The Gore Mountain Blog

This morning started partly cloudy and 18 degrees. The sun was flashing in and out until about 10am, and then the clouds moved in.

Our first 4 runs were on Gore’s famed Front 4 – Twister, Showcase, Sleighride, and Quicksilver. They were midwinter groomed with some sweet corduroy. Skiing was fast and empty. There was a huge uphill wind on all sides of Gore. I hit Chatiemac and it was still all cord.

Next stop the Darkside. Lower Stielhang, Hullabaloo, and Lower Darby were in excellent shape and had not been skied off. The bottom of the High Peaks Chair was one of the few places on the hill where the wind was quiet.

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I noticed something this year I hadn’t seen before. The High Peaks chair had run for two straight weeks, after President’s Week.

I had a some back and forth with Mike Pratt via email:

NYSB: Mike … did the High Peaks Chair run for two weeks straight?

Mike: Actually it was 18 consecutive days – from March 4 through March 21.

NYSB: Does that represent a shift in strategy?

Mike: It was simply great snow and our belief that this was the most likely operational strategy to both offer great experiences and attract the most visitors.

NYSB: But I mean you KNOW how cranky it makes Gore diehards when the Dark Side is down right?

Mike: It is a difficult decision when we limit operations mid week, but we are developed on 9 sides of 4 mountains and obviously the lift and trail capacity is much greater than the midweek crowds.

NYSB: So it’s a purely an operational decision, and has nothing to do with the importance of the terrain to the Gore Core?

Mike: The High Peaks side is a key component of both the winter and spring operational strategies. Snow cover, weather, and the size of the crowd are all considered when we make our operational decisions.

NYSB: Ok. If you’re going to open the Dark Side for 18 consecutive days in March… we’ll take it. But I swear I saw you over there on Saturday with a big grin on your face. Thanks for the time.