# Rename Mount Snow to "Mount Slow"



## ThinkSnow (Feb 23, 2015)

I haven't been to Mt. Snow in about 8-9 years, but was there with friends over this past weekend.  What a huge mistake. 

Having worked late Friday night, we needed to go to the group sales desk on Saturday morning in the Sundance base lodge.  We skied over from the main base, and were done with our business around 10:30 am.  We were supposed to catch up to friends who went directly over to the North Face.  

We had no choice but to take the Tumbleweed triple, followed by the Sundance Triple in order to take the High Traverse over to the North Face.  I realize this is a beginner area, but the lift line took forever not because of the slow speed of the fixed triple, but because it was constantly stopping (frequently for no apparent reason).  When we finally got on the Sundance Triple, the chair constantly stopped and started, and then we sat, midway up the mountain, not moving for at least 30 minutes.  

Once it finally restarted, we got to the top the High Traverse trail was closed.  Considering the abundance of snow this season in the north east, how could ANY trail be closed??  So we had to make our way down & slowly ski over to the north face, taking multiple lifts (with huge lines).  

We started at 10:30, and didn't get to our friends until about 1:30.  We decided we'd try to buy lunch around 2pm, but that wasn't going to happen either.  Huge lines and waits were to be had at every single place we went to.  By this point we were disgusted, and went back to our hotel.  Drove into town and had a nice relaxed uncrowded late lunch.

Is this the norm for Mount Snow?  If so, what horrible customer service!


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## deadheadskier (Feb 23, 2015)

Welcome to Southern VT during a holiday weekend.  Lots of people love Mountain Snow, Okemo, Stratton and Killington.  K probably spreads the crowds out best of all of them.


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## ThinkSnow (Feb 23, 2015)

Well, now I remember why I never ski Southern VT any more.


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## drjeff (Feb 23, 2015)

ThinkSnow said:


> I haven't been to Mt. Snow in about 8-9 years, but was there with friends over this past weekend.  What a huge mistake.
> 
> Having worked late Friday night, we needed to go to the group sales desk on Saturday morning in the Sundance base lodge.  We skied over from the main base, and were done with our business around 10:30 am.  We were supposed to catch up to friends who went directly over to the North Face.
> 
> ...



High traverse was closed from the top of the Sundance Triple over to Exhibition, but was open from Exhibiton on over across to Cascade) on Saturday (and Sunday too for that matter) because of race training (Saturday) and a race (Sunday) on South Bowl.  

Saturday was a BIG crowd, but as a Mount Snow regular, I didn't think that the lines were particularly worse than on any other busy weekend day, which is I expect a 15-20 minute wait on the main lifts, and even waits of that long on other lifts around the mountain as the crowds tend to get out of the base areas and disperse their way around the mountain usually between about 9:30/10 until about noon - when you get crowds approaching 10,000 on the mountain on one day (which is somewhere around what I'd estimate Saturday to be based on how packed the parking lots were), it gets congested and can get frustrating too

Lift wise, since the Sundance lodge is where the buses park, they get IMHO what is a disproportionate number of really clueless people who have little/no idea on how to get on/off a chairlift and hence you get a bunch of stops on Tumbleweed.  Your Sundance experience sounds like either a mechanical issue or a wind issue, as they gusts out of the WSW on Saturday where easily in the 35-40mph range a good chunk of the day (strong enough to keep the Sunbrook Quad on wind hold at least while I was out on the hill from 8 until about 2) and the top of Sundance is quite exposed to that wind direction. Sundance lodge IMHO has a big misnomer as a "good" place to park, but the reality is that during the major portion of the season while they have that lodge open, it's the hub for the buses, so while there may not be as many cars parked there, the volume of people that often the 20+ tour buses there on many a Saturday makes it quite crowded

Saturday was crowd wise on par with maybe 2 other days all season volume wise, and that was one day during Christmas week and one day during MLK weekend, and when that many people show up, the fact that Mount Snow's base facilities and dining facilities have probably 30% less max seating capacity than they ideally need really sticks out.  Hopefully when they rebuild their base lodges in the coming years, seating space will be addressed.


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## deadheadskier (Feb 23, 2015)

I grew up an Okemo skier.  It's a bit of a shock heading back over there during busy periods compared to what I'm used to here in NH.  Of course, I avoid Sunapee and Loon here in NH for the same reasons.


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## Edd (Feb 23, 2015)

There was a similar thread about Killington recently. Different people had different experiences with crowds at the same hill on the same day. It was suggested, and I agreed, that skiing at K on a Saturday is simply a very crowded experience. Naturally, not everyone agreed. 

Any mid-season Saturday, skiing at a big hill fed by major metro areas, be ready for third world crowding.  I can't handle it, personally.


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## steamboat1 (Feb 23, 2015)

To avoid weekend crowds your best bets in central/southern VT. would be Pico, Bromley, Magic (if no races).


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## ThinkSnow (Feb 23, 2015)

I totally understand about weekend crowds.  I work for a ski/snowboard tour travel agency part time, (yes, I'm partly to blame for the crowded slopes).  I know very well where and when I should/should not ski.  However I guess I've gotten spoiled skiing Northern Vermont where the "crowds" are nothing in comparison to what I experienced at Mt Slow.


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## Newpylong (Feb 23, 2015)

Was it really worth writing all that? That's par for the course in Southern VT on a weekend.


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## ThinkSnow (Feb 23, 2015)

Newpylong said:


> Was it really worth writing all that? That's par for the course in Southern VT on a weekend.



Well then I guess if one chooses to ski SVT and not comment about poor customer service in a forum where one can voice an opinion, you deserve all the crowds you can get.


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## 4aprice (Feb 23, 2015)

This thread is exactly the reason I don't go up north either during Christmas or Presidents (Mass/NH School weeks).  I skied in PA.  Oh yea it was crowded especially with a lift down but at least I wasn't hours from home when I gave up each day.  The back 1/3 of the season awaits and soon there will be very few of us continuing on.

