Hi All from the frozen tundra!
It was and is bitter cold with a high of 15 and a steady wind but the sun was out and so was I. Hunter once again looks like a white frozen wasteland and blowing snow across Main St. this am looked like a desert sandstorm. In spite of sanders and salters, the secondary roads & parking lots are white, frozen and there is plenty of black ice around. Schools had a two hour delayed opening.
With guns blasting and about 2" of natural snow overnight on top of frozen granular (remember we had almost 3" of rain on Sunday) the skiing was challenging. The mountain has more than recovered what was lost and is working to open more terrain by the weekend during another week that is excellent for snow-making. The mix of natural with machine made snow made it powdery but crusty and once chopped up, soft bumpy conditions on top of frozen hardpack with many ungroomed rollers / whale humps. I skied all open front side trails and they were pretty much consistent although the Cliff got scraped off early. There is a well marked big sink hole just above the entrance to Ike / Gunhill. Eside/Milky were under the guns and a bit tricky. I made the mistake of going down Huega which was like a dark wind tunnel and totally barren of fresh snow - very noisy. With good grooming tonight (there was little done last night but that turrned out to be a good thing) tomorrow should be a primo day if the sun is out but unfortunately that is not in the forecast. The 6-pack had a late start today as chairs had to be de-iced but ran fine thereafter. It is flurrying now as I write this at 3:30 pm.
Stay warm!
Jon
Detailed Local Forecast
Today: Blustery with snow showers. Cold. High 14F. Winds WNW at 20 to 30 mph. Chance of snow 60%. 1 to 2 inches of snow expected.
Tonight: Snow showers. Low 9F. Winds WNW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of snow 60%. 1 to 2 inches of snow expected.
Tomorrow: Variably cloudy with snow showers. Cold. High 16F. Winds WNW at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of snow 60%. 1 to 2 inches of snow expected.
Tomorrow night: Flurries and a few snow showers throughout the night. Low 12F. Winds W at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of snow 30%.
Thursday: Snow showers at times. Highs in the low 20s and lows in the mid teens.
Friday: More sun than clouds. Highs in the upper 20s and lows in the mid teens.
Saturday: Times of sun and clouds. Highs in the upper 20s and lows in the mid teens.
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Monday, December 13, 2010
HUNTER SKIING & WEATHER 12/13
Hi All,
First of all let me address your concerns about the lack of a report Thurs & Fri - I didn't ski as I had to take care of some personal issues.
I did ski Saturday morning and it was fantastic with nice dry powder, no wind and plenty of sun. All front side trails with the exception of Lower K were open and in great shape from the snow making all week long - perfect grooming too! Wayout was open on the west but it was dark over there and no need to leave the sun. All lifts except "D" were running. By 10 am the zoo gates had opened and the parking lot was full to the tubing park.
Yesterday we had two long and strong periods of heavy rain with dense fog and temps that got near 50. Today's official Hunter daily snow report had the following blatantly false statement:
QUOTE After some drizzle yesterday, we're resurfacing tonight... we didn't lose any snow, .....UNQUOTE
There were rivers running off the mountain yesterday. Recovery mode will start tonight as temps are already down to 34 and it looks like another excellent snow making weather week ahead per below forecast. The snow base is now well settled and solid and should allow for some great future skiing .
It was and still is raining lightly with some mixed snow this am and the entire top half of the mtn is fogged in. I am sure the surface conditions are excellent but the visibility is poor and not for me today. The 6-pack is running but with very few customers.
Ski ya, http://hunterskiscene.blogspot.com/
Jon
Detailed Local Forecast
Today: Cloudy skies with a few snow showers this afternoon. High 33F. Winds WSW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of snow 30%.
Tonight: Variable clouds with snow showers or flurries. Low 14F. Winds WNW at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of snow 50%. Snowfall around one inch.
Tomorrow: Blustery with snow showers. Cold. High 16F. Winds WNW at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of snow 60%. Snow accumulating 1 to 2 inches.
Tomorrow night: Occasional snow showers. Low 9F. Winds WNW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of snow 60%.
Wednesday: Chance of a few snow showers. Highs in the upper teens and lows in the low teens.
Thursday: Partly cloudy. Highs in the low 20s and lows in the low teens.
Friday: Times of sun and clouds. Highs in the mid 20s and lows in the mid teens.
First of all let me address your concerns about the lack of a report Thurs & Fri - I didn't ski as I had to take care of some personal issues.
