xwhaler

A groomer only wknd and this was the state of the groomers at Magic on Saturday Sent from my moto g(6) using Northeast Mountain Sports mobile app

Let's get this place open again. One of the very best in the East https://www.sunjournal.com/2019/03/15/boston-investment-firm-offers-to-buy-saddleback/?utm_content=buffer1a40a&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer Sent from my moto g(6) using Northeast Mountain Sports mobile app

Yup, totally agree...the steep groomer mtn in NH is Cannon (along with obviously offering a lot of other awesome terrain) The classic New England mtn is Wildcat---Loon is for the yuppie Ma$$Hole to hang out and be seen. Bretton Woods is and older clientele who appreciates impeccable snowmaking and grooming. Attitash definitely has an image problem in that I'm not sure they are really that great at anything or known for anything---I think of Attitash as very much like Waterville Valley...competition around them renders them somewhat of a niche mtn which is hard to do when you run a 7 day operation spread across 2 peaks. Probably why you saw WV stay stagnant for many yrs until the recent Green Peak expansion (which IMHO was really well done and really changes the way WV skis for the better) Hard to justify big expense if it won't lead to more customers or really detract from your existing customer base. Plus if Peaks is seeing tremendous growth at Hunter/Mt Snow it's only smart business to send resources there.

I'm personally of the opinion that having a HSQ to the summit of Attitash would neither attract nor detract customer demand. I think the primary client of Attitash is there because it is close to N Conway, has slopeside lodging (something not common in the MWV) and is generally a good place to bring a family due to having terrain for all ability levels . Also, it's less crowded than Loon with more amenities than Wildcat while being larger than Cranmore so there is going to naturally be some demand for that. As a standalone mtn I think not having the HSQ would hurt them more than being tied in with Wildcat. I'd guess that most of the Peaks passholders in the area are buying passes primarily to ski Wildcat. The day trip/week long ski and stay patron is keeping Attitash afloat (in addition to their summer operation) Not having a HSQ to one of their peaks I don't think keeps that family from coming to Tash. They can look and say we can get to the top of Bear Peak on a fast lift. I'm not sure the Wildcat skier has many other options as well and Peaks knows this so they wont really lose a significant # of passes just because the summit triple is old and slow at Attitash. I also don't think for the advanced/expert day tripper that having a fast sumitt lift would make folks spend their $ at Attitash over a different mtn (say Cannon) The terrain off the sumitt (wilfred's gawm) and just below (tim's trauma, idiot's option) is a lot of fun but I know I personally wouldn;t go there just for that (HSQ or not) I enjoy Attitash/Bear Peak (my family owned a condo nearby for 8 yrs and I have hundreds of days there) However until/unless they get split up from Wildcat I don;t think peaks has any real incentive to change anything up. Back in the ASC days attitash had to and did try harder. just my $.02

UPDATED 3/14/19 Morning Update: With the planetary gear and drive undergoing testing, we are awaiting new information from the good folks at Artec. In the meantime, we wanted to let you know that the Summit Triple will not be operational this weekend. Stay tuned for further updates.

Someone suggested it to them last yr on FB and they said they would look into it but nothing ever came of it. I've also suggested to Tenney again today on FB it may be something they should look at (no reply yet)

Ski NH with a listing of pass deals for next yr at their member mtns http://skinh.com/deals/season-pass-deals

Saturday: Magic Sunday: Pico

Tenney is selling their pass for $289---however I still question the value when they openly state on FB they don't plan to begin making snow until Early January When Ragged has been open since Dec 1 and at $279 it's hard to hear Tenney won't make any snow until after the New Yr...that's almost un heard of in the industry and I think speaks to their overall lack of awareness/experience. Most yrs December will be lean in that part of NH for natural snow--hard to bank on them being open many days before they lay a base down I would think. Again though, if they got on the Freedom pass one could ski around a bit in December before 10E opened.

Done! Got the last 2 and they are up to $38 now

Cannon has their Pond skimming scheduled for 4/13 so seems highly likely they will be open Could you do both? Ski at Cannon until early afternoon and then come over to Wildcat when the apres starts ramping up in C Lot (and stay the night at the club?) https://www.cannonmt.com/events/2019/04/13/blizzard-splash-pond

For non passholders should we plan on buying tickets online? Right now they are $36 but only 2 remaining so will creep up from there There was some talk about getting a group deal of some type last year. @Weatherman

At what point do they just decide to shut the lift down for the season? They will probably close Tash Sunday 3/31 or maybe open for 1 final wknd in April but the clock is ticking on the season for them.

Sunday: Cannon Ragged was busy today to say the least! Sent from my moto g(6) using Northeast Mountain Sports mobile app

ditto...I've never tried it either

I wish there were a more compelling day trip mtn that could act as a quick hitter for us that was on the Freedom Pass. WB is 80 miles each way but the drive "feels" long. If someone like Tenney got on the Freedom pass with a cheap pass I'd give that some real consideration.

Whaleback is on the Freedom Pass http://freedompass.ski/

Ragged cheap pass with no blackouts is $279 (up from $249 2 yrs ago and $259 this past yr but still a phenomenal deal from a price standpoint) We are moving on however---the cheap passes drive crazy volume to the hill and the parking/lodge has become nuts once XMas hit. The mtn has enough terrain to satisfy if the glades are open but skis sort of small otherwise. Our plan is to go total free agent and bounce around to 20-24 mtns next season as a family. Give us some variety and avoid crowds when appropriate + ski more with folks I dont get to see as much. https://www.raggedmountainresort.com/Season-Passes/

Thursday: Crotched (ARL Finals & Banquet) Saturday: Ragged Sunday: TBD (watching storm...Ragged or Cannon look like possibilities)

I'm in for 4/13 Decided I'm not ready for the commitment that is training for (and doing) the Inferno Plus I had such a great time last yr I wouldn't want to miss it---great way to close out my season. Christian (whom you all met last yr but not on the forum) will again be riding up with me. We are both planning on a Sat AM arrival followed by a Sat night stay at the ski club.

Peak pass pricing is out...buy starting tomorrow https://www.peakpass.com/

Wednesday/Tonight: Crotched (ARL) Saturday: Magic Sunday: Middlebury Snow Bowl Monday: Mad River Glen

I'm kinda confused on what you are saying? East Side is the Jupiter's side and I think less ledgy than west....west side is obviously the ledges which would require a lot of blasting and/or snow. Perhaps they go back behind the ledges and out and around to connect top of super nova or where the west double unloads. That would avoid having to blast the ledges and reduce skiable gladed terrain.

Ragged has signs in the lodge saying watch for Mission Affordable season passes coming out in March. Guessing the same deal will apply ($259 early buy with no blackouts) The mtn has been pretty swamped since XMas week (was quiet before then) We're likely going to going totally free agent next yr and accumulating a lot of vouchers. My family enjoys the variety and I like exposing my kids to different mtns. I also like the possibility of catching up with old friends at various points during the yr at their home mtns. We can pick and choose where to go based on conditions and events at the mtns (as an example Ragged is no fun on days they host high school races)

Moon Walk obviously gets totally beat up getting beginners/low intermediates off the top so I think they could use an easier/secondary route down. I wonder how the west ledges would be impacted? It's too bad they couldn't do something off the east side beyond Jupiter's Storm. It would remove the Enchanted Forest glade but the pitch and construction costs probably easier to work with over there.