Harvey
Administrator
- Joined
- Jul 15, 2020
You going to be there? Want to write something for the front page?
It is a story.
Magic Conditions
- Thread starter NYSkiBlog
- Start date
You going to be there? Want to write something for the front page?
It is a story.
saratogahalfday
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jul 22, 2020
I wish I could, but I'll be on a plane for sunny Scottsdale. Maybe someone else can step up for that? It's definitely a story many years in the making. I still have a piece of the old black chair sitting in my garage.
saratogahalfday
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jul 22, 2020
February 23 12N update: patrol has opened Witch to Goniff Glade–experts only.
7:00am: It’s snowning! We’ve picked up over an inch this morning and it looks like it wil end by the time we open at 9am with both Red and Green Chairs spinning, along with beginner conveyor lift and terrain park handle tow. Terrain Park has a night sesssion from 4-7p as well! The Black Line Quad will spin around 11am. Kyle and Paul have been out in the cats grooming up the snowmaking trails. We’ve made the first push out of the new snowmaking piles on Talisman which patrol will take a look at to see if we can open. Tonight Tali will get its second groom for the weekend set up. This fresh snow should add a nice layer on some of the all-natural trails as well. So should be a fun Friday!
The Black Line Tavern is open for lunch and dinner, TBAR is 11a-4p, with apres ski party from 3-6pm with David Soltz followed by SINGO at 7pm as we get ready for Winterfest on Saturday! Winterfest will celebrate the new Quad at 10am by the lift tomorrow with champagne and cake, and then we have a Silent Auction at 3-7p, apres ski music, Torchlight parade at 8, with fireworks at 8:15. The live band Boom Box plays from 7-11p!
7:00am: It’s snowning! We’ve picked up over an inch this morning and it looks like it wil end by the time we open at 9am with both Red and Green Chairs spinning, along with beginner conveyor lift and terrain park handle tow. Terrain Park has a night sesssion from 4-7p as well! The Black Line Quad will spin around 11am. Kyle and Paul have been out in the cats grooming up the snowmaking trails. We’ve made the first push out of the new snowmaking piles on Talisman which patrol will take a look at to see if we can open. Tonight Tali will get its second groom for the weekend set up. This fresh snow should add a nice layer on some of the all-natural trails as well. So should be a fun Friday!
The Black Line Tavern is open for lunch and dinner, TBAR is 11a-4p, with apres ski party from 3-6pm with David Soltz followed by SINGO at 7pm as we get ready for Winterfest on Saturday! Winterfest will celebrate the new Quad at 10am by the lift tomorrow with champagne and cake, and then we have a Silent Auction at 3-7p, apres ski music, Torchlight parade at 8, with fireworks at 8:15. The live band Boom Box plays from 7-11p!
gregmarx
Well-known member
- Joined
- Mar 16, 2023
Had my first-ever day at Magic yesterday with my wife. I am lower-intermediate so given the snow report we stuck to the groomed trails on the east side. Conditions were generally crispy with patches of ice, which was to be expected, but we actually found some nice snow on Medium and Upper Trick. Showoff was a lot of fun for us too.
We were there approximately 11-1 and rode only the red and green chair and there were almost no lines at all, on some runs it was ski-on. From what I could see lines were negligible at the black chair too. The scenery on the lifts is beautiful.
I have always thought that for all its struggles with the lifts and snowmaking Magic does a great job marketing itself but I left thinking it could do a lot more to market itself as intermediate-friendly. Obviously the typical Magic skier who posts on ski forums is there for the steep/challenging stuff and the flip side of that is I have had conversations with multiple casual/intermediate skiers who are scared of the place based on stories they have heard or its general reputation; we were staying with friends in Peru who have been multiple times to Bromley and Stratton but never to Magic. I knew there was beginner terrain but wasn't sure how much I'd find that was both interesting to me and within my reach. Turned out that even with a fraction of the trails open to us we had a lot of fun, got a feel for what makes the place unique, and would have happily spent the day there if we had more time. I don't think I would recommend it for multiple days in a row for an intermediate unless conditions were much more forgiving but a weekend split between Magic and Bromley would be great.
We were there approximately 11-1 and rode only the red and green chair and there were almost no lines at all, on some runs it was ski-on. From what I could see lines were negligible at the black chair too. The scenery on the lifts is beautiful.
