Return to Winter

[Pow on the Mao]

that was the shot in the arm we needed. it was beginning to look a lot like the end of April around here. a week of grey dreary weather and rain took its toll on the snowpack and kept me for one away from the hill the entire week. saw a picture of Gondi line from last week that was insane... solid glare ice the whole way up to the cross cut.
well that all changed with saturday's event. looking at the weather ahead, imagine if we had not received this bounty.

We hit Saddleback Saturday and I have to proclaim it was the best day of the year for me. arriving around 9am in a steady moderate rainfall we booted up as slow as possible waiting for the changeover. it occurred around 9:45ish. from then on it was pumping. a perfect setup. started as hail-like beads, to heavy wet, and only got colder and lighter as the day when on. this progression seemed to fill in the mountain way more than a normal cold snowfall would. i can attest to a solid 10" by close as i had to shovel out the car at the end of the day. the pace of snowfall was incredible. The woods were spectacular. not only were there NO lift lines, again on a Saturday pow day, but it seemed like most people were staying out of the woods too. i really can't remember a day with so many untouched lines. probably a dozen tree runs each better than the next. low stress pow like you dream about.

speaking for myself, this year has sucked for woods. MLK was the first time they were ready and for a few short weeks after they were good. that 18" storm was good. but overall its been bad. lots of freeze thaw. i did 1 run in bracket this year, the french cliffs were bare and it felt like i forgot how to ride trees. awful. have maybe 6 woods days in this whole seson. well yesterday with the luxury of untouched deep turns i felt like Neo when he sees the matrix for the first time. it was all 1s and 0s.

i hope everyone got their fix wherever you were this weekend.
i know this is broken record territory here but if you are a loafer who hasn't gone over to saddleback this year you are doing yourself and your family a disservice. we are so fortunate to have two incredible mtns in our neighborhood. give saddleback some love and your money so we can continue to rejoice in this embarrassment of riches in the high peaks.

[salsgang]

We were there Sat-Sun as well. Saturday was fantastic and The wind howled Saturday night and refilled the trees again for Sunday. Kennabago only ran for an hour Sunday due to wind but I saw some folks get some Casa laps in. Rangeley HSQ ran all day from opening bell to close. I saw this somewhere else in the forums but Saddleback has more lift capacity than parking right now. We have had a few "park down the road" days and 5-10 min wait at lifts max - most of the year ski-on or little wait and solid crowds. I agree we are blessed to have 2 great ski areas in the area.

[skiloaf]

Saddleback is doing great, if we're lucky they will push Boyne to actually make some real capital improvements at the loaf. Great mountains!

[Pow on the Mao]

i hope so. i was laying it on a little thick at the end there because i heard skier visits are down a bit from projections. all three times i've been there this season the lodge and pub have been very full but a lack of lift lines makes me a little nervous i guess. i have no insider info other than anecdotal conversation. these days i find myself often spouting about how great its skiing at Saddleback and the usual reply is 'man i should get over there, its been years since i been there'
i'm happy to be a online Saddleback booster because i care about a lot of the people there and i love the vibe. i want others to experience it. if you are like me ad get jaded w/ the loaf from time to time its a good reset. makes me appreciate loaf more when i have other touch points.

[streetracer]

i hope so. i was laying it on a little thick at the end there because i heard skier visits are down a bit from projections. all three times i've been there this season the lodge and pub have been very full but a lack of lift lines makes me a little nervous i guess. i have no insider info other than anecdotal conversation. these days i find myself often spouting about how great its skiing at Saddleback and the usual reply is 'man i should get over there, its been years since i been there'
i'm happy to be a online Saddleback booster because i care about a lot of the people there and i love the vibe. i want others to experience it. if you are like me ad get jaded w/ the loaf from time to time its a good reset. makes me appreciate loaf more when i have other touch points.

Well said, Pow, many of us Loafers definitely share your enthusiasm for Saddleback! Plus, Rangeley is an exciting place to visit all four seasons, if you enjoy snowmobiling, sailing, swimming, boating, canoeing, kayaking, water skiing, tubing, fishing, hiking, or a myriad of other recreational activities.

[bigelow]

I know non-skier Rangeley people that eat in the pub because you can, without feeling like the visit requires entering a mega-resort vortex.

The nordic center over there is really well run too, they have been doing great this year. They really care, do the right things at the right time and make it awesome. Hopefully the CV nordic center can get back on track one of these years.

[gondicar]

Sounds like Bracket is open!

[High Ball]

Saddleback is doing great, if we're lucky they will push Boyne to actually make some real capital improvements at the loaf. Great mountains!

LOL, LOL......yeah, Boyne doesn't have much going on and they're really worried about SB !! LOL. LOL !!

[High Ball]

i hope so. i was laying it on a little thick at the end there because i heard skier visits are down a bit from projections. all three times i've been there this season the lodge and pub have been very full but a lack of lift lines makes me a little nervous i guess. i have no insider info other than anecdotal conversation. these days i find myself often spouting about how great its skiing at Saddleback and the usual reply is 'man i should get over there, its been years since i been there'
i'm happy to be a online Saddleback booster because i care about a lot of the people there and i love the vibe. i want others to experience it. if you are like me ad get jaded w/ the loaf from time to time its a good reset. makes me appreciate loaf more when i have other touch points.

