I got my first day on snow this year as I took advantage of my Epic Pass to ski Stowe this past weekend.
Conditions were solid for early East Coast. It was a gray day with temperatures in the low thirty. As there was no wind it was quite pleasant. Stick season is in full bloom but Stowe had received a foot or more of snow over the past week so there was snow on the mountain not just the trails.
Unfortunately there were just 3 lifts running. The report claimed 30 trails but really there were just 4-5 ways down off the high speed Four Runner Quad on Mount Mansfield. The other lifts were in the beginner area on Spruce Peak. This is good and bad. Good that it kept all the lessons over a Spruce Peak bad that everyone else was on the sole Four Runner Quad. Thus for most of the morning It was crowded as the local ski teams were out if force and along with the parents getting runs in while their kids where in ski school. However the staff running the lift did a good job insuring the chair was always full. Waits were 5-10 minutes max. Thus even though there were a lot of folks waiting the lines moved pretty well. I would expect Vail Resorts to upgrade this chair to a six pack next summer.
The coverage was strong on the open trails over mostly frozen gradual. I started the day on my Mid-Fat Atomic Sugar Daddy's but switched to my Rossi Experince 75s mid-morning. The greater side cut, sharp edges and rocker being much better suited for the condtions. Having skied out West mostly for the past six year I had forgotten how to use my edges. However by the end of the day when ice patches began to appear I had found my groove and was craving away. The Atomic's will probably be staying in the bag most days going forward.
At 1130 the ski teams and the parents all went in. The lift lines then vanished. Not "ski to the lift" but no more and a couple chair wait. I started doing laps on Nosedive. Thus I managed a respectable 34K in vertical in just about 4 1/2 hours on the hill. Easy to do with over 2000 ft vertical available. I had arrived at about 0830 and was driving away toward the Ben and Jerry's factory at 1400. Over all a very successful first day.
Stowe is on the Epic pass this year but not fully incorporated (assimilated) into the Epic system. Thus pass holders must check in at the Epic Express booth to receive a Stowe pass. Also Stowe is not yet on Epic Mix thus vertical here will not be captured in the Epic Mix database. Thus no pins, badges, vertical feet or check in's are recorded on Epic Mix. Stowe has its own app and the tracking on that worked fine.
Off the people I spoke to most were ok with Vail Resorts taking over as the pass price went from over $2300 to $800. The only people who are unhappy and the Club Stowe condo owners who have passes in their deals. They did not get the savings. Also a Vail Resorts are just running the mountain operations there are no pass hold discounts in the village. It also looks like there is a lot of condos about to be built as there is a lot of cleared land on Spruce Peaks which is becoming the heart of the "village".
It will be interesting to see what the future brings under the new management. I know it will be bring me back!
oldensign wrote:
I got my first day on snow this year as I took advantage of my Epic Pass to ski Stowe this past weekend.
Conditions were solid for early East Coast. It was a gray day with temperatures in the low thirty. As there was no wind it was quite pleasant. Stick season is in full bloom but Stowe had received a foot or more of snow over the past week so there was snow on the mountain not just the trails.
Unfortunately there were just 3 lifts running. The report claimed 30 trails but really there were just 4-5 ways down off the high speed Four Runner Quad on Mount Mansfield. The other lifts were in the beginner area on Spruce Peak. This is good and bad. Good that it kept all the lessons over a Spruce Peak bad that everyone else was on the sole Four Runner Quad. Thus for most of the morning It was crowded as the local ski teams were out if force and along with the parents getting runs in while their kids where in ski school. However the staff running the lift did a good job insuring the chair was always full. Waits were 5-10 minutes max. Thus even though there were a lot of folks waiting the lines moved pretty well. I would expect Vail Resorts to upgrade this chair to a six pack next summer.
