GrilledSteezeSandwich Posted January 10, 2015 Report Share Posted January 10, 2015 Hey all, I'm back from a fun session at Blue mountain the true mountain. I arrived at the lower lot at 730am with a temperature of 9 degrees and moderate winds. In the house were Johnny law, toast, Ryan, rose, justo, MBike mike, Nastar Glenn, Peter(racer guy we met last week) and Rodney. Got first civilian chair and first down challenge which was nice firm cord and the fastest and steepest skiing I've experienced this season. Switchback was the run of the day. Very nice and I skied it four times. Dreamweaver was not that good kind of small cookies. Nightmare was not open yet. We did a run all the way over to Burma and back and it had nice snow and not many people. Crowds were moderate with short liftlines because the quad and six pack were both running. Word was that the lodges were busy due to below zero windchills. First day of the season for my balaclava and lots of people with ice in their beards. I did a few more challenge runs and it was firm but edge able but very dark. I skied until 10:15am then hungout in the lot had a few beers in the now mid teens temperatures that felt fairly pleasent with four layers including bottom underarmor which I rarely wear. Also of note was out first chairlift ride a ski patroller went under the lift offtral on lower sidewinder and ate shit. At least when PASRs poach shit we don't flounder. Also everybody is missing Root..I wonder if he's back from Vermont yet. See everybody tomorrow AM..supposed to start out colder than today but temperatures are expected to rise faster. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RidgeRacer Posted January 10, 2015 Report Share Posted January 10, 2015 Thanks for the shout out. I only rode the lift with you about 100 times. Anyway so nice to ski challenge and switchback for the first time this year. Both of which were fantastic. Switchback especially. Dreamweaver on the other hand was shit. Cookie surfing basically. Overall a pretty awesome day though. Probably be back tomorrow for an evening sesh. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrilledSteezeSandwich Posted January 10, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 10, 2015 Sorry Ridge... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RidgeRacer Posted January 10, 2015 Report Share Posted January 10, 2015 I'll let it slide... This time Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrilledSteezeSandwich Posted January 10, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 10, 2015 I'll let it slide... This time I was too focused on my ghetto nachos at Sheetz. Ridge how long did you ski till? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RidgeRacer Posted January 10, 2015 Report Share Posted January 10, 2015 11 or so. Challenge was even better at that time. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toast21602 Posted January 10, 2015 Report Share Posted January 10, 2015 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Justo8484 Posted January 10, 2015 Report Share Posted January 10, 2015 Surfing cookies is pretty accurate for dreamweaver. We got nightmare right as they opened it up. Cookie feast as usual, but the right side off trail was soft and smooth fresh blown snow, which was much more appealing than the groomed junk. Bumps were pretty fun. Definitely a different challenge than they've been, they felt much more like western bumps with a bit of variability to them. Also, how the heck can freshly groomed trails like dreamweaver be so ridiculously bad when it was in the single digits when they were blowing on it? Everything else was awesome, but it seems like the first day they open any trail, it's garbage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zzslope Posted January 10, 2015 Report Share Posted January 10, 2015 Nice pictures toast, way to capture the moment, love it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tnt Posted January 10, 2015 Report Share Posted January 10, 2015 Any bumps besides main street? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moe ghoul Posted January 10, 2015 Report Share Posted January 10, 2015 Great capture, toast! That'll be posted on FB and in the Patrol shack Hall of Shame Wall! Sounds like Blue is close to getting everyting open with the ongoing cold snap. Good stuff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrilledSteezeSandwich Posted January 10, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 10, 2015 Any bumps besides main street? No Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
indiggio Posted January 10, 2015 Report Share Posted January 10, 2015 Bumps on Main Street were wonderful in the morning with snow blown into them. By late morning, they were getting big and deep, but there was still firm snow in the troughs, so you could still get an edge in. They opened Razors around 2 and that was the run of the day, as the snow on it was ground pretty well with some firmness underneath. Razorback had a pretty good lip to it off of which some nice air could be obtained. Hopefully they reset the bumps for tomorrow. If they don't, hope they at least blow into them for a repeat of today. Both glades were being blown into, so hopefully they come into play pretty soon. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnny Law Posted January 11, 2015 Report Share Posted January 11, 2015 Today was nice, snow on challenge and switchback was very good. Tomorrow should be even better Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zzslope Posted January 12, 2015 Report Share Posted January 12, 2015 What a difference a week makes. Blue is almost 100% open & they were blowing on the trails that are still unopened. Upper sidewinder had massive whales from top to bottom. Yesterday was quite good all over especially early on, then the six died causing a mass exodus to the quad which was not turning yet. When the two maintenance guys wheeled up on snowmobiles we knew it wasn't good. I took a break to wait for the line to diminish, but some resourceful people rode the new magic carpet up the valley bunny hill, then hoofed it to the main street chair. They got the six fixed relatively quickly so it wasn't too bad. Stopped in the new slopeside bar addition to the summit lodge, it is really nice, I'm sure riff-raff looking people like me aren't allowed in. I left around 11:30am because the slopes were turning into the proverbial shit show. Stopped on my way out to hang with the PASERs for a few minutes, lots of fun. See yer Wednesday. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrilledSteezeSandwich Posted January 12, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 12, 2015 I still have to check out the Slopeside pub. I wonder if there's a sign that says no long haired freaky people allowed..lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnny Law Posted January 12, 2015 Report Share Posted January 12, 2015 I still have to check out the Slopeside pub. I wonder if there's a sign that says no long haired freaky people allowed..lol I want to eat there too, since I missed CBI I'm now way behind lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrilledSteezeSandwich Posted January 12, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 12, 2015 I want to eat there too, since I missed CBI I'm now way behind lol I saw the menu online and as expected its pretty pricy for bar food. $9 for mozz sticks, $14 for loaded nachos, $14 for a dozen wings, $13 for bacon cheeseburger with fries, $11 Gyro and $15 steak sang.....wow just wow just six wings is $8...at CBI you can get 16 for that price if its on a Sunday. For comparison same at the mangy moose at Jackson hole..prices are like 1/3 less...I think their most expensive burger is like $8 and that even has guac on it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