Alex

Lake Hopatcong, NJ


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## legalskier (Feb 23, 2015)

What was your friends' experience over at North Face? Any better than yours?
The reason I ask is that your experience seems to have been affected more by your having to go over to Group Sales at Sundance. Mt Snow's website allows customers to register their group online but doesn't appear to allow to them to print out vouchers that can be redeemed at any window (http://www.mountsnow.com/groups/ski-snowboard-groups/). If it did, that could have made things much easier for you. Or maybe it does?: "Special arrangements for payments can be made...."
Whenever I've skied MS the customer service experience was very good. But then again, on holiday weekends in SoVt I go elsewhere, like Magic, Pico or Bromley.


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## DoublePlanker (Feb 23, 2015)

I thought it was called Mt SNORE!


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## millerm277 (Feb 23, 2015)

ThinkSnow said:


> We had no choice but to take the Tumbleweed triple, followed by the Sundance Triple in order to take the High Traverse over to the North Face.



Skiing down to the Grand Summit Express is generally a much faster option. Long lines can be avoided by taking the singles line which usually moves pretty quick on everything but the 6-pack (why the 6-pack line is 3x as long as the line for the HSQ going to the same place is beyond me....but it gets me up faster than if other people were intelligent with their line choice).


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## skifree (Feb 23, 2015)

I was at mt snow Saturday and sunday and thought lift lines where great. stayed away from bubble. north face was empty Saturday till about 11 or so. almost ski on. woods on sunday where spectacular. forget the eating/drinking areas. that's what pockets are for.


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## Highway Star (Feb 23, 2015)

ThinkSnow said:


> I haven't been to Mt. Snow in about 8-9 years, but was there with friends over this past weekend.  What a huge mistake.
> 
> Having worked late Friday night, we needed to go to the group sales desk on Saturday morning in the Sundance base lodge.  We skied over from the main base, and were done with our business around 10:30 am.  We were supposed to catch up to friends who went directly over to the North Face.
> 
> ...


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## ThinkSnow (Feb 23, 2015)

legalskier said:


> What was your friends' experience over at North Face? Any better than yours?.



Actually no, they got stuck hanging on a lift as well.


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## ThinkSnow (Feb 23, 2015)

doubleplanker said:


> i thought it was called mt snore!



agreed!!


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## ThinkSnow (Feb 23, 2015)

skifree said:


> I was at mt snow Saturday and sunday and thought lift lines where great. stayed away from bubble. north face was empty Saturday till about 11 or so. almost ski on. woods on sunday where spectacular. forget the eating/drinking areas. that's what pockets are for.



North Face was most likely empty due to the problems with the lifts.  Totally agree about avoiding eating/drinking areas, however being in the travel industry, it is helpful to have an opinion from trying out establishments (or knowing to avoid them).


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## dlague (Feb 23, 2015)

Newpylong said:


> Was it really worth writing all that? That's par for the course in Southern VT on a weekend.



Isn't this what a forum is for?  His own opinion.


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## hammer (Feb 23, 2015)

ThinkSnow said:


> Well then I guess if one chooses to ski SVT and not comment about poor customer service in a forum where one can voice an opinion, you deserve all the crowds you can get.


Guess it's not clear to me...how is what you encountered poor customer service?

Unfortunately, any good-sized area that has a lot of local lodging or is within easy reach of the Boston area will be crazy busy over a holiday weekend.  The ski areas will do what they can but they can't have the facilities and regular staff for the occasional days when the crowds are large.

Only way to avoid waits over a holiday weekend is to go to a smaller, less known area or find something else to do.


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## skifree (Feb 23, 2015)

I have been to mt snow a million times and I didn't think this weekend was all that busy. seemed like most people where inside and not skiing which is fine wiith me.


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## gmcunni (Feb 23, 2015)

hammer said:


> Guess it's not clear to me...how is what you encountered poor customer service?
> 
> Unfortunately, any good-sized area that has a lot of local lodging or is within easy reach of the Boston area will be crazy busy over a holiday weekend.  The ski areas will do what they can but they can't have the facilities and regular staff for the occasional days when the crowds are large.
> 
> Only way to avoid waits over a holiday weekend is to go to a smaller, less known area or find something else to do.



i had same thought... not sure how it was a customer service issue, unless OP is suggesting ( and i don't think he is) that ticket sales should be limited to ensure enjoyable experience by all.


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## ThinkSnow (Feb 23, 2015)

hammer said:


> Guess it's not clear to me...how is what you encountered poor customer service?


  Having to wait 45 minutes to be seated for lunch at 2pm, and an additional 45 minutes to be served (as my friends did) is one thing.  I understand this could totally be avoided if we thought ahead and brought our own lunch.  However, a ski area as large as this having multiple lift issues resort-wide, all weekend long is poor customer service.  Without exaggeration, during both Saturday and Sunday, I had only 1 lift ride which did not stop multiple times.  This includes the high-speed detachable 6-pack.  Normally I never ski during holiday/school break periods for all these reasons.  However, having experienced it, I'm shocked if this is considered a normal occurrence.  In years past, some ski areas had been known to limit their ticket sales to improve the customer experience.  From what we encountered this weekend, Mt. Slow has just lost a few returning customers.


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## gmcunni (Feb 23, 2015)

ThinkSnow said:


> Having to wait 45 minutes to be seated for lunch at 2pm, and an additional 45 minutes to be served (as my friends did) is one thing.  I understand this could totally be avoided if we thought ahead and brought our own lunch.  However, a ski area as large as this having multiple lift issues resort-wide, all weekend long is poor customer service.  Without exaggeration, during both Saturday and Sunday, I had only 1 lift ride which did not stop multiple times.  This includes the high-speed detachable 6-pack.  Normally I never ski during holiday/school break periods for all these reasons.  However, having experienced it, I'm shocked if this is considered a normal occurrence.  In years past, some ski areas had been known to limit their ticket sales to improve the customer experience.  From what we encountered this weekend, Mt. Slow has just lost a few returning customers.



Sugarbush is better away.


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## ThinkSnow (Feb 23, 2015)

gmcunni said:


> Sugarbush is better away.



Well of course!  I won't be wasting my time again.