The coverage was strong on the open trails over mostly frozen gradual. I started the day on my Mid-Fat Atomic Sugar Daddy's but switched to my Rossi Experince 75s mid-morning. The greater side cut, sharp edges and rocker being much better suited for the condtions. Having skied out West mostly for the past six year I had forgotten how to use my edges. However by the end of the day when ice patches began to appear I had found my groove and was craving away. The Atomic's will probably be staying in the bag most days going forward.
At 1130 the ski teams and the parents all went in. The lift lines then vanished. Not "ski to the lift" but no more and a couple chair wait. I started doing laps on Nosedive. Thus I managed a respectable 34K in vertical in just about 4 1/2 hours on the hill. Easy to do with over 2000 ft vertical available. I had arrived at about 0830 and was driving away toward the Ben and Jerry's factory at 1400. Over all a very successful first day.
Stowe is on the Epic pass this year but not fully incorporated (assimilated) into the Epic system. Thus pass holders must check in at the Epic Express booth to receive a Stowe pass. Also Stowe is not yet on Epic Mix thus vertical here will not be captured in the Epic Mix database. Thus no pins, badges, vertical feet or check in's are recorded on Epic Mix. Stowe has its own app and the tracking on that worked fine.
Off the people I spoke to most were ok with Vail Resorts taking over as the pass price went from over $2300 to $800. The only people who are unhappy and the Club Stowe condo owners who have passes in their deals. They did not get the savings. Also a Vail Resorts are just running the mountain operations there are no pass hold discounts in the village. It also looks like there is a lot of condos about to be built as there is a lot of cleared land on Spruce Peaks which is becoming the heart of the "village".
It will be interesting to see what the future brings under the new management. I know it will be bring me back!
Stowe is a great mountain. It actually has a pretty decent uphill lift capacity, better than the Acess Road. That is another story... Very sorry to see Stowe off MCP. Great terrain, tree and side country.
that was a great post, and JohnL your comment about the trees struck a chord-- a test of my own skill will be to return to Stowe and try to navigate the evergreens at the top, I was just able to manage the hardwoods lower mostly, until I got lost and "creeked out"
what a beautiful place, and what amazing skiers
kemperski wrote:
that was a great post, and JohnL your comment about the trees struck a chord-- a test of my own skill will be to return to Stowe and try to navigate the evergreens at the top, I was just able to manage the hardwoods lower mostly, until I got lost and "creeked out"
what a beautiful place, and what amazing skiers
Kemper, what evergreens at the top are you taking about? Without getting too precise? Stowe has some rocking terrain in and around it.
Among the toughest evergreen runs I’ve skied is the very top of Sh!thouse Glade at MRG; bobsled run with no view of the bottom half of the turn until you hit it. A lot of trust and luck unless you are one of the first down it.
If The Valley gets a dump this year, ping me. I’m lock heeled, but I need to cut some skins for some alpine AT’s. You sound simpatico with a lot of us who’ve skied The Valley in the past. We are going underground a bit more, I guess.
JohnL wrote:
kemperski wrote:
that was a great post, and JohnL your comment about the trees struck a chord-- a test of my own skill will be to return to Stowe and try to navigate the evergreens at the top, I was just able to manage the hardwoods lower mostly, until I got lost and "creeked out"
what a beautiful place, and what amazing skiers
Kemper, what evergreens at the top are you taking about? Without getting too precise? Stowe has some rocking terrain in and around it.
Among the toughest evergreen runs I’ve skied is the very top of Sh!thouse Glade at MRG; bobsled run with no view of the bottom half of the turn until you hit it. A lot of trust and luck unless you are one of the first down it.
If The Valley gets a dump this year, ping me. I’m lock heeled, but I need to cut some skins for some alpine AT’s. You sound simpatico with a lot of us who’ve skied The Valley in the past. We are going underground a bit more, I guess.
I can remember you trying to do that for the first time probably close to 4-5 years ago. You need to get on the ball so you don't end up like this again.
I was waiting for you to post that. Climbing sans skins sucked.
Too drunk to cut them, IIRC.
And that universal attachment designed sucked. Designed by laid off IKEA workers.
