they are really going to try to stretch out the season a bit …and it really pans out… all is forgiven! For me this year would be summarized as:

Good strong effort to start, kept trying in spite of horrid weather, threw enough snow near the end to give us a decent spring. Not a bad effort really.

You can't expect them to go all out in a tough economy, with horrid weather, after surviving Irene and in the middle of an expensive peak renovation. I say they put in a decent effort.

[Highway Star]

Renovations are a BS term. They were already called out for it on alpinezone.

I counted 58 snowguns on superstar Sunday. At full output from Sun. night to Wed. morning, that's enough to make 5-8 feet across the entire trail. Or some pretty big whales.

I'm guessing we'll see weekend only in late April, running to the 2nd weekend in May...!

[Highway Star]

It does really seem like Kton is blowing some snow for later in the season. Lots of spots that have a decent base are getting more snow. But only at strategic locations. To me it looks like a strategy for using limited resources (limited spending in a tough year actually sounds sane to me!) to get the mountain ready for a reliable and perhaps extended spring season.

The upper half of SS has plenty of snow but they are still blasting it. OL got a late start for snow but it has also received a lot of the current snow making. If you wanted to be sure you had a decent spring but didn’t want to spend too much money I think you would do pretty much what they are doing.

I find this particularly interesting. Along with the snow depths on lower skyeburst, perhaps they are setting up for a Superstar/Skye Peak Quad Spring operation, with Bear running much later than in recent history.....?

[Big Bob]

Maybe they are looking at other resorts base depths which I am sure are thin, thinking they will be closing early this season due to the lack of winter. Similar situation as last fall when they pulled people and their dollars into Killington's cash register.

[skiadikt]

It does really seem like Kton is blowing some snow for later in the season. Lots of spots that have a decent base are getting more snow. But only at strategic locations. To me it looks like a strategy for using limited resources (limited spending in a tough year actually sounds sane to me!) to get the mountain ready for a reliable and perhaps extended spring season.

The upper half of SS has plenty of snow but they are still blasting it. OL got a late start for snow but it has also received a lot of the current snow making. If you wanted to be sure you had a decent spring but didn’t want to spend too much money I think you would do pretty much what they are doing.

I find this particularly interesting. Along with the snow depths on lower skyeburst, perhaps they are setting up for a Superstar/Skye Peak Quad Spring operation, with Bear running much later than in recent history.....?

lower skyeburst is deep but upper is not deep at all. think bear closes april 1.

[Highway Star]

It does really seem like Kton is blowing some snow for later in the season. Lots of spots that have a decent base are getting more snow. But only at strategic locations. To me it looks like a strategy for using limited resources (limited spending in a tough year actually sounds sane to me!) to get the mountain ready for a reliable and perhaps extended spring season.

The upper half of SS has plenty of snow but they are still blasting it. OL got a late start for snow but it has also received a lot of the current snow making. If you wanted to be sure you had a decent spring but didn’t want to spend too much money I think you would do pretty much what they are doing.

I find this particularly interesting. Along with the snow depths on lower skyeburst, perhaps they are setting up for a Superstar/Skye Peak Quad Spring operation, with Bear running much later than in recent history.....?

lower skyeburst is deep but upper is not deep at all. think bear closes april 1.

True. But who knows. It will be annoying to watch all that snow rot over there 7 weeks from now. Wouldn't take much to do another round of snowmaking on the stash and skyeburst. It would be nice if they could keep bear going until at least the 2nd or 3rd weekend in april. That also keeps the pipe and lower dreamaker in play, which draws park skiers.

You're telling me they're going to host the "VT Freeride Open" and then shut down the venue?

[Marc Shepherd]

It does really seem like Kton is blowing some snow for later in the season. Lots of spots that have a decent base are getting more snow. But only at strategic locations. To me it looks like a strategy for using limited resources (limited spending in a tough year actually sounds sane to me!) to get the mountain ready for a reliable and perhaps extended spring season.

That's probably a bit too optimstic. We are still in the peak season, and they want to ensure there's a viable product on the hill until at least next weekend. Expect snowmaking to wind up soon thereafter. I don't see any realistic chance for an extended spring. A "non-curtailed" spring is about the best you could hope for.

Renovations are a BS term. They were already called out for it on alpinezone.

I don't see anything BS about it. Yes, some people complained on AZ. Chris Nyberg can't sneeze without someone complaining that Pres. Smith would never have done it that way.