I had a great day skiing at SB on Thursday (Maine Day). Fun little mountain. I thought snow conditions were as good as SL. The "There's Nobody There" strategy is in full force....even on Maine Day, the place was a ghost town. I'm pretty sure they didn't make any money that day.

[WrathOfAramark]

i hope so. i was laying it on a little thick at the end there because i heard skier visits are down a bit from projections. all three times i've been there this season the lodge and pub have been very full but a lack of lift lines makes me a little nervous i guess. i have no insider info other than anecdotal conversation. these days i find myself often spouting about how great its skiing at Saddleback and the usual reply is 'man i should get over there, its been years since i been there'
i'm happy to be a online Saddleback booster because i care about a lot of the people there and i love the vibe. i want others to experience it. if you are like me ad get jaded w/ the loaf from time to time its a good reset. makes me appreciate loaf more when i have other touch points.

I had a great day skiing at SB on Thursday (Maine Day). Fun little mountain. I thought snow conditions were as good as SL. The "There's Nobody There" strategy is in full force....even on Maine Day, the place was a ghost town. I'm pretty sure they didn't make any money that day.

I really don't get this vendetta you seem to have in comparison. The two mountain's don't clearly operate on the same scale. From your post you enjoyed the product, which was the snow surface and lift infrastructure. Just be happy there's some cooperative competition that makes the whole region better for skiers and snowboarders.

You went Thursday and saw no lines. Great, you had a wonderful day. Did the costs to operate the 4 lifts they have running that day seem better or worse than the 8 lifts at Sugarloaf? Were there lines as Sugarloaf that day? Did Sugarloaf break even that day? My guess is, no.

This past Saturday March 16, parking was literally 1/2 mile down from the access road, basically the same distance from lot E/F/G to East Mountain RD. Is that how far down the access road was at SL? I waited in lines all day at SB on Saturday at the Rangeley and Kennebago. I didn't ride the Cupsuptic t-bar, but that had a line too. Oh, and on Sunday it was "empty" as well with maybe 2 minute lift lines, but I had to park in the third lot and the base lodge was full of families and kids. And the Pub upstairs was packed when we went in for lunch.

I don't want to say many your posts comparing the two mountains as two independent ski areas with varying challenges are childish, but writing, "LOL..LOL.." really does eliminate any other explanation.

[High Ball]

I know non-skier Rangeley people that eat in the pub because you can, without feeling like the visit requires entering a mega-resort vortex.

The nordic center over there is really well run too, they have been doing great this year. They really care, do the right things at the right time and make it awesome. Hopefully the CV nordic center can get back on track one of these years.

Any evidence that the Sugarloaf Outdoor Center is not on track ? Most folks I know think it's awesome.

[High Ball]

i hope so. i was laying it on a little thick at the end there because i heard skier visits are down a bit from projections. all three times i've been there this season the lodge and pub have been very full but a lack of lift lines makes me a little nervous i guess. i have no insider info other than anecdotal conversation. these days i find myself often spouting about how great its skiing at Saddleback and the usual reply is 'man i should get over there, its been years since i been there'
i'm happy to be a online Saddleback booster because i care about a lot of the people there and i love the vibe. i want others to experience it. if you are like me ad get jaded w/ the loaf from time to time its a good reset. makes me appreciate loaf more when i have other touch points.

I had a great day skiing at SB on Thursday (Maine Day). Fun little mountain. I thought snow conditions were as good as SL. The "There's Nobody There" strategy is in full force....even on Maine Day, the place was a ghost town. I'm pretty sure they didn't make any money that day.

I really don't get this vendetta you seem to have in comparison. The two mountain's don't clearly operate on the same scale. From your post you enjoyed the product, which was the snow surface and lift infrastructure. Just be happy there's some cooperative competition that makes the whole region better for skiers and snowboarders.

You went Thursday and saw no lines. Great, you had a wonderful day. Did the costs to operate the 4 lifts they have running that day seem better or worse than the 8 lifts at Sugarloaf? Were there lines as Sugarloaf that day? Did Sugarloaf break even that day? My guess is, no.

This past Saturday March 16, parking was literally 1/2 mile down from the access road, basically the same distance from lot E/F/G to East Mountain RD. Is that how far down the access road was at SL? I waited in lines all day at SB on Saturday at the Rangeley and Kennebago. I didn't ride the Cupsuptic t-bar, but that had a line too. Oh, and on Sunday it was "empty" as well with maybe 2 minute lift lines, but I had to park in the third lot and the base lodge was full of families and kids. And the Pub upstairs was packed when we went in for lunch.

I don't want to say many your posts comparing the two mountains as two independent ski areas with varying challenges are childish, but writing, "LOL..LOL.." really does eliminate any other explanation.

Ha....no vendetta. Just laying it on a little thick !

