Gore Conditions (2017 - 2018)

I don't know about a woman falling off the AEII last year but a mountain adventure kid fell off at about pole 4 or 5 mlk weekend 2 years ago. It was at the end of the day and the kid was with an instructor and another kid. Apparently kid 1 had some issue getting on and the instructor was distracted and didn't realize right away that kid 2 had an issue. It was hardpack and the kid fell about 25-30 feet. It was right at the bottom of showcase as it flattens out. I didn't witness it but I was there right after it happened. I will never forget that day. I thought for sure the kid was dead or would die. The poor instructor had to ride the rest of the way up not knowing if the kid would be OK. Luckily he got away with a broken femur. I for one am happy they put the guards on and hope they fit the rest of the chairs with them. Kids can slip off a chair in a heartbeat.

As for the saddle I wouldn't judge it till you see it. The second floor has two tiers and the views are great from really anyplace up there. The high top tables are beautiful but not the most comfortable with ski boots on. One of those things they probably didn't think about until someone actually sat down with boots on. Minor thing IMO.

Danzilla wrote

I for one am happy they put the guards on and hope they fit the rest of the chairs with them. Kids can slip off a chair in a heartbeat.

It's an interesting question -- how far does the resort have to go when it comes to safety?  (I recall the "netting debate" on here a few years ago.  Maybe Matt wants to chime in on a proposal for mandatory helmet use?)  

I skied for a number of years with all three of my girls in tow -- there was a point when I had the youngest at age 5 or 6, then the next two oldest at 8 and 10.  Getting them all into the chair and down the trail was pretty stressful at times, and at that point I probably would have appreciated the lap guards.  Now that they are older, not so much.  I have volunteered at times (trying my best not to seem like a creep) to help a young instructor who seems overwhelmed with 4 or 5 five and six-year olds on the lift line.

I think there is a report floating out there from a few years ago about the number of serious chair accidents/deaths relative to the number of skiers.  I think more people die in elevators than falling off ski lifts.  Of course, when it's your child or your mountain that experiences a fall, then it changes your perspective.  Still, you have to consider how many lives (or broken legs) you are saving vs the inconvenience and discomfort of the safety guards.

(This is a conditions thread, but it is early in the season so off-topic conversation seems fine for now -- up to Harvey.)

Petronio

Petronio wrote

 Maybe Matt wants to chime in on a proposal for mandatory helmet use?

I don't think I have to reiterate how I would feel about that.

Haven't been to Gore yet to see the AE2, but I probably don't ride that lift enough to care either way.

I looked up the PowderAssassin netting thread.  Still as hilarious as ever.

http://forum.nyskiblog.com/Most-important-safety-feature-tp4045836.html

The safety device really didn't bother me. I guess I might feel differently if every chair was full, we were mostly riding in twos.

I'm not sure helmets are comparable. Not totally sure why.

It's a tight fit for me and I'm only about 150. Add a few pounds and winter padding and more than a few people will have trouble fitting on it. It makes me feel like I'm sitting in economy class airline seating-tight.

I'm on the larger side at 6'4" and 210-ish. Lap guard didn't bother me--still plenty of room. What threw me was how the spacing on the chair with less than 4 people gets out of whack. You basically HAVE to sit in one of the 4 "official" seating areas of the chair, lest the guard be resting on your thigh.....that took a bit of getting used to and shuffling once on the chair to get in the right spot.

Does anyone know how well the mountain faired against the rainy weather?  

We lost some cover, but not too bad. The groomers did a very admirable job yesterday of tilling the frozen tundra! Guns have been blasting all night, and we're on the road to full on winter

It snowed most of the day today.  There were "freshies" all morning.  Conditions were very good despite the rainfall earlier this week.  BEWARE...stick to the middle or side towards the snow guns.  Today's new snow has covered everything giving the false impression that there is a base in places that doesn't have any.  You can easily ski on rocks or fall into holes on the sides of the trails furthest from the guns.  Temp was 16 at the top of Bear Mtn.

Welcome back ka2kci. Gore reported an inch today, it was reported around midday. How much do you think fell?

Thanks Harvey. They got at least two inches of wet (not really heavy) new snow. Due to the moisture content, it stuck to the base and didn’t blow off into the woods. It made for a great skiing surface. Winter has definitely returned!!  It is supposed to remain cold for the next couple of weeks.  Also, they really have the guns cranking on lower Subway and Otter Slide.  Hoping for an awesome season!!!

Any news from the mountain today?  If the forecast holds we might be looking at some accumulation this week....fingers crossed the Jet continues to dip.

I heard firm today. Tuesday could be good.

Good practice day today. Quads are burnin'. Flurries throughout the day. Fire smells good. Guns blasting. Gmen are on at the Tannery.

Anyone keep track of Gore's snowfall on the year.  Whiteface has it on their snow page but Gore does not...they already have 43 inches on the year...that must be well above normal.  What does Gore have?  I would think less than 10.

NorEaster27 wrote

Anyone keep track of Gore's snowfall on the year.  Whiteface has it on their snow page but Gore does not...they already have 43 inches on the year...that must be well above normal.  What does Gore have?  I would think less than 10.

We are showing 6.5 inches for the year...

http://nyskiblog.com/directory/weather-data/gore-mountain-snow-totals/2017-2018/

Here's our historical data back to 2008 - 2009:

http://nyskiblog.com/directory/weather-data/gore-mountain-snow-totals/

I thought you kept track, thank you!  That's a big difference so far this year, shows why the seasonal total averages about 100 inches more...

Awesome heavenly pow pow all day long today.  Seemingly bottomless if you knew where to look.  If you want to see for yourself, there is a video on Gore's webpage showing some of today's fun.  The mountain skied more like Colorado than Upstate NY.  They easily got a foot new and more is on the way.  An epic way to begin the season.  Unca's opens tomorrow with hopeful opening of the top this weekend.  I just hope that it stays cold!

Video looks sweet.  Gore reported 11 inches at day's end.

Anyone else there?

It does look like it is going to stay cold for a while.