Unofficial Sugar Bowl

Last weekend your intrepid editor made it out Friday and Sunday.  80 was closed from a mudslide so my plans to ski with friends visiting from the bay area were thwarted yet again.

Friday was another great powder day in an epic, record-breaking season.  This one was surprisingly empty.   Sure, the highway was closed, but lots of previous pow weekdays have been busier with nobody but us die hard locals.  Hey, I’m not complaining!  Spent the day on Disney.  I heard Lincoln opened in the afternoon but I missed that!  Alas, you can’t score them all.

I heard things were busy on Saturday the 11th but I had already opted out…

Sunday had a great time hiking J bowl with Unofficial Sugar Bowl contributor Mean Dean!  Maybe one day he’ll wake up and write another blackout date snow report.  😛

Alas, work travel and blackout dates have kept me off the hill since the 13th.  Back on Monday the 20th for storm skiing.  See you in the trees!

– J Snow

The first weekend in February was great!  If you’re a hater who only likes their powder light and fluffy, then hey, this was the time for you to make jokes about our cement and get out of my way.  Personally, I’m thrilled to tear up anything fresh, even if it is wind-affected and on the heavy side.

Friday was empty as could be and snowing like mad.  Around mid-day it got deep enough to stop bottoming out and then it was free refills for the rest of the day.  Lots of great Lincoln laps on East Bowl (thanks Mean Dean!) and Roller.

Saturday had some crowds and lines, but overall we’re pretty spoiled at Sugar.  Lincoln did take a while to get open.  I heard some grumping that they sent everyone who was lined up away and then wound up opening shortly thereafter.  I missed that, lapping fresh turns from top to bottom on a stealth Nancy’s/Sugar Bowl opening instead.  Huge stripes of avy chow in there are a reminder of everything the patrol does to keep us safe inbounds!  Props SBSP, you’re the real pros.

Sunday Crows opened again!  Like a wise stranger said to me on the lift, Saturday he was a little mad about it, but Sunday he was super happy about the slight delay.  After four or five laps there, the crowd did get a bit overwhelming for a fixed triple.  Still, another super day at the bowl.  🙂

Unfortunately, the next storm, while starting out with some snow, changed over to rain early Monday.  Sugar was closed Monday and Tuesday, and although things are calmer and they look to be opening Wednesday for some rain skiing, I’ll pass and see you back on the hill Friday or Saturday.

– John S

Just time for a quick recap!

Monday the 23rd… Gondola closed in the morning, strange, but what an epic day of skiing!  In contrast to our friends over at some other resorts, Sugar opened almost all of their lifts and off-piste terrain, including Disney, Sugar Bowl, the Palisades, Lincoln, the Sisters and Silver Belt.  And Roller too.  Wow.  Props to patrol for all the hard work!

Tuesday the 24th…  Sunshine?  I forgot what this was like!  Hiked out to Judah bowl, aww yeah!  But no Crow’s?  I thought at the time it might be on midweek money hold…

Thursday the 26th… Crow’s is finally open!

More sunshine the last few days of January.  Almost got a taste of a few corn turns here and there.

And now February brings the storms back… beginning of this one was wet and sticky, but it looks to be piling up now.  See you out there!  Raar!

– J Snow

Monday was sunny and surprisingly empty for a holiday.  Great times and great company!  😉

And then Thursday was a stormy powder day, and also surprisingly empty.  Crow’s didn’t open, but Disney and Lincoln did, including Sugar Bowl and Silver Belt & the Sisters.  Skied fresh lines all day until I couldn’t anymore.

Hey Sugar, what was up with no Gondola lots on Thursday?  Parking was a small disaster and there was barely anyone there!  You have giant snow clearing machines… why aren’t you using them?

– J Snow

Lincoln opened at 3pm on Friday.  Simply amazing!  Props to Sugar Bowl for keeping it real and especially to the hard working Patrollers.

Like other Slightly Restricted passholders, I’m blacked out for the holiday weekend.  Enjoy the new snow, see you Monday!

Finally Sugar opened up Thursday, after teasing us Tuesday and Wednesday.  And what a day!  Ten feet of fresh has filled in the mountain and transformed things more than I’ve ever seen in such a short time.

A big Disney line in the morning thinned out quickly.  Nancy’s and Sugar Bowl opened up in the afternoon, thanks to some heroic effort by the Patrol!  The kids were getting huge air off wind lips in Market Street.  Saw someone huck Bacon’s and folks go big in the Palasades.  Yeah!  And just when I thought there was no more fresh to be had, the sky opened up and gifted us with afternoon refills.

Lincoln and Judah opening today!  Go out there and get some!

– J Snow

I thought Wednesday was going to be calmer, but it brought super intense wind.  80 was closed in the morning and Sugar’s site initially wasn’t sure if there would be any operations.  Nob and Christmas Tree wound up opening around 10:30am.  It was a wonder they were even running those – the wind at the top of Christmas Tree was intense!

Thursday Sugar is calling for a late opening at noon.  I can’t fault them, they have tons of avalanche control to do with the heavy snow, and their staff couldn’t be there early because 80 was closed again for most of the evening.

See you in the big noon line!

– J Snow

The year’s arrival has certainly brought us a present!  Powder and more powder!

Monday was a brutal, windy storm day, but the snow was great, and there’s more on the way Tuesday and Wednesday!  If you like storm conditions, hope to see you out there… if not, these aren’t the days for you..  bluebird it is not.

– J Snow