Is Sugarbush Low on Cash ?

Coach Z wrote

 sugarbush has given up on grooming for cost savings.

Anybody have any speculation or knowledge as to why ?

Well there's one place I will never go to.  Grooming is absolutely essential for decent conditions in the east.

snoloco wrote

never

Sugarbush is a massive, beautiful mountain with incredible terrain and abundant natural snowfall.  You're going to rule it out forever because of one comment in an internet forum?

harvey is right. sugarbush is a classic place. one of my favorites. great terrain. something for everyone

They're still going to groom.  Probably just reduce how much they groom.  More bumps, how terrible.

They are a huge mountain with huge expenses.  Then they have Stowe, MRG and Smuggs as neighbors which I think get more snow.  They are trying to fit in between Stowe and MGR.  Rock hard place.  They have been around forever so there must be money in it I just don't know how much.  When I have a couple days over in Vermont Sugarbush is 4th on the list of where I am going.  

Sugarbush is one of my favorites. The terrain is incredible. For me driving out of NJ, it is a little too long of a ride to be a regular weekend place. Add in the Glen Ellen side and you have all the variety you could need. The added bonus is MRG is right there, too. They usually get decent snow and do not get crowded. I have seen rumors of $$$ problems on other forums - but I take that with a huge grain of salt.

Sugarbush is amazing and one of the iconic destinations of eastern skiing.  The Mad River Valley is home to some of the best snowfall and terrain in Vermont.  I am not sure of their current financial status, but it's not going aywhere.  

Harvey wrote

snoloco wrote

never

Sugarbush is a massive, beautiful mountain with incredible terrain and abundant natural snowfall.  You're going to rule it out forever because of one comment in an internet forum?

It's not just about grooming.  A place that is running out of money isn't going to provide as good of an experience as a place that has money.  Compare Belleayre to Windham.  Last time I skied Belleayre was in the days when the DEC was running out of money.  Everything felt so run down and out of date.  When I skied Windham most recently, I was amazed by how much they had invested in the place.  Everything felt new and well kept which makes for a better experience IMO.  Windham has more money, so a better experience.

I agree with snoloco. If you have no grooming skiing sucks. Unless all you want to do is ride down boiler plate bumps and smash your knees. If you want non stop bumps, then have at it. SHould be interesting after it rains at that place with limited grooming. Recipe for injuries on boilerplate. THat sounds like fun. lol

A mountain in new england with limited grooming. What a joke. 2 things you need in the new england:
1)Snow making
2)Grooming

I don't get it. It's not that expensive to run a groomer. It's expensive to buy one, but once you have it then it's relatively cheap. You can't get more value for your spend dollar than grooming. It's the cheapest way to improve the skiing conditions of your mountain. Idiotic move by that mountain if true. They'll end up like magic and lose customers.

snoloco wrote

snoloco wrote

never

A place that is running out of money isn't going to provide as good of an experience as a place that has money.  Compare Belleayre to Windham.  Last time I skied Belleayre was in the days when the DEC was running out of money.  Everything felt so run down and out of date.  When I skied Windham most recently, I was amazed by how much they had invested in the place.  Everything felt new and well kept which makes for a better experience IMO.  Windham has more money, so a better experience.

I disagree with 92% of what is above. But hey it's an opinion.

I go back to my original point.  You are writing off a ski area, Sugarbush for gods sake, because of one thing you read on the internet.  Coach what is your source?

If they didn't groom Sugarbush for a week, and it snowed, I would go there. I would love to ski that place again with ML.  Slide Brook is incredible. Castle Rock, the whole place. Mt Ellen is an awesome ski area all by itself. To me it is huge.  It's at least 20% wider than Gore, with more real vert and more snow.

I've come to accept that snoloco skis a different variant of our sport than I do. Doesn't make it wrong, I just personally don't get it.

It's probably inexperience. Let's face it if I skied out west more, I'd probably crave it more too.

