Crotched Mountain - 2020-1 Season

tedede

@joshua_segal any idea why Magnitude is closed today?

joshua_segal

tedede;c-46612 wrote@joshua_segal any idea why Magnitude is closed today?

Yes. They are preparing it for a moguls competition thru the free-style team.

joshua_segal

February 2 was a big disappointment. We only got about 8 inches and it came with a lot of wind. It quickly turned to freezing rain. The powder got a crust. And if that wasn’t bad enough, the rocket went on icing-hold at about 10:30 in the morning. It’s 4 PM and they are just working to get it open for the evening, now that the freezing rain has stopped.

NewEnglandSkier13

joshua_segal;c-46691 wroteFebruary 2 was a big disappointment. We only got about 8 inches and it came with a lot of wind. It quickly turned to freezing rain. The powder got a crust. And if that wasn’t bad enough, the rocket went on icing-hold at about 10:30 in the morning. It’s 4 PM and they are just working to get it open for the evening, now that the freezing rain has stopped.

That's a very different picture than their social media is painting. I've noticed that every resort that's been taken over by Vail no longer posts anything that might make conditions sound anything less than perfect. Nothing on there mentioning that the main lift has been down most of the day and certainly no mention of freezing rain. If something less than ideal happens, they just ignore it until someone mentions it in the comments.

Quietman

Any update on the glades for this weekend? Was thinking of trying to get out at some point.

Thanks!!

joshua_segal

Quietman;c-46770 wroteAny update on the glades for this weekend? Was thinking of trying to get out at some point.

Thanks!!

As per your request. I skied in my "civilian parka" on Wed., Feb. 3.
Glade Report as of that day:
- Enchanted Forest - Good
- Trailee - Good (even OK on a good pair of skis)
- Solstice Glade - Excellent (even OK on a good pair of skis)
- Solstice Galde Trail - Thin cover, but nice and rhythmic small moguls
- Old T-Bar Line - I sensed it getting icy so I cut off to Jupiter's.
- Dark Star - Not maintained with many 2 to 3-year-old saplings.
- Final Frontier - Many good lines (even OK on a good pair of skis)
- All cuts and chutes to the west of Final Frontier - very skiable (even OK on a good pair of skis)
- Upper Kuiper Belt (between Moon Walk and Eclipse) - skiable
- Kuiper Belt - I didn't try it, but was told that it was bony
- Uranus: Fair to Good
- Popcorn: Some good sections but not well maintained
- Hellyuns and Peace Pipe: I didn't try them, but was told that they were bony
- West Ledges: I didn't try it, but was told that it was bony but skiable:

Remski

Great report! Thanks again.

ski_it

That is a lucid, intelligent, well thought-out report.

lotsoskiing

ski_it;c-46797 wroteThat is a lucid, intelligent, well thought-out report.

Wish I knew where some of them are, though not likely to get there any time soon.

yardsale

lotsoskiing;c-46798 wrote
ski_it;c-46797 wroteThat is a lucid, intelligent, well thought-out report.
Wish I knew where some of them are, though not likely to get there any time soon.

I'd suggest Joshua's guide if he has any left. Pretty detailed and he included his old Trace snow maps as your road map. Well worth it.

lotsoskiing

yardsale;c-46800 wrote
lotsoskiing;c-46798 wrote
ski_it;c-46797 wroteThat is a lucid, intelligent, well thought-out report.
Wish I knew where some of them are, though not likely to get there any time soon.
I'd suggest Joshua's guide if he has any left. Pretty detailed and he included his old Trace snow maps as your road map. Well worth it.

Thanks. Likely will never get to CM. Just curious to locate.

Quietman

Was going to go, but the evidence pointed towards it being very busy and the social media posts confirmed this. Guess that Crotched is no longer off the radar to the masses, especially on a warm sunny day with good snow. Before this year, I can only recall parking being an issue once or twice in the previous 10+ seasons. I really wish that they would consider offering a 6-9pm ticket during the week.

joshua_segal

Quietman;c-46804 wroteWas going to go, but the evidence pointed towards it being very busy and the social media posts confirmed this. Guess that Crotched is no longer off the radar to the masses, especially on a warm sunny day with good snow. Before this year, I can only recall parking being an issue once or twice in the previous 10+ seasons. I really wish that they would consider offering a 6-9pm ticket during the week.