I did ski Saturday morning and it was fantastic with nice dry powder, no wind and plenty of sun. All front side trails with the exception of Lower K were open and in great shape from the snow making all week long - perfect grooming too! Wayout was open on the west but it was dark over there and no need to leave the sun. All lifts except "D" were running. By 10 am the zoo gates had opened and the parking lot was full to the tubing park.
Yesterday we had two long and strong periods of heavy rain with dense fog and temps that got near 50. Today's official Hunter daily snow report had the following blatantly false statement:
QUOTE After some drizzle yesterday, we're resurfacing tonight... we didn't lose any snow, .....UNQUOTE
There were rivers running off the mountain yesterday. Recovery mode will start tonight as temps are already down to 34 and it looks like another excellent snow making weather week ahead per below forecast. The snow base is now well settled and solid and should allow for some great future skiing .
It was and still is raining lightly with some mixed snow this am and the entire top half of the mtn is fogged in. I am sure the surface conditions are excellent but the visibility is poor and not for me today. The 6-pack is running but with very few customers.
Ski ya, http://hunterskiscene.blogspot.com/
Jon
Detailed Local Forecast
Today: Cloudy skies with a few snow showers this afternoon. High 33F. Winds WSW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of snow 30%.
Tonight: Variable clouds with snow showers or flurries. Low 14F. Winds WNW at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of snow 50%. Snowfall around one inch.
Tomorrow: Blustery with snow showers. Cold. High 16F. Winds WNW at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of snow 60%. Snow accumulating 1 to 2 inches.
Tomorrow night: Occasional snow showers. Low 9F. Winds WNW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of snow 60%.
Wednesday: Chance of a few snow showers. Highs in the upper teens and lows in the low teens.
Thursday: Partly cloudy. Highs in the low 20s and lows in the low teens.
Friday: Times of sun and clouds. Highs in the mid 20s and lows in the mid teens.
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Hunter Skiing 12/8
Hello everyone,
Had a great day skiing. Except for the high winds at the summit, the day was picture perfect though cold at 22. The sun was out for a change and the dry powder on almost all open trails was creamy and plentiful. The grooming was excellent considering what they had to work with so kudos to Skip and his crew. Skip, you may want to consider grooming out some of the rollers at the top of Minya and bottom of Kennedy. H-B-K was terrific effortless skiing, especially midstation below "6 Fingers" (which sign by the way is no longer there since last year) where one could make fresh tracks every run as those tower guns spewed out dry powder all day long. Cliff was closed but poachable. Bleeker down into Ike was great with dry powder blowing all over the place. Minya into Lower Cross was also sweet but you had to exit on the far right side of the terrain park as the cut through behind B lift was still grassy & closed. Bruce, you need to make some snow at that cut thru to Kennedy! The wind at the top was too strong to attempt skiing into the belt and it was dark there too. Heavy snow making was on Milky, Eside, Huega, Madison & Terrain Park. The lift was running fast and smooth and only stopped for those who fell getting on or off. It's amazing how many runs one can get in a short period of time with that new fast lift and no lines - and there were no lines whatsoever - also no one was checking or scanning tickets - HELLO MGMT! There were a few flurries this pm but no accumulation as the cold continues although Sat will see a slight warming trend into Sunday. There is a possiblity of wet weather later on Sunday into Monday but I hate to use that "R" word.
This weekend Hunter hosts the consumer demo event and since the weather and skiing look excellent expect some decent crowds.
Ski ya, http://hunterskiscene.blogspot.com/
Jon
Detailed Local Forecast
Today: Windy. Snow flurries and a few snow showers throughout the day. High 21F. Winds WNW at 20 to 30 mph. Chance of snow 30%.
Tonight: Clear to partly cloudy. Low 11F. Winds W at 10 to 15 mph.
Tomorrow: Sunny along with a few clouds. High 21F. Winds WNW at 10 to 15 mph.
Tomorrow night: Partly cloudy. Low 6F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph.
Friday: A few snow showers. Highs in the mid 20s and lows in the upper teens.
Saturday: Partly cloudy. Highs in the mid 30s and lows in the mid 20s.
Sunday: Cloudy with rain. Highs in the upper 30s and lows in the low 20s.
