AlpineZone Ski Area Challenge: Saddleback Ski Area

[Greg]

Jessica MacDonald from Saddleback Ski Area also agreed to take the AlpineZone Ski Area Challenge! This is your chance to get official answers to your ski-related questions direct from a Northeast ski resort representative! Please post some suggested questions in this thread and I'll select ten to present for official responses.

As always, please be respectful of Jessica and keep it civil. Also, please refrain from asking specifics about skier visit numbers, financials, demographic information, etc. Saddleback needs to be discrete about certain information.

Ask away!

[loafer89]

I skied Saddleback on January 17th 2004 as a day trip diversion from Sugarloaf. I really like the mountain, despite the antiquated lifts. I am excited to see some new owners for the mountain and have these questions about the next season:

1) Where is the new quad chairlift being installed, and what lift does it replace?

2) I have heard that a slopeside hotel may be built, is this true?

3) What is the location and ability level of the 6 new trails being cut this year? Will they all have snowmaking, and will snowmaking efficency be improved on the mountain as a whole?

4) Will lift ticket rates rise considerably from last year due to the improvments?

[uphillklimber]

1) Are there any plans to speed up the uphill ride on the ski lifts?

2) Any plans to increase snowmaking to increase number of trails available early in the season?

3) Are there plans to increase the size of the lodge?

4) Any plans to pave the access road?

Beyond these, I really like Saddleback, in part because of the remote location.

[riverc0il]

awwwww, heck yea! i wanted to ski saddleback last year but never got up there (largely due to the fact that i wanted my first experience to be on great snow cover and a reservation would have been required for an overnight stay, the snow never fell so i never booked). looking forward to my first experience there. in the mean time:

1) saddleback is unique in regards to other larger resorts in that a tbar still accessess the summit and tougher trails. will saddleback retain the tbar in it's long term plans? (please?)

2) saddleback's distance from the majority of the skiing population centers is clearly it's largest hurdle to overcome. the press about the new ownership really helped to increase publicity. what marketing approaches is saddleback using to increase awareness of saddleback and get more customers there?

3) because saddleback is so far removed from population centers, an overnight stay is almost a requirement for most skiers. what types of discounts and special offers do you have to draw in people for a full weekend. do you have any special weekend stay offers for single skiers or are you aware of any nearby hostels?

thanks!!! i'd like to see saddleback become new england's biggest and best 'turn around' story. keep it up!

[Greg]

Wow. Some great questions already. I sent them to Jessica.

[Tin Woodsman]

I have two questions:

1) Though the subject of expansion has already been touched on by others, can you share with us the details of the agreement by which land was sold (or perhaps an easement granted - can't remember) to the Appalachian Mountain Club to "protect" the Appalachian Trail from expansion at Saddleback? Just what are the upper limits that this agreement places on Saddleback's future growth?

2) What exactly is Saddleback's going to be able to do in order to differentiate itself from its competition, especially in Maine? Will it try to appeal more to locals as a better value than Sugarloaf? Or it it going to try to win out of state business? If the latter, that's a pretty tough road to hoe.

[Greg]

Originally Posted by Tin Woodsman

I have two questions.

Great questions again, Tin, but I already sent ten to Saddleback. Typically threads requesting questions are "stickied" at the top of this forum. Feel free to post questions in those threads.

[Tin Woodsman]

Thanks Greg. I probably should have realized that sooner. Don't have any questions for Windham as they are pretty much off of my radar screen.

[Greg]

Originally Posted by Tin Woodsman

Thanks Greg. I probably should have realized that sooner. Don't have any questions for Windham as they are pretty much off of my radar screen.

No problem. Keep an eye on this forum as I hope to have others participating soon.

[Greg]

The response from Saddleback is in:

http://skiing.alpinezone.com/article...ort=saddleback

Just an FYI. Jessica MacDonald is no longer at Saddleback and she was not the respondent here. I working to determine who it was.