joshua_segal
December 3, 2023 - Sunday
I wasn't working today, so I quit around 12:30 - soaked to the bone!
Skiing was fine; visibility was negligible. So was the crowd.
By closing, there were 2" of new snow on the ground.
After 3-days in a row, I think there is a new opening approach at CM. All 3-days when patrol was ready, the lift attendants were in place and all the tests on the lift were performed, they opened to the public early between 8:45 and 8:55 AM. It's a nice goodwill gesture and it costs nothing. (BTW: That was the way it was everywhere 25 or so years ago.)
hazlntskier
I been at Loon some days (especially powder days) when they loaded the Kang at 8:45. Made it to the top of north peak by 9:00 am for some nice turns. It is very nice thing to do for sure.
lotsoskiing
Someone will complain that they were going by the published hours and showed up only to see tracks all over the hill...waah waah waah....and they will go back to the published time to avoid betting thrashed online or sued
joshua_segal
December 4, 2023 - Monday
Grooming pushed out snow opening Lower Blastoff. Retro was also opened on natural snow. (Retro is really a "nothing trail" that was the old Moon Walk before the Rocket was installed, so it takes minimal snow to be skiable.)
So, our trail count is up to 8 of 26. Snowmaking is set up on the west side for a snow-making bonanza starting tonight and continuing for at least 72-hours. Very likely the westside will have Super Nova and maybe even Velocity by this weekend.
Monday's skiing was fine again; with a wonderful undercast.
joshua_segal
December 12, 2023 - Tuesday
After the Sunday/Monday storm, we are one trail lighter than opening day. Snowmaking weather is at best marginal. It's 29 degrees here on Weds. AM, but snowguns are humming.
Night skiing starts tomorrow night and some serious snowmaking weather is forecast for tomorrow. I'm guessing that by the weekend , CM will fully recover - even opening the westside of the mountain.
Chuckstah
Anyone show up to ski today?🤔
joshua_segal
Chuckstah;c-62968 wroteAnyone show up to ski today?🤔
Haha! Rocket didn't run due to wind, so Valley ran. As far as I know, the only people to use the lift were patrol. No one took more than a couple of runs. The skiing wasn't bad - but the pouring rain sucked the joy out of it. We needed at toboggan at the top of Valley, so I did get a snowmobile ride to the top and got to make one t2b run as I brought the sled to the top of Valley.
As far as I know, Okemo and Sunapee did not open.
NELSBEER
Actually I was first chair at Crotched on Monday, maybe a record at 11:30 am. Very wet but good skiing. (Off duty patroller counts as public, right?)
The mountain recovered well from the rain damage on Tuesday. Being in southern NH they store a lot of snow in whales against expected thaws/rains, so they were able to push out descent cover and open ontime with only part of one trail lost since the weekend. Plans are to fire up the guns Tuesday night on all open trails to give them a nice resurfacing.
The snowmaking ponds are overflowing and water is still pouring off the hill.
ski_it
Counts.Thanks for the report. That’s great huh, when you expect the worst but get some good turns.
I’d amend my comments on the other post too; sure on a crappy day, if ur there, have a tix, you have the gear, & they are open why not go for it? What’s the worst that can happen….?
Done it too many times (with mixed results) as I’m sure you all have.
NELSBEER
True to their word Crotched's snow team blew snow from 8pm until 8am. The new cover was very firm (frozen) first thing in the morning, but softened nicely by 11am.
They will be repeating the effort tonight, again covering only the open trails, but may leave the guns on later, weather permitting, as preparation for the weekend and Xmas week continue. Sleep in and come late morning for best cruising.
joshua_segal
NELSBEER;c-63029 wroteTrue to their word Crotched's snow team blew snow from 8pm until 8am. The new cover was very firm (frozen) first thing in the morning, but softened nicely by 11am.
They will be repeating the effort tonight, again covering only the open trails, but may leave the guns on later, weather permitting, as preparation for the weekend and Xmas week continue. Sleep in and come late morning for best cruising.
I disagree with Nelson's characterization of yesterday's (and probably today's) snow. There was a general coverage of what I call "Styrofoam snow". It makes a squeaky noise, but it's very edgeable and very durable. I much preferred it to the more standard frozen granular that began to appear as the Styrofoam skim coat started to get skied in.
