Sugarbush Conditions

Damn was it good up there, but It was good everywhere this weekend. I feel so bad for anyone that likes skiing that couldn't make it out this weekend.

Castlerock first chair was sheer joy. Skied Middle Earth because my brother wasn't feeling lift line first thing. It was so quiet and blown in with the 2" plus wind. Epic trofts in every bump. Got down to the bottom and there was no line so we did it again. And then again. Which was weird cause the lot was PACKED!

Did everywhere have a huge crowd this weekend?

Anyway, my brother set a land speed record driving home so we had plenty of time for unrushed beer while watching mlb highlights. Life is so good.

The bush delivered today. A guy on the chair made a joke to me about being glad not to be at the marathon in the crowd and instead on an empty hill. A few hours later, a bomb detonated.  Hard to ever want to get in a crowd again. What horrible news. There are some sick people out there. I hope people's lives and this country can both heal.

Sugarbush Resort Begins Snowmaking

Warren, VT (November 6, 2013) – Sugarbush Resort began snowmaking this past Sunday in preparation for a planned opening day of Saturday, November 23rd.

Snowmaking crews commenced their work on Jester, the intermediate trail that runs from the top of the Lincoln Peak all the way to the base area. While temperatures remained low, crews continued making snow into the early part of the week, turning to include Coffee Run and Lower Downspout. The resort aims to open with top-to-bottom skiing via Jester, Downspout, Lower Downspout, Lower Jester and Coffee Run.

The first snowmaking of the season at the resort comes after a series of new upgrades to the snowmaking system. Over the summer, the resort added 76 new HKD snowmaking guns on Stein’s Run, Upper Organgrinder, and Downspout. The resort also purchased 12 Snowlogic 4 stage towers. These upgrades come on the heels of recent expansion in 2011 that included the installation of 40 Snowlogic towers at Mt. Ellen, in partnership with Green Mountain Valley School.

“This latest investment will allow us to make more snow, on more trails, earlier in the season, than we have been able to do in the past,” said John Hammond, Vice President of Mountain Operations.

For more information on snowmaking plans and improvements, please visit sugarbush.com or contact John Bleh at 802-583-6814 or jbleh@sugarbush.com.

Loud wind. Rain on the roof. -1 on the hill tomorrow. Good grief.

Bummer. Seems like a repeat of my trip last year. I am headed there this weekend. Hopefully some fresh comes along on Thursday night.

3" dust on ice cube. Still snowing a bit. At least it looks nice.

Thanks ML. I guess that's better than just "ice cube":). Not looking like much is going to change this week. Who knows though. There's always American Flatbread to look forward to.

It snowed an inch or two again last night at the summit and they didn't bother to report it, the wind pushed everything off. They were making some high quality stuff on the Cliffs, and I skied it a bunch. At least that man made should stick around (trying to look on the bright side!).

Skied at Gore on Saturday and then at Sugarbush on Monday.  There was a pretty striking difference in conditions.  Both areas endured the same rain/thaw back around 2/21, Bush recovered to much better conditions.  Trees are in play at Bush, shut out at Gore.
Here's a pic of natural snow conditions at Gore on Sat (Powder Pass, note the shine):


Here's a pic of natural snow conditions at the Bush on Mon (Lift Line):


and Paradise:


Bush had around 7 inches of new snow in the 72 hours before we skied on Mon.  Gore had 1 to 2 inches in the 7 days before we skied on Sat.  Season-to-date is 170 inches at Bush, half that at Gore (that's a SWAG, I don't have the exact number).

Go ahead and tar-and-feather me for my disloyalty to New York, but Northern Vermont's natural snow advantage makes a big difference, especially in a sketchy year like this.

I'm not about to switch home mountains, but we had a pretty great day on Monday.  There's a trip report and photos on my blog.  The Bush has been having a pretty tough go of things this winter, but none of that mattered on Monday as we had 100% of the mountain open, in good condition, and to ourselves on a bluebird (but cold) day.

Today's sneak attack 6" puts the Bush in the running for best day of the season. No hellacious Saturday lines, good company, and a little bit of this:



(there's a skier in there, I swear)

SWEET!! Days like that you never want to end.

