Added by: Luke

The Voncooper Boys had another strong showing at SoBe Energy Downhill Race #4 this past weekend. Check out some of the action they caught on film. We've still got one more race left in the season, Sept. 27 + 28...

Added by: Luke

Kelly Clark has done it again.

We may be in the dog days of summer here in the States, but New Zealand is filled with funny-talkin' people that do things backwards, so they're in the middle of winter. And that's where Burton hosted the New Zealand Open last week. It's also where Mount Snow native Kelly Clark took home the bronze in halfpipe, adding another layer to her already ludicrous stack of medals.

Kelly took gold at the 2006 New Zealand Open (pictured).

Added by: Luke

Fan gun installation is rolling right along, with about 100 guns already in the ground. The crew finished up work on the Long John runout yesterday, then moved on to lower Meadow. Lower Exhibition is set, and the electric crew has started running power to guns freshly installed over at Carinthia. Check out some photos from Monday, Aug. 4.

Added by: Luke

July 4th is a time for hot dogs, fireworks, daylight inebration, and if you have extra time, celebrating our country's independence. But in Wardsboro, VT, Independence Day is an all-out bash. Home to Vermont's longest running July 4th parade (and never a rainout!), Wardsboro hosts one of the most quintessential July 4th celebrations known to the American man.

Mount Snow was lucky enough to have a float in Wardsboro's parade again this year. Now, we don't want to brag or anything, but... nah, we'll brag. WE GOT FIRST PLACE FOR OUR FLOAT! Yup, our tiki-flavored float took home the blue ribbon for the most creative float. Check out the photos.

Added by: Luke

The Voncooper team consistently has a strong showing at Mount Snow mountain bike races, and the crew of riders seems to expand exponentially every year. PLUS, they've got a video production company going. Busy dudes, those Voncoopers. Are you guys going to get a girl on your team or what?

Check out their video from the Dual Slalom race, June 21.

Added by: Luke

Now that an impressive stockpile of about 40 brand new fan guns are sitting near the Discovery Center, installation of the 151 guns has begun. Five have already been installed on Exhibition, and three more are living on the Beaver/Lower Long John runout. Four fan gun veterans - Ben, Josh, Dan and Jesse - have been recruited from other Peak Resorts ski areas to help with the installs (Josh came all the way from Ohio) and they've got quite a system going... First, they assemble the fan gun at the homebase station. Homebase has been dubbed "Little Boulder" because it's staffed by several Big Boulder employees come up from Pennsylvania. Secondly, they dig the hole where the fan gun will reside on the trail. If the site can be reached by cement truck, they'll pour a footing right there onsite. If it's too gnarly a trail for the truck, they'll pour the footing at Little Boulder, let it cure, then haul it up and plop it the hole with an excavator. Thirdly, they gingerly haul the assembled fan gun up the hill, slide it into place, and blammo!, manmade snowstorm on a stick. Niiiiice.

It doesn't end there though. Yes, the fan guns are in place, but they need power to make that fluffy stuff. Just as big a job, running electric to all these new beasts will be a multi-step process that will take much of the summer.

Stay tuned for more updates.

Added by: Luke

Mount Snow shovel-slingers are hard at work on the Sobe Energy Downhill Course, spending the better part of the last week and a half building a redesigned course. Perched in his backhoe, Elia shaped a course 500 feet longer than last year's, with an added turn, a new start line up by the Timberhouse, and a longer outrun. Check the pics.

Added by: Luke

So what do Mount Snow employees do when the sun goes down and the rails are still up? They throw impromptu sessions in the glow of the snowcat lights.

Photos taken April 1.

Added by: Luke

The Memorial Day Peace Pipe Jam saw about 150 steel-scrapers come out to say bye-bye to the pile of snow at the bottom of The Gut Superpipe. Thanks to everyone who came out.

Thanks to Zach Messenger for the CRAZY footage in this here video.

Added by: Luke

From the Mount Snow family, we bid you good summers. Until November...

Added by: Luke

We've got a new mascot. Ski Patrol stumbled upon a moose wandering up Milky Way on Sunbrook yesterday. It mosied around on Long John for a little while before heading down the Carinthia face.

It reappeared this morning on Snowdance. Ski Patroller Schuster says the moose is drawn to the groomed-out trails of Mount Snow because the deep, soft snow in the woods is annoying to walk through. It's a lot easier to walk on packed snow, right? But I think he's hanging out on the slopes because he's jealous - jealous of the sick Spring skiing and riding, and here we are in mid-April.

