Eastern Closing Thread 2011-2012

[Patrick]

Around the corner : Surviving the Heatwave or the End of the 2012 Eastern ski season?

http://madpatski.wordpress.com/2012/03/ ... ki-season/

Quebec: 17- missing two confirmation

Western Quebec (North and Townships) :
Avila
Blanc : (reopens Friday and weekend)
Bromont : April 1 (weekend only)
La Réserve : March 31 or April 1 (weekend only, maybe only Saturday)
Montcalm : April 1 (weekend only)
Owl’s Head* : March 31 (Saturday only)
St-Sauveur : (weekend only – operating Avila midweek)
Tremblant* : April 16

Eastern Quebec (Mauricie to Gaspe) :
Gallix (weekend only)
Le Massif* : April 9 (maybe)(weekend and maybe Easter) – changed their decision
Relais
Sainte-Anne : April 29
Stoneham
Tibasse
Val Neigette : April 1 (Fri-Sun only) – no clear confirmation
Valinouët
Vallée du Parc : March 31 (Saturday only) – $5

Newfoundland & Labrador: 1
Marble : April 8

Vermont: 4
Jay*
Killington
Stowe : April 1
Sugarbush* : April 1??? – $30

New Hamsphire: 4
Bretton Woods : April 1 (weekend only) – $25
Loon* : April 8
Waterville : April 1 – free skiing until closing
Wildcat* : reopening 29 for the weekend – $35

Maine : 3
Sunday River*
Saddleback* – $39 ($29 if your bring your pass from another mountain)
Sugarloaf*

* – indicates snowmaking this week
More details in the link above. Yeah, its pretty pathetic.

[Patrick]

A long update is found here.

Here is a quick summary : 20

Liftserved skiing options for this weekend: twenty areas from East of the Great Lakes to the Atlantic.

Quebec: 11, Newfoundland: 1, VT: 3, NH: 2: ME: 3.

It ain’t April Fool – not much skiing for this year
http://madpatski.wordpress.com/2012/04/ ... this-year/

[Tony Crocker]

It's not just number of ski areas; it's quality of what's open. I have season progress reports for second weekend of April going back to 2004. Most of the time places like Jay, Sugarloaf, Sugarbush, Killington, Mt. Ste. Anne are still at least 2/3 open and in the good years they are close to full operation. Currently Mt. Ste. Anne is 49% open, Sunday River 37% and the rest of the open areas are under 30%. 2 years ago April 10 was nearly as bad as now, with Sugarloaf at 44% and no one else over 35%. All the other years had some areas at 2/3 or better.

[Patrick]

Most of the time places like Jay, Sugarloaf, Sugarbush, Killington, Mt. Ste. Anne are still at least 2/3 open and in the good years they are close to full operation. Currently Mt. Ste. Anne is 49% open, Sunday River 37% and the rest of the open areas are under 30%. 2 years ago April 10 was nearly as bad as now, with Sugarloaf at 44% and now one else over 35%. All the other years had some areas at 2/3 or better.

Sugarbush was counting 2 trails = 1 way down. Kmart 5 (not sure how many options down). As I mentioned (for MSA), areas near Quebec City artificial snow survived more and they didn't get hit so much. Gaspe Peninsula was wiped out. Not sure where you're getting your numbers?

Over half the areas had to make snow in late March to reach Easter.

[jamesdeluxe]

Most of the time places like Jay, Sugarloaf, Sugarbush, Killington, Mt. Ste. Anne are still at least 2/3 open

Really?? Sugarbush was counting 2 trails = 1 way down. Kmart 5 (not sure how many options down). St-Sauveur was far from the 2/3. Loon wasn't at 2/3, WIldcat either As I mentioned (for MSA), areas near Quebec City artificial snow survived more and they didn't get hit so much. Gaspe Peninsula was wiped out. Not sure where you're getting your numbers?

If I'm not mistaken, Tony was talking about "most years," i.e. not this year.

