Black Mountain Resort on Saturday, February 19, 2022

		Black Mountain Resort Saturday, February 19, 2022
		Submitted on February 19, 2022 by rocket21 (1426)
	Session	Morning
	Ticket Type	Indy Pass
	Lift Lines	0 minutes
	Trail Conditions	45% open; Variable Conditions, Variable Conditions
	Glades	Full cover in the areas that don't face south. Southern areas are fried.
	Moguls	None
	Terrain Park(s)	None
	Run of the Day	Bob-O-Link
	Food and Beverage	No masks required for customers or employees - VERY refreshing to see smiling employee faces. Chicken tenders and fries were $12.
	Comments	Just about the worst possible set up for the final holiday period of the season - warm weather, downpours, and then a deep freeze. J-Bar Js are not on the line, so that area is closed. Only the Platter Pull and rope tow were open from 8:30 to 10:15. The lift line was ungroomed and uneven - quite a few folks were unable to navigate it. Both chairlifts finally opened at 10:15 after the snowcat left the mountain. I only rode the triple once, as the double is faster and has fewer stops. The double was only open to the midstation; I don't believe any snow has been made on the summit this season, and the visible trails up there are fried. One way down the west side - Maple Slalom Chute to Valley View to Bob-O-Link to Jubilee (Twilight was closed and has extend stretches of blue ice, which means you can't get back to the triple from this run). East of the chairs, there was Jackson Standard, Galloping Goose, Juniper, Spruce, Black Beauty, and Beauty Loop. The most challenging terrain was the beginner terrain, as the bottom of those trails listed, and Lower Black Beauty, were rough with lots of blue ice and thin spots. Did not look like a good day for the beginners I saw. Glad I brought my rock skis, though it wasn't that bad if you were cautious. Given the circumstances and lack of snow (seems like they haven't made as much as in prior winters), they worked some miracles to put the mountain back together in a short period of time (snow was too soft during the day yesterday to put snowcats on it). Generally loose granular where they were able to put it back together. I don't think they've made any snow since the thaw ended on Friday. It may not make sense to make anymore snow at this point, since the only way to drive skiers after the holiday will be natural snowfall. It started snowing at 10:45, adding up to more than an inch by 2 PM. Not enough to fill in the carnage, but it did help make some of the trails ski a bit better. Chairlifts were ski-on and, apart from the tricky area at the bottom of the beginner terrain, the trails were not crowded. Assuming they can avoid any more melting events, one moderate snowfall could put a lot more terrain back in play.
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	Report Rating	6