Moose, if I had a snowboard built for hooves, I'd hook you up, buddy.

Ski Patrol would like to remind everyone that if you see our new mascot, please do not approach him. Keep a safe distance and let nature do its thing.

Added by: Luke

Congratulations to our Mount Snow Academy rider, Mackenzie Quiqley. She took first place in the women's junior division at the USASA halfpipe championships at Copper Mountain, Colorado, last week. Catch her training in The Gut next year - you can't miss her fiery red hair and laid back style.

Added by: Luke

What's better? Witnessing a Sink or Skimmer make it all the way across our 130-foot pond with ease, or a fantastic crash that splashes water all the way to the parking lot? Yeah, I agree: the crash.

We had plenty of 'em this year, but 4 out of 80 skimmers made it all the way across - no easy feat. Thanks to everyone who came out to watch the event, and of course thank you to all who participated. Your entertainment is priceless. Check out the photos of our winners...

Added by: Luke

The inaugural Duct Tape Derby was quite the spectacle. Fisher had no idea how many sleds would show, it being the first go-around and all, but in the end over 40 cardboard contraptions made their way down the track on Charlie's Chase. A simple toboggan-shaped sled carrying four or five people seemed to get the most speed of the day, crashing into the the inner tubes and double fencing at the end of the course, much to the crowd's delight. The most elaborate sled, by far, was the log cabin built by a veteran Mount Snower Rich Grzegorczyk and his family. The most ridiculous sled was "Big Bertha," see the photo below for all the explanation you need. Congratulations to the overall winner, the "Vercowster", piloted by five young gentlemen who may have broken the world bovine land-speed record.

Added by: Meri Spicer

Don't you just love Spring? Green grass, crocuses (or croci?) popping up, tee shirts coming out of the drawers.....but wait. It is snowing HARD here on Friday, March 28th. 4-6" already at 7:00 am, and up to 10" predicted by the National Weather Service.

Added by: Meri Spicer

This is one of the earliest Easters I can remember. We usually think of Easter in terms of egg hunts on new grass, little girls in spring dresses, and school break in April. But this year, Easter means mid-winter skiing and riding. It was 15 degrees when I woke up Saturday, and every single trail has edge to edge coverage. It's certainly nothing like spring skiing yet. The snow not only looks, but also sounds like early winter. You know, that awesome, not quite squeaky sound when the snow is just perfect. So, why is it so early? Easter is the first Sunday after the first full moon on or after the vernal equinox. This year, the first day of spring was March 20; the first full moon after that was March 21; so here we are with Easter on Sunday, March 23. I hope you get to take advantage of spending this holiday skiing or riding; next year, Easter falls on April 12. In fact, it won't fall in March again until 2013, and that's March 31. The next really early Easter is March 25, 2035.

Happy Easter, enjoy the snow, and hey, good luck finding the golden egg.

Added by: Luke

In general, Spring skiing is typified by one snow surface condition: loose granular. The loose granular consistency enjoyed by most Spring skiing connoisseurs feels like pure white sugar. It is soft, carvable, and ideally you'd have at least 3" of it on top of a solid, packed base. Today is a perfect example of sugary loose granular.

When temperatures get well above the freezing mark and the sun is shining, the sugar-snow melts a bit - smaller granules then melt into eachother and form larger ones. These granules usually refreeze overnight and, combined with the tilling action of groomers, they end up as "corn" snow.

If you've got a deep enough layer of "corn," and warm temps and sunshine abound once again, the overall consistency is lovingly referred to as "mashed potatoes."

Hungry?

Added by: Luke

Remember that scene in Braveheart where Robert the Bruce is stepping around all those bodies after an epic battle, and he’s looking around in disbelief, flabbergasted at the carnage. Well, I felt like Luke the Bruce when I stopped to survey the scene on lower Sundance this afternoon. My own legs were like cramped, burning knots of fury after my final run of the day through the Fantasticks tree area, and I was surrounded by co-afflicted powder revelers. Dozens of splayed, panting bodies littered the trail – some people were lying flat on their backs with arms outstretched. The snow was so deep and so plentiful, it just wiped everybody out.

