For Sugar Bowl Skiers & Riders
Raining again now…. but predictions are still on track for a switch over to snow later today and some significant accumulation by Friday morning. Â Doing my snow dance!
It sure has been a tough early-season. Â The last few storms have been pretty disappointing, so I am hesitant to get my hopes up too much.
Waiting anxiously for Friday morning…
Disney is closed, just Lincoln running (and Nob, Christmas, Gondola). Â I didn’t make it out today, but I hear the post-rain conditions described as “questionable”. Â Sugar bowl’s own site even says “a bit rough”.
Let’s hope the incoming precipitation is colder and makes for better times!
It sure has been quite the early season ride!
Your good editor finally made it out to Sugar for some turns first thing in December. Â Trails were skied again like the old friends they area, and favorite chill spots were visited and inaugurated for the season. Â Steilhang, Disney cave, Hari-Kari, the Tippy Top, the eponymous Sugar Bowl and the Office too! Â No Sisters for me yet – saw folks picking their way down but I’ll be waiting for a little more coverage personally.
Everyone was stoked for the precipitation arriving this week, but alas… just a little too warm, and it has been almost entirely rain.
Lincoln and Disney have been open (plus Nob and Christmas Tree). Â Village only / gondola access most days of the season so far. Â J side was open the first weekend in December, but with the rain this weekend, Sugar was closed entirely on Saturday and then just the Village today.
At least on the bright side, there’s more precipitation arriving. Â If temps stay cold this time, that could erase all those frowns quickly!
– John S
Opening day is this Friday, November 25th!
Lincoln, Nob and Christmas Tree will be spinning. Â Not too shabby! Â Lincoln laps sound like a great way to start the season.
Unfortunately, this poor guy won’t be in town for the occasion. Â Looking into some help — if you’re going to be at Sugar Bowl opening weekend and you want to contribute a guest post, get in touch!
Everybody have fun on Hard Drinkin’ Lincoln for me!!
– J Snow
My pass arrived!
It sure has been a whirlwind of a summer. Â Then, just like that, temperatures have gotten chilly, the mountain tops received a dusting, my pass arrived, and town is abuzz with talk of winter.
Over at OpenSnow, they’re projecting a November 18th, 2016 opening date, the weekend before Thanksgiving. Â Last year Sugar opened on November 21st, 2015, the same weekend before Thanksgiving, on the heels of two decent storms. Â It has been raining cats and dogs this weekend, but too warm for any accumulation, and no sign of anything else on the horizon so far…
Think snow!
– John S
Alas, it is closing weekend.
To celebrate a great season on the mountain, as well as our failure to post regularly, we’re throwing an unofficial party in Disney cave.
See you there!
JS
What was that I said? I’ll post more often? I can be such a slacker.
It sure has been a great season compared to the last few years. The last couple weeks since the start of the year haven’t seen any huge, epic storms. But we’ve had a lot of little ones, and day after day they’ve really been piling up the base. On more than one occasion I’ve dusted an inch or two off my car in town and then skied a foot at the Bowl.
Things are filling in more lots more than I’ve been used to for ages. Places that were scary are getting easier. Whole little cliff lines that have been exposed for years are buried now.
Coming up we have more snow arriving Tuesday and Friday into Saturday. Tuesday could be on the smaller and wetter side, but the second storm looks bigger and colder.
More sooner than later, and pictures too!
Just time for a quick recap of the early season…
Sugar has been on the weekend warrior schedule since opening. I was out of the area vising family and missed Thanksgiving weekend. Last weekend there was a last-minute surprise Friday opening that left more than a few folks disappointed they missed it. Conditions were good but there was no mistaking it was still early season.
That brings us to this Friday! Some folks in town were grumpy the Thursday storm wasn’t quite as huge as predicted, but Sugar still picked up almost 2 feet up top. Lift ops was a bit rusty today with multiple problems on Nob Hill at 9am that sent most of the lift line hiking to Lincoln, which had a few problems of its own later on. Nevertheless it was a great day. Not the fluffiest powder, but it is hard to complain about some good cement for the base. Disney opened up at noon for the season and the Sisters were open for the first time all season. Judah side opens tomorrow.
Sugar Bowl will now be open 7 days a week going (about time!). I’ll be picking up the pace and posting more often now that I can ski more often, though like other Slightly Restricted passholders I’m blacked out between Christmas and New Years. I predict it will be probably be crowded. 🙂
Anyway, time for me to stop writing for now and make some sunny Saturday turns. See you on the mountain!
It’s finally here! See you on hard drinkin’ Lincoln!
Another early-season storm today!
It feels like everyone is open except Sugar Bowl. Alpine, Squaw, Northstar, Boreal, Mr. Rose…
Sugar’s website promises a top-to-bottom Lincoln opening soon after the storm. I’m ready, are you??