Had a great day skiing. Except for the high winds at the summit, the day was picture perfect though cold at 22. The sun was out for a change and the dry powder on almost all open trails was creamy and plentiful. The grooming was excellent considering what they had to work with so kudos to Skip and his crew. Skip, you may want to consider grooming out some of the rollers at the top of Minya and bottom of Kennedy. H-B-K was terrific effortless skiing, especially midstation below "6 Fingers" (which sign by the way is no longer there since last year) where one could make fresh tracks every run as those tower guns spewed out dry powder all day long. Cliff was closed but poachable. Bleeker down into Ike was great with dry powder blowing all over the place. Minya into Lower Cross was also sweet but you had to exit on the far right side of the terrain park as the cut through behind B lift was still grassy & closed. Bruce, you need to make some snow at that cut thru to Kennedy! The wind at the top was too strong to attempt skiing into the belt and it was dark there too. Heavy snow making was on Milky, Eside, Huega, Madison & Terrain Park. The lift was running fast and smooth and only stopped for those who fell getting on or off. It's amazing how many runs one can get in a short period of time with that new fast lift and no lines - and there were no lines whatsoever - also no one was checking or scanning tickets - HELLO MGMT! There were a few flurries this pm but no accumulation as the cold continues although Sat will see a slight warming trend into Sunday. There is a possiblity of wet weather later on Sunday into Monday but I hate to use that "R" word.
This weekend Hunter hosts the consumer demo event and since the weather and skiing look excellent expect some decent crowds.
Ski ya, http://hunterskiscene.blogspot.com/
Jon
Detailed Local Forecast
Today: Windy. Snow flurries and a few snow showers throughout the day. High 21F. Winds WNW at 20 to 30 mph. Chance of snow 30%.
Tonight: Clear to partly cloudy. Low 11F. Winds W at 10 to 15 mph.
Tomorrow: Sunny along with a few clouds. High 21F. Winds WNW at 10 to 15 mph.
Tomorrow night: Partly cloudy. Low 6F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph.
Friday: A few snow showers. Highs in the mid 20s and lows in the upper teens.
Saturday: Partly cloudy. Highs in the mid 30s and lows in the mid 20s.
Sunday: Cloudy with rain. Highs in the upper 30s and lows in the low 20s.
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Hunter skiing 12/7
Hi Y'all,
Another very cold windy day but without flurries. There was no addt'l accumulation last night or today. The light is flat but once in a while there was a hint of sun. Ike opened today as did the Belt but the wind discouraged most from even trying to get down the upper part of the Belt and it was dark. Surface conditions I was told varied alot from powdery to slick hard pack. Snow guns are now on the Cliff & Huega also so there will be alot more terrain to ski by the end of the week with 24/7 blowing. The high today was 24 but the winds made it feel like low teens. The lift was running fine as they found and fixed a broken wire / sensor up on tower 5. B was also running today and Mossy Brook was open. Crowds as expected were very light. I may venture out on the slopes tomorrow for the first time and be able to give you a real first hand report - I have been fighting a head cold and staying out of the extreme wind chill. Hunter looks and feels like like a frozen white tundra. The weather for rest of the week into the weekend looks like more of the same.
Ski ya, http://hunterskiscene.blogspot.com/
Jon
Detailed Local Forecast
Today: Windy. Snow flurries and a few snow showers throughout the day. High 24F. Winds W at 20 to 30 mph. Chance of snow 30%.
Tonight: Snow showers early with a chance of lingering snow showers later. Low 16F. Winds W at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of snow 50%.
Tomorrow: Flurries and a few snow showers throughout the day. High 22F. Winds W at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of snow 30%.
Tomorrow night: Clear to partly cloudy. Low 11F. Winds W at 10 to 15 mph.
Thursday: Partly cloudy. Highs in the low 20s and lows in the low teens.
Friday: A few snow showers. Highs in the mid 20s and lows in the low 20s.
Saturday: Partly cloudy. Highs in the low 30s and lows in the mid 20s.
Another very cold windy day but without flurries. There was no addt'l accumulation last night or today. The light is flat but once in a while there was a hint of sun. Ike opened today as did the Belt but the wind discouraged most from even trying to get down the upper part of the Belt and it was dark. Surface conditions I was told varied alot from powdery to slick hard pack. Snow guns are now on the Cliff & Huega also so there will be alot more terrain to ski by the end of the week with 24/7 blowing. The high today was 24 but the winds made it feel like low teens. The lift was running fine as they found and fixed a broken wire / sensor up on tower 5. B was also running today and Mossy Brook was open. Crowds as expected were very light. I may venture out on the slopes tomorrow for the first time and be able to give you a real first hand report - I have been fighting a head cold and staying out of the extreme wind chill. Hunter looks and feels like like a frozen white tundra. The weather for rest of the week into the weekend looks like more of the same.
Ski ya, http://hunterskiscene.blogspot.com/
Jon
Detailed Local Forecast
Today: Windy. Snow flurries and a few snow showers throughout the day. High 24F. Winds W at 20 to 30 mph. Chance of snow 30%.