There was a progression that took place before the skier battlefield, though. It started at 7:30am with first chair on the Grand Summit Express lift. People were bursting with energy, perched like race horses at the starting gate. Once the lift opened and first track-enthusiasts flooded the mountain, hoots and hollers were echoing all over the mountain. Everyone was all smiles at the bottom of the North Face. After about four runs, your legs start to feel the burn, though. But there’s still way too many powder stashes to stop, so you forge ahead with no regard for rest, food, water, friends, family or how much Ben-Gay you’ll need in the morning. By noon or so, with about 10 runs under your belt, your legs are jelly. Unless you’re Lance Armstrong. But he’s inhuman.

Added by: Meri Spicer

We just got dumped....again. 12-14" of snow in the last 24 hours; 25" in the last 10 days; 50" this month. In fact, let's talk records. The 10-year average snowfall for February is 28.1". We've received 50". The 10-year average snowfall for November through February is 113". We've received 131". And it's still snowing. And we have an extra day in February this year. And March is usually our snowiest month. Here's to broken records....

Added by: Meri Spicer

So, last night, we made the decision to only open trails that have been groomed. (I mean, let's face it, it rained and then it got cold. What do you think happened?) And that meant our trail count was going to plummet, from 96 to around 40. But we felt that was the best tactic for our guests. We also decided to bring groomers in for the day shift and keep going, so that more trails would continue to open during the day. And on top of that, we started making snow last night and are keeping the guns going all day. That may seem like no big deal, but it's late February, and most areas are done making snow for the season.

Anyway, I'm filling in for Luke today as the snow reporter. I come in expecting those 40 or so trails to be open. I start my routine, listening in on our internal radio for updates from snowmaking, grooming and ski patrol. These guys are committed. They had groomed way more trails than expected; ski patrol was hustling around putting ropes up and down so the groomers and snowmakers could do their things and then get trails open; and this is the kind of chatter I heard:

"Where do you need me to go next?"
"South Bowl wasn't on the plan, but I can get it"
"Let's do Plummet"
"If we can open Exhibition and Lodge late, they'll ski nice"
"Standard looks good. Shut down the guns and move to Snowdance"
"There are cat tracks over here" followed by "I'll head right over and clean that up"
And this one, over and over: "Thanks very much, nice work"

Nice work, indeed. At 9:00 am, we had 60 trails open, and they're still out there.

Added by: Luke

Oh yeah? Is that right, Jackson Hole backcountry? You think you've got better extreme terrain than Mount Snow? Really!? OH YEAH!?

Okay, I guess you do. But check out these photos of our North Face backcountry action. Jealous?

Added by: Luke

After the rain earlier this week, I returned to Mount Snow on Thursday expecting a call from Ski Patrol. "We had to close some trails," they'd tell me. But the opposite happened. "We're 100% open," said the Hill Chief. It was only a few inches of snow that had built up, but it was enough. Then, it kept snowing. And it snowed some more. 6" fell in all, and not only are we 100% open, but it's also stellar conditions.

Hop was by far my favorite ungroomed trail today. The Trials was a beautiful tree run. Pretty much everything is sweet right now, so choose your pick. Everything is open.

Added by: Luke

Winning the superpipe competition at the Burton European Open a few weeks ago wasn't enough for Mount Snow's own Kelly Clark.
She stormed the superpipe at the X Games last night in Aspen, CO, grabbing the bronze. Torah Bright and Gretchen Bleiler may have had more technical tricks, but Kelly by far had the most amplitude, at one point boosting 13 feet above the wall. Check out the video below (listen to the shout out to TC's restaurant, and Vermont, when they show Kelly's parents near the end):

Added by: Luke

Here's a super secret tip for beating the crowds at Mount Snow: ride the Sundance lift.

The Sundance lift is only open on busy weekends and holidays. It originates at the top of Cooper's Junction and drops you off near the top of Deer Run. It's a perfect lift for running laps on Deer Run/Long John if you're a beginner or novice skier or rider. If you're more advanced, you can run laps on Ridge, Uncle's, Shooutout, or Cut-Off.

This past Saturday, while the wait at the Grand Summit Express was about 5 minutes, there wasn't a single person on line at the Sundance lift. Keep it in mind next time you're up and you don't want anything to do with lift lines.

Added by: Luke

Ladies and gentlemen: Warmblor, the snow eating monster, has been defeated. We like to think it was because we pumped our fists at the sky, decreeing it to leave, or else. But more likely it was the cold front moving into New England. Whichever it was, Warmblor's reign of rain is a distant memory now that the snowguns are humming again. We're focusing intensely on resurfacing major trails for the next few days. For all the trouble Warmblor caused, it DID fill up our snowmaking ponds - that's a huge plus as Randy and the Blue Helmets crank up the fan guns.

