The NEW Magic Mountain

Newpylong said:

Based on the Act 250 filing there will be pipe going on Kinderspiel plus the other lower mountain feeder replacements?

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That main base area piping project will be ENORMOUS in impact. It will remove a rather large leaky section we've finally tracked down, as well as greatly strengthen the area of the system that sees by far the highest pressure. This replacement should allow us to use our low-e HKD fleet all the way to the top.

Yes on snowmaking to kinder, but that extension of the "lower loop" system will likely wait for next summer, there's just too much going on to commit to the massive project that would be 3000+ft of pipe (x2 mind you as there's no air line there either), hydrants etc.

We are working out Mystery as well but that's just a repair job until we can connect the bottom of the line with the 400 return line next season to connect it as a lossless loop. Long term may see Trick's downline rerouted to utilize that same Mystery downline to negate losses there as well but that's also a peripheral project. Mystery's steeper top section all the way to the flats will be online this season.

Lower Magic Carpet is the real big story to me though, as I am MAKING SURE that snowmaking line is functional for this season. We want to blow snow over there SO BAD and are adding to our mobile tower fleet to supplement our ability to do this as well. The battle plan is drawn and the troops are in motion. We will be victorious!!

Sorcerer is another fix for this season that is a simple repair that will have a big overall impact. Having that as a guaranteed open route when there are races on Talisman is going to be huge.

The general idea of the Act 250 permit projects though, is to supplement the Lower East Side to really reflect a new commitment to beginners and intermediates. Real snowmaking and impeccable grooming on the easy way down for starters (imagine that!) and lots of attention paid to fun nooks and crannies that will encourage even the most timid beginner to dip their toes into the tree pool. All that terrain serviced by the Green chair HAS to be dialed, and will set the tone for what guests can expect amplified elsewhere once they sharpen their skills.

The projects we are doing now aren't just about building new things, it's about making what we've got perform the absolute best it can. There's a lot of pipe out there that's disconnected, blown, you name it- but it's only a matter of time, and we have better gear and techniques every day. Despite it being physically and mentally the hardest thing all of us has done, it is also the most rewarding- seeing this place come together is incredible. She's gonna be a beaut!!

Do Work said:

Still does! I think he is Jamaica Man (or something like that iirc)

Whenever I see a Magic article I'm always like "Hey they left out so much!" but in reality if we went over everything we're doing it would be a novel, not an article- and there would be no surprises come autumn- where's the fun in that?!

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I though someone used to post under the name Geoff?

Do Work said:

Met up with a few Machete Militia captains and banged out a bunch of cleanup work yesterday. Also took a field trip to look at the next "official" cleanup project, and everyone agrees... This season is going to blow peoples' freakin minds. The amount of attention to details being paid to the whole greater "Lower East Side/LES" Green Chair area is going to truly create the perception of a mini-Magic. Everything that makes the whole hill great will be present- and polished to a mirror sheen- in that lower mountain section, but with a specific eye tailoring it to the beginners and intermediates we're hoping to attract.

Nothing gets the stoke juices flowing like a work day with a few regulars, and looking back uphill at the end of a long, buggy day to imagine making waist deep turns through it. Fills my sails with wind, I tells ya!

Exciting stuff happening literally everywhere on the hill these days. What an exciting time to be a part of all this!!

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Very nice


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My hat is off to you guys, keep rocking it.

Do Work said:

That main base area piping project will be ENORMOUS in impact. It will remove a rather large leaky section we've finally tracked down, as well as greatly strengthen the area of the system that sees by far the highest pressure. This replacement should allow us to use our low-e HKD fleet all the way to the top.

Yes on snowmaking to kinder, but that extension of the "lower loop" system will likely wait for next summer, there's just too much going on to commit to the massive project that would be 3000+ft of pipe (x2 mind you as there's no air line there either), hydrants etc.

We are working out Mystery as well but that's just a repair job until we can connect the bottom of the line with the 400 return line next season to connect it as a lossless loop. Long term may see Trick's downline rerouted to utilize that same Mystery downline to negate losses there as well but that's also a peripheral project. Mystery's steeper top section all the way to the flats will be online this season.

