After bailing on Sugarbush’s opening day on Saturday due to fatigue and just not feeling it, I rolled myself out of bed on Sunday hoping for the best but expecting the worst. My expectations were not to be disappointed.

Sugarbush opened up one run down from the summit of Glen Ellen. An upload on the Green Mountain Express dropped skiers off at the Summit Quad. A slow ride to the summit through a few snow guns landed way too many skiers and riders on way too little terrain. Rim Run to Elbow was the trail combination of the day. One fellow chair rider joking asked me “which trails have you been skiing today?”

Views were enjoyable with clear skis and minimal wind. Temperatures were above freezing at the base lodge but just below freezing near the summit which allowed for snow making on F.I.S. and Lower Rim Run.

Snow quality was variable but a definite disappointment after my previous four outings of the season. My first day of lift serviced skiing had been Wildcat, NH after the epic late October storm which opened up almost the entire mountain on fantastic packed powder conditions. The groomed man made snow was hard and occasionally scraped. Some loose snow got pushed to the sides of the trails with okay bumps forming on skier’s left of Elbow. Thin Cover was the rule developing throughout the afternoon with occasional rocks and grass showing through, especially on the upper portions of Rim Run and the run out back to the Summit Quad. Overall, the snow conditions sucked comparatively to recent experiences. I decided to call it a day after seven runs. Not a bad morning of turns for only $25 but it still left much to be desired.