Tonight: Snow showers early with a chance of lingering snow showers later. Low 16F. Winds W at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of snow 50%.
Tomorrow: Flurries and a few snow showers throughout the day. High 22F. Winds W at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of snow 30%.
Tomorrow night: Clear to partly cloudy. Low 11F. Winds W at 10 to 15 mph.
Thursday: Partly cloudy. Highs in the low 20s and lows in the low teens.
Friday: A few snow showers. Highs in the mid 20s and lows in the low 20s.
Saturday: Partly cloudy. Highs in the low 30s and lows in the mid 20s.
Monday, December 6, 2010
Hunter skiing and weather for 12/6
Hi to all 90 of you on my direct email list.
Winter is here with a vengeance. Very cold, very windy and very snowy. The high temp today only 24 with steady winds at 15-20 and gusts to 35 mph. It has been snowing and flurrying all day with about 2" of dry powder blowing all over the place. There is no sun with very flat and often poor visibility. Sanders & salters are out on the roads. I did not venture out yet but Sunday was opening day with, as expected, too many people for just H-B-K. Hgate was very slick, Midstation had decent powder and Kennedy was, for the most part, survival skiing - as was told to me by many who tried it out. Guns and wind were blasting all day. The new lift broke down around 3pm and the mtn was shut at 3:30. Today the 6-pack didn't get going until around noon time. B was opened late and F even later am - vouchers were issued to ticket buyers. I didn't speak with anyone who went out on the hill today - it has been a nasty weather day in addition to the lift problems - broken switch somewhere. Snowmaking continues 24/7 as the temps are perfect for that and skiing should improve with each day as more terrain opens up. Belt, Ike, Minya & Eside are under heavy snowmaking as are parts of Hunter One and the B-lift trails.
I rode the new lift round-trip on Saturday and can tell you it is fast (running at 900 ft per minute out of a possible 1000 ft/min) smooth and quiet. It takes about 5 1/2 mins to the top running counter-clockwise. The lift path has been cut wider to accommodate the a much wider lift. The new gate system is staggered and quick - less than 2 secs to get through and you have to really pay attention. They plan to set up lift lines as follows: two lines for 3's, one for 4's and two single lines. The off ramp is elevated and you slide down it toward the summit lodge.
The food menu in the cafeteria has been re-vamped to include alot more healthier options and the entrance & cashier areas too have been streamlined. Yes, the prices are higher too and credit cards are now accepted at the main bar. There has been no selection / induction plans yet for the Wall of Fame.
The weather for the bitter cold week ahead is below as usual. http://hunterskiscene.blogspot.com/
If you have any questions or issues please let me know and I'll try and get answers.
Ski and ride safely,
Jon
Detailed Local Forecast
Today: Blustery with snow showers. High 24F. Winds WNW at 20 to 30 mph. Chance of snow 50%. Snow accumulations less than one inch.
Tonight: Occasional snow showers. Low 19F. Winds W at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of snow 80%. Snow accumulating 1 to 3 inches.
Tomorrow: Windy with snow showers early becoming more scattered later. High near 25F. Winds W at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of snow 60%.
Tomorrow night: Intermittent snow showers, especially early. Low 16F. Winds W at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of snow 50%.
Wednesday: Snow showers at times. Highs in the mid 20s and lows in the low teens.
Thursday: Times of sun and clouds. Highs in the low 20s and lows in the mid teens.
Friday: Snow showers. Highs in the low 30s and lows in the low 20s.
Winter is here with a vengeance. Very cold, very windy and very snowy. The high temp today only 24 with steady winds at 15-20 and gusts to 35 mph. It has been snowing and flurrying all day with about 2" of dry powder blowing all over the place. There is no sun with very flat and often poor visibility. Sanders & salters are out on the roads. I did not venture out yet but Sunday was opening day with, as expected, too many people for just H-B-K. Hgate was very slick, Midstation had decent powder and Kennedy was, for the most part, survival skiing - as was told to me by many who tried it out. Guns and wind were blasting all day. The new lift broke down around 3pm and the mtn was shut at 3:30. Today the 6-pack didn't get going until around noon time. B was opened late and F even later am - vouchers were issued to ticket buyers. I didn't speak with anyone who went out on the hill today - it has been a nasty weather day in addition to the lift problems - broken switch somewhere. Snowmaking continues 24/7 as the temps are perfect for that and skiing should improve with each day as more terrain opens up. Belt, Ike, Minya & Eside are under heavy snowmaking as are parts of Hunter One and the B-lift trails.
