I really like what this board has become. You've done a fine job.
As for the future, in terms of hiking, VFTT has a solid lock on the ADK''s and Whites, a well-established community, and that's not going to change. To compete would not benefit either board. As it is, I find it difficult to stretch myself and focus as much as I'd like there, here, and on the AMC site.
To that end, I would say to focus and build on AlpineZone's specific strength: winter snow sports. You really have a wonderful resource for skiing here, it's far more than just the forums, and the community is here, too, to support it. And nobody else has it. This is *the* place to come.
I'm not thinking of lessening any of the hiking stuff. Come Spring, the mountains will thaw and the focus will shift and we'll go back to getting traffic in the hiking forums, which have always been top-notch quality. And of course without your generous contributions, Flags on the 48 would not nearly have been the same. But I think to really solidify the site a route to follow is the snow sports. And you're already doing a fantastic job of that with the lodging, the camera links, etc.
Get the people in and the community growing and everything else will follow.
If you post it, they will come.
