Elk 1/16/22

[abe]

(Downhill) Ski day #1 of the new year for me, I didn't go last week because I had covid, oops. (Glad to get that out of the while I'm on break I guess)

Absolute amateur hour on my part, I rolled into Montage bright and early for opening, tried to redeem my Indy pass, it's blacked out (duh 🙄) - well at this point at Montage I figured I am most of the way to Vermont so I just cruise up 81 to Elk, eating my crunchy bologna sandwich which had frozen solid because I left it in the car last night.

Elk was busy but I probably didn't wait more than 5min for a lift, those lines move deceivingly fast.  Trails were not crowded at all.  Snow quality was great except the far west trails which were a bit slick.  Line at the quad was a bit longer than at the lodge because they weren't running the double over there, I assume to keep those trails from become slicker since there were a few routes not open over there.

It was warmer than I expected after driving up in 0 degrees this morning, it was 28 when I left but definitely had chilled after the clouds showed up.  Beautiful day before then.  Elk should be opening a few more trails soon that they blowing on today.  Apparently it was deserted yesterday and last night due to the cold.

I got one last run in perfectly timed, a good time to quit too as my legs were getting pretty tired from telemarking down the (not quite) 1000 feet of vertical excitement looking like a noob.  I had a very large and very reasonably priced slice of pizza and coffee, got a personal elk wagon back to my car, and started cruising back down 81 towards Lancaster just in time to catch some nice wintry precipitarion.

Well if I had been thinking I would have taken the northeast extension and 222 back but I was not, I pull off 81 in Pine Grove and soon come to the realization that I am on route 645 on top of Blue Mountain in my outback with all-season tires with several inches of fresh wintery mix in the dark.  So I decended in 1st gear and 1 hour behind schedule finally roll into Lancaster after stopping at Turkey hill to clean the ice off my wipers.

Anyway the skiing was great and I can't say the drive wasn't interesting.

 

Edited January 17, 2022 by abe

[momskeeztoo]

Sounds like a great day. I’ve never seen that many people at Elk! 

[abe]

By the lodge the doubles line and the halfway double line almost converged at peak busyness but it was still only a 5min line over there max.  Not bad at all for a holiday I thought

Quad line may have been slightly longer but I was using the singles line so it wasn't bad either.

Lift ticket line was kind of long maybe 15min, you can do RFID in advance online this year and print it out right to the quad if you plan ahead.

Elk has almost all of their terrain open and definitely has a good product out right now.  They said they are hiring but seem to have plenty of staff around other than 1 of the 5 ticket windows being unstaffed and west double not running (which I think was to conserve snow product and not indicative of a staff shortage anyway)

Edited January 17, 2022 by abe

[abe]

Elk's new RFID system works far better than Blue's btw.  Very sensitive and doesn't lock you out if you don't get through in time.

Somehow the crowd was managing to load the chairs to full capacity without aid of an attendant

[momskeeztoo]

Wow, Elk got RFID system! Bear got one this year, as well. 

[abe]

My only complaint is that it doesn't show the time when it runs out when you scan it like at Blue.  I wasn't sure the exact minute I started and was unsure if I would get rejected on the last run.  It starts when you first scan like at Blue.

 

Also Elk charges you $5 for the card unless you reload which irks me a bit but whatever.  All their other prices are very reasonable.

[enjoralas]

16 minutes ago, abe said:

My only complaint is that it doesn't show the time when it runs out when you scan it like at Blue.  I wasn't sure the exact minute I started and was unsure if I would get rejected on the last run.  It starts when you first scan like at Blue.

 

Also Elk charges you $5 for the card unless you reload which irks me a bit but whatever.  All their other prices are very reasonable.

I think the $5 card charge is common most places that do them. I know it was added to both my trips to Steamboat and at Copper in the past few years.

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

1 hour ago, abe said:

Elk's new RFID system works far better than Blue's btw.  Very sensitive and doesn't lock you out if you don't get through in time.

Somehow the crowd was managing to load the chairs to full capacity without aid of an attendant

Who doesn’t get through in time?  Hasn’t happened to me yet.  

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

Elk looks so little compared to Blue.  

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

1 hour ago, enjoralas said:

I think the $5 card charge is common most places that do them. I know it was added to both my trips to Steamboat and at Copper in the past few years.

Jackson hole as well. 

[abe]

On rare occasions myself or a friend doesn't pay attention and the blue gate scans your pass but it is not possible to get through because there are people in the way on the other side.  Then you are blocked from trying again for several minutes because blue assumes you are trying to get your buddies in without each having a pass

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

4 hours ago, abe said:

On rare occasions myself or a friend doesn't pay attention and the blue gate scans your pass but it is not possible to get through because there are people in the way on the other side.  Then you are blocked from trying again for several minutes because blue assumes you are trying to get your buddies in without each having a pass

Here’s something you should do,”pay attention”. To when your Indy pass is blacked out, and if you left your sandwich in the car overnight.  Don’t worry, I know of people who forgot to bring their beer inside Friday night and Saturday AM their beers were solid blocks of ice.  How long was the drive back to Lancaster from Elk?  Nice report!!!

