New England 2018/19 Northeast

[surfsnowgirl]

I called Magic a few months ago to ask if they have a discount for people with season passes at other places. They said no, check out our website for specials. I understand their position on this, but since i have to by 4 tickets and have two kids that plan on going to college my generosity can only go so far. For $50 each I would have been happy to go for a day and buy lunch etc.

Pretty funny or sad that $200 is drop in the ski bucket these days.

I hear ya on the x4. We don't have kids but I know plenty of people who do and it can get expensive fast. They do offer specials on their website. I like the $29 throwback Thursday special. My friend Tracey is courtesy staff at Bromley and she gets 10 free tickets a season so when she doesn't have B in kids rule for $25 she gets her a lift ticket so she can ski. Last sunday was a Connecticut ski council day at bromley so we had a bus or two in with ski clubs. That's one thing about Magic is the affordability of their lunches. Michael and I actually get our own lunch when there ha ha. You can get a $6 burger. They have $5 vodka and gin drinks at the black line tavern. Things can get expensive fast so it's nice to have ways to save money. Magic does offer under $50 lift tickets on liftopia if you buy in advance.

 

[Wilhelmson]

$60 this Saturday at Magic and $51 next Saturday. But with 6 out of 13 more difficult trails open Killington or Sugarbush for free is too good. Not knocking Magic, but it is what it is.

Besides the revenue sharing ikon is getting warm bodies and wallets to the member mountains. We're even getting 15% off boyne run lodging for a night which was surprising.

Magic could do the same but get 100% of their discounted price.

 

[surfsnowgirl]

$60 this Saturday at Magic and $51 next Saturday. But with 6 out of 13 more difficult trails open Killington or Sugarbush for free is too good. Not knocking Magic, but it is what it is.

Besides the revenue sharing ikon is getting warm bodies and wallets to the member mountains. We're even getting 15% off boyne run lodging for a night which was surprising.

Magic could do the same but get 100% of their discounted price.

I hear ya. I hope Magic stays out of the multi passes and keeps going as they are as an indie. If I had an IKON I can see the draw of sugarbush or killington. Take IKON out of it for me and there's no question that I'd rather be at Magic for many reasons but that's just me.

 

[Jersey Skier]

$60 this Saturday at Magic and $51 next Saturday. But with 6 out of 13 more difficult trails open Killington or Sugarbush for free is too good. Not knocking Magic, but it is what it is.

Besides the revenue sharing ikon is getting warm bodies and wallets to the member mountains. We're even getting 15% off boyne run lodging for a night which was surprising.

Magic could do the same but get 100% of their discounted price.

This is a holiday weekend. And, doesn't Magic limit ticket sales to 1500? I'd pay extra for fewer crowds on a busy holiday weekend. I find that crowds take the enjoyment out of skiing more than anything else for me. Probably why I usually ski mid week or Plattekill.

 

[surfsnowgirl]

This is a holiday weekend. And, doesn't Magic limit ticket sales to 1500? I'd pay extra for fewer crowds on a busy holiday weekend. I find that crowds take the enjoyment out of skiing more than anything else for me. Probably why I usually ski mid week or Plattekill.

This was indeed a holiday weekend (MLK) and if I recall magic did reach capacity and halted ticket sales. I'd pay extra too. Plus the vibe and crowds are just different there.

 

[LKLA]

This is a holiday weekend. And, doesn't Magic limit ticket sales to 1500? I'd pay extra for fewer crowds on a busy holiday weekend. I find that crowds take the enjoyment out of skiing more than anything else for me. Probably why I usually ski mid week or Plattekill.

1,500 may not be a lot for a place like Killington, but for Magic it may be more than it can handle. Killington has about 1,500 skiable acres. Magic barely has 130 skiable acres. So about 12 times smaller. 1,500 at Magic may feel like 18,000 at Killington.

 

[KevinF]

Regarding limited ticket sales at Magic... I seem to remember that potential is what lured @Tony S to Magic on MLK weekend as well and he still encountered massive lift lines. You're going to get more than 1,500 once you account for the pass holders.

 

[Wilhelmson]

That's great they're selling out without selling out. Must be a good year for everyone. Still, an ikon/epic holder discount would keep it on our minds and could help in the lean years.

 

[mdf]

Man that sucks. Not unusual at all at that time to only have 1 running. They only have 3 chairs but the black one is out of commission at the moment and MLK weekend was before the mid mountain chair (green) was running so the Red chair was IT.

I asked a local the day before the powder if the Black chair would run, and he told me that (coincidentally) the Vt Tramway inspector was there and it depended on what he said. The Black did not run. I believe they are replacing it over the summer with a used chair from Stratton.
The Green chair was running, but it had almost as long a line and it does not go to the top -- best terrain needs Red or Black.

So MLK + powder + no-black-chair = long lines.

I think the "limited ticket sales" is bull... they limit the sales to more than they ever sell anyway.

I still like Magic and I am willing to forgive them, but I do think they did some things that need forgiving.

 

[surfsnowgirl]

I'm of the mindset that while EPIC/IKON is cool and has positives but also has negatives attached to it. I hope that the indie or otherwise smaller owned mountains stay that way. Magic and Bromley get a good bit of ski club/bus traffic as the EPIC/IKON resorts aren't as willing to work with the ski clubs any longer and that's too bad. While those multi passes do good things revenue wise, they bring more crowds to a resort and this is bad for those of us who frequent these places.