Lower Magic Carpet is the real big story to me though, as I am MAKING SURE that snowmaking line is functional for this season. We want to blow snow over there SO BAD and are adding to our mobile tower fleet to supplement our ability to do this as well. The battle plan is drawn and the troops are in motion. We will be victorious!!

Sorcerer is another fix for this season that is a simple repair that will have a big overall impact. Having that as a guaranteed open route when there are races on Talisman is going to be huge.

The general idea of the Act 250 permit projects though, is to supplement the Lower East Side to really reflect a new commitment to beginners and intermediates. Real snowmaking and impeccable grooming on the easy way down for starters (imagine that!) and lots of attention paid to fun nooks and crannies that will encourage even the most timid beginner to dip their toes into the tree pool. All that terrain serviced by the Green chair HAS to be dialed, and will set the tone for what guests can expect amplified elsewhere once they sharpen their skills.

The projects we are doing now aren't just about building new things, it's about making what we've got perform the absolute best it can. There's a lot of pipe out there that's disconnected, blown, you name it- but it's only a matter of time, and we have better gear and techniques every day. Despite it being physically and mentally the hardest thing all of us has done, it is also the most rewarding- seeing this place come together is incredible. She's gonna be a beaut!!

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Yeah I got way too big for AZ...As I post stuff on the website every week, it usually takes about 5 mins for someone else to re-post it here, so I don't like repeating myself.

Funny, probably spent 5x the time speaking vs. what the Digger article went into, but that's to be expected as any publication has space constraints. I'm just glad they were interested in what's going on in southern VT and in some positive entrepreneurial, Vermont, non-EB5, non-corporate-based ski area investment news. An investor group that is taking a different tack. Financially conservative and realistic about the size of the opportunity, yet aggressive in our goals of becoming a real alternative for ski/ride enthusiasts and their families.

Matt (aka Do Work) has been kicking ass with all our on hill projects. And it's great he keeps folks updated here and elsewhere too. On his own (not part of some marketing plan). Our employees are dedicated...just like our Volunteers. There's a bunch of stuff inside and out that is being worked on by Matt, Craig, George, Tim, Travis, Don, Mary, Kerry and others. Can't thank them enough for the commitment, dedication and ideas for making Magic better.

The Act 250 filing covers a lot of our plans. Not everything will happen this year. But a bunch of it will. The key is that the capital has been raised to see this vision through with reserves for the inevitable bad snow year.

But nothing is a given. Magic needs more customers to be viable, profitable, and sustainable long-term. We are targeting our investments to improve the ski and community experience to make that future possible.

A future that ironically fully embraces skiing's foundational legacy.





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Very nice to see Magic here directly engaging the AZ community.

thetrailboss said:

Very nice to see Magic here directly engaging the AZ community.

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Yes indeed. Love hearing about all the improvements going on ... is it winter yet?

Great news Do Work and Jamaicaman. I read that 250 Act filing and can only image the work necessary to create it. We all know you guys have a ton+ of work going on so we appreciate the updates and will help spread the news from the Magic web site to AZ and elsewhere - no need to respeat your self! Looking forward to getting in site and seeing the action and pitching in on a Volunteer Day!

Thanks Steve! Always appreciated


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Summer has arrived!

This week we're seeing record warmth with temperatures in the 90s before we cool off a bit later. That's going to make for some sweaty ops crew working up high on the Red Chair today as they repair tower assemblies as part of our annual maintenance checks.

We've also received a lengthy "to do" list of work needed toward eventual certification next fall from the state lift engineer as we continue to tackle the new Green Chair mid-mountain project. The operations crew and Ski Lifts Unlimited will be meeting this week to project plan all these items.

Last week we met with Green Mountain Power and Efficency Vermont to explore the feasibility of a possible switch from diesel compressors to electric compressors to generate our snowmaking air supply. This investment has the potential to save money, burn cleaner fuel, and be more efficient and reliable in order to create a more sustainable snowmaking product long-term for Magic. It is our hope that we can make this transition for the 17/18 ski season.