Resurfacing is nice and all, but it sure would be swell to get a snow storm. Oh, what's this? Accuweather.com is reporting a Nor'easter on Monday that could drop 4 to 8 inches? Yesssss. By the middle of next week, our trail count should be back where it belongs: near 100%.

Added by: Luke

Luke calls him "Warmblor" - that nasty monster that brings the January thaw. Well, if that was all he's got, then HA! That was definitely not so bad. And no foolin' - the new fan guns will be showing off what they can do. So no need to worry about monsters; winter is on its way back, and we've still got the heart of the season ahead. Take that!

Added by: Luke

It's four days later, and my legs are still a wee bit sore from all that powder riding on New Year's Eve and New Year's day. 20" fell in a little over 48 hours.

You know how you have to lean back when slicing through deep powder? And it makes your legs burn but you can't stop because then you won't be floating on the powder anymore, and if you DO stop someone else might get to that powder before you. So you just charge it straight down to the lift, not caring where your friends are or how sore your legs will be the next day.

Added by: Meri Spicer

Ski more, and ski better. Finally master snowboarding. Learn how to hit rails. Stay in shape so my legs don't burn on powder days. Take a run down Beartrap without stopping. Teach people to Go With The Flow. And, in order to get all that done, work less. Yours? Send 'em to me.

Added by: Meri Spicer

Sometimes, we sit around and complain about meteorologists. You know, occasionally, they get the forecast wrong. Today, they got it wrong, but no one around here cares. Most of the forecasts called for 3-6 inches. We got 12. They said it was going to stop snowing around 7:00 am. It's still snowing at 5:00 pm. Needless to say, we have nothing whatsoever to complain about. So on that note, Happy New Year to all my meteorologist friends out there. We love you, man.

Added by: Luke

Oh, hey there. How was your Christmas? D'you get anything good? I got an electronic dartboard and a tee shirt with a haiku on it: "haikus are easy, sometimes they don't make much sense, refrigerator." Nasty Nate, our Web guy, got something else though: a sweet new telephoto lens for his camera. The man's got talent. Sorry, ladies, he's engaged.

There was an serious temperature inversion today, with the summit 10 degrees warmer than the base. Add the sunshine to it, and it was a stellar day.

Added by: Meri Spicer

In a word - glorious. The sun is shining, the snow is sparkling, it's not too cold, but cold enough. It's one of those days when you want to be outside all day. And what's this? Yes, flurries predicted for this afternoon, just in time for you-know-what. I've been living in Vermont for a long time, but I never cease to be amazed by the beauty of Vermont in winter. If you're here, enjoy. If you're not, you can have a vicarious Vermont holiday by checking out our live cam shots. Happy holidays to all.

Added by: Meri Spicer

The venerable old lady had a face lift, and the bandages were taken off today. We have fond memories of that old timepiece on the spire, but we love the new clocktower. Now, if we could make it so all four sides show the same time....

Added by: Luke

Mount Snow should have a freestyle rap battle at Cuzzin's next Friday.

Here's what I wrote in The Lift yesterday:
"'Twas the week before Christmas and all o'er the hill,
The snow would not stop dumping, 22" in a week and counting still;
The corduroy was laid by the groomers with care,
In hopes that you would soon be carving there;
The Park Rangers installed features by the light of the moon,
For Un Blancho Gulch and the tubing park would be open soon (Dec. 22)."

I've got competition. A rhymesayer named Ferris sent me this reply:
"Somebody deserves a dope slap for that lame rhyming! Pathetic!
How about:
The groomers are laying out tracks by the mile,
So come and check out the fresh inches of smiles!
We got all the trails open, and man are they sweet,
Come show off your tricks - there are girls you could meet!
Mt Snow has got what Killington ain't:
Everything open, and pricing restraint!"

Touché, Ferris. Touché. You are a worthy adversary.


How 'bout another rhyme off, set to the tune of the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air theme song?

Added by: Luke

A ragtag crew of Mount Snow ruffians was at a dive bar in Brattleboro last night when it was announced, Ripcord would be opening at 9 a.m. this morning. Everyone roared, "yeahhhh! Ripcord! We're so there!" Of course, no one showed up. So it was just me and Nasty Nate, alone on the Cord, scoring first tracks.