I guess I think of skiing the way I do because it's just what I'm used to.

Harvey wrote

Let's face it if I skied out west more, I'd probably crave it more too.

Well, maybe not this year, looks like it is shaping up to be another drought year.

When I skied there earlier in the season they had decent coverage but very poor groomers.  I noticed because WF grooming is now so good.

I ran into a friend over there that has a pass and the word on the street he told me they are hurting for cash and may have over built thier new base area.  Instead of grooming trails that are not normally bump runs every night they rotate and only groom them every 3 to 4 days.  The groomers were quite unpleasant at best.

Jay may very well be stealing thier destination business.

 

snoloco wrote

Well there's one place I will never go to.  Grooming is absolutely essential for decent conditions in the east.

Sno-

As a Wise-Woman once said; "You don't know what you don't know, and be sure to eat your greens."

Ski Forum Translation; Try it, you might like it, the Mad River Valley is not to be missed.  It's in the Green Mountains, dont'cha know.

Ski You on Some Hill, Someday.

Coach Z wrote

When I skied there earlier in the season they had decent coverage but very poor groomers.  I noticed because WF grooming is now so good.

I ran into a friend over there that has a pass and the word on the street he told me they are hurting for cash and may have over built thier new base area.  Instead of grooming trails that are not normally bump runs every night they rotate and only groom them every 3 to 4 days.  The groomers were quite unpleasant at best.

Jay may very well be stealing thier destination business.

I don't know why this thread has been split out.

Coach, I told you when you made that comment earlier this year that they had a decent amount of natural snowfall to open terrain, but it was too thin to start rolling the groomers out on the blue trails that are normally pummeled by snowmaking (which sucks) and groomed every night from before they open for the year.

I know exactly when you were there and before you even made that comment I had friends at the Bush who are really in the know telling me about how funny it was that there wasn't any "blue" terrain... You just can't groom and till 12" of lake champlain micro fluff 1% even if it can handle a few days of skiers.

There are things to complain about with the Bush but I think this is pretty far fetched.

You don't go to the Bush for the groomers though. They're a nice toss in with what were possibly the best woods in VT, beautiful fall line skiing, classic new england windy trails, insane bump lines, and one of the best nooks of a very nice state.

Throw in MRG next door and if you're up there, you don't have much reason to travel elsewhere for turns.

Squeegee your third eye, Sno! Plus you'd actually enjoy Slide Brook Express, the original novelty lift!

*tl;dr: speculation i think is untrue.

snoloco wrote

Well there's one place I will never go to.  Grooming is absolutely essential for decent conditions in the east.

You should really work on your skills bag kid. If you can't ski well on anything but groomed you aren't as good as you should want to be. A true expert mountain skier can ski anything with any conditions and make it look somewhat easy. Doug Coombs was one of those classic skiers that would always do that. Even if it sucks and isn't enjoyable that skier can make it appear better than it really is.

You should try to see glasses as half full instead of almost empty and save the "I only ski the groomed" for when you are retired and your body is old. You are 15 for crying out loud! Now go out and enjoy that fresh carcass before it's too late!  

ml242 wrote

I don't know why this thread has been split out.

I didn't do it. Snowballs started this thread.

Yea. Snowballs did it.

Snowballs wrote

Coach Z wrote

 sugarbush has given up on grooming for cost savings.

Anybody have any speculation or knowledge as to why ?

I have tried to keep my posts on the positive side but this thread is getting me emotional.
On behalf of my friends at Sugarbush.... Pow Ass, you are a fucking gaper. Don't go there. They don't want you. Really. They don't want your whiney pow ass there. Sno loco... they don't have a swing set/ slide/ sand box for you to play in. It is a serious mountain with terrain you can't handle. Stay at MC. That's the only place for your level that you are going to be comfortable at.
Sorry, just being honest.
Like someone else said, " You don't go there for groomers."