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Sugarbush / Mad River Glen 2020-2021

NYSnowflake

Angel Diva
Starting a thread for the Mad River Valley ski resorts. It'll be interesting to see how full the slopes this year with Vermont's (oft-disregarded) travel restrictions and people working remotely from home.

Sugarbush has posted its COVID-19 winter operational plans to its website: https://www.sugarbush.com/plan/winter-operations/

The Cliff's notes version is that Sugarbush's operations plan will be similar to other Alterra resorts:

- no reservations
- limited day tickets
- no group ski lessons
- no singles line, lifts will be loaded with related parties only.

Mad River Glen has made general comments about its operational plans - specifically, that it believes that it will be able to offer unrestricted skiing to passholders and shareholders. That said, it looks like it has temporarily suspended its pass sales as of October 15 due to increased volumes. They are currently evaluating their pass products to formulate a plan for season pass and ticket sales moving into the ski season. Some pass products may not available when they re-introduce sales. COVID-19 info here: http://www.madriverglen.com/COVID-19/

This year I'm switching things up and will be riding Sugarbush on the IKON Base Pass and skiing weekdays at Mad River Glen. I'm looking forward to the season -- snow is tentatively in the forecast for next week!
I have an Ikon Base Pass too this year! Because Georges and I both work from home it is possible for us to do a 14 day quarantine and then travel to Vermont to ski. I hope we get up there to Sugarbush at some point this season. We have friends with a condo up there and have been invited. How ever, the Covid risks are still pretty scary and we’re not sure if we feel comfortable taking them up on the offer of staying with them.
 

MissySki

Angel Diva
We are trying to plan a trip with our club to Sugarloaf and Sunday river in February. If you are interested check out the OC Ski Club website Sunday river trip.

I'll be at Sunday River most of the winter, let me know if you end up making it up! :smile: It's not on the Ikon pass, but if you'll already be up I highly recommend tacking Saddleback onto the trip too if possible. Everyone is very much anticipating their reopening this season.
 

NYSnowflake

Angel Diva
I'll be at Sunday River most of the winter, let me know if you end up making it up! :smile: It's not on the Ikon pass, but if you'll already be up I highly recommend tacking Saddleback onto the trip too if possible. Everyone is very much anticipating their reopening this season.
Thanks for the tip! Our Sunday river trip is scheduled for February 5 through the 12th. I hope that we will be able to go!
 

ilovepugs

Angel Diva
I have an Ikon Base Pass too this year! Because Georges and I both work from home it is possible for us to do a 14 day quarantine and then travel to Vermont to ski. I hope we get up there to Sugarbush at some point this season. We have friends with a condo up there and have been invited. How ever, the Covid risks are still pretty scary and we’re not sure if we feel comfortable taking them up on the offer of staying with them.

Text me if you’re coming to town! We are actually much closer to the Bush than Stowe, so that was a big part of our decision to go with IKON this year.
 

ilovepugs

Angel Diva
So I went to the ‘bush today at the tail end of the holiday week, after they got a reasonable amount of snowfall (6” or so in 48 hours.)

I rolled in at noon on the assumption that vacationers would be leaving to go home. It was not terribly crowded, and I managed to find an open spot in the A lot at Lincoln Peak.

Booted up, headed to the base area. I had to use the washroom and - notwithstanding this forum’s very enlightening thread on female urination devices - felt it was worth risking “base lodge covid” instead of trying to find a quiet spot for a bio break. The lodge was pretty closed off and access to the non-restroom areas required going outside to use different entrances, which I thought was smart. The ladies’ room itself had a digital display showing the number of people allowed and counted off the number of people presently in the restroom. Pretty cool.

Anyway, I noticed they set up the maze at Super Bravo differently from how it was set up earlier this season - more lines sectioned off in a way that allowed for greater dispersal, which I thought was good. Mask compliance was decent — I’d score it in the high 90s out of 100, although there was that one nitwit that had the mask below his nose. However, I did not like how close people stood behind me! People say that skis provide a natural buffer... but not enough of one for me. Not sure why we couldn’t all give each other a wide berth.

Even though I got there late in the day, I felt that the snow skied fairly consistently and wasn’t too bumped up on the ski trails. There were definitely bits that were scraped off, but the bumps were the soft playful kind instead of the painful miserable kind, even on Downspout which gets a ton of traffic.

Unfortunately when I got to Heaven’s Gate lift, I was greeted with this sight:

E61E7F59-0C50-43E5-8051-0AE90FD9CA03.jpeg
That would be a lift line with people spaced far too closely for my comfort. Once again, I noped out, carved my way down Lower Downspout, and then had fun doing a few laps on the Valley House quad, which was essentially ski-on anyway.

So I think this season I probably won’t get much time on the terrain off Heaven’s Gate, unless I go on an uncrowded weekday. Luckily I have almost two full weeks to do that starting Tuesday!
 

ski diva

Administrator
Staff member
Unfortunately when I got to Heaven’s Gate lift, I was greeted with this sight:

View attachment 14509
That would be a lift line with people spaced far too closely for my comfort. Once again, I noped out, carved my way down Lower Downspout, and then had fun doing a few laps on the Valley House quad, which was essentially ski-on anyway.