An ominous fog hovered over us as Ski Patrol dropped the ropes on Committed, which dumps you out on Ripcord. The trees were encased in hoarfrost, a beautiful sight. We approached the headwall and found the snow was the consistency of warm butter. Randy did a phenomenal job coating the trail with snow (it's not easy getting a consistent surface on a craggy, 37-degree slope). He sprayed a gluey base layer to create a solid base, then blew light fluffy snow on top. If you need an adrenaline shot, get to The Cord this weekend, while the gettin's good.

Added by: Luke

12" from the big Nor'easter

Added by: Luke

Yesterday was a powder day.

Today is a bluebird day.

Thanks to 8" of new snow, Ski Patroller Kate dropped the ropes on the middle section of Exhibition at about 10:15 a.m. A handful of hardcores were chomping at the bit and slashed the powder the millisecond it opened. The hoots of approval were heard three trails over.

Today is a whole different scene - fresh groomers are the place to be and the sun is shining. But I was still jonesin' for powder this morning, and I found several untouched stashes in the trees on Trials. Trees are open on all four mountain faces.

Added by: Meri Spicer

Not one, but two storms in three days, both significant. Hasn't it been years since we've had that? Isn't that what we lay in bed dreaming about? Well then, here's the question...are you a wimp, or are you a certified powderhound? The wimps, well, they're holing up with canned coods and bottled water. The powderhounds are strapping their boards on the car and putting their faith in the Vermont road crews. Don't miss out. This weekend will be awesome, and next week, no less than epic.

Added by: Luke

What do you even call a big group of Santas like this? A gaggle of Santas? A pride? A sleigh of Santas?

Well, we didn't break the world record for the most Santas, but it was fun trying. Everyone dressed as Old Saint Nick got $25 off a lift ticket. That would make anyone jolly.

We'll break the record next year.

Added by: Luke

Great googly moogly. It's four days after the strom, and we're STILL finding powder stashes on the mountain. Jaws opened today - you access it off of Plummet via this tiny little ribbon of snow that humps you over a snowmaking pipe - and it opens into this expansive field of powder clouds. It's like that scene in Wizard of Oz when Dorothy opens the door to Munchkinland and it turns from black and white to color and everything is all candy-coated and dreamy.

Added by: Meri Spicer

We're all weather watchers, for sure. I mean, everything we do pretty much revolves around the weather. And we're good buddies with the meteorological community, if you will. Sometimes they're wrong, but most times, they kind of tell us what's going to happen. But today, well, we were psyched that most of them didn't get it right. We expected "the big storm" last night, and we waited....and waited....and then went to bed. We woke up to a few inches, and the forecast was for everything to taper off. But noooooo, it dumped all day. I mean, dumped, and I mean, all day. It was a tad difficult to find staff members at their desks today. At 5:00, it's still snowing. So we figure we'll get around a foot of fresh out of this non-storm. Just goes to show you what a difference elevation can make.

The guns start up again tonight, with great snowmaking temps all week. More BIG trails will come online this week, like Exhibition and Fallen Timbers.

Luke has the sniffles, but before he left to put on his jammies, he put together a powder day video from today.

Added by: Luke

She's bearing down fast. The storm is intensifying over the Great Lakes this morning and looks like it'll start dumping heavily on us tomorrow night. I've viewed dozens of reports, and my educated guess at this point is that we'll get 6 - 8 inches. That'll let us open a handful of trails and put us in great standing for the upcoming holidays.

Brace yourself, the first big one of the season is coming.

Added by: Luke

The "Mexican Leftovers" storm is still pounding the Baja Peninsula today, and it's heading this way. As of 7am this morning, it looks like the Great Lakes region will see the most snow before the system barrels down on New England. Rest assured we'll get the tail end of that action. Here's what accuweather.com is saying this morning: "The winds flowing over the mild Great Lakes will also ignite a significant lake-effect snow event that may get measured in feet, not inches." Feet! I'll take it.

Added by: Luke

Mount Snow's seeing WHITE. Heavy snow fell for two hours this morning, leaving 2 frolicky inches to play in this afternoon. Flurries and light snow are in the forecast through the weekend, and on Sunday a storm that's pounding Mexico as we speak will have reached us, forecasted to drop 3 inches, give or take. The Mexican Leftovers Storm, if you will.