indiggio Posted January 12, 2015 Report Share Posted January 12, 2015 (edited) They got the six fixed relatively quickly so it wasn't too bad. I would use the term "fixed" pretty loosely. Reluctantly rode it later in the day, 2-3pm'ish and it stopped a number of times pretty abruptly on the ride up. Then it would start to go, but only for a couple of feet, then stop again and slide backwards a bit. It did this a number of times before it got going good, only to stop again. Luckily we were near the top and swore off it for the remainder of the day. The quad gave a better feeling of security... I saw the menu online and as expected its pretty pricy for bar food. $9 for mozz sticks, $14 for loaded nachos, $14 for a dozen wings, $13 for bacon cheeseburger with fries, $11 Gyro and $15 steak sang.....wow just wow just six wings is $8...at CBI you can get 16 for that price if its on a Sunday. For comparison same at the mangy moose at Jackson hole..prices are like 1/3 less...I think their most expensive burger is like $8 and that even has guac on it. That's Barb trying to recoup all the enhancement expenditures in a single season... Edited January 12, 2015 by indiggio Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrilledSteezeSandwich Posted January 12, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 12, 2015 Speaking of Barbara I think the new run should be called Barbara's Bush...after the former First Lady and also after the Blue mountain owners naughty bits!!!!! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnny Law Posted January 12, 2015 Report Share Posted January 12, 2015 I would use the term "fixed" pretty loosely. Reluctantly rode it later in the day, 2-3pm'ish and it stopped a number of times pretty abruptly on the ride up. Then it would start to go, but only for a couple of feet, then stop again and slide backwards a bit. It did this a number of times before it got going good, only to stop again. Luckily we were near the top and swore off it for the remainder of the day. The quad gave a better feeling of security... Nah the sixer is fine, none are worth worrying about but the quad is the worst of all the chairs. Lifts basically have three braking systems, the button press or some idiot can't load, slow, please stop if you will. Service brake. The control systems error stop, lift thinks something is wrong and shuts the whole thing down, more aggressive than the button. 99% of the time this is an issue with the stop bar lol. Bear Creek......safety circuit is the official lingo. Emergency brake The third is the mechanical brake on the bull wheel, the mech is the brake of last resort. It's abrupt and is there in case the drive train or engine goes down. You would know if it was this kind of stop immediately. All of these are designed to prevent the singular failure point of all lifts, rollback. Rollback is gonna kill alot of people so you don't want that. Older chairs with counter weights will roll back a little on the quicker stops because alot of them the counter weight is undersized. In modern top quads or sixers a pneumatic or mostly a hydraulic system of haul tension is in place. You can set how aggressively it maintains tension. Sunday's issues were likely a safety circuit issue which was engaging the e-brake, it rolled back ever so slightly due to the way the tension is setup to regulate. Too quick and you can buck people off chairs. Essentially the bullwheel is on a carriage system which hydraulic rams move around to maintain haul tension, Modern lifts also have a anti-rollback device, generally it's a series of teeth that can only engage if the haul line is running in reverse, sort of similar to a otis safety elevator. This is a result of The Tramway Safety Board who after older chairs had gearbox and secondary braking failures instituted a multi system approach. Chairs are super safe, brittle bars go if you tension fails on counterweight lifts, you have at least three separate braking systems, you have the cable catchers if the haul jumps, you can drop trees on the haul as well as pull a complete tower and assuming terrain and hold down's are ok your fine. There are 100000 alarms including haul line sensors and a grip alarm. Any serious problems with a lift are almost always manufacturing defects (see YAN), improper maintenance particularly on old chairs or just total shit luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thedude4bides Posted January 12, 2015 Report Share Posted January 12, 2015 (edited) I would have eaten at the new place in the summit lodge if it didn't take 10 minutes just to get a beer and a shot while it was relatively empty. I left in disgust and continued skiing on a liquid diet. Upstairs bar used to have a "quick serve" station with wings, ribs, pulled pork, nachos, chili, and lobster bisque. You could go in and order food with a beer+shot and be back on the slopes in ten minutes will a belly full of food and liquid courage. Edited January 12, 2015 by thedude4bides Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrilledSteezeSandwich Posted January 12, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 12, 2015 10 minutes to get a beer and a shot doesn't seem that out of line. Was that at the bar of at a table? Their cafeteria set up in the summit lodge is incredibly slow. Lower lodge is incredibly fast. Anybody try the fish and chip stand at the base? Costs more for fish and child than most gastro pubs. Why I usually hit up sheetz on the way home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thedude4bides Posted January 12, 2015 Report Share Posted January 12, 2015 (edited) 10 minutes to get a beer and a shot doesn't seem that out of line. Was that at the bar of at a table? Their cafeteria set up in the summit lodge is incredibly slow. Lower lodge is incredibly fast. Anybody try the fish and chip stand at the base? Costs more for fish and child than most gastro pubs. Why I usually hit up sheetz on the way home. 10 minutes for a beer and a shot with like 4 other customers is an abomination. Source: I used to bartend. Edited January 12, 2015 by thedude4bides 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrilledSteezeSandwich Posted January 12, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 12, 2015 10 minutes for a beer and a shot with like 4 other customers is an abomination. Source: I used to bartend. My local bartender says that she was taught in bartending school to put out 7 drinks per 2 minutes and admittedly at my local bar if there's 150 people there and only two bartenders, I get served in about a minute. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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