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## gmcunni (Feb 23, 2015)

ThinkSnow said:


> Well of course!  I won't be wasting my time again.


i wish i was closer to SB, i'd love to ski there more often but a day trip is just too long (4 hours each way).


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## steamboat1 (Feb 23, 2015)

I'm not aware of any ski areas in the northeast that limits ticket sales. In fact the only place I've ever heard of limited ticket sales is Deer Valley, UT. Someone can correct me if I'm wrong.


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## hammer (Feb 23, 2015)

steamboat1 said:


> I'm not aware of any ski areas in the northeast that limits ticket sales. In fact the only place I've ever heard of limited ticket sales is Deer Valley, UT. Someone can correct me if I'm wrong.


I thought Wachusett has been known to limit sales on occasion...but if they are at that limit I would not want to be there.  I've been to DV over a holiday week where they got to the limit and it was busy but manageable.


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## ThinkSnow (Feb 23, 2015)

gmcunni said:


> i wish i was closer to SB, i'd love to ski there more often but a day trip is just too long (4 hours each way).



March 6-8,  you could ski at Sugarbush for $279 per person (includes lifts) staying at the Sugarbush Inn (for 2 people).

(http://snosearch.com/EasternSkiing/PeakSeasonSugr.asp)

When you consider an online e-ticket at the mountain is about $70 per day, that works out to approx $70 per night for lodging.


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## SkiFanE (Feb 23, 2015)

I think you made two big mistakes - that will burn you at probably many ski areas on a holiday (and every other weekend):

1) - Planning to meet up with friends on a ski mountain.  No matter what...this screws you lol.  BAD idea....go about your day and maybe you'll bump into each other.  But if you don't start your day out together, DONT plan to meet them.  Unless of course you are their to socialize and not ski.  Even if we have guests staying at our house - if we don't start out together...catch them some other time - I work too hard for ski time to eff around waiting.

2) - A SIT DOWN LUNCH during a ski day?!  Really?  That is the dumbest thing ever - if you really are there to ski.  Cant think of the last time I had a sit down lunch at a ski area - maybe a decade?  I get food at the cafeteria or bring my own.  But I am there to ski, not to dine trailside.  

If you did not try these two things - my bet is you'd have been much happier.  So don't blame it on Mt. Snow, but your bad choices on a SKI day.

Edited:  Sunday River was fabulous over holidays - less people than a normal weekend.  Weather/wind/bears must have scared all skiers away.


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## gmcunni (Feb 23, 2015)

ThinkSnow said:


> March 6-8,  you could ski at Sugarbush for $279 per person (includes lifts) staying at the Sugarbush Inn (for 2 people).
> 
> (http://snosearch.com/EasternSkiing/PeakSeasonSugr.asp)
> 
> When you consider an online e-ticket at the mountain is about $70 per day, that works out to approx $70 per night for lodging.



i do hope to get up to SB at least 1 weekend in March.  My problems (literally MY problems) have to do with a family that isn't nearly as interested in skiing as I am.  wife - no ski.. daughter skis but @ 16 YO has other higher priorities, son off at school.  i need a friend.


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## ThinkSnow (Feb 23, 2015)

SkiFanE said:


> I think you made two big mistakes - that will burn you at probably many ski areas on a holiday (and every other weekend):
> 
> 1) - Planning to meet up with friends on a ski mountain.  No matter what...this screws you lol.  BAD idea....go about your day and maybe you'll bump into each other.  But if you don't start your day out together, DONT plan to meet them.  Unless of course you are their to socialize and not ski.  Even if we have guests staying at our house - if we don't start out together...catch them some other time - I work too hard for ski time to eff around waiting.
> 
> ...



First of all, Saturdays are never SKI days.

1) The friend I was meeting I have not skied with in about 8 years, so it was worth trying.  Mt. Snow is not that big.  It shouldn't have taken 2+ hours to get from one side to the other when the trails only take a few minutes to ski.

2) Considering the ridiculousness of the lifts, yes, we wanted a sit down lunch after standing in lines all day.  I really wasn't there to ski, I was there to work actually.  The skiing was supposed to be a perk.  I rediscovered that its a boring mountain.  We were hoping trying some amenities would improve the overall experience, but they just made it more disappointing.


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## slatham (Feb 23, 2015)

You can find lifts with short liftlines at Mt Snow on a busy day. The issue you had was 1) the constraint of meeting people and 2) the poor strategy of getting there. That said, you cannot fully AVOID the crowds - you'll inevitably end up at a lift with a long line and even if you don't you will end up a run with too many people on it.

If possible, the better option is to choose an area like Bromley/Pico (or Magic with no race or Black running). You will get less vert per run, but spend more time skiing which will result in more vert over the course of the day and simply having more fun. I find a lot of people get too hung up on the overall size of a mountain and not how much of it they will actually get to ski on a busy day.

But then again if they were all smart Bromley would be more crowded so maybe I should delete this! :-D


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## ThinkSnow (Feb 23, 2015)

I totally agree.  Wait, no I don't.

There was no constraint in meeting with people.  They were already skiing the north face.  We just couldn't get there due to poor infrastructure.

Skiing someplace else isn't part of this discussion.


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## Edd (Feb 23, 2015)

SkiFanE said:


> 2) - A SIT DOWN LUNCH during a ski day?!  Really?  That is the dumbest thing ever - if you really are there to ski.  Cant think of the last time I had a sit down lunch at a ski area - maybe a decade?  I get food at the cafeteria or bring my own.  But I am there to ski, not to dine trailside.



My friends and I have a sit down lunch most days we ski. "Dumbest thing ever"...LOL


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## Cannonball (Feb 23, 2015)

SkiFanE said:


> A SIT DOWN LUNCH during a ski day?!  Really?  That is the dumbest thing ever - if you really are there to ski.  Cant think of the last time I had a sit down lunch at a ski area - maybe a decade?  I get food at the cafeteria or bring my own.  But I am there to ski, not to dine trailside.



So you get food from the cafeteria, then what?  Stand around eating it so you won't be so dumb as to sit down?  I'm completely puzzled how sitting down can be considered "the dumbest thing ever".  If I had to make a list of the "dumbest things ever" I'm pretty sure it wouldn't make the top 1,000.