Mount Snow's seeing BLACK. Our fan guns have been holding it down for a month. Yes, Mama Nature's lending a hand this weekend, but Randy and the Miracle Makers are not letting up. Snowmaking continues on black diamond favorite Free Fall over on the North Face. Look for it to open Saturday morning. And this just in: snowmaking has begun on Mineshaft, another black diamond on Carinthia. Let's not jump to any conclusions, but at Snowplan today, Randy said "I love blowing snow on Ripcord [a double black diamond]. It's actually pretty fun." I love that guy.

Mount Snow's seeing ORANGE (Orange indicates freestyle terrain on trail maps). Ask around. Check websites. You'll find that Mount Snow's got the biggest and best selection of freestyle terrain in the East right now. Our Vermontster park has a dozen features, with more to be added this weekend. Park Rangers are readying the Jiblet park just below the Grand Summit, with a half dozen smaller features scheduled to open Saturday afternoon. Un Blanco Gulch, the East's first-ever terrain park (opened in 1992), is opening this weekend as a plain 'ol ski trail. That's because Rangers are rebuilding Vermontster early next week to make it even bigger, and then they'll turn their shovels loose on the Gulch, opening it for jibby-jib-fun-time next weekend.

Mount Snow's seeing GREEN. We care about the environment, and it's not just because Al Gore told us to. Today, the Grand Summit Hotel pool switched from chlorine to a more earth (and people) friendly saline-based solution. Our new fleet of fan guns and low-E guns are much much much more energy efficient than traditional air/water guns. We power down everything we can at night to save electricity. New lampposts being erected on Main Street are fluorescent. Even our new signs installed this summer were secured in the ground with field stones rather than the more invasive poured concrete.

Mount Snow's seeing FLASHING STROBES OF ALL SORTS OF COLORS with all our live entertainment. Check out the smooooth and sultry jazz vocals of Samirah Evans and her band at the Grand Summit Hotel Friday and Saturday nights. If you're lookin' to shake what your mama gave ya, shimmy to the Snowbarn on Friday nights for DJ Manhole Cover's Friday Night Shakedown. Cuzzin's Bar in the Main Base Lodge has live evening entertainment on Saturday. The list goes on - click The Beat Goes On tab at mountsnow.com.

Don’t see RED. Remember icy and bare spots are always possible. And be nice out there on the hill – no one likes a meanypants cutting them off on Long John.

Added by: Luke

The fan guns have been doing their thing for over a month now. But you're thinking, "When's Mama Nature going to drop some white?" I've been thinking the same thing. So I'm clicking around accuweather.com this morning and I find this.

Looks like we'll be seeing some snow from on Sunday evening, catching the tail end of a large storm that'll affect most of the United States. 3 inches or so are likely. We'll keep you updated on the snow report.

Added by: Luke

Park Rangers are a dedicated lot. Instead of sitting on the couch watching football and chewing on turkey legs, they're out in Vermontster, building up a sweet park. They've got 10 features in today, including rails, hips, boxes and jumps, and they're adding another handful of features tomorrow. So if you're a jibber, you'll have a serious park waiting for you this weekend.

Added by: Chris Lenois

A lot of guests are sending us great photos and video from their early season visits. Thought it would be cool to share some.

The first three photos were taken by David Durfey on Monday, November 19. David works at the Theory Skate and Snow shop in Western, MA. The rider is 19 year-old UMASS student, Ian Keay.

The final photo is from Peter Englert, who is also affiliated with a ski and snowboard shop -- Suburban Sports of Berlin, CT. That's Peter skiing telemark-style. He also submitted a cool Youtube video of his group of friends making runs down Canyon-Standard on November 14. You can check that out by clicking here.

Keep sending your words and images to us at pr@mountsnow.com.

Added by: Luke

So we got all these fan guns this summer, 101 of 'em to be exact, and now we've got all this snow on the trails. These fan guns pile up HUGE whalebacks in a matter of hours. So now we need something to tame all that snow.

Enter: the brand new Pisten Bully 600 snowcat. It was delivered from Reno, Nevada on Thursday, and it is mint. 400 horsepower, on board computerized diagnostics, automatic everything. Even the driver's seat sits on hydraulic suspension. All coming in at a cool $250,000. And it's got a cup holder!

In short, it takes the latest cat to groom the latest snowmaking technology, and Mount Snow's building an impressive fleet.

Added by: Luke

Like, 18 underground videos of mount snow's opening day have surfaced on the net. You guys are awesome.