I have always thought that for all its struggles with the lifts and snowmaking Magic does a great job marketing itself but I left thinking it could do a lot more to market itself as intermediate-friendly. Obviously the typical Magic skier who posts on ski forums is there for the steep/challenging stuff and the flip side of that is I have had conversations with multiple casual/intermediate skiers who are scared of the place based on stories they have heard or its general reputation; we were staying with friends in Peru who have been multiple times to Bromley and Stratton but never to Magic. I knew there was beginner terrain but wasn't sure how much I'd find that was both interesting to me and within my reach. Turned out that even with a fraction of the trails open to us we had a lot of fun, got a feel for what makes the place unique, and would have happily spent the day there if we had more time. I don't think I would recommend it for multiple days in a row for an intermediate unless conditions were much more forgiving but a weekend split between Magic and Bromley would be great.
saratogahalfday
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jul 22, 2020
7am: The Black Line Quad and Green Double chairs spin at 8:30am, along with the beginner conveyor lift at 9am. Skies will clear up and temps will rise into the low 50s. After last night’s r**n, we are keeping the snowcats off the snow surfaces to let it all drain as conditions will be very soft and spring-like. Wax those skis and boards! Now is a good time to come ski it while you can as the outlook is continued warm temps.
A very late start and a very early end to the 2023-2024 season.
A very late start and a very early end to the 2023-2024 season.
saratogahalfday
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jul 22, 2020
March 7th: As previously reported, Magic is closed today to let the snow drain due to over an inch of rain last night into today. Mother-nature has been relentless with wet and warm weather for the last week. We will open between 9-10am Friday to give the grooming team time once temperatures drop to try and patch and repair some trails…For Friday-Sunday there will be thin cover, bare spots and open ground to navigate in certain areas like Hocus Pocus, lower Wand, and Upper Wizard to Talisman, but we will be skiing and riding for those with an adventurous spirit! Think snow for Sunday!
Jim
Well-known member
- Joined
- Dec 22, 2022
I used an Indy day at Magic today (finally!). It was well worth the trip. Being my first visit of the year, it also meant my first-ever rides on the quad. No complaints about it from me, though I missed riding up the Red Chair, which is always a season highlight.
I was on the snow by around 10:15, and the crust on top of the remaining natural snow hadn't softened or been shredded up by traffic yet, so it was a little challenging off the (few) groomed options. The sun was changing that, though. After a run down Upper Magic Carpet -> Wand -> Hocus Pocus to start the day, I headed past the "Experts Only" banner and the small "Danger" sign toward Upper Wizard and the west side. I decided to go for Talisman, in part because several others were headed that way. It was a tough run. Back at the lift after, a patroller who saw me on it asked what I thought. He described it as "manky", which I guess works. Then a run down Trick, where the bumps had now softened up nicely. I decided to give Slide of Hans a shot before lunch. Good thing I did, because they closed it soon after, and deservedly so. Hard to find a way down parts of it. After lunch, everything was soft. Between my morning wax wearing off and sunny skies now well into the 50's, things started getting a little grabby. This was especially the case on my first run out all the way down Magic Carpet. Next was back to Talisman for what was now a great run with soft and well-skied in bumps, another down Trick, still really nice, finishing up with Talisman again. Only 8 runs, but I worked hard for those 8 runs and got what I came for.
Hopefully Magic can patch things together to keep the season going a bit longer. I wouldn't be surprised if some walking is required the next few days on Lower Wizard. Glad I got up there today.
I was on the snow by around 10:15, and the crust on top of the remaining natural snow hadn't softened or been shredded up by traffic yet, so it was a little challenging off the (few) groomed options. The sun was changing that, though. After a run down Upper Magic Carpet -> Wand -> Hocus Pocus to start the day, I headed past the "Experts Only" banner and the small "Danger" sign toward Upper Wizard and the west side. I decided to go for Talisman, in part because several others were headed that way. It was a tough run. Back at the lift after, a patroller who saw me on it asked what I thought. He described it as "manky", which I guess works. Then a run down Trick, where the bumps had now softened up nicely. I decided to give Slide of Hans a shot before lunch. Good thing I did, because they closed it soon after, and deservedly so. Hard to find a way down parts of it. After lunch, everything was soft. Between my morning wax wearing off and sunny skies now well into the 50's, things started getting a little grabby. This was especially the case on my first run out all the way down Magic Carpet. Next was back to Talisman for what was now a great run with soft and well-skied in bumps, another down Trick, still really nice, finishing up with Talisman again. Only 8 runs, but I worked hard for those 8 runs and got what I came for.
Hopefully Magic can patch things together to keep the season going a bit longer. I wouldn't be surprised if some walking is required the next few days on Lower Wizard. Glad I got up there today.
saratogahalfday
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jul 22, 2020
Magic is going to be magic tomorrow morning.
Dumping there for a few more hours.
Better late than never!
Dumping there for a few more hours.
Better late than never!