So I think this season I probably won’t get much time on the terrain off Heaven’s Gate, unless I go on an uncrowded weekday. Luckily I have almost two full weeks to do that starting Tuesday!

Good move. That Heaven's Gate lift is very slow. You would've been in for a long wait.
 

ilovepugs

Angel Diva
Checking in from a short trip to the bush today! I probably spent more time shuttling my dogs to dog camp and driving to the mountain than actually on the snow, but I digress..

Not surprisingly, weekday attendance was pretty reasonable. I rolled in a little before noon and parked in B lot instead of trying to hunt for an open spot in A lot, since there was clearly availability very close to the base area. (Walkable parking has become a prime concern for me - no shuttle busses please.) Lift lines were minimal to non-existent, and I more or less rode on to the Heaven’s Gate lift.

After the horror show that was the Christmas rain storm, the mountain has recovered beautifully and the 8-9” we got since New Year’s Day has made a world of difference. The last few days’ snow has been wet and heavy, the good kind for base building, and the trail count has shot up from high 20s immediately after Christmas to 80-something open trails.

The snow skied fabulously today: even though I got there late in the day, the snow was firm enough that the trails weren’t all chopped up and uneven, while still soft enough that you could get an edge in. It flurried throughout my time there which probably helped with conditions a little.

@ski diva and others might be interested to know that the resort has installed hooks outside of the Gate House lodge where some people stored their bags:
31524F97-D9F1-45C9-90E6-8D3773C34449.jpeg
Not sure if the bags hanging in the photo are clear (posting on my cell phone), but yep, they’re there as an option to store stuff and possibly boot up at the base lodge. It does mean sitting down and booting up next to people, but everyone is required to wear a mask at the base anyway.

I’m hoping for a repeat of the good snow tomorrow. I have 8 business days between jobs and fully intend to be at the mountain as much as I can!
 

ilovepugs

Angel Diva
Not sure I mentioned this earlier in the thread but I had to turn in my MRG weekday pass because I got a new job and couldn’t responsibly duck off for weekday long lunches.

Dr Pugs kept his weekday pass, though, and is in for a multi-week stretch of minimal clinical time which means he’s had a couple of daytime hours here and there to run off to ski as MRG is just 20-25 minutes away. As a result he’s been tormenting me with photos:

Pauline1.jpeg

Pauline2.jpeg

Pauline3.jpeg

Pauline4.jpeg


(hopefully a mod won’t mind helping to rotate these photos!)

I’m super jealous! I love this kind of narrow New England style terrain. It’s so beautiful!

He wants to get a full pass there next year and I am game. I might consider buying a share in the co-op for him for his birthday that’s coming up.
 
Last edited by a moderator:

Luvs2ski

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Not sure I mentioned this earlier in the thread but I had to turn in my MRG weekday pass because I got a new job and couldn’t responsibly duck off for weekday long lunches.

Dr Pugs kept his weekday pass, though, and is in for a multi-week stretch of minimal clinical time which means he’s had a couple of daytime hours here and there to run off to ski as MRG is just 20-25 minutes away. As a result he’s been tormenting me with photos:

View attachment 14757View attachment 14758View attachment 14759View attachment 14760
(hopefully a mod won’t mind helping to rotate these photos!)

I’m super jealous! I love this kind of narrow New England style terrain. It’s so beautiful!

He wants to get a full pass there next year and I am game. I might consider buying a share in the co-op for him for his birthday that’s coming up.
Looks absolutely beautiful! I am headed up to VT next week...hitting our fave (Sugarbush) but going to ski MRG for the first time, since the conditions look amazing (these pics confirm that!), so it’s a must!! Would love to get the scoop on which trails are a must ski....do tell!
 

ilovepugs

Angel Diva
Looks absolutely beautiful! I am headed up to VT next week...hitting our fave (Sugarbush) but going to ski MRG for the first time, since the conditions look amazing (these pics confirm that!), so it’s a must!! Would love to get the scoop on which trails are a must ski....do tell!

Yes, conditions are fabulous and I think it will warm up a bit next week - but not too warm!!

For intermediates: Upper Antelope to Catamount from the single chair, then cut across Broadway to take Bunny, Chipmunk or Porcupine.

For advanced: the single chair liftline is really nice. Moody’s, Canyon and Grand Canyon is really great too.

They do minimal grooming so be prepared for all the trails to be fairly bumped up. Enjoy!
 

Luvs2ski

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Yes, conditions are fabulous and I think it will warm up a bit next week - but not too warm!!

For intermediates: Upper Antelope to Catamount from the single chair, then cut across Broadway to take Bunny, Chipmunk or Porcupine.

For advanced: the single chair liftline is really nice. Moody’s, Canyon and Grand Canyon is really great too.

They do minimal grooming so be prepared for all the trails to be fairly bumped up. Enjoy!
Thanks so much! I am excited to finally be able to check it out; skied so many times up at Sugarbush, yet never made it over there. Figured if I can only make a few trips to VT this season, one has to include MRG!
 

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