As far as snowmaking, it was a different time, but if there was any rain in the weekly forecast, I remember them turning the guns off, I have seen Vail blow all week despite the long predicted Rain for Thursday and Friday, Same with last two weeks of Dec.. Slutsky's would very rarely blow after President's Day, Vail blew right into March last year, Slutsky's would wait till temps dropped to around 22 F before blowing, Vail around 28, but like I said technology has come along so maybe that's why it's different. I also remember all the bitching about the Slutsky's on the lift, "their too old" "kids don't care" "only in it for the money" like they were a charity. Then Peaks came [not Peak pass but Peaks now out of business] oh the bitching, "why Hunter North" "they never blow snow" etc. So Lift bitching is an eternal sport,
Hunter: Not Good, It's January
- Thread starter Benny Profane
- Start date
x10003q
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- Joined
- Jul 21, 2020
The Slutzkys never blew snow after Presidents day because there was a 7 foot snow making base on all the major trails allowing them to have most of the mountain open until they decided to close. Vail had to blow snow later because of the weather and the lack of base to stay open.
disagree I don't care how deep the base was, it needed freshening on the top, everything was so packed that it turned to blue ice by noon or even before, I am not dissing the Slutsky's they were pioneers but I think the era was romanticized. I recall constant bitching about the Slutsky's in the early aughts and I thought much of that was unwarranted, but I also think that Vail for all it's faults does some things right, like I said they seem not afraid to make snow on cold nights even if rain is in the forecast for later in the week, the only way Hunter will ever fulfill it's potential is for someone to invest in the West Side, and that will cost.
They do have over a Billion Dollars.............................
So correct and Vail may be one of the few entities in the Ski industry with the bucks to remediate the West Side of Hunter., which would really transform the place from what it is now to something much better for everyone. I have no expertise in ski infrastructure costs, but putting snowmaking on West Way and Annapurna [I can't remember of Annapurna even has a snowmaking infrastructure] and doing some sculpting can't be near as expensive as Peaks' installation of the North Side trail which cut through woods and installed a whole new lift, I know Vail did invest some money in other Eastern resorts, so I have my fingers crossed but won't bet on it.
SayvilleSteve
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- Aug 7, 2020
Westway has all the potential to be one of the most notable trails in the East--if was ever open.
x10003q
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- Jul 21, 2020
Everything turns to ice at Hunter because the main face of Hunter is on the southside of the ridge and is hit hard by daily freeze thaw cycles, especially after Feb. No amount of touch up snowmaking is ever going to affect the freeze thaw cycles. Vail blowing snow after mid -Feb has to do with keeping trails open until closing date because they do not blow a big base.
Zykamps
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- Joined
- Dec 5, 2020
Both westway and annapurna having snowmaking infrastructure. Not sure if it works now but the Slutzkys and then peak would typically blow annapurna. Peak tried westway a few times and failed.
