Mid-Atlantic Mid-A Conditions, Resorts, Meetups, and Stoke 17/18

[Kcip]

Skied Liberty today for the first time with a group from work. Conditions were pretty good especially considering the rain we got on Wednesday. There was pretty much full coverage between all of the runs. The snow guns had been running all day yesterday through last night but they turned off around 10, presumably when it got too warm. There were no crowds until around 4:30, which I guess is around the time the night skiing crowd show sup. We lapped the backside and did about 35 runs according to my app. The blues were in good shape. There were some nice smallish bumps on the middle blue run towards the bottom. The blacks (double?) on the backside were all ice, so we avoided those for most of the day.

Only took one picture. Not the best quality.

 

[MarkP]

I too was at Liberty yesterday. @Kcip,

Skied Liberty today for the first time with a group from work. Conditions were pretty good especially considering the rain we got on Wednesday. There was pretty much full coverage between all of the runs. The snow guns had been running all day yesterday through last night but they turned off around 10, presumably when it got too warm. There were no crowds until around 4:30, which I guess is around the time the night skiing crowd show sup. We lapped the backside and did about 35 runs according to my app. The blues were in good shape. There were some nice smallish bumps on the middle blue run towards the bottom. The blacks (double?) on the backside were all ice, so we avoided those for most of the day.

Only took one picture. Not the best quality.
View attachment 39253

I was also at Liberty yesterday. Pretty much spot on with the descriptions. Two days past the rain and good grooming, plus the light crowd, made for a good day. I'll add that the up-slope bumps softened up enough in the afternoon for me to enjoy; there were some icy spots, but easily seen and avoidable. 3 of the 4 slopes off the backside labeled "Upper-Something" are listed as double black, and maybe reach that level when icy and left bumped, but they're short enough to not ruin my mood if past my comfort zone.

Looks like we hit the last good day in the foreseeable future given forecasts for 3 days of rain and warm temperatures for the next week. I'm going to hope for some improvement, still planning on getting to Whitetail next Friday for Princeton Sports Customer Appreciation / Demo Day.

Blowing Snow

A little natural snow after the rain

View from the top

 

[MarkP]

@Kcip... where do you normally ski?

 

[johnnyvw]

Skied at Montage today from 8:30 to 1:00. No rain but overcast. Snow was very nice where it was groomed, off the groomed was very hard and choppy. There was some kind of college thing going on so the lodge, and especially outside the lodge was pretty busy, but the lifts were empty...most of the time there were empty chairs going up. Good day, got my fill early and left while it was still dry, rain into rain as I headed south to go home

 

[Kcip]

@Kcip... where do you normally ski?

Locally, mostly at Whitetail. Colleagues wanted to drink so we went to Liberty yesterday. I try to get out to 7Springs once or twice a year...haven't been there yet though. I was looking forward to the upcoming demo day at Whitetail, but I'm currently sitting on a plane headed to Australia for work.

So far this year, I've got 2 days at white tail, 1 at liberty, 1 at snowshoe, and 4 in Tahoe. Hoping it's cold and snowing when I return next week.

Where do you ski @MarkP?

 

[SKI-3PO]

Skied Elk today. Thought I made the wrong decision as steady rain started as I was within 15 minutes of the mountain. But by the time I had finished my first run it was pretty much done. Most of the day I lapped Tunkhannock which had some small soft moguls that grew a bit during the day. Chippewa was also ungroomed. I did runs on 4 or so groomers. Conditions were pretty good- apparently not as good as yesterday but probably way better then tomorrow and the next few days with the heavy rain coming.

 

[JohnL]

Compared to the one time I skied Elk, Tunkhannock is a completely different trail. It had legit VT size bumps that day.

Steep meter get readjusted from Jackson Hole?

 

[SKI-3PO]

Yes, this was some of the smallest bumps I’d ever seen on that trail. They were slightly more evident than my pictures show.

There was no steep.

Someone tried to complain about fog at one point. I set them straight.

 

[JohnL]

LMAO about the fog complaint.

Ack on bumps always look smaller and trail flatter in a picture vs in person.

 

[dbostedo]

I'm going to hope for some improvement, still planning on getting to Whitetail next Friday for Princeton Sports Customer Appreciation / Demo Day.

If conditions are reasonable (for a pretty broad definition of reasonable) I'm going to try to be there too.

 

[MarkP]

Locally, mostly at Whitetail. Colleagues wanted to drink so we went to Liberty yesterday. I try to get out to 7Springs once or twice a year...haven't been there yet though. I was looking forward to the upcoming demo day at Whitetail, but I'm currently sitting on a plane headed to Australia for work.

