Gore Mountain Conditions

[Milo Maltbie]

... why not blow snow on Wood-in to be able to use High Peaks quad which would enable cloud, open pit, etc.?
Use the top of the mountain where the natural snow already exists: whatta concept!

Gore is reporting that 18 of 108 trails are open. Whiteface has been top to bottom for a couple of weeks, with skiing for all levels on about a third of its trails. Belleayre has had about two-thirds of its trails for a couple of weeks. Gore has no black trails and no continuous green route above the Bear Cub chair. Apparently when the gondola comes on line it will only add Ruby and Foxlair.

ORDA should explain why they spent $30 million at the Ski Bowl instead of snowmaking upgrades.

mm

 

[Kleetus]

Gore is reporting that 18 of 108 trails are open. Whiteface has been top to bottom for a couple of weeks, with skiing for all levels on about a third of its trails. Belleayre has had about two-thirds of its trails for a couple of weeks. Gore has no black trails and no continuous green route above the Bear Cub chair. Apparently when the gondola comes on line it will only add Ruby and Foxlair.

ORDA should explain why they spent $30 million at the Ski Bowl instead of snowmaking upgrades.

mm

I thought they did spend on the upgrades in prior years? Prior years they have done pretty good with snowmaking early season but not sure what's up this year. Maybe it's the system but I feel they've done much better prior years expanding terrain. Also very weird showcase wasn't one of the first trails open and the lack of blowing up to high peaks as mentioned to take advantage of the natural snow considering the Gondi not being ready.

 

[Milo Maltbie]

I thought they did spend on the upgrades in prior years? Prior years they have done pretty good with snowmaking early season but not sure what's up this year. Maybe it's the system but I feel they've done much better prior years expanding terrain. Also very weird showcase wasn't one of the first trails open and the lack of blowing up to high peaks as mentioned to take advantage of the natural snow considering the Gondi not being ready.

I didn't think they did so well last year, but maybe I was just annoyed that they built that Hole Shot course before they even started on Lies and Rumor. Gore was the only ORDA mountain that didn't get 100% open last year, and I think Lower Steilhang has only been open a couple of days in the two years since they re-cut it to make it easier for snowmaking.

However much snowmaking they add it never seems to catch up to the weather or the new commitments for trails and competition courses they make.

mm

 

[capecodbeach]

Local forecast had (I thought) called for 1-3 inches of snow Wednesday night. 40 miles south we got nothing but rain and then a nuisance freeze that meant windshield scraping. Did Gore get any measurable snow? LIVE Base webcam does not show much in the means of new snow cover? Plus the PANO camera appears to be showing conditions from 3 days ago?
I was considering a half day trip tomorrow. But I ski lower mountain exclusively... especially Bear Cub. On my Wednesday trip the left top of Bear Cub (unload area, start of downhill) was really getting thin. If I see no snowmaking on Bear Cub tonight, should I just say Happy Holidays and wait for after New Years to start skiing again? With such limited terrain open I worry the crowds will make for some poor skiing. Go? Stay Home? The bonus of being retired for 20 years means I can skip a day or two and not feel guilty.

 

[Gore-d]

Just finished skiing Gore and made my last run down Lower Sunway. Although it is narrow, icy and challenging for beginners departing the Sunway Chair at the top of Otter Slide, by the time you are down to the unload area of the Bear Cub Quad, it was decent.
Since it is going to be extremely cold this weekend, you ought to come out tomorrow and play, before it does.

 

[capecodbeach]

Gore-d.... by any chance did you glance back up the "on ramp" to Bear Cub from the lift. All the off load from the lift has been routed left thru the narrow chute down to main trail. Some what safer than going right and intersecting with skiers and boarders coming around the Lower Sunway? By the time I left on Wednesday around 1 pm the narrow chute was more than 50% wet brown snirt. That was why I was hoping to see Snowmaking on the Bear Cub. So it looks like I will pause my skiing until after the holidays or a good natural snowfall. From the Spring I remember Bear Cub had a similar brown Snirt area where I believe the groomers enter and exit? Probably unavoidable but once the sun hits the snirt it slushes up quicker than the surrounding snow surfaces. Wednesday was very good day for me and my 75 year old legs. Probably not a good idea to push my luck. Enjoy!