Added by: Luke

Cripes, I've never had so much to blog about in one weekend.

6 pro snowboarders showed up today to shoot some early season photos and footage with Future Snowboarding Magazine and Green Tree Productionz. Burton rider, and Vermont native, Yale Cousino was killin' it all over the hill. I shot some video, so be on the lookout the next few days.

Added by: Luke

How? How is it physically possible to have 14 freestyle features ready for opening day at 8 a.m., when the night before at 8 p.m. the fan guns were still running and Long John was barren? You work all night long.

It is not longer possible to question the dedication of Mount Snow's park crew. They shoveled, raked, plowed, groomed and tested through the entire night until 8 a.m. No one else has a park like this on November 11, I'll tell ya that. Thanks to Ranger Debbie Bernstein for the pics.

Added by: Luke

Natural snow feels different than mandmade. Veteran skiers and riders can discern, for sure.

But today you can't tell. Even the old timer who's been skiing here since Walt opened the place in '54 couldn't tell. Last night temperatures dipped into the teens and there was very little humidity. Combine that with our new fan guns that emit a super super super fine spray and you've got November snow that feels like February snow.

Added by: Luke

Added by: Luke

Oh man oh man. What a day.

We were the first mountain to open in Vermont and the ONLY mountain in New England with top to bottom runs - 2 of 'em. Hopefully you're reading this with sore legs and wet boots because you were here today. But if not, get here tomorrow, cause we're doing it all over again.

Now I'm not an old timer or anything, but I've been snowboarding for 15 years. And never, ever, have I seen a mountain on opening day with such a thorough terrain park. Gaitor commandeered Long John and stayed up all night last night installing 6 rails and 4 boxes. Then he slammed two Red Bulls and installed 2 rails, a box and a barrel bonk on the side of Launch Pad. 14 features in all, on opening day, in early November.

Randy and the snowmaking crew are doing all they can to get Chute and River Run open for tomorrow, which means we'd have three different top to bottom runs.

Ridiculous.

Added by: Chris Lenois

We just received an email from Gary "Boot" Seem of Manchester Center, VT with this great aerial shot of the Mountain he took during a Friday fly-by. Talk about whiter and brighter...Thanks Boot!

I've put a higher resolution version in the Media Image Gallery at www.mountsnow.com/images_story.html.

Added by: Luke

I had the unfortunate and horrible (yes, i'm being facetious) task this morning of testing out our stockpiled snow. The verdict... we've got PLENTY of white stuff to open tomorrow.

I rode up the chairlift with Mount Snow's General Manager, and it came straight from her mouth: we are opening at 8 a.m. tomorrow. If that's not enough for ya, we ran into Tim Boyd, Mount Snow's new owner, at the summit. He said he's extremely confident we'll have excellent conditions tomorrow, especially after the groomers make their rounds. Tim then WALKED down the entire mountain to check the snow quality and make sure the fan guns are running at optimum efficency. That's hands on ownership. We've got a diehard snowmaker running this place, so don't be surprised if we've got the best conditions you've ever seen this year.

Added by: Chris Lenois

With bluer skies and colder base temperatures, I couldn't get a good photo from my usual perch -- the fan guns were blowing to much snow to see anything clearly.

I pulled back to the new condo development near the North Entrance. You can really see how much of a storm this snowmaking technology kicks up.

I also drove over to the Carinthia base area. We'll be running the Nitro quad lift there and have a circuit from lower Deer Run connecting to Fairway. (Keep in mind this will NOT connect back to the Main Base area. You've got to pick.)

Seeing is definitely believing. Here's an email I received yesterday from a guest named George Petersen:

My wife Marion and I have a house on Sugar House Road that gives us a clear view of the mountain. We were amazed at how much snow was being blown on the slopes. We drove over this afternoon to get a better view. All we can say is "WOW". This is the way things should have been done years ago! Both Marion are I are over 70, and have been skiing at Mount Snow for years.

This looks like the best season ever! Congratulations on your fine work.

George and Marion Petersen

Added by: Luke

Remember the year 1998? Monica Lewinsky was a household name. Mark McGwire broke the single season home run record, just before turning green, ripping off his shirt and declaring "McGwire Smash!" Limp Bizkit ruled the airwaves with that song about the nookie, yeah, the nookie, yeah, the nookie. And as it turns out, Vermont had an early arctic blast that year. Mount Snow opened to the public on November 7, 1998.

