Weekend outlook

[XSKI712]

whats the weekend outlook for BC? i'm a roundtop pass holder and loyal patron, but things arent lookin so hot for the final weekend. I just want to know if it'll be worth paying out of pocket to head up to BC this weekend. mainly, i'm interested in how the pipe looks.

 

another dilema would be where my next years patronage will belong. I've considered getting a bear creek night pass, and have been weighing my options. when in peak conditions (with the superpipe open) roundtop goes toe to toe with anywhere i've ridden (besides VT). however, bear creek seems to have a little more as far as park things go. one thing i'm concered about though is that bear creek just doesnt seem to have the terrain that roundtop does, outside the park. i'd really hate to give up ramrod and gunbarrel just for a few good hits. just curious and wanted some opinions. be fair too, just becuase you're bear creek locals, dont be biased. thanks

 

kevin

[Papasteeze]

Word is that the progression with the park at RT is diminishing comparitively to previous years. Meanwhile, BC is expanding and notching things up for next year, talk of a Superpipe and dedicated racing trails. RT and BC are both 90 minutes from home. We will have Night passes to BC at a minimum for next year. My money is on BC

[Shadows]

so, is this weekend the final weekend. like after this sunday you wont be able to ski again at BC?

i have a buy on get on free ticket valid midweek/non holiday and all. so does that mean if i want to use it i have to go now through friday?

Edited March 15, 2006 by Shadows

[toast21602]

i'd say yes. look at the webcam.

[Shadows]

i'd say yes. look at the webcam.

 

yea i noticed, it looked horrible

[VTmark]

i was their today and well i noticed rocks i haven't seen scence teh fall festivle. but when i left the snow was turring into a shttet of ice quickly. and it looked like they snowguns were still hooked up. umm thats all i really can tell you right now.

[swdorsey]

pipe is done for the season dont coem for it bc it doesnt exist... scheck teh webcam teh day u want to come and you will know which is better

[Matt]

I also just got back today, actually 45 minutes ago. There are quite a few bare spots, but nothing major ... you have plenty of room to ski around them.

 

The word from the lift operators is that Sunday at 4pm, BC will be closed for the season. Also, they will be blowing if the temp (which it should) drops low enough.

[kmudrick]

mainly, i'm interested in how the pipe looks.

 

The pipe is wrecked. Too many muddy/bare spots in the middle and the walls are pretty inconsistent. I don't imagine it will be fun.

 

one thing i'm concered about though is that bear creek just doesnt seem to have the terrain that roundtop does, outside the park. i'd really hate to give up ramrod and gunbarrel just for a few good hits. just curious and wanted some opinions. be fair too, just becuase you're bear creek locals, dont be biased. thanks

 

If you're interested in nice long or challenging trails, BC is not the place for you. Outside of the park, the terrain is really lacking. There's a nice boarder x course, but since my season started in late January (I was out with a broken wrist for a while), I haven't been there one day where the features were actually setup on that course.

 

 

I also just got back today, actually 45 minutes ago. There are quite a few bare spots, but nothing major ... you have plenty of room to ski around them.

 

The word from the lift operators is that Sunday at 4pm, BC will be closed for the season. Also, they will be blowing if the temp (which it should) drops low enough.

 

So all that April talk.. just BS and unsubstantiated rumors?

[burton71]

I also just got back today, actually 45 minutes ago. There are quite a few bare spots, but nothing major ... you have plenty of room to ski around them.

I was there to. Surprisingly it wasn't all that bad. Yeah there are some bare spots but there was a nice line through the park. Plus temps are looking good to blow some new snow. Edited March 15, 2006 by burton71

[VTmark]

So all that April talk.. just BS and unsubstantiated rumors?

no BCmark suggested that he's the infomous GM at bear.

[BC-Mark]

We had every intention of staying open weeknights and full weekend hours as long as the conditions allowed, ideally into mid-april.

The hot weather lately destroyed those hopes. Once the ground thaws and the snow starts to melt rapidly you end up with lots of water flowing under the snow so it is melting from both sides.

We spent 2 hours yesterday discussing the upcoming snowmaking opportunities and, best case scenario, we would be able to make just under 15 acre feet of snow. That translates into less than 8" over the terrain we hoped to keep open. With the snow acting as an insulator for the thawed ground/flowing water it wouldn't last long enough to pay for the snowmaking expense.

Let's hope that we have a colder winter next year so we can stockpile more snow on the parks and we can make it into April.

 

On the plus size, we did have some piles of snow that we were able to push out last night and conditions are much better today.

 

Hope to see everyone at the pond skimming on Sunday.

Edited March 15, 2006 by BC-Mark

[snorovr]

Let me be one of the first to thank you for trying. Keep pushing the PA freeride scene like you guys have. I was only able to come up twice this year, but had a blast both times. Thanks again!

[BC-Mark]

Thanks freeridintre.

We are already planning for next year. So far it looks like the Cascade and Timberline expansions are a go. Looks like the tubing relocation will have to wait one more year since permitting isn't moving as quickly as we hoped.

We are also keeping Andy Lenhart on year-round as a dedicated terrain park manager. He will spend his summer working on new features for next year and planning the layout.

[kmudrick]

We had every intention of staying open weeknights and full weekend hours as long as the conditions allowed, ideally into mid-april.

The hot weather lately destroyed those hopes. Once the ground thaws and the snow starts to melt rapidly you end up with lots of water flowing under the snow so it is melting from both sides.

 

Hmm. So essentially, a handful of above-average temperature days killed it (the first week of March was actually below-average)? When you initially said Mid-April, what kind of weather were you anticipating for late-March, early April anyway?

 

I'm sure we all appreciate the effort, but personally, I'd rather have never had my hopes up in the first place.

 

Any word on the park-only reduced-price pass idea you floated earlier in the season? Something like that would be fantastic.

[Tyler]

i'd like to think everyone at BC for yet another great year of snowboarding....i had a blast all 45+ times i was able to come this year....i was very impresed by the way you handled this unpredictably mild winter....i'll definetly be back to get another season pass next year...thanks again ...hopefully i can come up 1 or 2 more times

Edited March 15, 2006 by Oakley21

[bud]

I guess Blue cares more about it's regulars than BC since they will be making snow the next 4 nites.

[VTmark]

I guess Blue cares more about it's regulars than BC since they will be making snow the next 4 nites.

 

you have no idea how rong you are on that post.

[bud]

Ok, I'll buy that. Blue just has much superior snowmaking.

[swdorsey]

is that a joke u think blue has good snowmaking

[bud]

Even BC will admit that Blue has better snowmaking.

[eye-cue]

I honestly believe that no mountain in PA cares more about there regulars than BC. This is considering most of there regulars ride the park. Look at how the other mountains have tried to catch up with BC's park over the last couple of years. Thanks for a great season and doing everything you could to make it great even when mother nature didn't help.

[method9455]

I think bear creek should go the way of Bear mountain CA and just make it 100% park, or nearly so. Mountain Creek should do the same. Leave other mountains for freeriding, just suck all the park rats into those 2 and have some sick ass parks.

[poconoceancity]

I think bear creek should go the way of Bear mountain CA and just make it 100% park, or nearly so. Mountain Creek should do the same. Leave other mountains for freeriding, just suck all the park rats into those 2 and have some sick ass parks.

 

park rats aren't going to pack the base lodge at $200 per night.