Burke Announces Multi million dollar capital improvement plan for this year

Great news for Burke skiers. New hs detachable quad, major investment in snowmaking and Base lodge improvements. This is the start of a new era for Burke.

Masskier said:

Great news for Burke skiers.

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your joking right????

yea, what awf170 said. it's not so much the improvements that are being made, all those improvements are much needed (well, the hsq in the base area isn't needed so much as a hsq to the summit which isn't going in yet), it's the possible systematic destruction and resort styled development of one of new england's last untouched gems.

More info:

http://news.alpinezone.com/4652/

We all know that Burke has struggled financially for years. These improvements are necessary if its going to remain in business. We can’t expect them to continue to loose money and be subsidize by the school indefinitely. My understanding is that they are only looking for a modest increase in skier visits to take them out of the red and into the black. This is great news for the whole Burke area. Increase employment, Kingdom kids, but more important stability. No longer worrying if someone is going to write a check to cover last years losses. Obviously this is a major commitment from Burke 2000 to keep Burke alive

burke lift

It is replacing the lower lift. Is it in the exact same foot print? They said they are adding a trail to the midmountain lift which make me think it is a little different.
Replacing the lower lift is a waste to me, granted it is slow and annnoying but they really should to a whole mounatin lift or go like 2/3 3/4 of the way the lower terrain has zero appeal to anyone beyeond a begeginer.

skizilla, i agree about the lower lift from a personal stand point. however, i would wager the new potential owners are envisioning a new base lodge at lower burke complete with lots of new condos and ski in/out style lodging creating a more active lower burke. looking at it from a person looking to buy condos or folks that are not hard core old school styled skiers, i think the average skier would prefer beginning their day at lower burke than mid-burke. i enjoy the steep windy drive and minimal atmosphere of the mid-burke lodge, but i am not the person they are building a HSQ for. i think the lower mountain double is perfect for that area and i only can imagine a HSQ being needed for future development in that area, especially making the lower burke lodge the major "resort hub" as opposed to mid-burke.

masskier, the improvements are needed somewhat, but it's the long term planning of the new company that has me and many other burke skiers worried. a HSQ to service four beginner trails is definitely NOT "needed" under any business model except that of a high priced resort. the HSQ should be going to the summit to replace the fixed grip, that concerns me regarding where the priorities are. burke could have become finacially stable and viable without selling out to the company they did, imho. they were already making gains and improving on skier visits and the word was getting out. this past season was the most "crowded" i have seen the skier area when i skied there.

improvements are not need to make money look at mrg

mrg is it's own beast. you aren't going to find a couple hundred people to drop down 3k for innitial shares in buying out burke as a co-op. improvements are definitely needed for long term viability at burke, how they are done is what is in question.

also, mrg does make improvements. they just don't change much of their physical infrastructure. but they are doing a rebuild of the single, that is an improvement that even mrg needed to do.

awf170 said:

improvements are not need to make money look at mrg

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Mad River does not "Make Money". It can't. It's a non-profit. They do have surpluses, which get re-invested. I love the concept of a co-op because the focus on skiing, rather than profit.

This type of discussion comes up anytime a place like Burke changes hands or any major "improvement" is sugested at one of the "less commercial" areas. (A few threads about Magic on another board come to mind). It's a balancing act. Many of us appreciate the areas with classic trails and terrain and wish they'd stay that way. The problem is that the target market for most areas isn't skiers like me and Riv. The areas make more money on families that will come up. rent skis, take lessons, buy $8 hamburgers, etc.. THe investors want to cater to them becuse that's where they get their return on investment.

So, we're stuck. Keep it the same and it goes belly up, or go corporate and make another bland McMountain?

Somewhere in between are larger operations that have services that enhance profits, but on a mountain that still has some soul. As an example, Sugarloaf. (Which, ASC reported, had a very good year, for a change.)

Speaking to Massskier's original post, this IS an new era for Burke. Time will tell if it is, in fact, good news.

If the new lift only services lower Burke, won't that just concentrate that type of skier at the bottom? Sounds like a good thing for those that like the top.

OK, just getting in after a hot weekend.

Just saw this...am I dreaming?

My local source up at home had told me about this plan back in April or so...rumors were that the lift was going to end higher up on the mtn, as stated here. So that means either in between Willoughby and the terrain park or to the skier's left of Lower Willoughby.

Phew...this is interesting!

Um, with regards to whose paying for it, I imagine that this is a Ginn funded project. You know, the folks that I've been talking about in the other Burke thread? Maybe they are NOT going to buy the mountain, just become a partner in the ownership and give BMA the $$$ to make improvements. In this scenario, BMA would sell the tickets and own the SKI facilities while Ginn owned the surrounding land and benefited from lodging packages and condos. In essence, split the "McResort" into two separate entities...one that runs the ski area and focuses on that and the other that focuses on the condos and junk that skiers and riders (hardcore) don't care about. It would be a nice compromise but I don't see it happening since their are rumors of impending sale...

It could also be that Ginn has NOTHING to do with this and BMA/Burke FINALLY won their VEDA grant for the quad.

The lower mountain has some great cruising terrain reminiscent of Bretton Woods and this will help put the traffic down there...

From Poma-Leitner's website, the specs of the new lift.

Some more specs on the 400 hp Omega unit that will replaced the Hall Double Chair.

i wonder if they will add trails around that bottom area with the new lift, can they add many new trails around there, i havent been there in a while so i dont really remember much

awf170 said:

i wonder if they will add trails around that bottom area with the new lift, can they add many new trails around there, i havent been there in a while so i dont really remember much

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Yep, there is room to do so...they're adding a new trail OFF the lift too...

if burke wanted to make a summit hsq, you can use the same towers right?

awf170 said:

if burke wanted to make a summit hsq, you can use the same towers right?

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lol, well, that is actually what they did in 1988 with the current quad which used the original Hall Double pylons but with modified cross arms. Those towers have been there largely unchanged then for almost 40 years...I don't think that they'd be able to take much more weight. They did add some new ones I'm sure, but by and large most of the pylons are original.

thetrailboss said:

awf170 said:

if burke wanted to make a summit hsq, you can use the same towers right?

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lol, well, that is actually what they did in 1988 with the current quad which used the original Hall Double pylons but with modified cross arms. Those towers have been there largely unchanged then for almost 40 years...I don't think that they'd be able to take much more weight. They did add some new ones I'm sure, but by and large most of the pylons are original.

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ohhh i didnt know that... havent been there in such a long time

If the first order of business is to demolish Mid-Burke to build a new lodge or a hotel, than the Lower HSQ makes sense--it will make having to go all the way down to the main lodge for lunch a little less annoying while they do construction at Mid Burke.

It also makes skiing 2000 vert easier and faster...about 15 min ride instead of 30.