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## SkiFanE (Feb 23, 2015)

Edd said:


> My friends and I have a sit down lunch most days we ski. "Dumbest thing ever"...LOL



Really?  How long does it take?  I wouldn't stop for lunch on most days if I didn't have a kid to meet. Tough weather days, yeah I'd grab lunch. But a day like Sunday - nowhere near a lodge. Cliff bar will do me fine. I guess I just go to ski. Socializing is secondary.  Dumbest is harsh (IRL, not in net world lol) - but to me it is when I just want to ski. And if it's a good ski day, my blood would boil uncontrollably if a waitress takes  15 mins to get the bill while slopes are waiting.


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## Cannonball (Feb 23, 2015)

SkiFanE said:


> Really?  How long does it take?  I wouldn't stop for lunch on most days if I didn't have a kid to meet. Tough weather days, yeah I'd grab lunch. But a day like Sunday - nowhere near a lodge. Cliff bar will do me fine. I guess I just go to ski. Socializing is secondary.  Dumbest is harsh (IRL, not in net world lol) - but to me it is when I just want to ski. And if it's a good ski day, my blood would boil uncontrollably if a waitress takes  15 mins to get the bill while slopes are waiting.



I wish I was in the conditioning you are.  Sometime between the first tram at 8:15 and the last chair at 4pm, I need to sit down and restore some calories and energy.  My hat's off to you for going hard 8hrs on a cliff bar.


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## SkiFanE (Feb 23, 2015)

Cannonball said:


> So you get food from the cafeteria, then what?  Stand around eating it so you won't be so dumb as to sit down?  I'm completely puzzled how sitting down can be considered "the dumbest thing ever".  If I had to make a list of the "dumbest things ever" I'm pretty sure it wouldn't make the top 1,000.



Sorry: sit down = wait service.  It takes 5 mins to get and pay for food from cafe.  And we sit down and eat 

you are right, this is AZ - everything taken literally. You are correct, it is not the dumbest thing ever. Apologies for my generalization. I'll put it at about 10th dumbest things to do on a ski day (in all but bad weather).


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## SkiFanE (Feb 23, 2015)

Cannonball said:


> I wish I was in the conditioning you are.  Sometime between the first tram at 8:15 and the last chair at 4pm, I need to sit down and restore some calories and energy.  My hat's off to you for going hard 8hrs on a cliff bar.


. Then I go home and crash . After breakfast - I don't need much more.  Oh - I have kids that often take me away at 2pm - can't always go to 4 - so lunch shortens the 2pm days too much.


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## Edd (Feb 23, 2015)

SkiFanE said:


> Really?  How long does it take?  I wouldn't stop for lunch on most days if I didn't have a kid to meet. Tough weather days, yeah I'd grab lunch. But a day like Sunday - nowhere near a lodge. Cliff bar will do me fine. I guess I just go to ski. Socializing is secondary.  Dumbest is harsh (IRL, not in net world lol) - but to me it is when I just want to ski. And if it's a good ski day, my blood would boil uncontrollably if a waitress takes  15 mins to get the bill while slopes are waiting.



I'd guess we take 60 to 75 minutes. Time enough for a couple of beers usually, although I've switched it up from time to time. We're weekday skiers, so it's not like we lose time in lift lines.  A pow day will alter the routine. It's all good, just hanging with friends.


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## deadheadskier (Feb 23, 2015)

I guess I rarely feel the need to ski much more than 5 hours in a day.  So, stopping for 45min to an hour for a beer or two and a meal doesn't really phase me.  I'll usually get after it hard in the morning for 3 hours or so, stop for lunch and then ski for another couple of hours.  Unless it's exceptional or I arrived particularly late, I'm typically done by 3PM most days of the year.  In the spring time, I'll start later and ski a little bit later in the day. I guess I'm not very hardcore.


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## SnowRock (Feb 23, 2015)

deadheadskier said:


> I guess I rarely feel the need to ski much more than 5 hours in a day.  So, stopping for 45min to an hour for a beer or two and a meal doesn't really phase me.  I'll usually get after it hard in the morning for 3 hours or so, stop for lunch and then ski for another couple of hours.  Unless it's exceptional or I arrived particularly late, I'm typically done by 3PM most days of the year.  In the spring time, I'll start later and ski a little bit later in the day. I guess I'm not very hardcore.



Yeah this is my approach. Try to be there as close to opening as possible and do as much as I can before 11. Then break for 45 mins to an hour.... then get back at it until it feels right to stop. Might be 3, might be 2. I prefer to end a run early than a run late. 

Headed to Mt Snow this weekend.. probably 10 years since I have been there outside of opening day this year and I expect crowds. I will be getting my group on the mountain as early as possible as a result.


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## deadheadskier (Feb 23, 2015)

SnowRock said:


> . I prefer to end a run early than a run late.



Always.  

And this winter I'm more cautious than normal in calling it a day as I'm quite out of shape.  If I'm starting to ski sloppy, I bag it and stay healthy to ski another day.


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## bdfreetuna (Feb 23, 2015)

deadheadskier said:


> Always.
> 
> And this winter I'm more cautious than normal in calling it a day as I'm quite out of shape.  If I'm starting to ski sloppy, I bag it and stay healthy to ski another day.



Agreed on the early start > slay it in the morning > lunch at 12 including most likely beer (and most likely bought in the cafeteria) > go back out with a strategy to ski the best of the goods until I start getting tired or sloppy > go back in the lodge, have a beer > depending how I feel after the beer break, maybe take a couple more runs.

I've only made it to close about 20% of the time this year -- that's fine with me. I've been getting earlier starts and getting more fresh stuff in the mornings.

Pretty out of shape this year too, and a bad back lately.. besides, the only person I need to compete with is myself.


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## HowieT2 (Feb 23, 2015)

SnowRock said:


> Yeah this is my approach. Try to be there as close to opening as possible and do as much as I can before 11. Then break for 45 mins to an hour.... then get back at it until it feels right to stop. Might be 3, might be 2. I prefer to end a run early than a run late.
> 
> Headed to Mt Snow this weekend.. probably 10 years since I have been there outside of opening day this year and I expect crowds. I will be getting my group on the mountain as early as possible as a result.



+1.  
I start skiing around 8, im ready for lunch/break at 11:30.  plus that seems to coincide with the heaviest lift lines.  so I eat, maybe dry out my gloves, and go back out while the lift line thins.


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## JDMRoma (Feb 23, 2015)

SkiFanE said:


> Cliff bar will do me fine.



I too am in the Cliff Bar camp (Builder Bars)........and well of course a few quick beers to wash it down !

Nothing like Chocolate / Peanut butter and a Sam Adams on a Good ski day !
I not very patient either and really don't like to stop long......are we related SkiFanE


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## SkiFanE (Feb 23, 2015)

JDMRoma said:


> I too am in the Cliff Bar camp (Builder Bars)........and well of course a few quick beers to wash it down !
> 
> Nothing like Chocolate / Peanut butter and a Sam Adams on a Good ski day !
> I not very patient either and really don't like to stop long......are we related SkiFanE



Haha - maybe.  I am not "hardcore" - more like "desperate" - raising 3 kids and working FT means skiing is a precious commodity - if I have a chance to ski from 8a-4pm - I take it. Yesterday, 2nd best day of year for me so far - and I had to leave at 1pm for kid commitment - kills me!  Husband and I also carry a flask and spend lots of time in woods - so we take breaks and are not skiing down groomers all day - can take a hour for a run if we're adventurous or hiking. One reason I never complain about slow lifts - I need the rest time


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## MEtoVTSkier (Feb 23, 2015)

deadheadskier said:


> Always.
> 
> And this winter I'm more cautious than normal in calling it a day as I'm quite out of shape.  If I'm starting to ski sloppy, I bag it and stay healthy to ski another day.



Glad I'm not the only one! :lol:


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## dlague (Feb 23, 2015)

JDMRoma said:


> I too am in the Cliff Bar camp (Builder Bars)........and well of course a few quick beers to wash it down !
> 
> Nothing like Chocolate / Peanut butter and a Sam Adams on a Good ski day !
> I not very patient either and really don't like to stop long......are we related SkiFanE



Quick beer at the Zoomer bar!


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## drjeff (Feb 23, 2015)

ThinkSnow said:


> Having to wait 45 minutes to be seated for lunch at 2pm, and an additional 45 minutes to be served (as my friends did) is one thing.  I understand this could totally be avoided if we thought ahead and brought our own lunch.  However, a ski area as large as this having multiple lift issues resort-wide, all weekend long is poor customer service.  Without exaggeration, during both Saturday and Sunday, I had only 1 lift ride which did not stop multiple times.  This includes the high-speed detachable 6-pack.  Normally I never ski during holiday/school break periods for all these reasons.  However, having experienced it, I'm shocked if this is considered a normal occurrence.  In years past, some ski areas had been known to limit their ticket sales to improve the customer experience.  From what we encountered this weekend, Mt. Slow has just lost a few returning customers.



Where did you try to eat at 2? In the main base lodge you've got Cuzzins on the 1st floor for sit down service (and with Bruce Jacques playing there on Saturday I'm guessing they had a 15+ minute wait for a table by 11:05 soon after the doors opened at 11)?

The Station Taproom on the 2nd floor of the main base lodge - from personal experience I can attest that it was crowded up there Saturday afternoon!

 1900' Burger next to the base lodge? Almost always a decent wait due to the intoxicating smell of cooking burgers drifting over the main base area

The Bullwheel upstairs in the summit lodge? Almost always jammed on a busy day from opening until it closes about 3:30

Or Harrimans Farm to Table in the Grand Summit Hotel? Guessing it wasn't Harriman's as unless you're staying in the hotel most people don't realize its even there

 On a crowded day as Saturday was, Mount Snow is undersized for restaurant and bar space - the reality is though if they made the spaces big enough in future renovations, that probably 345+  days a year you'd have way more floor area (wasted space) than needed - most busy ski areas have this same "issue" 

As for the lift issue - once you got off of Tumbleweed after having had to go to the Sundance Lodge for your lift ticket, the Sundance Triple that you headed for is about a 13 minute ride - verses had you gone to the main base area and ridden the Canyon Express Quad (which from what I saw while lapping the Bluebird most of the morning with my wife, never had more than a 10 minute line + the 5 minute ride up) would of gotten you North Face access in essentially the same time on Saturday - so to infer wide scale lift infrastructure issues at Mount Snow this past Saturday vs. just the lifts you rode isn't exactly an accurate or fair statement on your part to be fair.

Mount Snow was crowded last Saturday, no doubt about it! And I'm sorry that you ended up caught amongst the masses all day


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## KD7000 (Feb 23, 2015)

I love Mount Snow on a Saturday!  It's the greatest place to be.


During summer or early fall.


On a DH bike.


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## The Sneak (Feb 23, 2015)

You should've audibled and gone to Berkshire East or Magic.

BEast has vert similar to the north face at mt snow. And The Red Chair at Magic serves up similar vert as the Bluebird over vastly more interesting terrain.




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## skifree (Feb 23, 2015)

We should  start a new thread. Best mountains to sit in lodge and not ski .
This last weekend was one of the best weekends to SKI this year. Stop bitching about a long wait for chicken fingers !!!


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## ThinkSnow (Feb 23, 2015)

drjeff said:


> As for the lift issue - once you got off of Tumbleweed after having had to go to the Sundance Lodge for your lift ticket, the Sundance Triple that you headed for is about a 13 minute ride - verses had you gone to the main base area and ridden the Canyon Express Quad (which from what I saw while lapping the Bluebird most of the morning with my wife, never had more than a 10 minute line + the 5 minute ride up) would of gotten you North Face access in essentially the same time on Saturday - so to infer wide scale lift infrastructure issues at Mount Snow this past Saturday vs. just the lifts you rode isn't exactly an accurate or fair statement on your part to be fair.



I appreciate your prior advice, but you've got this wrong.  I didn't go to Sundance to get my lift ticket-- I already had it.  I skied there to finish up some work from the night before.  The Tumbleweed triple at the Sundance base was at least a 20 minute wait, followed by constant stopping and starting of the lift while we were on it.  I know I weigh more than I should, but it was ridiculous.  We took the Sundance triple because we knew that from it we could take the high traverse directly over to the North face, only to find the high traverse closed in a season of (near) record snowfall.  We skied down to the lower traverse and took the bubble lift, as we had already wasted a ton of time on the triple, and figured it might be faster (our bad).  Every lift stopped multiple times, including the detachables.  Of the 6 chairs ridden throughout the weekend, I literally only had one lift ride that did not stop over and over and over again.  I can't say the same for any of the 6 other areas I've been to this season.


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## deadheadskier (Feb 23, 2015)

drjeff said:


> High traverse was closed from the top of the Sundance Triple over to Exhibition, but was open from Exhibiton on over across to Cascade) on Saturday (and Sunday too for that matter) because of race training (Saturday) and a race (Sunday) on South Bowl.



not a snow issue apparently


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## gmcunni (Feb 23, 2015)

was it windy Saturday? i thought i recall reading Stratton had wind holds on many lift Saturday.


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## ThinkSnow (Feb 23, 2015)

Fine, not a snow issue.  I don't recall any signs indicating the trail closure at the Sundance triple.  However, why was there race training & trail closures on a super busy holiday weekend anyway?


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## ThinkSnow (Feb 23, 2015)

gmcunni said:


> was it windy Saturday? i thought i recall reading Stratton had wind holds on many lift Saturday.



When we were stuck on the Sundance Triple for the extended time, it was not windy.  I heard it did close after the issues it had, but that was the only chair to do so.


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## deadheadskier (Feb 23, 2015)

ThinkSnow said:


> Fine, not a snow issue.  I don't recall any signs indicating the trail closure at the Sundance triple.  However, why was there race training & trail closures on a super busy holiday weekend anyway?



The same reason there is at almost every major ski area in New England.  It sucks, but those families pay a crap load of money for those season long programs.  They typically don't end until middle of March or so.  Hell, little Mount Abram Maine where I was skiing this Saturday had race training going on.


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## ThinkSnow (Feb 23, 2015)

I think everyone is missing the point of my post here.  I've been skiing  and riding for 35 years, and I've been working in the industry for 22  of those years.

I posted my experience so that hopefully someone  at Mount Snow would take notice.  When used correctly, social media  (like this) can be a very strong tool.  One complaint to skier services  at the mountain doesn't do much.  When the product is lift service, I am  trying to raise the point of poor customer service, but apparently  everyone else finds this to be the norm and is just fine with having  these issues.  I don't really care enough about Mount Snow to bother with this post any longer.


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## deadheadskier (Feb 23, 2015)

I've been on this forum for about a decade.  The amount of industry response to complaints here has been extremely limited.   AZ is not like Facebook or Twitter in that regard.   Win from Sugarbush and occasionally the Sugarloaf guys have chimed in,  but that's about it.  I wouldn't hold my breath for a response from Mt Snow here.  Facebook they definitely would though.


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## gmcunni (Feb 23, 2015)

i've been contacted by a mountain manager based on posting here but not a big place like mt snow.. i think they're too big to care.

ThinkSnow- just curious, what you do?  you mention



> I work for a ski/snowboard tour travel agency part time,



what does that entail?


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## ThinkSnow (Feb 23, 2015)

deadheadskier said:


> I've been on this forum for about a decade.  The amount of industry response to complaints here has been extremely limited.   AZ is not like Facebook or Twitter in that regard.   Win from Sugarbush and occasionally the Sugarloaf guys have chimed in,  but that's about it.  I wouldn't hold my breath for a response from Mt Snow here.  Facebook they definitely would though.


  Not on Facebook or twitter by choice.  This is a skier/rider forum so ski areas would do well to pay attention.  I'm not holding my breath, by posting I'm releasing it.


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## ThinkSnow (Feb 23, 2015)

gmcunni said:


> i've been contacted by a mountain manager based on posting here but not a big place like mt snow.. i think they're too big to care.
> 
> ThinkSnow- just curious, what you do?  you mention
> 
> ...


 
Traveling to various ski areas and being the on-mountain staff for our incoming guests, which includes giving out lift tickets (so guests don't have to deal with the mountain in the morning), room keys, arranging group gatherings (apres ski), etc.


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## SkiFanE (Feb 23, 2015)

ThinkSnow said:


> I think everyone is missing the point of my post here.  I've been skiing  and riding for 35 years, and I've been working in the industry for 22  of those years.
> 
> I posted my experience so that hopefully someone  at Mount Snow would take notice.  When used correctly, social media  (like this) can be a very strong tool.  One complaint to skier services  at the mountain doesn't do much.  When the product is lift service, I am  trying to raise the point of poor customer service, but apparently  everyone else finds this to be the norm and is just fine with having  these issues.  I don't really care enough about Mount Snow to bother with this post any longer.


My response, although it sounded off the mark, is because of the things you mentioned. On a holiday weekend traversing any mountain in NE can be chancy.  sit-down service in resort towns, on and off mountain, I find to always be slower than I prefer. I can handle it for dinner, but  on  a ski day I have no patience.  What you complain about could have probably applied to 50% of mountains on Saturday.  At least that's my take.


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## ThinkSnow (Feb 23, 2015)

SkiFanE said:


> My response, although it sounded off the mark, is because of the things you mentioned. On a holiday weekend traversing any mountain in NE can be chancy.  sit-down service in resort towns, on and off mountain, I find to always be slower than I prefer. I can handle it for dinner, but  on  a ski day I have no patience.  What you complain about could have probably applied to 50% of mountains on Saturday.  At least that's my take.


You're right.  I can apply it to other places I've been to on a holiday weekend, and I have made the comparison.  Still the worst experience of them all.


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## Newpylong (Feb 24, 2015)

dlague said:


> Isn't this what a forum is for?  His own opinion.



Of course. And I can also point out when I think someone is being a whiny b*tch too


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## ThinkSnow (Feb 24, 2015)

Yes, what was I thinking expressing service concerns on a site that primarily values daily updates boasting number of days skied along with juvenile opinions....


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## deadheadskier (Feb 24, 2015)

I think the reason you're not getting quite the support of your opinion is that like I said in the second post of the thread; welcome to Southern, VT on a Saturday during a vacation week after historically good snowfall.  It's the equivalent of going to Hampton Beach, NH on the Saturday of 4th of July weekend when the weather has been great all week.  Unless you're a regular, it's not going to be the best experience.  If you are a regular, you know how to work the mountain.  Several people in this thread said it was extremely busy, but they found ways to work around the crowds.  

I'm assuming your home mountain is Sugarbush yes?   They have their own lift and base lodge issues.  People are incredibly vocal about them here.  Has Win replaced any lifts based upon those comments in the past decade?  No.  Has he addressed the base lodge issue?  Kinda.  What has he done most of?  Build condos.   Though as mentioned, he has chimed in here occasionally.   I wouldn't expect that from Mount Snow.  Too corporate. 

Regarding ski forums being a good social media platform for Mountains to score how they're doing?  I'd say it's pretty minimal.  Our traffic on this site is not what you'd think. Your expectation that this thread might improve service at Mount Snow isn't based much in reality.  We might have 300-400 members who are "regulars" spread across all of the region in where they ski.  We get many one and done posters looking for just a slight bit of information before moving on.   Given that a place like Mount Snow has 10,000 people skiing there on a typical Sunday, AZ would represent a drop in the bucket as far as being a barometer of opinion for the place.

It's fine to gripe about a bad experience here.  We all do and sometimes you get a consensus agreement with your opinion, sometimes quite the opposite.  What I would suggest however is to use the forum in a more productive manner.  Had you simply posted a thread, "Hey going to Mount Snow this Saturday for the first time in years, any suggestions," I bet you would have gotten dozens of helpful responses that would have made for a much more enjoyable experience there. Ski forums are incredibly useful for that.   Just a thought.


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## SIKSKIER (Feb 24, 2015)

..


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## SkiFanE (Feb 24, 2015)

ThinkSnow said:


> Yes, what was I thinking expressing service concerns on a site that primarily values daily updates boasting number of days skied along with juvenile opinions....



What was juvenile about the opinions?  Mine was serious.  You just didn't agree.  But for someone that went to Snow and really went to meet with people he hasn't seen in awhile, and dine with them in a lodge...not to really get any serious skiing in...your complaint seems even less important.  I haven't been to Snow in 20+ years...can't remember much about it - but it sounds like much of your situation of getting to bad/long lifts was due to some things you needed to care of - so you didn't choose the smartest ways around the mountain...and the ski area is called to task.  It's like complaining about circling the mall parking lot on Saturday December 22 because they don't have enough parking - just do things differently and you won't be in the situation.


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## steamboat1 (Feb 24, 2015)

The management of Killington listens to what is said on K-Zone & occassionally responds to questions or suggestions posed. I'd think K-Zone has even less readership than Alpine Zone.


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## deadheadskier (Feb 24, 2015)

steamboat1 said:


> The management of Killington listens to what is said on K-Zone & occassionally responds to questions or suggestions posed. I'd think K-Zone has even less readership than Alpine Zone.



They do now, but they didn't for years.  It's a priority for Mike.  It was not a priority of Nyberg.  That's also a mountain specific forum.  I bet if Mount Snow had a mountain specific forum, management would be much more likely to respond than on a generalized skiing forum like AZ.   Even the OP said he posts to his mountain's own forum and gets responses there.   

That said, the amount that Killington responds on Kzone is a fraction of how much they respond on Facebook.  That is by far the better social media platform for interacting with ski areas than a ski forum.


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## hammer (Feb 24, 2015)

Guess I still don't understand how the OP's issues are related to bad customer service...might have a legit complaint about being stuck on a lift for some time (not for a novice lift that stops a lot -- that happens) but otherwise the complaints are nothing different from what I've seen when I have gone to other ski areas that are notorious for crowds on weekends and holidays.

If I had a specific complaint about a visit I guess I'd write an e-mail first.  If I wasn't happy with the personal response and I felt like I had an axe to grind I might post my complaint here.  In all honesty my approach would likely to be to vote with my feet, which I have done in the past.  No one is forcing me to ski at a particular area, I have plenty of choices within a 2 hour drive.


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## amf (Feb 24, 2015)

So the OP is part of the reason for overcrowding and poor lift management he complains of. This was the end of Prez week - crowds should be expected. I was there Friday and Sunday. Friday lift issues were totally beyond MS control. But the skiing was good, and lift lines short. Sunday was simply stellar. We started on the Tumbleweed. It can get overwhelmed with groups. Get away from it and avoid the bubble and lines were short. The longest we experienced was on the north face, which was welcome after coming down thru the trees. The base was a zoo because no one could handle the snow. Why go there? Its funny, on Saturday at Magic the one lift went down - a bunch of folks, myself included, spent almost an hour on it. Didn't hear any whining at all.


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## drjeff (Feb 24, 2015)

deadheadskier said:


> They do now, but they didn't for years.  It's a priority for Mike.  It was not a priority of Nyberg.  That's also a mountain specific forum.  I bet if Mount Snow had a mountain specific forum, management would be much more likely to respond than on a generalized skiing forum like AZ.   Even the OP said he posts to his mountain's own forum and gets responses there.
> 
> That said, the amount that Killington responds on Kzone is a fraction of how much they respond on Facebook.  That is by far the better social media platform for interacting with ski areas than a ski forum.



Mount Snow does have their own passholders specific forum, that has quite active participation from many admins.  I also do know that they have multiple admins who lurk here from time to time on AZ, and other ski related forums


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## gmcunni (Feb 24, 2015)

I think participation from Mountain management has decreased in the past few years.  it was never great but I think it's almost nonexistent now


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## 4aprice (Feb 24, 2015)

gmcunni said:


> I think participation from Mountain management has decreased in the past few years.  it was never great but I think it's almost nonexistent now



Participation yes,  but I bet they almost all lurk.