While there is much going on outside this week, we've also started to work inside to improve energy efficiency by creating a new insulation barrier at the roof line of the upper lodge. While we do this, our thought is to improve the ambience of the lodge space next to the Black Line Tavern by removing the low hung tile ceiling and leaving the rafters and duct work above exposed to create an airier feel for skiers, diners, and wedding guests. Lighting will also be improved. (Did I mention Magic is going to be a great place to have weddings, rehearsal dinners and parties year-round???)

Besides all the work at the mountain, we will also be attending the annual Vermont Ski Area Association meeting at Killington this week to reach out to our fellow ski areas and resorts to see how we can work together.

Speaking of working together, we had an impromptu Volunteer Day recently to help clear some brush over by Green Line--a big thank you to all who braved the huge June bugs to get Magic looking and skiing better! We really can't do all if this with our small crew, so the help of our community is really appreciated.

Magic has been in the news a lot lately because this special ski community and our investor group is taking on a lot of projects designed to make Magic a real throwback alternative to the mega-resort world--one with the best skiing and riding variety, challenge and community atmosphere in the East. Your help in spreading the word makes a difference with our limited marketing budgets versus the big guys. So, thank you!


Hope everyone enjoys the summer weather and gets to spend time with family for Father's Day this weekend!

​

- Geoff

SKI MAGIC LLC

benski said:

I though someone used to post under the name Geoff?

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Different guy. Not sure what happened to Geoff.

So Steve Latham is Geoff? I knew it!


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JamaicaMan said:

So Steve Latham is Geoff? I knew it!


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Yeah, so the ONLY guy on AZ that uses his real name as his AZ name is trying to be someone else? And its Hathaway? You'd think I'd aim a little higher.......

All in good fun - just trying to spread the good news about Magic!

Using hillmap.com, I came up with a vertical of 780 feet for the new chair and a length of 3060 feet. Sound right? The length/vert ratio is right around 4.0, which is about the same as most chairs at Okemo. The vertical is not huge but there should be fun skiing for just about everyone.

I like it!!

p_levert said:

Using hillmap.com, I came up with a vertical of 780 feet for the new chair and a length of 3060 feet. Sound right? The length/vert ratio is right around 4.0, which is about the same as most chairs at Okemo. The vertical is not huge but there should be fun skiing for just about everyone.

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About right. When I skin to sunshine corner it's around 800-1,000. Obviously that's a bit higher then the chair. There is some great intermediate, beginner and a few advanced pitches off that chair. It's certainly been an under appreciated part of the mountain. There is a decently long run out on that chair so it the pitch is probably a bit understated relative to how that area skis.

You make a great point about other mountains primary chairs. URSA at Stratton is only 1,000 feet of vertical and I believe either URSA or Sunrise Express are the chairs with the greatest vertical. I have ignored the gondola because you can't count it as a reliable chair given it's always on wind hold.

In terms of attracting families, improving reliability, race experience, and improving trail count and general variety of early season terrain I think this is a huge move.





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p_levert said:

Using hillmap.com, I came up with a vertical of 780 feet for the new chair and a length of 3060 feet. Sound right? The length/vert ratio is right around 4.0, which is about the same as most chairs at Okemo. The vertical is not huge but there should be fun skiing for just about everyone.

Click to expand...

I heard there is a 5 foot cliff in the middle of the Green Line trail, so I have always been too chicken to try it. Is it possible to skirt around this drop?

Adding easy access (and snow) to Mystery, Lower Magic Carpet, Vertigo, etc are going to greatly enhance the high beginner to intermediate offerings for Magic. That is s prime component needed to get the skier visits up. They have a gem of a mountain down there and know how to use it!

slatham said:

Yeah, so the ONLY guy on AZ that uses his real name as his AZ name is trying to be someone else? And its Hathaway? You'd think I'd aim a little higher.......

All in good fun - just trying to spread the good news about Magic!

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Hey, in my pathetic efforts to pick up/tweak some new boots for my day#1 of 16'/17' season skiing in March-April I happenned to drive up to a shop in the area, passing Magic...on a clear day = some very nice looking tree lines..even at the end of the season!!!

urungus said:

I heard there is a 5 foot cliff in the middle of the Green Line trail, so I have always been too chicken to try it. Is it possible to skirt around this drop?

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It is very narrow with a rock band. Even skirting around it I beat up my skis a bit. Fun trail but I will be looking for lots of fresh snow before I try again.