Mittersill snowmaking

[Cannonball]

Slightly tangential....
At some point as this moves forward, it would be good to hear from the leasing proponents on how they would view these privately raised funds. Will they say "see, Cannon can't be profitable because they need someone else to raise the money for them and they don't account for it properly" or will they say "great job Cannon management for figuring out a way to avoid further state spending."? It would just be good to know up front instead of arguing over it after the fact and having it potentially add fuel and confusion to leasing proposals. Could FSC or other funders stipulate conditions about lease/no-lease in the terms of their contribution?

[riverc0il]

I can't see the pro-lease argument making an example out of this. There aren't many areas out there that would invest millions into regrading two trails, new snow making, and a new lift just for a race group to have better training access (Le Massif is the only one I can think of). Some areas have widened trails for racing. But a multi-million dollar investment for very negative ROI? Private for profit areas would never do that. But they would surely take a gift in exchange for some exclusive practice time which is what Cannon is doing. I can't see this being used as a pro-lease argument. If anything, this is a sound business decision by Cannon. It makes an unreliable lift pod part of Cannon's opening strategy with no infrastructure investment.

[Puck it]

I would think that the T-Bar would follow the route of the former T-Bar(s).

Taft Slope is to the right of the chair lift in this map and looks like it ends at the top of the old longer T-bar. I would think this would wher it will be located since it will a GS training trail. It can't be lower.

[thetrailboss]

Re: ski areas investing in trail, snowmaking, and lift infrastructure for racing.

One example is Burke. In 1994, before going under, ownership extended Warren's Way and extended the Poma for BMA. They also added more snowmaking to the top of it.

The Northern Star group built the Dippers and graded them for racing. That trail has snowmaking on it. Honestly though that trail was a dual purpose project because that is a main route on the east side and a racing trail.



So not quite the same, but along similar lines.

[deadheadskier]

I'm not so sure this thread will have the endurance of some of the other Cannon ones though.

want me to kick it up a notch? According to facebook, the lease language in Cannon's Master Plan has been removed.



https://www.facebook.com/savecannonmountain

[skiberg]

Well, I was wondering when this would hit the Forum. I have a lot of info about this project and I am happy to answer as many Q's about it as I can. It's still on the works but its coming together. A lot of various and interesting groups really want to make this happen. At this point I can probably tell you as much as I know without spilling the beans.

[witch hobble]

want me to kick it up a notch? According to facebook, the lease language in Cannon's Master Plan has been removed.



https://www.facebook.com/savecannonmountain

Ha! JD is picking up what I'm laying down. He is now using win-win-win!!! Otherwise, he has a thoughtful response to one of the previous posts on the facebook page. I'm trying to figure out if he is putting me down by lumping me in as a "non competitive guest".

Ski-off???

TFC facebook page: oddly empty.

[Boardguy]

If the project at Mittersill moves some race days from Burke I'm all for it. That would be a win win.

[Abubob]

So, before Mittersill 'opened' I told a buddy that snowmaking would be installed within five years. He said no way they're going to keep it natural, blah, blah, blah. And we bet. Mind you I said I would NEVER ride the Mittersill double....... that proclamation collapsed first POW day in 2011 and I now love that chair.

So, Keith, you owe me $100!! Sully was witness at the bar! Oh, alcohol and betting

Snowmaking in Mittersill was part of the master plan to reopen there from the beginning - before the chair was even installed - and before the land swap was even completed.

[skiberg]

I dont think its accurate to say it was part of any of Cannon's immediate plans. that would mean that FSC was involved in negotiating the land swap and had contact with Cannon to agree to place the snowmaking infrastructure at Mit. prior to the swap. That is not the case. Maybe it was a potential they considered, but Cannon had no short term plan to place snowmaking at Mit. without the assistance of FSC. Certainly after the past few years its evident that there needs to be some type of consistent snow cover on a few select areas of the h ill. Even though the snow was great in 10-11, Mit. was skied off in a day. I think last year even with the great snow they realized they had a problem based primarily on the shear increase in the number of skiers on Mit.