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Speculative question about Attitash

podunk77

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Attitash probably isn't in the market for any new lifts at the moment, but do you think they'd ever put a summit lift where the Top Notch Double currently is? They'd obviously have to extend it further up Upper Saco, but doing so would make all terrain (even Wilfred's Gawm) accessible from it, and that line seems a bit more sheltered from the wind than the line occupied by the current summit chair.

Replacing the Top Notch Double as a non-summit chair doesn't seem to make any sense, and we all know how much better Attitash would ski with a high speed summit chair.... :rolleyes:
 

deadheadskier

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I wouldn't plan on any winter improvements at Attitash for awhile. A summit HSQ is on their wish list, but when management is confronted about it, the response is not within in the next five years. Peak is in serious debt and has huge projects being worked on at Hunter and Snow. NH gets the shaft for the foreseeable future except for maybe some additional summertime attractions at Attitash and a bit of new pipe here and there only as stuff fails.

Pray for a catastrophic failure of the Summit Triple that requires a full replacement is really all we can hope for.
 

Jully

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Pray for a catastrophic failure of the Summit Triple that requires a full replacement is really all we can hope for.

I'd worry a catastrophic failure in the next 5 years would only lead to a non-HSQ replacement! At SL, King Pine was supposedly 2-3 seasons away from a HSQ replacement (as of the summer meeting the season before the accident) and the KP lift was going to go to replace the double runners at the base.

King Pine failed and SL then spent money on a new terminal (non carpet) and a ton of money on other lift safety upgrades that offseason and all talk of a KP HSQ has evaporated.
 

thetrailboss

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I joined AZ in 2004. This was a question then. 14 years later it is still a question. I think that gives you an idea of where things stand.
 

p_levert

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I know about the terrain/chair addition at Hunter. What is the big enhancement Mt. Snow? Just wondering.
 

jmgard

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What if they shortened Top Notch to just run from Middle Highway/the top of Grandstand to shuttle people to the summit trails?
 

drjeff

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Mount Snow's marketing department is already dropping hints on social media and in the passholders forum of some big announcements about enhancements for next season in the not too distant future... The way I read their hints, make me think that it's far from just the known commodity for next season, the new Carinthia lodge....

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deadheadskier

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What if they shortened Top Notch to just run from Middle Highway/the top of Grandstand to shuttle people to the summit trails?

I've pitched this idea for Attitash before as a less expensive capital expense than a High Speed Quad replacing the triple. It gives you the ability to lap most of the Upper Mountain terrain on probably something like an 8 minute ride vs the 15 for the triple. Put a new fixed grip chair in on the same line as the double. Move the bottom terminal up to where Moat greets Grand Stand. Redo the Straight Shot cut over from Idiot's and Tim's to extend to Grandstand. Add one more trail off the top of the chair down to Ammonoosuc to spread some traffic out. Widen Ammonoosuc and Lower Cathedral 20 feet or so to accommodate the increased traffic.

Such a set up would let you lap everything off the top except for Humphrey's and Gawm. You could even catch the steep pitches of Idiot's and Tim's with this configuration.

Attitash new lift.jpg
 

jmgard

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Mount Snow's marketing department is already dropping hints on social media and in the passholders forum of some big announcements about enhancements for next season in the not too distant future... The way I read their hints, make me think that it's far from just the known commodity for next season, the new Carinthia lodge....

Sunbrook HSQ? Heard mumblings on here a while ago about that, seemed intriguing. I feel like they'd need to expand a bit or at least add snowmaking on some of the outer trails there for that area to handle that kind of traffic.
 

jmgard

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I've pitched this idea for Attitash before as a less expensive capital expense than a High Speed Quad replacing the triple. It gives you the ability to lap most of the Upper Mountain terrain on probably something like an 8 minute ride vs the 15 for the triple. Put a new fixed grip chair in on the same line as the double. Move the bottom terminal up to where Moat greets Grand Stand. Redo the Straight Shot cut over from Idiot's and Tim's to extend to Grandstand. Add one more trail off the top of the chair down to Ammonoosuc to spread some traffic out. Widen Ammonoosuc and Lower Cathedral 20 feet or so to accommodate the increased traffic.

