Machski

Late half day at SR Friday and all weekend.

Crazy busy at SR today, guess all the shoppers came out (yesterday was some much lighter). Naturals still skiing well, guess the reality check comes tonight.

SR Fri-Sun

Only have Friday due to Holiday parties, can't decide if I'll do SR or Loon. Probably SR at our condo since I can go up ahead of the storm, southern NH roads sound extremely messy Friday AM.

Yup, the deep cold did in fact arrive. But considering the race is NEXT weekend and snow control is likely tomorrow or friday, this was a bit closer than even the past couple of years to it. I have skied early all three years and with how bad lower SS looked last Thursday, they were looked to be as tight to the wire as they have been in any of the three years. Irrelevant now that the temp drop panned out.

I'm thinking the man made snowmaking window won't be til post storm, too borderline temps prior to and with the moisture, wet bulb will be crap. Today at Killington theey were pushiing but only above abouut 3600' as a reference. They better get the real cold, they have a ton of work to go on lower SS and snow control must be later next week for WC.

SR on Sunday and Monday, Friday kicks off daily ops!!

Cranmore, while small, may have the best conditions out of the group you listed. Attitash can be OK too, though it seems like Peaks has not pushed that hard there the last several seasons. Bretton Woods might be a good option to check out. They tend to push snowmaking pretty good and have lots of high speed lifts to keep the crowds down. May want to keep an eye on their Gondola install though. If that falls behind, could cause issues with terrain push.

You quote one year and IIRC we had big early snows that season, adding to the rapid expansion. Killington has not pushed to go TTB since the stairs were put in. To go TTB, they have a much longer length path to get snow down on and it switches exposure with relation to the sun quite a bit. They normally have not gone for TTB on Skye first, traditionally its from K peak down Snowdon first. The SS/Skyelark build right now is for WC. Part of why they don't let you ski it is due to the heavier, wetter snow to make a World Cup surface. The other reason is that putting skiers on it can wear down the snowpack if the temps warm as they are forecast to do. K must pass snow control 7-10 days AHEAD of the race to hold it. They can't risk any extra beatdown/loss of snow at this time of year. No, after WC leaves (assuming it does, next year is the last on the current contract I believe), will they change things around in terms of expansion? Maybe, but do remember, they bring in a hell of a lot of extra air capacity for WC that they will not without the FIS/USSSA $$ coming in for the race. So most of the firepower you see on SS right now are K3000 guns firing using a ton of air to make the most in marginal temps. That type of production will not be there without WC in the margial weather because they won't bring in or spend for that amount of air use on SS. Bottom line is Killington has a reliable, known early season product that they can roll out and control each year, year after year fairly easily and repeatably. Everyone else, especially the TTB crowd? It's a crap shoot. Lets be honest, the Cat only opened because of the copious natural they received this year. Without that earl snow, no way they opened this past weekend. Doubt they open this coming weekend (Mount Snow as well) and SR should be able to open again, but it will be downloading for sure.

Maybe tomorrow (Friday). Looks good at the top by Gondi but below Cascade HW it is still a bit of a work in progress. If they get enough production tonight, it may open tomorrow. The snow had been cat spread out last night but only with plow and tracks, it was not tilled and smooth. New snow going ontop of that, so I would say Saturday for sure, not certain tomorrow.

Not sure about hiking for turns, heard it is very wet, heavy snow. Great to pack into a base though. SR is being very cautious in their responses to social media questions on TTB for the weekend, as in non committal on it. Given the base didn't get much and they aren't restarting Snowmaking until tonight or tomorrow, might be tight.

Sunday River reporting over 10 inches at elevation today. Friends hiked up Spruce, legit up on the hill. Almost zero accumulation at base of Barker and none at our condo at Brookside. If your skiing this weekend, get out first thing Saturday. Winds will be picking up to nuts level during g the day and white going to wet Saturday night from the looks of things.