So far this year, I've got 2 days at white tail, 1 at liberty, 1 at snowshoe, and 4 in Tahoe. Hoping it's cold and snowing when I return next week.

Where do you ski @MarkP?

I tend to do a couple of days each at Whitetail, Liberty and Roundtop. I try to get a trip into New England (got to Sugarbush, Mad River and Jiminy Peak after Christmas) and out West (did 4 days in CO in January and will do 7 in Utah in March, some of it overlapping with the Gathering). Demo day at Whitetail is still on my dance card (hopefully it'll recover from the rain) and then a run up to Seven Springs and Laurel the following weekend. 12 days so far, so with luck will get into the mid 20s, a total I haven't hit for about 6 years.

 

[MarkP]

If conditions are reasonable (for a pretty broad definition of reasonable) I'm going to try to be there too.

My definition of reasonable will be at least half the blues/blacks are still open after this week's weather assault. I was going to ask if you were interested in going. I have a few extra vouchers for the $35 pass. Keep me posted.

 

[Goose]

the Pocono region had a nice winter imo....at least up till this point. Rain and rain again and temps not exactly promising for the next few weeks.
Hmmm, I was anticipating a good finish (better than average) for the area. Now, not so much. Hopefully enough cold nights will allow for snow making to continue.

 

[Jersey Skier]

the Pocono region had a nice winter imo....at least up till this point. Rain and rain again and temps not exactly promising for the next few weeks.
Hmmm, I was anticipating a good finish (better than average) for the area. Now, not so much. Hopefully enough cold nights will allow for snow making to continue.

Blue and Camelback are still 100% open..

And, it will be cold enough to blow snow almost every night this week, so it's really up to the mountains to decide.

 

[Marker]

In past seasons, Blue has been pretty active in blowing snow as long as the weather permits. I guess they realize that a Pocono season is going to be pretty short if they don't seize an opportunity to extend their season into March and get ticket sales. I attended closing day two years ago in mid-March when the conditions were pretty miserable, but was surprised at the number of folks, even newbies, I encountered that day. Like myself, probably daytrippers from the nearby metro areas.

 

[wallyk]

Blue and Camelback are still 100% open..

And, it will be cold enough to blow snow almost every night this week, so it's really up to the mountains to decide.

It will be tough for these areas to justify the cost of blowing more snow this week as day time temps will be warm and the increasing probability of rain late this week will weigh. Regrettably the weather setup for the Poconos looks terrible.

This weekend is really the last big revenue opportunity for the resorts, President's Day weekend, and from previous experience CBK will not blow snow afterward. This decision seems to make sense as the volume of traffic starts to decline into early March as the NJ, PA and DE youth sports start to transition to spring time activities.

 

[Goose]

In past seasons, Blue has been pretty active in blowing snow as long as the weather permits. I guess they realize that a Pocono season is going to be pretty short if they don't seize an opportunity to extend their season into March and get ticket sales. I attended closing day two years ago in mid-March when the conditions were pretty miserable, but was surprised at the number of folks, even newbies, I encountered that day. Like myself, probably daytrippers from the nearby metro areas.

Yea Blue is very good with that. They always give a good effort to blow it seems whenever they need to. One time I caught a chair up and happen to be myself and the manager (or at least one of the managers). Said they will blow as often and as long as they can. Of course that means weather permitting. But overall Ive often found Blue to very willing to make snow.
Last year we all got lucky with that large late season snow dump which extended the season. Blur actually also blew snow and re-opened more runs while other chose to simply ride out what was dumped. But one thing I give credit to Blue is its willingness not to cheap out with snow making vs some others.

 

[crgildart]

Appalachian is still boasting 100" + average base. They are still sticking to their March 25th closing date. If that holds I will get another day there most likely..

I'll be surprised if they're boasting half of that after the additional rains and heat wave this week.

 

[John Webb]

So far this year, I've got 2 days at white tail, 1 at liberty, 1 at snowshoe, and 4 in Tahoe.

i @MarkP?

I'm guessing your local days were better than the 4 Tahoe days. ( Formerly from MD -now Tahoe area here)

Tahoe has gone from bad to worse December, January, February with spring skiing $ ice. Heading into the worst or
2nd worse drought in history. No snow, other than dustings, expected in next 2 weeks.

UT & central/north Colorado at least are finally getting snow.

 

[MarkP]

Looking at the weather reports, gonna be sketchy along the southern PA stretch. Predicted temperatures have actually bumped up for Friday and Saturday. Could be more like water skiing at demo days at Whitetail and Roundtop.