Alex

Lake Hopatcong, NJ


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## drjeff (Feb 24, 2015)

4aprice said:


> Participation yes,  but I bet they almost all lurk.
> 
> Alex
> 
> Lake Hopatcong, NJ



Yup,  you've got to remember that while they're in the ski BUSINESS (and it is a business after all), that the vast majority of them are just as fanatical about this awesome sport as we all are, so they're curious about what's going on at other places not just from the business perspective, but just from the "that sounds like it was a great day on the hill" perspective


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## Highway Star (Feb 24, 2015)

ThinkSnow said:


> I appreciate your prior advice, but you've got this wrong.  I didn't go to Sundance to get my lift ticket-- I already had it.  I skied there to finish up some work from the night before.  The Tumbleweed triple at the Sundance base was at least a 20 minute wait, followed by constant stopping and starting of the lift while we were on it.  I know I weigh more than I should, but it was ridiculous.  We took the Sundance triple because we knew that from it we could take the high traverse directly over to the North face, only to find the high traverse closed in a season of (near) record snowfall.  We skied down to the lower traverse and took the bubble lift, as we had already wasted a ton of time on the triple, and figured it might be faster (our bad).  Every lift stopped multiple times, including the detachables.  Of the 6 chairs ridden throughout the weekend, I literally only had one lift ride that did not stop over and over and over again.  I can't say the same for any of the 6 other areas I've been to this season.



It's pretty clear you don't know how to navigate the mountain properly on a busy Saturday.  Come to Killington some time, you probably won't even be able to get on a lift.


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## hammer (Feb 24, 2015)

Highway Star said:


> It's pretty clear you don't know how to navigate the mountain properly on a busy Saturday.  Come to Killington some time, you probably won't even be able to get on a lift.


FWIW my one trip to Killington was on a reasonably busy day...key was to get decent intel on which lifts to go on and which to avoid.  We even traversed the whole area and still hit most of what we wanted to.  That said, I'd be leery of going there on a holiday week much less a holiday weekend.


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## Highway Star (Feb 24, 2015)

hammer said:


> FWIW my one trip to Killington was on a reasonably busy day...key was to get decent intel on which lifts to go on and which to avoid.  We even traversed the whole area and still hit most of what we wanted to.  That said, I'd be leery of going there on a holiday week much less a holiday weekend.



You can ski any busy Saturday without waiting more than 2 minutes in a lift line and ski 95% of the mountain.


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## rocks860 (Feb 24, 2015)

What a triumphant return


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## Glenn (Feb 24, 2015)

My wife and I thought the lifts stopped a lot at Mount Snow. Even midweek, we'd stop multiple times on the Bluebird. 

That said, Sunday was busy at Stratton as well. All the snow brought everyone up this weekend. Traffic Friday night was nuts.


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## mriceyman (Feb 24, 2015)

Highway Star said:


> You can ski any peak Saturday without waiting more than 2 minutes in a lift line and ski 95% of the mountain.



For once i agree with HS.. I did ski K on a holiday sat. You just know where to be at K to avoid crowds. Or go to magic and be on the mountain with 100 other people lol


Sent from my iPhone using AlpineZone


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## legalskier (Feb 24, 2015)

ThinkSnow said:


> I posted my experience so that hopefully someone  at Mount Snow would take notice.  When used correctly, social media  (like this) can be a very strong tool.  One complaint to skier services  at the mountain doesn't do much.  When the product is lift service, I am  trying to raise the point of poor customer service



In my earlier comment I was going to suggest you contact Customer Service directly, but then deleted it after you said you'd never return there. 

I see there is a shuttle bus service called the "MOOver" among the different base areas. Would this have been a better option for you than taking multiple lift rides over to the north face?
http://www.moover.com/routes-timetables/mount-snow


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## drjeff (Feb 24, 2015)

legalskier said:


> In my earlier comment I was going to suggest you contact Customer Service directly, but then deleted it after you said you'd never return there.
> 
> I see there is a shuttle bus service called the "MOOver" among the different base areas. Would this have been a better option for you than taking multiple lift rides over to the north face?
> http://www.moover.com/routes-timetables/mount-snow



The Moover, amongst other routes (there's actually 8 or 9 different Moover routes that run to various condo complexes, and also as public transportation all over the Deerfield Valley and Windham county) acts as a base lodge shuttle that has a loop that goes from the Main Base Lodge, to the Sundance Base Lodge to the Carinthia Base Lodge and back.  You still have to take at least 1 lift to get from any base area over to the Northface


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## gmcunni (Feb 24, 2015)

had the high traverse trail not been closed perhaps he would have had a much better day.

was the trail marked closed on the trail report that day?

would OP have even checked the trail report on a day where every mountain in the North East was 100% open?

the guy had a lousy day and won't go back.  pretty much end of story.


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## drjeff (Feb 24, 2015)

gmcunni said:


> had the high traverse trail not been closed perhaps he would have had a much better day.
> 
> was the trail marked closed on the trail report that day?
> 
> ...



I can see how the whole High Traverse situation happened.  About 2/3rds of High Traverse was open on Saturday, the 1st 1/3rd of it wasn't because South Bowl, which High Traverse cuts across, was closed for race training from 8 until 2:30.  You can certainly debate the merits of if a portion of a trail is "closed" should it be listed as closed or open? I'm sure you can also debate about should a connector trail like High Traverse is be labeled in upper, middle and lower portions??  Or would labeling it like that just be a ploy to say artificially increase the total trail count.  Mount Snow actually 6 or 7 years ago did away with the "upper", "middle" and "lower" names for the majority of their trails to try and be honest and simplify their snow reporting, and even this past year, the tweaked a few trails names to better represent what typically constitutes a full top to bottom run via 1 trail, rather than parts of multiple trails.  The reality as a Mount Snow regular is that High Traverse is a little used connector trail, especially that top section from the top of the Sundance lift on over to Exhibition.  That was an issue in this case...

 The fact that South Bowl was closed for race training was mentioned on the daily snow report which goes out online and is also listed on the various display boards and printed trail reports posted in and around the various lodges


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## ScottySkis (Feb 25, 2015)

I vote for naming Mountain Snowy Walt!


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