Gore Conditions

PeeTex wrote

Split the difference Harv, I’m here - it’s 4” if not 5 in a few places. Nice light snow but down to the grass & rocks by 11. I’m on my way back to the cabin.

Thanks P. GHL revised up to 4, so I will stay with 5.

So no crust underneath?

Hard pack where there was a base, mud, rocks and grass where there wasn’t. Thought for sure I did some base damage a few times but dodged the bullet. Sagamore was real narrow to the pipe, echo was fun early. They opened the summit about when I left so can’t report on that although some friends said it wasn’t worth it. They need to make a lot of snow over the next few days,

It’s cold, snowing, and the mountain is packed.

We think we’re going to make a run for first chair tomorrow morning.


Current view from the Saddle Lodge

It was cold again, but not as windy as yesterday. Conditions were good early, but you had to brave the lower temps.

The mountain was crowded.

Just a heads up that some lowlife rifled though our bags in the back room while they were hanging on hooks. We don't leave anything valuable around, but still...

Looking forward to some fresh pow for tomorrow.

I think I saw you Yuke heading to the North Side.

Jealous of you guys. Looked like a good one out there today.

Still sidelined with my back injury...herniated disc between L5 and S1. Scheduled to have steroid injection on the 29th. Doc says after 2 weeks long as it feels good can start skiing again. Hopefully that fixes it...if not...surgery it is. Been feeling a lil better lately so hoping the steroids will be enough.

Hoping the 2nd half of the season delivers! I've held off on refunding my Ikon pass (have insurance) on the hope I can salvage the season and ski hard in 2nd half of Feb, Mar, and April and cram in a west trip, along with multiple trips to Gore and McCauley of course!

Great day for Gore.  Cars parked all the way down the access road, almost to Peaceful Valley Road.  All lots, lifts and lodges at or over capacity.

Best run for me, Lower Darby.  They dropped a lot of ropes, so the visiting crowd did some positive compaction grooming under the Straightbrook and High Peaks chairs, along with a few other places.

Biggest downer, Sagamore, it was more of a goat path than anything else.  Very poor showing on the snow making at Burnt Ridge, other than to get Echo open for racing.


Major skier congestion at the Saddle

Hoping for snow next weekend.

I spoke to a friend who went, ssid the lift lines were long. He was told they had north of 7000 people there today. Also read on FB that the line of cars going up the access road was backed up on 28 several miles from Weavertown to the Glenn - worst it’s ever been.

The 28 backup is correct. We passed through after 10:30 and it was still backed up to Cunningham’s.

I wonder what the all time attendance record is?

Good thing about Gore. Even with limited terrain open it still swallowed the goat without really choking.

Arrived  at Gore At 730 today . Glad I left Lake George Early. We were one of the first to load at the High peaks chair. Arriving back down at the chair , we had to hike up  to get back in line .
  Pretty good weekend! Spotted you Harv at Straightbrook, looks like you got new gear.

Same thing at Belleayre. I shoulda went to Plattekill...

I thought Gore kind of shined today.  The place was jamming, but we really didn't wait much at all.

I got some really great service from a young lady at the ticket desk too.

Johnnyonthespot wrote

 I shoulda went to Plattekill...

Me too. I was in PA

Anyone going to P tomorrow?

I just wasn’t feeling Gore today. Perhaps it was the hour long traffic jam in the final few miles leading to the hill that set the tone for the day. Crowds aren’t normally an issue on lifts such as the High Peaks Chair, but at one point I waited 15 min for that lift.

I had some decent turns here or there. The Lies headwall was surprisingly chalky, and there was some soft snow on some of the trail edges. But despite the new snow, boilerplate was widespread and unavoidable. Maybe I expected too much from a holiday weekend?

We got to the hill around 7:30 and saw no sign of said traffic jam.

High Peaks had a line when Straightbrook went down, but we ditched on Wood Out.

Favorites were Tahawas, Ward Hill and Chatiemac.

As usual Gore handled the crowds well I thought.  Never a line at Top Ridge or Burnt Ridge and I caught a couple dark side runs between the 10-11am Wood In rush and the North Quad going down.  The runs over there were great but didn’t want the line so back to Top Ridge.  I enjoyed Sagamore today - it was kind of fun to figure out where there was a base and where there wasn’t.  Kept me on my toes.  

Traffic was bad - more people than I expected trying to get to first tracks and I should have left for a 730 arrival instead of my usual 8.  Didn’t get to lot until 840.  I was lulled into complacency by last years MLK Sunday when they said the Northway was closed and no one was on 28.

We beat the traffic by 5 minutes, thankfully. Skied with family and friends and had a great day. We tried to alternate between the Dark Side, The North & Top Ridge and were (almost) able to avoid the crowds. The key was that we never retuned to the base area until about 3:30.

It definitely got icy and skied off in a lot of places, but overall there was plenty of snow to be had for such a busy day. I think the mountain will only improve as the week goes on.

Since I got the book out to look up Virgil, I went ahead and flipped to the North Creek section. Thought somebody might get a kick out of this too

I'm getting dizzy looking at the weather forecast for this weekend.  First its 7", then its rain with 1.5", then its 5", now its 3.5" , rain snow rain snow rain snow.

January 24th and we are struggling with rain.  We need some global cooling please.