 

[surfsnowgirl]

I asked a local the day before the powder if the Black chair would run, and he told me that (coincidentally) the Vt Tramway inspector was there and it depended on what he said. The Black did not run. I believe they are replacing it over the summer with a used chair from Stratton.
The Green chair was running, but it had almost as long a line and it does not go to the top -- best terrain needs Red or Black.

So MLK + powder + no-black-chair = long lines.

I think the "limited ticket sales" is bull... they limit the sales to more than they ever sell anyway.

I still like Magic and I am willing to forgive them, but I do think they did some things that need forgiving.

I'm sorry you had that experience. Aside from the long lift lines, how were the crowds on the runs? Agreed best terrain is serviced by Red/Black chairs. Black chair just failed it's latest inspection as one part didn't pass. I agree an over the summer replacement to fix it once and for all would be good. The summit chair at Bromley is often saddled with long lines so I'm usually happy lap the 3/4 up or mid station chairs as they usually have little or no lines as for me it sure beats waiting. I'd happy lap the runs off the green chair at magic if the lines weren't as bad.

 

[mdf]

Aside from the long lift lines, how were the crowds on the runs?

Well, that is the trade-off, isn't it? Everyone was standing at the bottom, so the runs were not crowded.
(Actually, some of the blue runs were a bit crowded. The black runs were not, other than a few isolated times when we waited for a mob of young males to go through.)
By the end of the powder day, some of the runs were scraped off and pretty treacherous. We went down the blue trail Trick and I said they should call it "Dirty Trick" because it had been scraped to ice. I felt sorry for the intermediates as we went around them.
Surprisingly , the next day, when it was twenty below on the summit, was not crowded.

 

[surfsnowgirl]

Well, that is the trade-off, isn't it? Everyone was standing at the bottom, so the runs were not crowded.
(Actually, some of the blue runs were a bit crowded. The black runs were not, other than a few isolated times when we waited for a mob of young males to go through.)
By the end of the powder day, some of the runs were scraped off and pretty treacherous. We went down the blue trail Trick and I said they should call it "Dirty Trick" because it had been scraped to ice. I felt sorry for the intermediates as we went around them.
Surprisingly , the next day, when it was twenty below on the summit, was not crowded.

That's indeed a tradeoff. I'd wait in line with pretty uncrowded trails as the reward. Sucks when it's cold though. Trick is a blue black right off the summit at the headwall but turns into a blue and that headwall was on it's way to being nasty the Monday after the super bowl. Trick was passable but there were ice patches that were starting to appear. I like that nickname Dirty Trick, will remember that. Last week Wizard on the west side was a in world of hurt. Ski patrol actually talked Michael and our friend out of going down it because it was such a mess. I hear that about Magic, when it's good it's really good but when it's bad...........

 

[RJS]

I'm of the mindset that while EPIC/IKON is cool and has positives but also has negatives attached to it. I hope that the indie or otherwise smaller owned mountains stay that way. Magic and Bromley get a good bit of ski club/bus traffic as the EPIC/IKON resorts aren't as willing to work with the ski clubs any longer and that's too bad. While those multi passes do good things revenue wise, they bring more crowds to a resort and this is bad for those of us who frequent these places.

Although consolidation and multi-resort passes will keep putting pressure on independent resorts on the whole, the independent resorts that remain are automatically differentiated from resorts on these passes by simply being independent. That might mean fewer crowds, more affordable dining options, lower lifts, a different atmosphere. Magic and Mad River in particular I could see thriving not despite of, but because of, the larger trends in the ski industry. In a world of Epic vs. Ikon vs. Peak, they offer something different.

 

[Wilhelmson]

Since we're on the subject, does the fact that sugarbush or sugarloaf have a partnership with ikon automatically lump them into the expensive crowded category? Even at Tremblant the food is a little expensive but after the discount and exchange rate it's quite acceptable, and quite tasty. If I told you what we paid to stay less than 1/4 mile from the lift at Tremblant you wouldn't believe me, but we booked way in advance.

 

[Josh Matta]

Back on track. Stowe today was some fun low angle noodling. Groomers were best and some very small patches near groomer that were not touched actually skied bottomless. Some places much deeper than 7 inches, some places like the toll house woods areas were much less, like maybe 3.

Sadly the new snow while it was kind of heavy started very cold and really didnt bond to the old rain crust at all. We skied only green level woods and honestly even then you still hit bottom hard, anything steeper than light blue and ungroomed is seriously dangerous, and we saw multiple injuries today from people sliding into objects.

Also a Stowe first about 50 yards of Liftline slide away today.

I ll post some video of the low angle noodling today. It was fun, and tomorrow groomers should be epic!

 

[LKLA]

Back on track. Stowe today was some fun low angle noodling. Groomers were best and some very small patches near groomer that were not touched actually skied bottomless. Some places much deeper than 7 inches, some places like the toll house woods areas were much less, like maybe 3.

Sadly the new snow while it was kind of heavy started very cold and really didnt bond to the old rain crust at all. We skied only green level woods and honestly even then you still hit bottom hard, anything steeper than light blue and ungroomed is seriously dangerous, and we saw multiple injuries today from people sliding into objects.

Also a Stowe first about 50 yards of Liftline slide away today.

I ll post some video of the low angle noodling today. It was fun, and tomorrow groomers should be epic!

Is the Lookout Double up and running or is it still under inspection following the recent hiccup?

 

[Josh Matta]

it was running last weekend, they normally never run it mid week.

 

[LKLA]

it was running last weekend, they normally never run it mid week.

Got it. For some reason I never made it over to the Lookout Double last weekend

 

[KevinF]

Got it. For some reason I never made it over to the Lookout Double last weekend

You never even got your feet into ski boots!