trackbiker

IIRC they ran the Long Haul almost to close Pres. Day Weekend. The other Sunday I was there they shut it down around 7:00pm but then had to reopen it when the Phoebe Snow broke down. Presidents weekend it was 11.5 minutes to the top. The other time it was 12 minutes. Believe it or not, the Long Haul was running faster than the Phoebe Snow both times. I timed it. The Long Haul is just a much longer lift so it seems slower. I agree with Grilled Steeze (and everyone else for that matter!) that they need to replace this lift with a HSQ and add some new trails. But in the mean time, this lift should be running at least open to close on weekends, and at least nights during the week. The North Face is nice, but it would be nice to be able to switch off and take a longer run once in a while.

There won't be a HSQ for this season, but getting the Long Haul running even a little faster would be a big improvement. They should also run it more. Did they run it on weeknights last season? Better lighting would be huge improvement. I'm hoping to hit up Sno for night skiing a lot more next season. But the lighting would have to be installed to make it worth the extra drive miles and time vs. Blue or Camelback. Blue just gets skied off to quickly for night skiing since they put in the 6-pack.

I had lunch at the Cactus Grill today, a.k.a. Piper Hill Lodge. I borrowed some pictures that were given to the owner by a customer who had taken them of her children in 1965. I had them scanned at a photo shop. No new HSQ at Sno doesn't seem so bad compared to rope tows! Here's a link to the site with the pics from 1965: NELSAP Piper Hill Thread

Wasn't a big share of Blue Mt. sold to the general manager last year? I thought I remember something about that at the time they announced they were putting in the 6-Pack. It doesn't appear that any of his children are involved in the management of the mountain as none of them live close by according to the obituary.

I heard that Blue Marsh is now a housing development but then I haven't been there so that could be a rumor. The T-bar from Blue Marsh was sold to an individual in New Hampshire who is building a private ski hill. Can't find the info on it right now but when I do I'll post it.

$5 million out of $13 million. Hmm.....over 38% of the MELF pie......$5 million is about the cost of a new High Speed Quad.....The "snowmaking" has already been installed.....could the MELF application been revised from "Ski Lift" to "Snowmaking Equipment"?.....the investor's in Sno Mountain LLC are from Philly.....Fast Eddy is from Philly..... Wonder if any of those investor's ever made any campaign contributions? All Philly lawyers make campaign contributions, but I wonder who those guys made them to? At least the money is finally going to something that we will actually benefit from!

Until I learned Ray's name a few years ago I always thought that Tut's Lane was a jab at Camelback. It's due to Ray's vision that we have such a great ski area so close by most of us. To take on such a risky project, starting a ski area from scratch at age 53 after a successful career, takes a lot of spunk. I guess that's why they call those guys who served in WWII "The Greatest Generation."

Here's a sight that has information and some pictures about Hahn Mountain: Hahn Mountain Website

That was my original thought for this thread. If everyone feels that an official PSAR representative should send them the letter or email, or better yet deliver it personally, that sounds great by me. After a HS Lift, seems that the lighting is the most important issue for the members here.

Whoever did the original lighting design didn't have a clue as to what they were doing. Those parking lot lights they have on the towers are fine for lighting a soccer field, but not a ski slope. Whistler is almost completely dark at night. The NF has the best lighting but even some of those trails have dark spots. Without going into a lot of detail, the lighting needs to provide some definition to the surface to avoid flat light. The best way to light a slope is aim the light across the slope and down the hill. This provides some shadow effect on the slope for definition and avoids the lights shining in the skiers eyes. Blue has the best lighting of any ski area I have skied at night. (No gloating GSS! ) The only problem is that their lighting is so targeted that if one light burns out that whole section of the slope is dark.

Thanks for everyone's feedback. So far the #1 Improvement is a New High Speed Lift, closely followed by Better Lighting. So far my sources (not Sno employees) tell me that there is no lift ordered for next year. With a minimum 9 month delivery time, I don't see a New High Speed Lift happening for next season. Don't shoot me. I'm just the messenger! A new HS Lift is my first choice. Any Sno insider's have any info? My guess is that they are so busy on the water park that the new lift has fallen down the list of priorities. To be honest, with the new snowmaking, if they just get some good lighting in for next season I'll be happy. That and get the Long Haul running at design speed. My son just got his driver's license, so I will be able to ski Sno more often. I'll take the trade-off of less crowds and better conditions for one more season over the High Speed Lift.

Here's a link to a thread on NELSAP.org with some pictures that I thought some people on this site be interested in. If you check it out, please be respectful and ask permission before you walk around the property. The Cactus Grill has great food and a nice selection of micro brews on tap. It is a small place, so weekdays are best. (closed Tuesdays). If you do stop for some food or beer, let them know where you heard about the place. Maybe we could add Lost PA Ski Areas as a Topic to the site? Piper Hill Thread on NELSAP.org Cactus Grill Website

They're little nooks where FGT and GSS can take the hoe's that they meet in the lounge..... Why do you guys want to pick-up garden tools in the lounge anyway? But seriously, all the items on the survey were generated from suggestions on a previous thread. Cubby Holes are the sectioned off shelves for people who don't want to pay $3.00 for a locker to store their stuff in so it doesn't end up all over and under the tables, cluttering up the lodge.

This Poll is an attempt to find out what is Most Important to Most People from the Survey Thread results.

Here's the latest summary to date in order of the number of mentions in ( ): 1. Better Lighting (5) 2. New High Speed Lift (5) 3. Cubby Holes in the Lodge (5) 4. Free Ski Check (3) 5. Keep the North Face Trails Isolated from the rest of the Mountain.(3) 6. More Rails in Park (2) 7. A Back Country Trail (2) 8. Top-to-Bottom Black Diamond Trail (2) 9. Park Passes (1) 10. Moguls on Easier Slopes for Learning Bumps (1) 11. High Speed Lift on North Face (1) 12. Club Room for Race League (1) 13. Blow Snow on NF Nightly (1) 14. Parking Lot Tram to the Lodge (1) 15. More ski/board racks (1) 16. Bigger Jumps with Booters and Steeper Landings (1) 17. Bigger Half Pipe (1) 18. $1.00 lockers 19. Ski & Snowboard Racks on the Outside of the Shuttle (1) 20. Better Grooming (1) 21. More Step-Down/Step-Ups in the park (1)

Good point. I agree. Keep the Nubs Off of the North Face! The nubs are bad enough at the bottom of Fast Track and Runaway! That's the way I like to ski Cannonball as well. You can get some serious compression at the bottom of those drop offs though! I almost wiped-out backwards one time from it!

That's why I asked. Cannonball is one of my favorite trails at Sno. But why not the link? To keep the nubs off it? To keep it in the NF pod?

ski mentioned early on that a blue trail is needed from top-to-bottom. The drop-offs on Lower Fast Track and Lower Runaway result in a lot of yardsales for intermediate skiers. It's even tough for experts when you hit those drop-offs at the high speed you pick up from bombing the top 3/4 of the mountain. It's nice that the NF is sort of isolated, and well marked that it is expert terrain. That keeps most of the gapers off of trails that they shouldn't be on. When I was skiing Sno this year I thought it would be nice if they had a connection from Whistler and Upper Runaway to Cannonball. I know there's some trails through the trees, but most gapers won't take them. I think that both ski and GSS are right. Sno needs a top-to-bottom blue trail to appeal to the masses. The terrain won't support a top-to-bottom black diamond. Maybe the solution is to make a new top-to-bottom blue trail and a connection from Upper Runaway and Whistler to Cannonball. Any thoughts?

I like the idea of cubby holes as well. Some people will never use a locker whatever the price. If they don't have a place to stow their stuff it ends up on and under the tables. On crowded weekends that means less table space. At $3.00, even less people will use the lockers, or it factors into their decision of where to ski. "Junk all over the place and $3.00 lockers? Plus $3.00 ski check? Think I'll go to Elk, Camelback, or Blue." Sell ONE more lift ticket and you just made MORE than 16 locker or ski check sales! (Like ski said, some things should be free!) Another improvement: Ski and Board Racks that will actually hold skis and boards on the outside of the parking lot shuttles. Reason: Safer (no skis, poles, boards in the bus) Convenience: Don't have to hold skis, poles, boards, along with boots, ski clothes, food, drinks, etc. on the bus. I know it doesn't matter to the regulars who boot up at the car and head straight to the NF. I did the same 2 out 3 times I was there this season, but it does to matter to people with little kids, those who want to get dressed in the lodge, and the gapers. And that's where the incremental money is. They already have the season pass money.

So your suggestion is....No Lockers?

Here's another improvement sort of along the lines of the $3.00 ski check: $1.00 lockers Who needs unlimited access? Most people open them once or twice. Elk and Blue both have 50 cent lockers. Even if I locked it 3 times that's still half the price of Sno's. They put up signs for people not to put bags over top of the lockers. (which were ignored by the way.) If they block that space off people will just put stuff on and under the tables cluttering up the whole lodge. Stratton has a free bag check to avoid this, $1.00 lockers, and $2.00 ski check. Here's a summary to date in order of the number of mentions in ( ): 1. Better Lighting (5) 2. New High Speed Lift (4) 3. Free Ski Check (3) 3. Park Passes (1) 5. Moguls on Easier Slopes for Learning Bumps (1) 6. High Speed Lift on North Face (1) 7. Club Room for Race League (1) 8. Blow Snow on NF Nightly (1) 9. Parking Lot Tram to the Lodge (1) 10. More ski/board racks (1) 11. More Rails in Park (1) 12. Bigger Jumps with Booters and Steeper Landings (1) 13. A Back Country Trail (1) 14. Top-to-Bottom Black Diamond Trail (1) 15. Bigger Half Pipe (1) 16. $1.00 lockers

That's why I modified it from a "private lounge" to a "Club Room." A lot of areas have club rooms, but I don't think they allow keggers in them!

OK, I admit after reading Post#1, that it was too wordy. I probably had a few too many beers the night I wrote that! I could have just written- Post one improvement you would like to see and why. How's that for being brief and to the point? (At least I'm a happy drunk! ) I'm adding one more thing to the Wish List: Free Ski Check. Convenience. Less stolen skis and boards causing a bad rep. Here's a summary to date in no particular order with the number of mentions in ( ): 1. Better Lighting (3) 2. Blow Snow on NF Nightly (1) 3. Park Passes (1) 4. High Speed Lift (3) 5. Moguls on Easier Slopes for Learning Bumps (1) 6. High Speed Lift on North Face (1) 7. Club Room for Race League (1) 8. Free Ski Check (1) 9. Parking Lot Tram to the Lodge (1) Anything else or what is most important to you from the list?

I was at Stratton on Sunday 4-8. Conditions were great! Skied from 8:30am to 3:00pm. Did you see the Pond Skimming? Got some fresh tracks in the am. It snowed all day but they really only got 4"-6" of fresh powder. They got more farther north. All-in-all, a great last day of the season. (Or maybe not. I'm trying to figure a way to get to Killington next weekend! )

Thanks for the info! I can understand the others, but why wouldn't they run at least either Burma or Main Street? When I was there Wednesday, they were running Main Street then switched to running Burma. One thing I never understand is, at night they often close either Burma or Main St. But the closed lift keeps running. I can see that they save on labor by running only one lift, but wouldn't it make sense to shut the lift down to save on electricity as well?