[enjoralas]

3 hours ago, GrilledSteezeSandwich said:

Here’s something you should do,”pay attention”. To when your Indy pass is blacked out, and if you left your sandwich in the car overnight.  Don’t worry, I know of people who forgot to bring their beer inside Friday night and Saturday AM their beers were solid blocks of ice.  How long was the drive back to Lancaster from Elk?  Nice report!!!

 

[abe]

5 hours ago, GrilledSteezeSandwich said:

Here’s something you should do,”pay attention”. To when your Indy pass is blacked out, and if you left your sandwich in the car overnight.  Don’t worry, I know of people who forgot to bring their beer inside Friday night and Saturday AM their beers were solid blocks of ice.  How long was the drive back to Lancaster from Elk?  Nice report!!!

Lol like I said amateur hour

Its 2hr40 to Elk, 2hr 10 to Montage, 1hr40 to Blue

Edited January 17, 2022 by abe

[abe]

2 hours ago, enjoralas said:

 

I had it coming when I compared Elk's RFID to Blue's

Edited January 17, 2022 by abe

[antman12]

17 minutes ago, abe said:

I had it coming when I compared Elk's RFID to Blue's

Rule #1 on PASR....dont EVER critic the beloved Blue Mtn.

[Kyle]

34 minutes ago, abe said:

I had it coming when I compared Elk's RFID to Blue's

 

15 minutes ago, antman12 said:

Rule #1 on PASR....dont EVER critic the beloved Blue Mtn.

Rule #2 on PASR…. Just ignore everything GSS says 

[antman12]

2 minutes ago, Kyle said:

 

Rule #2 on PASR…. Just ignore everything GSS says 

QFTT

Anyways. Don't wanna hijack your thread @abe. Sounds like you made the right decision to hit Elk, glad you had a good time.

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

1 hour ago, Kyle said:

 

Rule #2 on PASR…. Just ignore everything GSS says 

Kyle I will say that if you divide your number of posts by the number of days you ski...you’re actually the biggest post whore on here.  You’re fucking neurotic and OCD...I remember when you flew to Tampa and you were like wow my flight is 15 minutes delayed, now it’s ten minutes early...now it’s 20 minutes late. Fuck off

Edited January 17, 2022 by GrilledSteezeSandwich

[Kyle]

1 hour ago, GrilledSteezeSandwich said:

Kyle I will say that if you divide your number of posts by the number of days you ski...you’re actually the biggest post whore on here.  You’re fucking neurotic and OCD...I remember when you flew to Tampa and you were like wow my flight is 15 minutes delayed, now it’s ten minutes early...now it’s 20 minutes late. Fuck off

Feisty this morning are we? I think it’s time for a sugar free Red Bull. 

[toast21602]

1 hour ago, GrilledSteezeSandwich said:

Kyle I will say that if you divide your number of posts by the number of days you ski...you’re actually the biggest post whore on here.  You’re fucking neurotic and OCD...I remember when you flew to Tampa and you were like wow my flight is 15 minutes delayed, now it’s ten minutes early...now it’s 20 minutes late. Fuck off

Let's make this a day of kindness. 

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

57 minutes ago, Kyle said:

Feisty this morning are we? I think it’s time for a sugar free Red Bull. 

I was trying to hold off on that until I get more work done.  

[Johnny Law]

On 1/17/2022 at 10:17 AM, antman12 said:

Rule #1 on PASR....dont EVER critic the beloved Blue Mtn.

Only for some, others are some of the most critical of blue. 

Blues card system is total shit, it has only ever kind of worked and unless it's in your sleeve you have to know how to hump it. Half the things are broken because even when you do it right it still doesn't scan and peeps just push though. It goes with the lifts and some of the grooming and some of the snow making quality and some of their business decisions. I do think it was one of the first systems in the area which may explain some things.  

Controversial opinion..... Elk is one of the exceptionally few places I cannot recall more than a few sections of trails because they are mostly the same and boring in design. 

[JFskiDan]

8 hours ago, Johnny Law said:

Only for some, others are some of the most critical of blue. 

Blues card system is total shit, it has only ever kind of worked and unless it's in your sleeve you have to know how to hump it. Half the things are broken because even when you do it right it still doesn't scan and peeps just push though. It goes with the lifts and some of the grooming and some of the snow making quality and some of their business decisions. I do think it was one of the first systems in the area which may explain some things.  

Controversial opinion..... Elk is one of the exceptionally few places I cannot recall more than a few sections of trails because they are mostly the same and boring in design. 

And yet, with all of the bizarre and messed up stuff Blue does, they manage to pull off the stunt ditch..........by accident no less.    

I have said it before, over all, Blue is kinda messed up.  but its that kinda messed up that we have all grown to love.  Might be some changes coming, but you simply cant undo something thats been messed up for a while, in a few months.