jmfd84
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I feel like the cleanup day didn’t happen last year… Or there wasn’t an early season ticket included? I might be misremembering… I’ve done it in the past, and would like to do it again if I can.
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Wachusett 23/24
- Thread starter BlueSkies
- Start date
MissySki
Angel Diva
Yeah, we did it on a 3 day weekend.. skied the day before and after. It was a very tiring weekend! LolNice! I would love to keep hiking 4ks in the winter but don’t have enough time with skiing!
I couldn't do it last year because of my knee, but I think I remember icky weather. So I didn't feel so bad about missing it.
MissySki
Angel Diva
Ah.. I knew there was some reason I couldn't go!! That was Taylor Swift at Gillette AND a very rainy day. The concert was amazing though, even in the pouring rain.
MissySki
Angel Diva
I don't ski there on weekends, but always hear how the lines are awful. My question would be, how are the crowds on the slopes, and how will a faster chair impact that? I have definitely become keener on the idea of preferring to wait in line than being on trails with a zillion people where you feel (and probably are) completely unsafe due to the higher density being deposited on trails together.
NewEnglandSkier
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I would imagine the crowds are bad on weekends---I recall them being so, when I went there once on a weekend like 18 years ago. And never returned on a weekend again!
Being a mid week morning skier, the 6 pack wouldn't really affect my experience at all. I find that line always seems busiest opening through about noon and after that it seems to die down---so I just ski off the other lifts until the line is shorter and I usually end up on the chair with just one other person.
But yes, I imagine it will add to more people on the slopes since it will be dumping more people at the top with each chair, so may make lines seem shorter but trails busier.
Being a mid week morning skier, the 6 pack wouldn't really affect my experience at all. I find that line always seems busiest opening through about noon and after that it seems to die down---so I just ski off the other lifts until the line is shorter and I usually end up on the chair with just one other person.
But yes, I imagine it will add to more people on the slopes since it will be dumping more people at the top with each chair, so may make lines seem shorter but trails busier.
That was pretty much my thought. I only ski there midweek, which is fairly quiet with the exception of during covid. A six pack wouldn't make a difference for me, other than to allow a larger group of friends to ride together. But with how crowded it gets on weekends, putting more people on the slopes at the same time doesn't seem like a great idea. If they were able to pair it with terrain expansion it would be different. But they are not able to add terrain.
The article I saw did say that Wachusett is still looking at pricing and options for both quad and six pack chairs. Personally I hope they go with the quad. A six pack just seems like overkill.
The article I saw did say that Wachusett is still looking at pricing and options for both quad and six pack chairs. Personally I hope they go with the quad. A six pack just seems like overkill.
marzNC
Angel Diva
I don't know exactly what's planned for Wawa, but having a chairlift with larger chairs does not necessarily mean more people arriving at the top in a given period. One option is to place chairs farther apart. There was a lot of discussion about the topic when Alta changed the Supreme lift from a relatively slow triple to a high-speed detachable quad. The goal was more reliability and a steadier flow (due to simpler loading), but not more people on the slopes at the same time.
There is a 6-pack at Timberline, a relatively small hill in WV. Really helps on weekends from what I understand. There is also a 6-pack at Jiminy Peak that's been there for quite a while.
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jmfd84
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
My initial reaction was concern about the degree of crowding on the slopes. On weekends, I would estimate that 70%+ of skiers go down Conifer from the top, given that the other two options are black trails. More capacity + 1 most common way down @ an already crowded hill = not good to me!
When I read the full article about this possibility, it pointed out two items I hadn't considered: a six-pack could be run at a speed that would mean the same uphill capacity/hour as a quad, and Wachusett is theoretically limited by the amount of parking available. However, when the lots are full, I find the trails to be overcrowded already, so I'm not super swayed by that argument. Guess we will see!
When I read the full article about this possibility, it pointed out two items I hadn't considered: a six-pack could be run at a speed that would mean the same uphill capacity/hour as a quad, and Wachusett is theoretically limited by the amount of parking available. However, when the lots are full, I find the trails to be overcrowded already, so I'm not super swayed by that argument. Guess we will see!
NewEnglandSkier
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Just saw that Wachusett will be closed Tues-Thurs this week to preserve what is left of the snow. They even mention trying to make some snow if the temps will allow it this week.
MissySki
Angel Diva
Makes sense, I think a bunch of places are going to make snow of able this week. Sunday River mentioned topping off some trails this week.. and honestly I’m surprised because the coverage is still excellent there. But I appreciate it because who knows what mother nature has in store for us next.
NewEnglandSkier
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I'm just a bit surprised they will go to the effort/expense to make snow this late when I think they planned to close on 3/31. Sunday River/Killington type places don't really surprise me since they want and can have a longer season but I guess Wachusett must really need it to get to closing day or they wouldn't do it. The webcams are looking a bit sad.
That makes my decision for me. I was just about to check the webcams and make a call on tomorrow. They were looking kind of sad over the weekend already. As much as I want more ski days this season, I'm not sure making more snow would be worth it. They already moved the pond skim from April 7 to March 24. If anything harvest snow from some other runs to get through the cardboard box race and the pond skim this weekend. But I've been expecting for a while for them to close down midweek, no huge surprise.
MissySki
Angel Diva
It does beg the question of using so many resources for such a short anticipated period.. the forecast to end of month does not look good.
Whoops, NMM, getting mixed up here. I saw on the SkiTalk New England gathering roll call that an Alan was coming with a Jen. Wrong Jenn and wrong guy with name starting with an A. I must be getting old.
jmfd84
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Haha no worries! Like you said, with Wachusett closing weekdays now, the decision that I’m officially done for the season was made for me (Bronze pass). Let’s look out for the clean up day.
Not that it looks worth it this year, but I wish they would honor all season passes when they shut down midweek. I've seen other hills do that. It wouldn't cost them anything really since I don't think too many people would do it, but it would be a bit of a goodwill gesture. If anything, they might make little more since weekday passholders tend to be a frugal lot, but the end of season events that happen on weekends might entice some of those weekday passholders to grab a drink or some food and hang out on the patio to watch the fun.