Sugarbush Resort Launches $99 Midweek Season Pass for Baby Boomers

Warren, VT (August 18, 2014) — Win Smith, president and majority owner of Sugarbush Resort in Vermont, turned sixty-five this month. To celebrate, Smith is giving a birthday present to his generation by launching a season pass product targeted at skiers and riders sixty-five and older. The Boomer Midweek Pass is a $99 midweek non-holiday season pass to Sugarbush, offering access to two mountains, 111 trails, and 16 lifts. That’s a deal even the AARP can get excited about.

A generation ago, turning sixty-five meant retirement, Medicare, and a slower pace. Smith disagrees with that notion. “When my AARP card came in the mail, I threw it in the trash. So did my friends. We do not consider ourselves ‘retired people.’ We are entering the prime years of life.”

Sugarbush, under Smith’s leadership, sees an opportunity. Many baby boomers are active travelers who have achieved a certain level of success. And they are at a place professionally and personally where they exert more control over their schedules, and can enjoy more leisure time.

The sixty-five-plus crowd, whether pursuing a second career, reaping the benefits of a more relaxed work schedule, or having officially retired, actually has the ability to ski midweek. And the midweek non-holiday experience at Sugarbush is a very desirable one: The slopes are quiet, the groomed runs can last through late morning, and the restaurants have a steady purr instead of a low roar. Smith’s $99 Boomer Midweek pass is such a great deal, it makes it easy to justify the spend.

Smith, a former president of Merrill Lynch International who found a second career in Sugarbush, skis approximately one-hundred days a season, “If I were skiing with the Boomer Midweek Pass, skiing at Sugarbush would cost me less than $1 a day.”

Not everyone in this crowd has as much energy as Smith—who also published a book recently on his experience at Merrill Lynch. However, a limited season pass for $99, when lift ticket window rates hover close to $90, makes a lot of sense.

Sugarbush Invests Over $4.5 Million on Improvements for 2014/15 Winter Season

Warren, VT (August 20, 2014) – Sugarbush Resort has invested over $4.5 million on improvements this summer in preparation for the upcoming winter.

The resort has invested $1.8 million in snowmaking equipment, completing a five-year, $5 million capital project that delivered upgrades in snowmaking at both Lincoln Peak and Mt. Ellen including the purchase of over 500 low-energy snowguns. This latest investment includes the purchase and installation of 351 new Snow Logic, HKD, and Ratnik snowguns, as well as significant improvements to infrastructure, with the replacement of a variety of pipes, pumps, valves, and compressors. The new snowguns are expected to help reduce statewide energy consumption by saving an estimated 1,998,256 kWh of electricity and 2,324,392 pounds of carbon emissions per year.

“We’re very excited about all the improvements we’ve been able to make this summer,” said Win Smith, President of Sugarbush Resort. “The new snowmaking upgrades will allow us to generate a lot more snow faster and more efficiently than ever before. All of our improvements should significantly improve the guest experience, something we’re always focused on, especially on some of our busiest days of the year.”

The resort has spent more than $1 million on both mechanical and electrical upgrades to its lifts this summer. A winch cat was also replaced with a new Pisten Bully 600 to improve the resort’s eight groomer fleet.

To help improve the experience on busy days, Sugarbush has expanded parking at Lincoln Peak by creating 450 new parking spaces, located across from Lot E in space formerly occupied by the Warren House Restaurant.

Sugarbush Resort Opens For Skiing and Riding This Weekend

Warren, VT (November 18, 2014) – Sugarbush Resort will open for the 2014/2015 winter season this Saturday, November 22nd. Skiing and riding will be available from 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM. Available terrain is still to be determined, but the resort has announced that no downloading on chairlifts will be necessary.

With limited terrain open at this early point in the season, skiing and riding is recommended for intermediate and advanced skiers and riders only. Tickets will be $67 for adults, $57 for youths and seniors, and free for children ages 6 and under.

Sugarbush also co-hosts The Big Kicker on Saturday with Mad River Glen. The Big Kicker is a community-wide event for all ages celebrating the opening of the winter season. This year’s event will be held at American Flatbread at Lareau Farm and begins at 5 PM.

Sugarbush Resort Releases New Uphill Travel Policy

Warren, VT (December 23, 2014) – Sugarbush Resort has made significant changes to its uphill travel policy this season. This winter, skiers and riders are permitted to hike or skin before and after operating hours at both mountains on designated trails.

Those interested will be required to pick up a free uphill travel pass from Guest Services prior to the first time they skin or hike. The pass will be valid all season. On Saturday, January 11, Sugarbush will host a community forum in Castlerock Pub to share the policy with the community, answer any questions about the new policy, and to issue uphill travel passes.