I rode the new lift round-trip on Saturday and can tell you it is fast (running at 900 ft per minute out of a possible 1000 ft/min) smooth and quiet. It takes about 5 1/2 mins to the top running counter-clockwise. The lift path has been cut wider to accommodate the a much wider lift. The new gate system is staggered and quick - less than 2 secs to get through and you have to really pay attention. They plan to set up lift lines as follows: two lines for 3's, one for 4's and two single lines. The off ramp is elevated and you slide down it toward the summit lodge.
The food menu in the cafeteria has been re-vamped to include alot more healthier options and the entrance & cashier areas too have been streamlined. Yes, the prices are higher too and credit cards are now accepted at the main bar. There has been no selection / induction plans yet for the Wall of Fame.
The weather for the bitter cold week ahead is below as usual. http://hunterskiscene.blogspot.com/
If you have any questions or issues please let me know and I'll try and get answers.
Ski and ride safely,
Jon
Detailed Local Forecast
Today: Blustery with snow showers. High 24F. Winds WNW at 20 to 30 mph. Chance of snow 50%. Snow accumulations less than one inch.
Tonight: Occasional snow showers. Low 19F. Winds W at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of snow 80%. Snow accumulating 1 to 3 inches.
Tomorrow: Windy with snow showers early becoming more scattered later. High near 25F. Winds W at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of snow 60%.
Tomorrow night: Intermittent snow showers, especially early. Low 16F. Winds W at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of snow 50%.
Wednesday: Snow showers at times. Highs in the mid 20s and lows in the low teens.
Thursday: Times of sun and clouds. Highs in the low 20s and lows in the mid teens.
Friday: Snow showers. Highs in the low 30s and lows in the low 20s.
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Hunter snow making update
Hi All,
The guns were only turned on this am around 8 - 8:30 but the lower mtn guns were shut off early due to warming temps at 34 so coverage is from Hgate down to the top of Kennedy per attchached photo taken around 3 pm today. Temps will drop into the 20's tonight so the mtn should look alot whiter tomorrow. I saw no snow making anywhere else on the mtn. The 6-pack was running smoothly.
Ski ya soon,
Jon
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Hunter Opening News
Hi All
The following email just received from Hunter:
QUOTE
Hello from Hunter Mountain!
This is the e-mail you've all been waiting for! Snowmaking is scheduled to begin in the next 12 hours and the weather looks FANTASTIC. At this time, we are planning to open on Sunday, December 5... and we hope to see you here!! We'll be posting photos, videos and more on the website, on Facebook and in the Hunterblog as snow begins to fly!
UNQUOTE
We are getting at least 4" of heavy wind driven rain. The streams are close to cresting, roads, parking lots & basements in the lower areas are flooded. By morning everything will turn to ice.
Ski ya soon.....
Jon
Detailed Local Forecast
Today: A wind driven heavy rain. High 53F. Winds SSE at 25 to 35 mph. Winds could occasionally gust over 40 mph.
Tonight: Cloudy skies early, then partly cloudy after midnight. Low around 25F. Winds W at 10 to 15 mph.
Tomorrow: Mostly sunny skies. High near 35F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph.
Tomorrow night: A few clouds. Low 22F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph.
Friday: Partly cloudy. Highs in the mid 30s and lows in the low 20s.
Saturday: Partly cloudy. Highs in the low 30s and lows in the upper teens.
Sunday: A few clouds. Highs in the low 30s and lows in the upper teens.
The following email just received from Hunter:
QUOTE
Hello from Hunter Mountain!
This is the e-mail you've all been waiting for! Snowmaking is scheduled to begin in the next 12 hours and the weather looks FANTASTIC. At this time, we are planning to open on Sunday, December 5... and we hope to see you here!! We'll be posting photos, videos and more on the website, on Facebook and in the Hunterblog as snow begins to fly!
UNQUOTE
We are getting at least 4" of heavy wind driven rain. The streams are close to cresting, roads, parking lots & basements in the lower areas are flooded. By morning everything will turn to ice.
Ski ya soon.....
Jon
Detailed Local Forecast
Today: A wind driven heavy rain. High 53F. Winds SSE at 25 to 35 mph. Winds could occasionally gust over 40 mph.
Tonight: Cloudy skies early, then partly cloudy after midnight. Low around 25F. Winds W at 10 to 15 mph.
Tomorrow: Mostly sunny skies. High near 35F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph.
Tomorrow night: A few clouds. Low 22F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph.
Friday: Partly cloudy. Highs in the mid 30s and lows in the low 20s.
Saturday: Partly cloudy. Highs in the low 30s and lows in the upper teens.
Sunday: A few clouds. Highs in the low 30s and lows in the upper teens.
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