Such a set up would let you lap everything off the top except for Humphrey's and Gawm. You could even catch the steep pitches of Idiot's and Tim's with this configuration.

View attachment 22999

Woah... I like this version better than mine. It would basically create a new mid-mountain "pod" that includes most of the better trails on the Attitash side, and adding something off the skier's right boundary would be really nice for intermediates.
 

yeggous

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The old Hall Double is done. Like forever done. RIP.


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Jully

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Woah... I like this version better than mine. It would basically create a new mid-mountain "pod" that includes most of the better trails on the Attitash side, and adding something off the skier's right boundary would be really nice for intermediates.

I love this idea too. It would totally change how Attitash skis! Not optimistic it can happen. Unsure how easy it would be for them to even cut trails up there as it is National Forest land.
 

deadheadskier

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Back during one of the AZ Challenges, Attitash management addressed the Triple upgrade to a HSQ and spoke of adding trails to handle the increased capacity. No idea what they had in mind, but figured my suggestion would make the make the most sense for adding intermediate terrain, which is what is needed up there.

http://www.alpinezone.com/skiing/ch...allenge-2004-sven-cole-of-attitash-bear-peak/

The overall impression I get from Peaks is that they feel there is little growth to be had at Attitash. That might be true due to location, but there's more market share to lose to their competitors as they continue to upgrade their product.

As an example, I bet the gondola going in next summer at BW probably cuts into Attitash skier visits. People will tolerate the lesser quality terrain at BW because it's a 6-7 minute ride up in a warm gondola vs the 15+ minute freeze on the Tash triple.

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Smellytele

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I've pitched this idea for Attitash before as a less expensive capital expense than a High Speed Quad replacing the triple. It gives you the ability to lap most of the Upper Mountain terrain on probably something like an 8 minute ride vs the 15 for the triple. Put a new fixed grip chair in on the same line as the double. Move the bottom terminal up to where Moat greets Grand Stand. Redo the Straight Shot cut over from Idiot's and Tim's to extend to Grandstand. Add one more trail off the top of the chair down to Ammonoosuc to spread some traffic out. Widen Ammonoosuc and Lower Cathedral 20 feet or so to accommodate the increased traffic.

Such a set up would let you lap everything off the top except for Humphrey's and Gawm. You could even catch the steep pitches of Idiot's and Tim's with this configuration.

View attachment 22999

To be honest I think moving the lift line so the bottom would be where Upper Cathedral meets lower Cathedral would be better.
 

drjeff

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Sunbrook HSQ? Heard mumblings on here a while ago about that, seemed intriguing. I feel like they'd need to expand a bit or at least add snowmaking on some of the outer trails there for that area to handle that kind of traffic.

They've said that that is the 1st lift that they will upgrade, but that it won't happen until the snowmaking is increased to 100% back there...

Also heard rumblings that when it is replaced, they will be considering a bubble lift to help combat the ride into the prevailing headwinds. Time will tell what is rumor vs what happens......
 

deadheadskier

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To be honest I think moving the lift line so the bottom would be where Upper Cathedral meets lower Cathedral would be better.
Both have advantages. That alignment would get you a shorter ride. The alignment I propose allows for easier lapping of more terrain. You can ski Upper Ptarmigan, Tightrope and Northwest Passage down to White Horse and grab middle highway back over to the new lift. You also get a longer run off the Yankee down to the new lift. Can ski Moat or Grand Stand instead of just basically taking the Yankee to traverse over on Upper Cathedral.

I see the merits of both. In the end it's about providing quicker access to most of the top trails and avoiding the triple. They've got a dead lift that has the potential to be repurposed for a better experience. Hopefully they take advantage of it eventually.

I certainly would be annoyed by another new HSQ bubble lift going in at Snow when Attitash has a far more glaring need for improvement.

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