I only skied a few hours this afternoon, but heard that at the peak of the day, the lift line on the Rocket went up to tower 2. People to whom I spoke said the following:
- I made my reservations on-line. When I got there, there was no parking. (This was a guy who wound up parking his camper in the condo parking lot in violation of condo rules. Under the circumstances, I looked the other way.)
- I waited over an hour to get my ticket.
- I got there at 1:15 and it was 2:30 before I got a place to park.

The snow held up well to the crowd, but I've never see it that crowded on the slopes.

That being said, if it was not a COVID-19 year and chairs were going up full, lines would have been much shorter and more manageable.

NELSBEER

It was definitely a wild weekend at Crotched, probably the most cars ever. Snow cross, park and race events added non-skiers to the numbers.

They had some idea what to expect, all the lifts were open by 10:30 keeping lines down a little. Crowds held up all day and into the Midnight Madness sessions. Parking lots filled rapidly, arriving at 11 or noon wasn't a winning idea. Parking freed up later in the afternoon as event participants left.

The natural snow cover held up well. The Rocket and West Double lifts maxed at 10+ minute waits, others were shorter. Reservation maximum was hit, it may be reduced to better reflect parking capacity..

We're seeing the best snow of the year this week with fresh powder every other day.... Great time to work from the mountain.

Make reservations for Friday Saturday & Sunday early. Check & dress for temperatures... No avalanche danger.

joshua_segal

Lovely day Feb. 11. I did my annual birthday marathon.

Starting in 2016, in anticipation of my upcoming 70th birthday, I decided to pick a day in February to do 70 runs on the Rocket. The first year it was an innovation. In 2017, I did the same thing, albeit 71 runs, and it was a repeat.

By 2021, it was just a tradition. I did 75-runs on Feb. 11 on the Rocket (about 65,000 vertical feet). It usually takes about 8½ to 9 hrs., but with COVID induced lift-lines and many stops of the Rocket, it it took me about 10¼ hours.

I usually post the output of an app. This year I was running 2-apps and they both failed. I restarted the first one (SkiTracks) and observed that it missed 6-runs while it was dead. The second app (SNOWW) somehow died at 63. So neither shows 75 runs so I didn't post either.

Dougmccarthy

@joshua_segal Cheers to overcoming the a triple threat of technology, lift, and pandemic challenges to celebrate another year!

ciscokid

Happy 75th Birthday Joshua!!

Quietman

Almost didn't recognize Joshua in a red jacket and helmet, but it was great to take some runs with him this afternoon. He showed me a few new lines that he'd cleared out last summer, but couldn't join me as he was still on patrol. I hit about everything except West Ledges & Dark Star, and aside from Solstice and Trailee, its getting bony but at least you can see most of the obstacles. I didn't arrive until 2:30, and the longest wait on the Rocket was about 5 minutes. Great 2nd day out, so nice to be in the woods!

joshua_segal

Quietman;c-46966 wroteAlmost didn't recognize Joshua in a red jacket and helmet, but it was great to take some runs with him this afternoon. He showed me a few new lines that he'd cleared out last summer, but couldn't join me as he was still on patrol. I hit about everything except West Ledges & Dark Star, and aside from Solstice and Trailee, its getting bony but at least you can see most of the obstacles. I didn't arrive until 2:30, and the longest wait on the Rocket was about 5 minutes. Great 2nd day out, so nice to be in the woods!

Quietman is one of my most reliable glade-buddies. After a couple of runs together, I got caught up in some patrol business and we never encountered each other again. Glad that you had a good day.

thebigo

Any updates on how crotched made out in this latest storm? Kids have a snowday and trying to decide if it is worth the drive over this afternoon. It is the third or forth Tuesday snowday in a row, making for some great afternoons and breaks in the work week.

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