Mark 2007 as the earliest opening since the year of McGwinskizkit, because we are 99% sure we're opening this Saturday, November 10. Early season openings rule.

And are we the first mountain to open in Vermont this year? Yes. Yes we are.

And, hey, just curious. What year was Mount Snow's earliest opening? That would be 1988, when we were skiing on Halloween day.

Also in 1988, Céline Dion won the thirty-third Eurovision Song Contest for Switzerland, singing "Ne partez pas sans moi" (Don't leave without me). Now THAT'S interesting.

Added by: Chris Lenois

Well, we definitely got the colder temperatures we wanted to start making snow in the base area. By way of comparison, the first photo was taken from the Main Base Lodge balcony on Wednesday morning, while the second photo was from approximately the same spot about 24 hours later.

Temperatures should allow us to continue making snow for most of the day. They'll dip down nicely tonight and we'll continue working toward our goal of a Saturday opening. Keep checking the snow report and our home page for an announcement.

Added by: Chris Lenois

Our snowmakers went to work Tuesday night, getting trails ready for our goal of opening Saturday. An overnight snowstorm left a nice dusting of snow across the mountain and rooftops as well.

The focus was pretty much mid-mountain up to the summit. Temperatures are forecasted to be colder tonight (Wednesday), which should allow us to get snow down the Standard trail, the Launch Pad learning area, and in the base.

I took a trip up the mountain with none other than Peak Resorts president, Tim Boyd, to check on the progress. Check out the photos.

Added by: Luke

I made a snowball this morning. Did you make a snowball this morning? I made a snowball this morning because there's snow on the ground.

You knew we had to blow snow last night. It was 26 degrees. How could we NOT play with our shiny new fanguns, all perched and ready on Launch Pad? Dave, Director of Mountain Operations, was like the little brother from “A Christmas Story” with his new zeppelin on Christmas. “Aw woopee! A fangun!”

Macho Snowmakerman Randy Barrows smashed the proverbial champagne bottle on the fanguns at 9 p.m. last night. They’re still running this morning at full tilt. At its deepest spot, there’s about five inches built up. At 9:13 a.m., chatter on the radio suggests we’ll be shutting down soon. Gaitor, our Parks and Pipes Manager, plans to set up a funbox this morning, maybe even a rail.

Have fun.

Luke

Added by: Luke

It will get cold soon. Have faith. We’re New Englanders, after all. I mean, even our Communications Manager, Chris “CL Smooth” Lenois, didn’t think the Red Sox could come back from a 3 to 1 deficit to win the pennant, and he’s a HUGE Sox fan. Sure, the forecast this week calls for extended bouts of rain and temps in the 40s and 50s, but J.D. Drew hit a grand slam in the first inning of game 6. J.D. Drew! It’s October in New England – anything can happen.

Thus, allow me to make a few predictions: 1.)Mount Snow will be open by November 12. 2.)Mount Snow will open the first full terrain park in the East. 3.)The Red Sox will win it all in Boston in game 6, with a Youkilis RBI in the bottom of the 9th. 4.)You will be remarkably impressed with Mount Snow’s new renovations and 101 fan guns. Not to be vain or anything, but we look good. Like, really good. 5.)By Thanksgiving, we’ll have a 16” base on Canyon/Standard.

btw, has anybody figured out a way to dress up as a fangun for Halloween?

At 11:22 a.m. Wednesday morning, it’s 52 degrees at the base and 43 degrees at the summit.

Make haste - our new Nor’easter Season Pass for winter 2007-2008 is on sale now. Get unrestricted access to Mount Snow and our brethren in New Hampshire – Attitash and Crotched – and Jack Frost/Big Boulder in Pennsylvania, plus many more honors and benefits that are typically reserved for our loyal and dedicated skiers and snowboarders. Visit mountsnow.com, click the Season Pass tab under Rates or call 800-956-SNOW to get yours.

As you watch the World Series tonight, remember, J.D. Drew learned to ski at Mount Snow (note: we have no proof that J.D. Drew learned to ski at Mount Snow).

What’s your prediction?

Added by: Luke

With the Vermont foliage beginning to explode and two sunny days in a row, the Ironhorse Downhill Series came to a close this weekend.

Dawn Borque was the overall series winner on the female side, while Ben Moody took the honor for the men, both scoring the most points over the four weekends of racing this season.

The IHDS gets even bigger next year, with a few races at our sister mountain, Attitash.