To coincide with the resort’s grooming schedule, both mountains have specific designated routes for uphill and downhill travel depending on the time of day. At Lincoln Peak, uphill travel is permitted on Easy Rider to Lower Pushover to Pushover to Birch Run between the hours of 5:00 PM – 10:00 PM and Racer’s Edge to Lower Snowball to Snowball to the top of the Valley House chair between the hours of 4:00 AM – 7:00 AM. Due to plowing, parking for hiking and skinning is provided at Lincoln Peak in the heli lot, located to the right of The Schoolhouse. Hikers and skinners must ski or ride down the same designated routes.

At Mt. Ellen, uphill travel is permitted on Easy Does it to Straight Shot to Cruiser to Lower Rim Run to Rim Run between the hours of 4:00 AM – 7:00 AM and 5:00 PM – 10:00 PM. Due to plowing parking is provided in the lot next to the Sunny Double lift.

There will be times when uphill travel is closed due to weather conditions. Skinners and hikers are asked to check the Sugarbush snow report before proceeding. Once the resort ceases operation for the winter season, hiking and skinning will be permitted. Those who are looking to boot pack uphill are asked to not hike directly in skinning tracks.

Hiking and skinning during operating hours may still be authorized under special circumstances, including mechanical failure, weather hold, ski school instruction, or special events. A day ticket or season pass is required and is only permitted when specifically authorized by the resort.

For a full description of what to know before skinning or hiking at Sugarbush and to review the rules that skinners and hikers must adhere to, please visit the winter trail use policy on Sugarbush’s website.

Sugarbush to Replace Valley House Lift with New Quad

Warren, VT (March 26, 2015) – Sugarbush Resort plans to replace the Valley House Lift this spring with a new Doppelmayr Fixed-Grip Quad. The new Valley House Quad will increase the uphill capacity of the current lift from 748 to 1800 people per hour and cut the ride time to approximately 8 minutes. The lift should help eliminate any lift lines in the base area and provide a reliable back-up lift to the Super Bravo Express Quad.

The base of the new Valley House Quad will include a loading conveyor--allowing for easier loading and increased lift speed--and will be located where the current mountain operations building now sits. The new lift will also terminate lower, between towers 13 and 14 of the current lift on The Mall, which will eliminate the intersection of people off-loading from the lift with those skiing and riding on Valley House Traverse.

“The Valley House Lift project will really take the pressure off the base area on busy days by significantly increasing our uphill capacity. Also, the re-positioning of the lift will make it more accessible to our guests, and will alleviate congestion on Valley House Traverse,” said Sugarbush Resort President Win Smith.

The project is expected to cost around $3 million, including the lift purchase and ancillary costs related to the lift install and relocation of existing business areas.

Sugarbush has received their permit from the U.S. Forest Service and is in the process of securing Act 250 and Town of Warren permits. The project is expected to begin on Monday, April 6th, at which point access to Gadd Peak trails will be mostly shutdown including Valley House Traverse, Reverse Traverse, Stein’s Run, Lixi’s Twist, Moonshine, Spring Fling, Snowball, Racer’s Edge, Coffee Run, and Cat’s Meow. The designated spring skiing routes will change for the remainder of the 2014/15 season and include Birdland, Organgrinder, Jester, Ripcord, Domino, and Gondolier, all of which are accessed by both the Super Bravo and Heaven’s Gate chairs. Additional snow was made on these trails to provide snow depths well into spring.

“Our intention, as in the past,” Smith adds, “is to be open seven days a week through Sunday, April 26th at Lincoln Peak, and to reopen for one final weekend on May 2nd and 3rd.

north closed today with about 7" on the hill. couldn't find a rock or a liftline anywhere. looking forward to my next date with ellen already.

^^Nice photo ml. Wish I was doing that right now.

I had no idea Sugarbush was doing EB-5.

http://vtdigger.org/2015/11/01/foreign-investors-help-sugarbush-resort-return-to-profitability/

Interesting skiing today. Rain crust ruined natural snow trails on the lower mountain (groomers were still fun and seemed super long compared to Gore's groomers). But everything up high didn't get the rain and was a solid challenge - Castlerock was much more fun than we expected. Another fun part of the day: the Slide Brook Express was inexplicably open, so I was able to ski Mount Ellen for the first time in 25 years. FIS and Exterminator were really enjoyable with challenging pitch, bumps, and a little bedrock showing through. Pics: