# Crotched 12/1/13



## deadheadskier (Dec 1, 2013)

Headed to Crotched this morning to pick up my Granite Pass and get a few hours of skiing in.  With Attitash still closed and Wildcat offering limited terrain, I opted for Crotched as it's much closer to home than Wildcat.  I have only skied Crotched a couple of times since it reopened and both times I wasn't all that impressed as I felt like I spent an awful lot of time on the lift to ski pretty short runs.  I was pleasantly surprised today due to the HSQ.  That lift really is a game changer for the mountain.

For an opening weekend, the conditions and terrain offerings were quite good.  They had a fair amount of variety open with a good cruiser off the top, a trail with park features set up and a long novice trail around the perimeter (don't know the trail names yet.)  They also had the magic carpet area covered and open. Coverage was great on all open trails and the snow was pretty darn good with only a few scratchy spots here and there. 

Here's a photo looking up at the cruising run I spent most of my day on.








A few runs in I rode the chair with a longtime condo owner on the Mountain.  I asked him what they might open for terrain next and he said it will be a while as they were out of water and it takes a while for their ponds to refill because they don't have a natural water source to pump from.  Another ride with a ski patroller also resulted in the same conversation.  He said they might have enough water to open one more shorter trail, but any of the main top to bottom runs such as the one under the Rocket will have to wait a bit unless they get some natural.

I was unaware that Crotched had a water supply issue.  Below is a picture of the near empty pond and their second pond looked pretty much the same.  

Overall a great half day on the hill though.  I look forward to going back, especially mid-season when the trees are open and they hopefully have some bumps.


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## 4aprice (Dec 1, 2013)

Wow, that's not a healthy predicament.  I had read over on SJ that the pond was low but that's bad news for them, and they have a good system too.  Wonder if Elk down here will have similar issues with their water problems.  Building another sm pond would not be cheap.

Alex

Lake Hopatcong, NJ


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## St. Bear (Dec 1, 2013)

The northeast had a very dry fall. I wonder if that's the reason, or if it's more endemic than that.


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## Angus (Dec 1, 2013)

Chalk up to the weather. Since re-opening (10 years) I've never seen that pond even half as empty. Been very dry.


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## steamboat1 (Dec 1, 2013)

Hate to say it but I"m not hoping for rain. Lot's of snow & cold is what I'm hoping for.


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## deadheadskier (Dec 1, 2013)

I guess all you can really hope for in this situation is snow and lots of it.

It's raining in Southern NH now.  So, that helps fill the pond, but it eats away at the snow they've already made.  Kind of a crappy situation for Crotched.


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## thetrailboss (Dec 1, 2013)

Nice TR.  But wow, I had no idea that they were running low on water.  How is Sugarbush doing?  They've been caught dry as well.


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## speden (Dec 2, 2013)

Yikes, no water.  When the beer keg runs dry, the party is over.   Hope the ponds fill back up quick.


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## Tin (Dec 2, 2013)

It looks higher than what it was on Saturday. They had two big pipes pumping water in when we arrived and when we left. Hope for some natural stuff.


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## dlague (Dec 2, 2013)

We rode the HSQ last year and it is definitely a game changer compared to it's rival Pats Peak.  We do not ski either one that often (couple times per season for a quick local hit).  We went there for a few hours and lapped that chair headed down the same trail most of the time and got a boat load of runs in.  My son dragged me to the terrain park a few times.


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## MadMadWorld (Dec 2, 2013)

A Catch 22 to say the least.


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## thetrailboss (Dec 2, 2013)

Who thinks that Peaks will announce a new pond for Crotched next season?


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## yeggous (Dec 2, 2013)

The good (?) news is that temperatures look too warm for snowmaking this week which will give the pond some time to recover before the cold returns.


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## Quietman (Dec 2, 2013)

Tin said:


> It looks higher than what it was on Saturday. They had two big pipes pumping water in when we arrived and when we left. Hope for some natural stuff.



They can't pump water, the water coming from those pipes is mainly melt water and some spring water from the mountain.  I believe that the ponds were low to start the year, and the 1"+ of rain on the 27th got used up opening Milky Way, Super Nova, Comet, and Re-Entry. Given time, the ponds will rise.  Maybe now that the lighting issue is kind of settled, they can focus on other issues.


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## mbedle (Dec 2, 2013)

I live next to bear creek down here in pa and their ponds were looking really low on Saturday and they barely started making snow.


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## deadheadskier (Dec 2, 2013)

Quietman said:


> They can't pump water, the water coming from those pipes is mainly melt water and some spring water from the mountain.  I believe that the ponds were low to start the year, and the 1"+ of rain on the 27th got used up opening Milky Way, Super Nova, Comet, and Re-Entry. Given time, the ponds will rise.  Maybe now that the lighting issue is kind of settled, they can focus on other issues.



That's what the Ski Patroller and condo owner said.  They don't have a permit to pump ground water to fill the ponds.  I'm not all that familiar with the area, but it doesn't appear that there's a major river or lake water source nearby to run a pipe to either.  They'll pretty much always have to rely on the ponds they got and mother nature filling them up in the Fall.  

With that known, I wonder how much better off they actually would be if they a had third pond to draw from during a year like this year with a dry Autumn.  Probably not that much.  

I'll chalk it up as having unlucky weather.  I'd be surprised if they invested in another pond anytime soon unless this turns into a REAL problem for the season and scares of skiers.  Only time will tell if that happens.


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## yeggous (Dec 17, 2013)

Does anyone know if they have been blowing in the last 24 hours or are they just out of water? It looks like great snowmaking weather and they only have a few trails left to cover.


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## St. Bear (Dec 17, 2013)

It may not be worth it with a warm rain event coming.


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## yeggous (Dec 17, 2013)

St. Bear said:


> It may not be worth it with a warm rain event coming.



Probably true. I guess refilling the pond is the bright side.


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## Tin (Dec 17, 2013)

yeggous said:


> Probably true. I guess refilling the pond is the bright side.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPad using AlpineZone mobile app



They got 12-15" on Saturday night and went insane blowing the week before. There is 3-4' of snow on Pluto's and Jupiter maybe more in spots. They are getting 4-8" tonight as well. When I was there this weekend the snowmaking pond was down to mud. They blew it all on Pluto's and Jupiter the week prior. No snowmaking for a while until after the rain this weekend. After tonight they should have enough to open UFO. I'm heading up tomorrow.


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## hammer (Dec 17, 2013)

So it should still be good for the weekend?  Might get there on Sunday.


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## Tin (Dec 17, 2013)

hammer said:


> So it should still be good for the weekend?  Might get there on Sunday.



Looking like lots of rain Saturday pm to Monday am and mid to upper 40s. I would get there prior to Saturday afternoon.


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## yeggous (Dec 17, 2013)

I'm going to be playing it cautiously this weekend. I'd head on Friday night if they were doing midnight madness, but alas it is too early. At some point on Saturday it is likely get very wet there.


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## Tin (Dec 17, 2013)

Have to burn a sick day so I'm heading up tomorrow to enjoy whatever falls tonight. There was still a lot of fresh tracks to be found when we left Sunday night. I'll be back up Saturday with the gf.


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## hammer (Dec 17, 2013)

Tin said:


> Looking like lots of rain Saturday pm to Monday am and mid to upper 40s. I would get there prior to Saturday afternoon.


Yuck...will have to see if Saturday is doable.  Been busy with a kitchen remodel at home (even though I have contractors doing the work) so taking a day off isn't workable at this point.


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## Tin (Dec 17, 2013)

Just checked NWS website, now 6-12" for today/tonight.


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