Mountain Creek 3-10-25

[RidgeRacer]

Have the day off today, wanted to ski but I felt like going someplace different / new. Caveat I wasn't feeling driving 3+ hours. So 104 minutes later here I am riding the cabriolet lift at Mountain Creek. First time here and New Jersey marks the 9th different state that I've skied in. My first impressions....it's pretty spread out. And the drive was mostly back roads which I was surprised by, the cabriolet is pointless and stupid and the base music is trash. Conditions are standard spring mashed potatoes. Definitely fun. Only skied great northern so far so more to come as I explore the place. Negatives aside so far a beautiful spring skiing day at a new place!

Edited Monday at 02:27 PM by RidgeRacer

[EdBacon]

I don't hate Mountain Creek.

[RidgeRacer]

Some steeper pitches here and there. Definitely thin cover in places. Don't see this place surviving too long after this week. Good terrain and they definitely make the most out of almost 1100 vert. Just funny to me how 40 something trails can be so spread out. So much mountain that is untouched in between. Riding granite now as I don't feel like getting on the cabriolet. Heading to South and bear next

[RidgeRacer]

Actually ended up back at Vernon for a few not then back to granite. The sojourn trail (which takes you to South and bear was supposed to open at noon according to a guy I rode the cabriolet with. Now a liftie is telling me it won't open and if I want to ski over there I need to drive. That's not happening so it looks like I'm staying on Vernon and granite unless sojourn opens. Side note... There are litter and lose pass signs everywhere. You can do it blue!

[RidgeRacer]

We out. Hella fun spring ski day. Beautiful weather and fun trying someplace new. MC is worth the trip if you've never been. Never got to South unfortunately (mostly terrain park pic below) but perhaps next time. The cabriolet makes no sense to me. Why stand and take off your skis when you can sit and keep your skis on? Its not like a gondola that carries more people and protects you from the elements. Probably my only gripe. Cool place and fun ski day for sure.

[Benm]

1 hour ago, RidgeRacer said:

The cabriolet 

 

looks like something that should be at knoebels.

[RidgeRacer]

1 hour ago, Benm said:

looks like something that should be at knoebels.

Indeed it does.

[enjoralas]

1 hour ago, Benm said:

looks like something that should be at knoebels.

 

9 minutes ago, RidgeRacer said:

Indeed it does.

Don't you put that evil on Knoebels

[Kyle]

They should put a loop on the cabriolet, worked out well for the water slide 

[Icecoast]

The cab wasn’t supposed to be the only lift on Vernon. It was supposed to be used to access a mountain top development that was never built, and another high speed chairlift was supposed to go in.

The master plan shows all the development that never happened. Many new trails were supposed to fill in the gaps. There are also a ton of abandoned trails as well.

the new (current) owners are committed to installing a 6 pack on Vernon soon. I think the snowmaking upgrade they made on Vernon this year was a step towards it.

Edited 20 hours ago by Icecoast

[RidgeRacer]

That makes a ton of sense re: the cab and so much terrain in between granite and South. Good to see that there's a plan. I saw what appeared to be able abondoned trail off of granite coming down, skiers left almost going towards South peak area. I assumed it was a natural snow trail but there were pipes running along the side, weird thing was it's not on the map. Tbh If they follow through with that map the place could be a beast for this area. Not to mention, there is some really steep rock face on granite. That area could actually be legit steep.

[Icecoast]

On 3/10/2025 at 10:49 AM, EdBacon said:

I don't hate Mountain Creek.

I do. I had a pass there this year and going with indy next year. the park has terrible flow, is too spread out, and the horizon trail ruins vernon by cutting across every trail on that peak. 

1 hour ago, RidgeRacer said:

That makes a ton of sense re: the cab and so much terrain in between granite and South. Good to see that there's a plan. I saw what appeared to be able abondoned trail off of granite coming down, skiers left almost going towards South peak area. I assumed it was a natural snow trail but there were pipes running along the side, weird thing was it's not on the map. Tbh If they follow through with that map the place could be a beast for this area. Not to mention, there is some really steep rock face on granite. That area could actually be legit steep.

That map is from the 90's. It was Intrawest's plan for the place. The current owners (who also operate big snow) dont plan on really doing much other than lift/snowmaking upgrades. The triple on vernon is where they are going to put the six pack and keep the cab for mountain top weddings and mountain biking. There are two abandoned trails on vernon that they are going to re-open when the lift is added. One cuts through the condos from granite, the other cuts from the garden state trail to skiers left of the waterpark under the triple. 

The abandoned trail on granite was called pipeline. It was truly steep, but when the condos went in it was cut in half, and you would have a sharp 90 degree turn at the bottom onto another abandoned trail called granite view, which wrapped around granite, kind of like a mellower belt parkway at hunter. 
 

I marked the known abandoned trails in red.

Edited 18 hours ago by Icecoast

[EdBacon]

I liked the broken glass and skiing under the high tension line. 

[RidgeRacer]

6 hours ago, Icecoast said:

I do. I had a pass there this year and going with indy next year. the park has terrible flow, is too spread out, and the horizon trail ruins vernon by cutting across every trail on that peak. 

That map is from the 90's. It was Intrawest's plan for the place. The current owners (who also operate big snow) dont plan on really doing much other than lift/snowmaking upgrades. The triple on vernon is where they are going to put the six pack and keep the cab for mountain top weddings and mountain biking. There are two abandoned trails on vernon that they are going to re-open when the lift is added. One cuts through the condos from granite, the other cuts from the garden state trail to skiers left of the waterpark under the triple. 

The abandoned trail on granite was called pipeline. It was truly steep, but when the condos went in it was cut in half, and you would have a sharp 90 degree turn at the bottom onto another abandoned trail called granite view, which wrapped around granite, kind of like a mellower belt parkway at hunter. 
 

I marked the known abandoned trails in red.

Nice post and thanks. Some of those abandoned trails make sense now. There really is a lot of potential there. Those rock face areas on granite looked pretty insane