 

[snoloco]

I didn't think they did so well last year, but maybe I was just annoyed that they built that Hole Shot course before they even started on Lies and Rumor. Gore was the only ORDA mountain that didn't get 100% open last year, and I think Lower Steilhang has only been open a couple of days in the two years since they re-cut it to make it easier for snowmaking.

However much snowmaking they add it never seems to catch up to the weather or the new commitments for trails and competition courses they make.

mm

In the last 10 years, Gore has been at the forefront of modernizing guns and hydrants, replacing pipes, and adding pipes to trails that didn't previously have snowmaking. But they have not kept up on increasing their water capacity, especially as they increase their snowmaking footprint, and commit to hosting competitions that require a lot of snowmaking.

Gore used to have an air-centric system that was largely built in the 80s and 90s. Back then, there were no low e guns, so unless it was sub-zero, air was always the limiting factor. If a resort wanted to increase snowmaking capacity, they added more compressors. Most were diesel powered, and many were rentals that were returned after the snowmaking season ended. Starting in the late 2000s and still continuing today, they have put fixed equipment and low e guns on most trails. When that happens, snowmaking capacity is increased, because the maximum water capacity is reached more often. But once that maximum water capacity is reached, it makes no difference other than saving money. Even after the 2018 upgrades, Gore is at the point where their snowmaking footprint is too big to cover in any reasonable timeframe. They need to upgrade their water capacity again.

 

[Cork]

In the last 10 years, Gore has been at the forefront of modernizing guns and hydrants, replacing pipes, and adding pipes to trails that didn't previously have snowmaking. But they have not kept up on increasing their water capacity, especially as they increase their snowmaking footprint, and commit to hosting competitions that require a lot of snowmaking.

Gore used to have an air-centric system that was largely built in the 80s and 90s. Back then, there were no low e guns, so unless it was sub-zero, air was always the limiting factor. If a resort wanted to increase snowmaking capacity, they added more compressors. Most were diesel powered, and many were rentals that were returned after the snowmaking season ended. Starting in the late 2000s and still continuing today, they have put fixed equipment and low e guns on most trails. When that happens, snowmaking capacity is increased, because the maximum water capacity is reached more often. But once that maximum water capacity is reached, it makes no difference other than saving money. Even after the 2018 upgrades, Gore is at the point where their snowmaking footprint is too big to cover in any reasonable timeframe. They need to upgrade their water capacity again.

The capacity is not the issue as the reservoir was significantly increased in size a few years ago, and they are not limited on their draw from The Hudson. The issue is, lack of help and poor planning...

 

[ADKBKLN]

Conditions were very good today, what is open is skiing well. Twister-to-Lower Echo was the trail of the day.

 

[tirolski]

Plus the PANO camera appears to be showing conditions from 3 days ago?

Ya can look up dates clicking the calendar looking thingy &/or clicking “live”.

The capacity is not the issue as the reservoir was significantly increased in size a few years ago, and they are not limited on their draw from The Hudson. The issue is, lack of help and poor planning...

Whatabout budget?
Pratt said Ashley was learning to drink from the snowmaking hose at his last ORDA board meeting.

T

Post in thread 'Belleayre Conditions'

Sep 27, 2023

It was Mike Pratt’s last board meeting as President and CEO.
There’s some decent one liners in that meeting.

Pratt, “We don’t try to have improvements that have negative impacts."
Munro, "That’s a fine idea."

Regarding the transition and coming up to speed of the new CEO,
Pratt, "She’s been drinking from the snowmaking hose."

Betty Little, "Who coulda spent this much money in at a short period of time, other than Mike?"

• tirolski