[Alpiner]

Back to the return to winter... I had declared carving season over before last week's 19" of snowfall. It's back in force. All the upper mtn groomers were excellent today. Gondi top to bottom was all-time. Never had the extension so good.

A buddy on the extension:
https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-5vP ... 5-1920.mp4

Me:
https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-sjD ... T-1280.mp4

[darkwizard]

Glad to hear carving season is back on! Keep it coming. Awesome videos!

[Gstring]

Back to the return to winter... I had declared carving season over before last week's 19" of snowfall. It's back in force. All the upper mtn groomers were excellent today. Gondi top to bottom was all-time. Never had the extension so good.

Nice videos!

More snow coming this weekend!

[SpillwayEast]

Back to the return to winter... I had declared carving season over before last week's 19" of snowfall. It's back in force. All the upper mtn groomers were excellent today. Gondi top to bottom was all-time. Never had the extension so good.

Nice videos!

More snow coming this weekend!

Nice carving! This is the best time of year where cold nights and sun during the day can make for epic conditions!

[Alpiner]

Thanks guys. Just had too much fun yesterday not to share. Pray for a big dump Saturday!

[Glade Monkey]

So you’re the guys making those huge ruts in the trails?!
Should get filled in tonight & maybe buried Saturday!

[gondicar]

March, the snowiest month, is coming though!

[Glade Monkey]

10” of snow reported & a foot of wind (9 for 9 lift wind holds)

[Alpiner]

It's accumulating though. It's not just blow-away powder. Will be net positive. 29" in the last 11 days (which the mtn is calling 30" in the past 7 days ) I would never have predicted this. We seemed to be in such doldrums before that. Weather.com is saying 17" Saturday, atm.

Next week looks warmer though.

[SpillwayEast]

Looks like a good day to belly up to the bar and/or go x/c skiing. Winds are howling and doesn't look good for lifts to open today.

[Mr. Vesper]

Not a good dAY to purchase a lift ticket

[bigelow]

I know non-skier Rangeley people that eat in the pub because you can, without feeling like the visit requires entering a mega-resort vortex.

The nordic center over there is really well run too, they have been doing great this year. They really care, do the right things at the right time and make it awesome. Hopefully the CV nordic center can get back on track one of these years.

Any evidence that the Sugarloaf Outdoor Center is not on track ? Most folks I know think it's awesome.

I don't know why people feel the need to dig up a thread from 2022 to talk about conditions, but you might want to note that my post above was dated 2022.

But since you have asked.......

The number one challenge and disappointment has been the grooming, and that has come in the form of staffing (largely fixed), experience and equipment (not fixed as of March 2024). However, last year (2022/2023 season) saw some good improvements which have generally continued this season. At a Nordic skiing venue, if you don't have daily grooming dialed in you basically have nothing to offer.

I could go off on a rant, because that is what humans do on the internet, but I won't. In the past few months I have skied and raced around New England, have spent many weekends at Mont Sainte Anne (best nordic network in North America?) and have spent a good charge of time skiing other high level venues in Canada and Norway. All I am going to say is the trail network in CV is fantastic relative to its peers, but the experience and product have a significant amount of room for improvement.

[Mr. Vesper]

Not a good dAY to purchase a lift ticket

Neither is it a good day to "Piss Into The Wind"

[High Ball]

I know non-skier Rangeley people that eat in the pub because you can, without feeling like the visit requires entering a mega-resort vortex.

The nordic center over there is really well run too, they have been doing great this year. They really care, do the right things at the right time and make it awesome. Hopefully the CV nordic center can get back on track one of these years.

Any evidence that the Sugarloaf Outdoor Center is not on track ? Most folks I know think it's awesome.

I don't know why people feel the need to dig up a thread from 2022 to talk about conditions, but you might want to note that my post above was dated 2022.

But since you have asked.......

The number one challenge and disappointment has been the grooming, and that has come in the form of staffing (largely fixed), experience and equipment (not fixed as of March 2024). However, last year (2022/2023 season) saw some good improvements which have generally continued this season. At a Nordic skiing venue, if you don't have daily grooming dialed in you basically have nothing to offer.

I could go off on a rant, because that is what humans do on the internet, but I won't. In the past few months I have skied and raced around New England, have spent many weekends at Mont Sainte Anne (best nordic network in North America?) and have spent a good charge of time skiing other high level venues in Canada and Norway. All I am going to say is the trail network in CV is fantastic relative to its peers, but the experience and product have a significant amount of room for improvement.

Ha.....never noticed this page spanned 3 seasons !!

[Pow on the Mao]

will the backside open at 2pm sunday?

[WrathOfAramark]

will the backside open at 2pm sunday?

Will you be able to get there? Skidway is the high lift right now according to the conditions page.

Wind direction is a pain in the butt. Saddleback has the Kennebago running.

[Alpiner]

will the backside open at 2pm sunday?

I'd be stunned. Recent aerial shots showed it was bare in many key locations. I think that was before 3/10 but I think it takes a lot more than this to open.

[Alpiner]

This was posted on 3/15: