Ty's TR 12/8/7 Opening Day

[Ski]

Hi, this Tylea and I'm doing the trip report because we skied my slopes today. We arrived at 11am and it wasn't windy at all in the parking lot. It's almost always windy and cold until you get on the slopes. We parked three spots away from the Phoebe lift and it was really fast to get on the snow. There weren't that many people skiing and no lift line for the Iron Horse. There are big piles of snow on Switch and the start house hasn't been moved. I think NASTAR won't be moved.

 

The snow on Switch was really good, but started to get really soft by noon. It was warm today. Mainline had some rails set up, but I don't know what they are called.

 

The lift people were really friendly and the french fries were really good, but they ran out of vanilla ice cream. They need to order more.

 

Highball isn't open yet and they had big trucks and machines piling up rocks. I hope they finish soon because Highball is a lot of fun to ski. I had to practice riding the lift by myself, so I did lots of laps on the bunny slope.

 

I had so much more fun at Sno than at Big Boulder because I didn't get run over by a snowboarder. I also liked that coach Chris and Dante said hello to me and my dad. And the bus driver remembers our Jeep and we don't have to tell him where to go. He's really nice.

 

I give today four out of five stars. It was great because Sno is our home mountain and I missed skiing there, but they need vanilla ice cream and Highball.

[Sno Mountain Skier]

Sno sucked end of story.

[bigdaddyk]

... but they need vanilla ice cream and Highball.

The highball is for Dad, I hope

 

 

 

Sno sucked end of story.

Really? What happened that they didn't open with more trails? Edited December 8, 2007 by bigdaddyk

[Sno Mountain Skier]

Really? What happened that they didn't open with more trails?

1. They didnt have a lot of trails open.

2. Coverage wasnt great.

3. The whole base area situtation is a joke.

4. Park features were set up terribly.

 

I could go on but would rather not.

[bigdaddyk]

1. They didnt have a lot of trails open.

2. Coverage wasnt great.

3. The whole base area situtation is a joke.

4. Park features were set up terribly.

 

I could go on but would rather not.

 

I guess I'll head to JF again on Sunday. It's mid-winter there, with half the mountain open.

[Ski]

The highball is for Dad, I hope

Really? What happened that they didn't open with more trails?

 

I like gin and an ice cube. Or gin without an ice cube.

 

Sno looks like a place under construction. Personally, I don't care what the base area looks like. Ty had a blast and started to feel a little less paranoid about out of control snowboarders smashing her, so it was a great day for us.

[bigdaddyk]

.... Ty had a blast and started to feel a little less paranoid about out of control snowboarders smashing her, so it was a great day for us.

 

 

That's all that matters.

[Ski]

Did they really have 15 trails open? Did they blow snow to the max this past week?

 

Eight, but really just CBall, Smoke, Whistler, and Mainline. Since Big doesn't wanna ski with me and Melissa tomorrow night, I'll post a TR on how the NF is...

[xNick11]

Sno wasn't that great. They did a horrible job at grooming the slopes and setting up the park features. They could have opened so many more trails, but they just seem to lazy to.

 

There are so many kids who don't know how to ski or ride their. My last run I almost was nailed by 2 people, I would have got so messed u cause I was flying, and they would have been even more messed up.

 

Good report Ty. Sno will definitely get your ice cream in soon.

[ski14]

sno is tackling too much in too little time

[riderossi]

sno is tackling too much in too little time

 

They are like your typical teenager in high school...waiting until the night before to start writing that 5 page paper.

[Ski]

They are like your typical teenager in high school...waiting until the night before to start writing that 5 page paper.

And still surfing PASR while writing.

[stever2003]

I like gin and an ice cube. Or gin without an ice cube.

 

Sno looks like a place under construction. Personally, I don't care what the base area looks like. Ty had a blast and started to feel a little less paranoid about out of control snowboarders smashing her, so it was a great day for us.

same here with the gin

[Melissa]

Okay here is my two cents...

 

I went yesterday and while it wasn't bad or anything, it was not what they had hyped it to be. 15 trails? It was 8. Also, I did NOT enjoy trekking through the mud to get on a trail. Finally, in case anyone cares, I was pleased with my performance given that I haven't been on skis in at least 6 years.

 

Why in the world did they not have more snow blown? It's been consistently below freezing (VERY below freezing!) since the end of November. Right now, it's raining at Sno, which means that some of the snow that they have will probably melt.

 

I'm sure it will get better, but for my first time ever skiing at Sno, I was not impressed.

 

Also, sorry to disappoint my fanclub (which really just has one member, Ski), but I will NOT be there tonight. It's yucky out, plus I just got back from spending the night in Clarendon, so I'm tired.

 

Cross your fingers for better results from Sno!!

[Matt80]

I just got back from sno and it was ok at noonish but then it started to freezing rain and i got bad and slushy, so i left at around 5:00

[Ski]

Okay here is my two cents...

 

I went yesterday and while it wasn't bad or anything, it was not what they had hyped it to be. 15 trails? It was 8. Also, I did NOT enjoy trekking through the mud to get on a trail. Finally, in case anyone cares, I was pleased with my performance given that I haven't been on skis in at least 6 years.

 

Why in the world did they not have more snow blown? It's been consistently below freezing (VERY below freezing!) since the end of November. Right now, it's raining at Sno, which means that some of the snow that they have will probably melt.

 

I'm sure it will get better, but for my first time ever skiing at Sno, I was not impressed.

 

Also, sorry to disappoint my fanclub (which really just has one member, Ski), but I will NOT be there tonight. It's yucky out, plus I just got back from spending the night in Clarendon, so I'm tired.

 

Cross your fingers for better results from Sno!!

 

We just got back from skiing 1 to 4pm and they did open Switch today, so it's now nine trails (5 really). Because I'm with Ty, I still haven't been down on the NF, but they sure haven't hit the guns hard up top, yet. They couldn't blow today with 99% humidity and 30 degrees, but it's a long way from how hard they blew in January. We were skiing in a constant man made blizzard.

[Ski]

I'm also part of your fanclub It's cool reading a trip report from another perspective. A first impression is a lasting impression. I wonder why Sno didn't take advantage of the prolonged period of cold weather. With several days of above freezing weather ahead and the holidays lurking they seem to have done a pretty half-assed job snowmaking. They owe it to their loyal season passholders to do better and it makes good business sense. If they have bugs in their new snowmaking system they should be honest and upfront about it. In business, meeting or exceeding your customers expectations is essential. Saying they're going to open with 15 runs and then actually opening with 8 runs is a bad business move. Just my inflation adjusted 2 cents.

 

It's hard to know whether you're genuinely interested in our welfare, or just trying to make a point about Blue vs. Sno. Firstly, most Sno passholders dread the thought of Sno ever being like Blue. We are not envious of long lift lines in which they have to install 6-packs to put the hordes of people on the slopes instead of standing on each other's skis and boards in lines. Most of the passholders I know would would rather ski and board when they want, rather than having to sneak a bunch of runs in before sunrise. Yes, tourists bitch and moan about their Hellish time dealing with the mud in Mad River's parking lot and never any place to sit at Sugarbush's lodges, but there's a core of people who would have it no other way.

 

Two or three years ago, we'd still be skiing Mainline only for another week. Does everyone forget that?

 

So, Doug, don't feel sorry for us.

 

I sure don't blame Sean and Nick for being pissed about what could be right now; if I was 17, I'd look at the silent guns and be saying what the fuck, too. But I'm not heading off to college next year and can look at the bigger picture. Am I making excuses? No, not really. I think the quirkiness of Montage was one of the biggest draws for us. I compared having to hike up and around a dead lift and then skiing down weirdly designed empty slopes versus another day on Honeymoon Lane. What an easy decision that was.

 

Actually, we feel sorry for you and Jeffy and the rest of Booter's faithful. But we'll refrain from being condescending. You at least get to take runs with Larry!

 

Just show us love, Doug, and we'll love you back. And, just FYI, remember that I voted YES for you on staff.

 

Show the love, Doug....show the love.

[Ski]

I'm interested in the success of Sno. You guys got screwed when it was Montage and it always irritated me when you would report how they would close early due to a slight breeze. The day I visited Montage in 2006 was fun but there were pebbles all over the place in late February. Then last season the passholders got screwed out of the first month of the season due to all the county commisioner crap. It irritates me that they had so much good snowmaking weather and the modern snowmaking machinery and hyped their opening of 15 runs, then didn't deliver. I call it like I see it.

 

I'm not comparing Sno to Blue. Blue has their shit together. It doesn't take 2 hours to get a season pass at Blue. I don't get all muddy walking to the snow at Blue. It's not apples to apples. Sno charges alot of money for their season pass and isn't delivering on their promises. I know you're spoiled by the lack of people but if Sno wants to be successful they have to draw more customers and they're going to need a higj speed lift. They're not delivering on all they hype...Put that in your halfpipe and smoke it...

 

Well, thank you for worrying about us. It's cool to know that Sno is the only ski area to over hype.

 

Hey, just as a side bar, we get a free magazine in the mail called Connections and this was in the Out & About section...

"Camelback--Voted the "Best Ski Resort in the Poconos" 2002-3. Well-maintained. Friendly staff. The most lifts and usually short lift lines. Last year they closed ticket sales when the lines got longer than about 20 minutes. A bold move."

 

A bold move indeed! CB sounds fucking awesome, I might go there.

[millerm277]

I'm not comparing Sno to Blue. Blue has their shit together. It doesn't take 2 hours to get a season pass at Blue. I don't get all muddy walking to the snow at Blue. It's not apples to apples. Sno charges alot of money for their season pass and isn't delivering on their promises. I know you're spoiled by the lack of people but if Sno wants to be successful they have to draw more customers and they're going to need a higj speed lift. They're not delivering on all they hype...Put that in your halfpipe and smoke it...

 

That is true. Then again, Blue has nothing remotely steep, other than Falls, which is about 2 seconds long. Sno is doing a lot of work on the mountain, and while it's a pain in the ass right now, I think they'll be much better off in a couple years. Before they put in a HS lift, they need more trails to spread out the increased numbers of people they'll have, which is what they did/are doing.

 

Besides, even what it's like right now is way better than what the county had been doing.

 

On an unrelated note, do they have a new trailmap yet? And if so, could someone scan it and post it?

Edited December 10, 2007 by millerm277

[ski14]

I saw the trail map from a lady at the mountain, if you can remember that little path off of Upper Fast track, from the map it looks as if that is the trail just widened. That was the only trail on the map that looked new, other than connections

[skibum2007]

I saw the trail map from a lady at the mountain, if you can remember that little path off of Upper Fast track, from the map it looks as if that is the trail just widened. That was the only trail on the map that looked new, other than connections

 

 

The new trail map isnt public yet they have a trail named rattler off of upper fast track and will make the glades between the two legal to ski. Then a trail down next to cannonball and a few small ones. I actually dont think what they did with mainline and ran it right to the buny hill is bad, at least we dont have to huff it up to the bunny hill.

 

Give them a little more time and im sure they will be up and running and some people who are negetive can eat our sno.

[Ski]

Give them a little more time and im sure they will be up and running and some people who are negetive can eat our sno.

 

[Melissa]

For the record, I was not trying to be negative, I am just baffled as to why they didn't have more snow blown. Plus, I think it's lame that they hyped having 15 trails open and then didn't make it. In my opinion, it's better public relations to not make promises you do not keep. If I expect 15 trails to be open, I am disappointed when there are not 15 trails open.

[skibum2007]

For the record, I was not trying to be negative, I am just baffled as to why they didn't have more snow blown. Plus, I think it's lame that they hyped having 15 trails open and then didn't make it. In my opinion, it's better public relations to not make promises you do not keep. If I expect 15 trails to be open, I am disappointed when there are not 15 trails open.

I am not saying you are negative Melissa and sorry if I offended you, there are some people on here that only want to bash sno mountain. It's their second year running a ski resort and to boot a resort that was in horrible shape. They inherited a mess- this year they have a new general manager and one who knows what he's doing. They inherited bad equiptment and the facilities really needed upgrading.

 

THE SNOW SITUATION:

The fact was they thought they were going to have more open but when it came down to it they didnt get the cover they wanted to be safe enough to let people ski on it. I would rather ski on fewer trails with good quality that poor quality with some thin/bear spots. Yeah jumping and saying 15 trails wasnt right but its what he was informed and then it changed. Trail status and situations change. Im glad they opened this weekend and we didnt have to wait till mid January like last season.They were down a pump and that reduced some of the water able to be pumped.

 

They will improve as soon as the weather starts to cooperate again

Edited December 10, 2007 by skibum2007

[Ski]

Yeah, Melissa, I thought it was a given that you weren't included since you hadn't been dealing with how it was under county ownership. Are you heading up tonight?