I invite Chuckstah, Blaze, etc. to comment, since they are CM regulars who are not employees of CM or volunteers for CM and can give a more unbiased POV.
Chuckstah
joshua_segal;c-63040 wroteNELSBEER;c-63029 wroteTrue to their word Crotched's snow team blew snow from 8pm until 8am. The new cover was very firm (frozen) first thing in the morning, but softened nicely by 11am.
They will be repeating the effort tonight, again covering only the open trails, but may leave the guns on later, weather permitting, as preparation for the weekend and Xmas week continue. Sleep in and come late morning for best cruising.
I disagree with Nelson's characterization of yesterday's (and probably today's) snow. There was a general coverage of what I call "Styrofoam snow". It makes a squeaky noise, but it's very edgeable and very durable. I much preferred it to the more standard frozen granular that began to appear as the Styrofoam skim coat started to get skied in.
I invite Chuckstah, Blaze, etc. to comment, since they are CM regulars who are not employees of CM or volunteers for CM and can give a more unbiased POV.
I can't comment on yesterday as I wasn't there, but a couple things:
I thought Tuesday, after the rain, was quite good. Definitely thin in spots but much better than expected.
On one day last week, after a refresh, I also thought it skied pretty good, not a top day but certainly a better surface than frozen stuff.
I skied Okemo today and everything was quite firm if not icy. Lots of snow being made, but only for expansion. It could use a refresh, and I've found the surface consistently much better at Crotched. Full disclosure, I sometimes cherry pick my Crotched days when time permits.
joshua_segal
Dec. 21-22, 2023
Two days of solid snowmaking have the mountain back in "pre-monsoon conditions".
Next on the snowmaking agenda is Pluto's, Jupiter and NCC-1701 - all on the same snowmaking loop.
While the snow was nice on Dec. 22, visibility skiing through the snowguns was limited. That being said, with Christmas week coming up, maximizing the amount of snow made is definitely the right way to go.
joshua_segal
Xmas Day
Light crowd with hero snow.
With just 3-patrolmen on the hill, I had no time to take photos of the spectacular undercast that happened between periods of fog.
With 5-T2B routes, we probably have a product that is more and better than most.
The 5: Velocity, Super Nova, Lower Blastoff to Meteor, Satellite Summit to Magnitude, Cosmic Blast to Galaxy - and if you want to count it, Launch Pad (the carpet area).
Snow guns are in place to start on Pluto's, Jupiter's and NCC-1701 (all on the same snow making loop) and the water supply remains plentiful. All we need is cold weather, although a snowstorm would be even better.
joshua_segal
December 26, 2023 - Tuesday
Is it Lake Winnipesaukee from Gunstock or an undercast at Crotched Mountain?
ciscokid
Either way Mr Crotched I’m impressed and happy you took the time to post a fine pic!
Chuckstah
How much snow fell today? The website says 3". Up to 16" in my yard now 🤷♂️ Anything new open? I'm trying to figure out where to go in the morning.... Pat's Peak is 100 percent open.
joshua_segal
Chuckstah;c-63275 wroteHow much snow fell today? The website says 3". Up to 16" in my yard now 🤷♂️ Anything new open? I'm trying to figure out where to go in the morning.... Pat's Peak is 100 percent open.
3" was accurate at opening. By mid-afternoon, it was somewhere between 6" and 9".
The crowd was the biggest I've seen since the COVID year. The singles line maxed at about 6-minutes. There was even a steady lift-line on Valley. The #1 assistant to the GM pulled a move like one might have expected from Kelly Pawlak or Sam Hall: when the crowd was at its peak and there were no extra personnel to help, he jumped in making sure every chair on the Rocket was fully loaded. His name is Adam Robinson and he is doing a bang up job for us at CM.
Both Solstice Glade and the Remi Glades were skiing well. I spent most of the day on them and was able to avoid the crowds on the trails that way.
Beyond what is already reported on the website, I expect that Pluto's, Jupiter's and NCC-1701 will all open, but I suspect they will wait until after Wednesday's weather event to plow out the whales.
Chuckstah
Thanks for the update. Decisions.
joshua_segal
January 8, 2024 - Monday
Our guests loved the storm. We even had a small line most of the day on a non-holiday Monday!
