Gore Mountain Conditions

[Milo Maltbie]

Gore was good today. It actually got better when it warmed up a little. It was good to ski Topridge this early. IIRC that isn't often open the first week.

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[Milo Maltbie]

The issue isn't running the gondola (until it doesn't run), but not having a back-up plan for when it breaks down.

The backup plan is the quad, but that takes a long time even if the chairs are on the rope. Also, patrol has to come down from opening the upper lifts, so you end up with a long line at the quad that leads to a long line at High Peaks. The best solution would be to open the gondola, AE2 and Burnt Ridge and/or High Peaks all at the same time. A failure of any one of those wouldn't cause much disruption, but they probably don't have enough patrollers to open more than 2 lifts at the same time.

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[Harvey]

Groomers/patrol - 5 inches
marketing department- 7 inches

I haven't found that to be true, with Gore. Marketing shoots pretty straight on snowfall.

7" looks right. Cork had 6" at 1300, and he measured after the rain started.

 

[Harvey]

Can you skin up the hill when the gondola isn’t running?

I always carry my skins to Gore now.

If the gondi is on wind hold and the triple is running and the top is open...

 

[Milo Maltbie]

While important, the gondola is certainly one of the most awkwardly located main lifts out there. When they first built it, they had big plans for the area at the top. They wanted a lodge, a 50 foot tall observation tower, and a snowtubing park. It was going to serve more than just skiers. Then it was to be followed up by a high speed quad (lift 10), where Topridge is now, serving like 8 trails. Ultimately, only 2 trails were cut the first year, Fairview to access the front side, and Pine Knot to access Straightbrook. Foxlair, which was originally referred to as Sagamore, was supposed to continue much further down Sunway, rather than turning under the gondola like it does now. That change was made last minute, and the trail was cut in 2000. That's why it feels like two completely different trails, because it is. Lift 10 was added in 2002, but instead of being a new high speed quad serving 8 trails, it was a used triple from Whiteface serving 3 trails. The lodge was never built, so the only on-mountain dining option is the Saddle Lodge, at the top of the Adirondack Express, which is the backup lift.

AFAIK none of that stuff ever made it into any UMP, so it was never gonna happen.

Ultimately, they have to run it, because while Ruby isn't the best trail, you always run the lift that serves the most terrain. Once Topridge and Straightbrook are open, it's the best way to access them, and the only way to access them until High Peaks opens.

When High Peaks is open, AE2 is the easiest route to every other lift, but the whole operating plan is focused on the gondola every day. Maybe if they got past that they could put more effort into opening High Peaks earlier, and keeping it later in the spring.

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[Milo Maltbie]

Can you skin up the hill when the gondola isn’t running?

You can never skin up that area, in the same way you can never ski Snoopy chute.

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[snoloco]

The worst thing about today was the visibility. The best? Well everything else. The place was empty, snow was soft, and they had more than doubled their open terrain since last weekend. Sleeping Bear, Upper Sleighride, Sunway to Quicksilver, and Topridge were the new additions to the count. Showcase was resurfaced during the week and is deeper wider than it was last weekend, but still not full width. The rest of the trails full width and depth. Gondola, AE2, North, and Topridge lifts were all open.

Quicksilver

The Arena

Showcase

Upper Sleighride

Sleeping Bear

Topridge

 

[Milo Maltbie]

It looks like rain all day here in Saratoga. What’s happening at Gore?

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[capecodbeach]

From the base cam you can see two lifts running and people skiing and boarding. But you can see the snow is thinning at the base. No evidence of snow coming down, maybe rain? Hopefully someone actual there will give a quick up late at lunch? After my 20 year layoff I really wanted some of the green trails off Sunway Chair to open early in the season. Would be a huge confidence builder for me. Is the reason for limited trails snow conditions or possible skeleton staffing this early in the season? Retired... so I am ready when the mountain is ready.

 

[Harvey]

I spoke to @Cork 30 mins ago, 32 degrees and pouring at 1300 feet. Cams aren't showing a changeover yet, but it is forecast.