Castlerock Grooming

[dalecaluori]

Hello,

I'm planning on visiting Sugarbush this weekend either Saturday or Sunday and am wondering what the resort does to Castlerock after weather events like yesterday?

Will Castlerock Run and Middle Earth be groomed or complete sheets of ice (provided temps don't warm up)?

Also, is Sunday typically considerably less crowded than Saturday?


Thanks a lot.

DC

 

[Greg]

No idea what the plan is, but those runs get a lot of sun this time of year, especially ME. 35 degrees and sun and you should be good.

 

[WWF-VT]

Not likely to see any grooming at Castlerock. Expect the snow to be "firm" until it warms up in the sun. Last Saturday was sunny and mid 30's and the skiing was great by late morning.

Sunday is much quieter than Saturday. Usually no lines at any chair after lunch.

 

[Highway Star]

Simple - they close them until they become skiable.

 

[thetrailboss]

Grooming: they only groom these runs maybe two or three times a season. I doubt that they are going to groom them out for this weekend. That said....you never know.

Right now the forecast is for warmer temps on Saturday as opposed to Sunday up here. Roger Hill @ WDEV said that there will be a backdoor cold front Saturday Evening that will make Sunday a few degrees cooler than Saturday. I'm planning on skiing at either 'Ellen or MRG on Saturday...temps are supposed to be in the 30's and 40's with a SW breeze. Spring skiing hopefully...

As for crowds, for Castlerock you want to get there first thing in the morning and generally around the lunch hour on if you can. Sundays are indeed less crowded than Saturdays.

 

[St. Bear]

From what I understand from the website and talking to a ski instructor when I was up there in Feb, as someone mentioned they only groom Castlerock once or twice a season. And I think if any trail does get groomed, it's Cotillion, not Middle Earth.

 

[thetrailboss]

From what I understand from the website and talking to a ski instructor when I was up there in Feb, as someone mentioned they only groom Castlerock once or twice a season. And I think if any trail does get groomed, it's Cotillion, not Middle Earth.

Well, I have skied a groomed Middle Earth, but again, that is rare because the section near "Jaws" gets thin fast and is a bit narrow for grooming. With warmer temps in the forecast and no snow on the horizon, I doubt that they will groom those runs. In general the grooming takes place after a bad freeze or in anticipation of a major dump of snow (so as to set up a nice base for additional snow).

And yes, they have groomed FIS before. I don't think it has been winched this season though.

 

[St. Bear]

In general the grooming takes place after a bad freeze or in anticipation of a major dump of snow (so as to set up a nice base for additional snow).

I think Wildcat should take some notes from SB. It seems to me that Wildcat tries to keep too many trails completely natural which is great in principle, but it gets them in trouble because there's no base to keep the trail open after a thaw/freeze or during a dry spell.

 

[ski_resort_observer]

I think most resorts have hard working dedicated groomers and it's these type of mountain conditions which everyone depends on their good work. The Bush is no exception. Last night they hit 51 trails, mostly groomers/cruisers. You can check the trail report on the website for the details. Still have 109 trails, I think only FIS and Black Diamond are closed currently.

If your in the MRV you can call 583-6590, Guest Services Desk at Gatehouse. They are there by 7:30ish and get first hand trail condition reports right from the get go. From out of state you can call the 1-800-53-SUGAR number and ask to be transferred up there.

I agree with others that in the afternoons the skiing will be good, especially on the groomers and with the sun warmer this time of year hopefully some of the Elite 8 will be skiing decently.

Hopefully, BMM will chime in as he is part of the awesome grooming crew at the Bush who will be working hard every night for some great skiing this weekend. The weather the next few days is perfect for the sap to run strong but challenging for skiers/riders both on-piste as well as off. I think the challenge will be met by most of the ski hills in the northeast and there will be some awesome skiing this weekend to be had.

 

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

From what I understand from the website and talking to a ski instructor when I was up there in Feb, as someone mentioned they only groom Castlerock once or twice a season. And I think if any trail does get groomed, it's Cotillion, not Middle Earth.

They groomed Middle Earth and Castlerock run on the evening of February 20th..and then it snowed 18+ inches and I had just about my best ever east coast powder run down Middle earth..woo hoo..nothing like flying through powder with no concern of frozen bumps lurking below..at this point in the season, I'd think they would leave Castlerock ungroomed to preserve the snowpack..

 

[deadheadskier]

I think Wildcat should take some notes from SB. It seems to me that Wildcat tries to keep too many trails completely natural which is great in principle, but it gets them in trouble because there's no base to keep the trail open after a thaw/freeze or during a dry spell.

which trails specifically at Wildcat?

I think Wildcat probably has a far smaller snowmaking budget and water resevoir and that contributes more to that issue than not grooming.

 

[St. Bear]

which trails specifically at Wildcat?

I think Wildcat probably has a far smaller snowmaking budget and water resevoir and that contributes more to that issue than not grooming.

You may be right about the budget and other aspects regarding Wildcat. I'm not familar with those details, but I can see Sugarbush having much deeper pockets than Wildcat.

I'm not claiming to be an expert, or end-all authority, I'm just going off my impression of Wildcat when I was there in Jan (during the spell where it was cold, but no new snow for a week). Most of the mountain was open, but many of the blacks in the middle of the mountain (Feline, Starr Line, Hairball) looked more like frozen glaciers than ski trails. Even the blues at the bottom of the mountain (Catenary, Cougar, Panther) were open, but had bare spots in between frozen bumps. It seems to me that if they groomed them down to fill in the bare spots when necessary, the overall experience would be more consistent thoughout the ski season.

 

[Lostone]

The snowmaking budget for Castlerock is reeeeeealy small. :wink:

Castlerock is not closed to "save the snow". That snow is tough! :razz:


Doubt they'll groom it this weekend and, according to the forecast, this weekend's weather will be one where he shines.

(Note: Jim does not do forecasts. He simply relates ones he's heard or seen. Jim knows he is in New England. :razz