If you’ve been a regular skier at West over the past several years, it’s obvious the recent change in ownership has been positive for skiers. Snowmaking and grooming are far better than they’ve been in years. Last night I skied on dry, chalky snow that was nicely groomed and consistently edgeable across the mountain, not the ice-shavings-over-hardpack conditions that typified West just a few years back. On top of that, the mountain is generally spruced up - things just look a lot better maintained, on and off the slopes.
I pulled in to a nearly full parking lot and very busy lodge at around 6:30, but by the time I started skiing most of those skiers – school groups and programs – were leaving. With a temperature of just 9 degrees, I bundled up with extra layers and hand warmers. Terrain was limited to the trails served by the double chair, but snowmaking and grooming was underway on Mach, which means the triple should open soon, very likely in the next couple of days.
The 3 main open routes down from the top (Frolic, Alley, Go-go) were enough to keep me busy for 2+ hours. A bonfire in front of the lodge and live music inside welcomed me when I was done skiing. If you haven’t skied at West Mountain since the ownership change last year, it’s worth a visit. Lift tickets are just $17 on Monday and Tuesday nights, 4 – 9pm, all winter.
Nice report Jeff - the conditions at West have been great this year!
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