[Patrick]

Most of the time places like Jay, Sugarloaf, Sugarbush, Killington, Mt. Ste. Anne are still at least 2/3 open

Really?? Sugarbush was counting 2 trails = 1 way down. Kmart 5 (not sure how many options down). St-Sauveur was far from the 2/3. Loon wasn't at 2/3, WIldcat either As I mentioned (for MSA), areas near Quebec City artificial snow survived more and they didn't get hit so much. Gaspe Peninsula was wiped out. Not sure where you're getting your numbers?

If I'm not mistaken, Tony was talking about "most years," i.e. not this year.

I read it too fast before going to a meeting. Opps. Sorry.

I didn't check this morning, but after Loon closes today, the numbers of area to open next week should be at ... 9

About half of these are close midweek. Le Valinouet and SRiver closing date is next Sunday, April 15.

QC: 3 - MSS, MSA, Le Valinouet
VT: 2 - Jay, Kmart
NH: 1 - WCat (maybe)
ME: 3 - SRiver, Saddleback and Sugarloaf

[Marc_C]

Kmart 5 (not sure how many options down).

I had always used a 3:1 ratio of trails open/ways down, which seemed to be relatively accurate. This was right after Kmart went from 105 on-map trails to 212 overnight one year thanks to naming every segment of most trails and then counting them as separate trails. Thus Craptastic became Upper, Middle, and Lower Craptastic, sometimes with the addition of Craptastic Runout and occasionally, for pure absurdity, adding the Craptastic Traverse that gets you to Upper Craptastic.

[Patrick]

Actually Kmart number just went up with the 18 inches of snow received.

But I agree with Marc, increase to 212 without creating a trail was pure genius moment from the marketing department. I also love the bar chart with vertical compared to other ski areas without mentioning Whiteface.

[Tony Crocker]

I don't care about the trail definitions. I figure you easterners know how big these ski areas are. But I do know that 5 out of 140 trails open means it's desperation time.

[kingslug]

Killington just hot 40 trails....hmmmm

[Patrick]

And some people thought the ski and snow season was over : Eastern Closing 2012 – Part 4
http://madpatski.wordpress.com/2012/04/ ... 12-part-4/

I've already mentioned the info on who's open next weekend on Tuesday. You'll find a bit some meat on the situation on my blog post.

[rfarren]

And some people thought the ski and snow season was over

Nope, it's over. Perhaps the worst ski season on the EC in my lifetime. Didn't really hit it, but good riddance.

[rfarren]

Kmart 5 (not sure how many options down).

I had always used a 3:1 ratio of trails open/ways down, which seemed to be relatively accurate. This was right after Kmart went from 105 on-map trails to 212 overnight one year thanks to naming every segment of most trails and then counting them as separate trails. Thus Craptastic became Upper, Middle, and Lower Craptastic, sometimes with the addition of Craptastic Runout and occasionally, for pure absurdity, adding the Craptastic Traverse that gets you to Upper Craptastic.

I really appreciate this!

I also love the bar chart with vertical compared to other ski areas without mentioning Whiteface.

+1

[Patrick]

And some people thought the ski and snow season was over

Nope, it's over. Perhaps the worst ski season on the EC in my lifetime. Didn't really hit it, but good riddance.

You're not the only one to hate this season...I've had a number of issues plus the lack of winter...but for those that wish to milk out the season, there is still some turns to be had.

This is the worst season I can remember...probably up their with 1981. It's my worst season in term of ski outings since 2000-01. I'm only at Day 29, which is about 15-20 days behind my normal pace.

[Tony Crocker]

probably up their with 1981

The record bad snowfall season for the Northeast by a significant margin was 1979-80 at 58%. 1980-81 was 81% and there have been 4 other seasons between 74% and 79%. This year will not be as low as 1979-80 but I have little doubt that qualitatively it's probably at least as bad with both a slow start and the premature meltdown.

Also, if any of you have been following JSpin, his take on northern Vermont through the beginning of March was below average but not that bad. But it's also clear that the rest of the Northeast has been much worse than northern Vermont.