Ascutney Mountain Sold!

[ScottySkis]

A quick thought, maybe this is probably the mountain that the people at Hermitage(Haystack) should have tried to reopen as a private area. I do realize that it wasn't available at the time, just a "what-if?"

What if the people of A zone do it.

 

[xwhaler]

I skied Ascutney once----probably back in 07 or 08 on a Warren Miller day. Really fun place---it was a sneaky 8" powder day and not many ppl there. They had a liberal policy on ropes and it was clear they didnt have the budget for/interest in grooming much. Nice classic NE style trails, narrow with surpringly good pitch. Sorta reminded me of a larger version of Black Mtn (NH) but with more continuous pitch throughout the run----both mtns are pretty narrow and sneaky steep in spots hence the comparison.

I would like to see them come back---perhaps offer some nice ski/stay deals through all that lodging they have. As I recall there is a nice seperate beginner area down by the condos with their own lift.

Wonder what the folks at Magic/Whaleback think of this development though? I'd probably consider both direct competitors to the locals/schools/day trip market in the region.

 

[drjeff]

A quick thought, maybe this is probably the mountain that the people at Hermitage(Haystack) should have tried to reopen as a private area. I do realize that it wasn't available at the time, just a "what-if?"

Not quite sure if it would have had the early "success" that the Hermitage club has had for the following reasons:

#1 Proximity to another ski area with a successful core customer base. Sure, Ascutney isn't that far from Okemo or Killington, BUT it isn't literally right next door like Mount Snow is to the Hermitage Club, therefore for marketing purposes, as the Hermitage Club did, they targeted people who already knew and more than liked owned property in the immediate area and knew ahead of time what the existing non club benefits of the immediate area were already. They didn't have to "sell" anyone on the local community as likely they would with Ascutney

#2 Mountain size proximity - Ascutney is smaller, and not just in trail count than Killington or Okemo, and not just by a little bit. Haystack/Hermitage isn't that much smaller vertically than Mount Snow, and even has a similar "feel" when skiing down it as Mount Snow does. Familiarity helps with the selling of it

#3 Existing ammenities. The Hermitage Club already has a solid, established golf course on their property, and also it's property is directly connected into the VAST snowmobile network. Additonal selling points to members. The Hermitage Inn which is on site too also provided a bit of a direct example of what the ownership wanted to, and can do with the property is the owners of the Hermitage Club, bought the Inn first, and really spruced it up nicely so it in essence gave potential members a small idea of what they wanted to do with the rest of their vision

#4 - location. Even though in reality if one comes out of the NYC area and heads over and up I-91 Ascutney isn't that much further than the Hermitage is from the KEY NYC market for this niche type resort, on a map it looks much further.

 

[JoeB-Z]

This is all just preliminary to the actual sale. This auction totally consolidates MFW's title in light of the court rulings and against any claims by creditors or the Plausteiners. Now it can be sold without any encumbrances to the actual parties that want to operate the area. MFW has shown no interest in actually running the area.

 

[bobbutts]

What kinds of airplanes can land there?

 

[thetrailboss]

This is all just preliminary to the actual sale. This auction totally consolidates MFW's title in light of the court rulings and against any claims by creditors or the Plausteiners. Now it can be sold without any encumbrances to the actual parties that want to operate the area. MFW has shown no interest in actually running the area.

That was something that I wondered...since MFW was the creditor I assumed that like other commercial financing deals they just want (as much) of their money back and not run a resort. So it was no real surprise that the "auction" yielded no other bidders except for MFW. I will be interested to see if MFW has anyone ready, willing, and able to take over the resort. I know that the Holiday Inn at the base and the many condo/timeshare owners are eager to see the place running again.

 

[hammer]

I know that the Holiday Inn at the base and the many condo/timeshare owners are eager to see the place running again.

We have plans on staying there in late January, had some timeshare exchange points to burn and it was the only place with availability. What ski areas are within a reasonable drive? Think I've read Okemo is closest.

 

[thetrailboss]

We have plans on staying there in late January, had some timeshare exchange points to burn and it was the only place with availability. What ski areas are within a reasonable drive? Think I've read Okemo is closest.

Sunapee, Okemo, Killington, Magic, Suicide Six, Bromley, Stratton are a few. Dartmouth Skiway as well.

 

[xwhaler]

We have plans on staying there in late January, had some timeshare exchange points to burn and it was the only place with availability. What ski areas are within a reasonable drive? Think I've read Okemo is closest.

Okemo is abt 35 mins, K abt an hr, S6 35 mins, Dartmouth Skiway 55, Sunapee 40, Magic 50.....you have lots of options

 

[JoeB-Z]

So there's part of the business problem for Ascutney. From Exit 6 on 91, Okemo, Magic and Ascutney are all about the same time. So Okemo for bland mountain, superior snowmaking and amenities, Magic for terrain, "old time" smaller resort experience and value. Ascutney has to thread the needle to succeed. Should be interesting. It seems at a minimum that Ascutney needs to get on the ball with snowmaking.

 

[Quietman]

Just an FYI: Google shows Okemo and Magic are approx. 20-30 minutes longer drives than Ascutney, and both require 20+ miles of 2 lane road which can also increase times in bad weather.

 

[Nick]

Plus Ascutney is big on paragliding

 

[Quietman]

Sunapee, Okemo, Killington, Magic, Suicide Six, Bromley, Stratton are a few. Dartmouth Skiway as well.

Don't forget Whaleback!!!

 

[xwhaler]

Don't forget Whaleback!!!

Or Queechee!

 

[Ski Diva]

I'd love if they re-opened. They're only about 20 minutes from me, and it's been so sad to drive or bike by there and see it all closed up. It'd be great to have another mountain to play on.

 

[billski]

We took our three daughters there for 3 years. We stayed three nights each visit. The real problem, is that it's not convenient to anything. We stayed at the base lodge. There were three options for dinner - the restaurant (which served the same six things every night), the little pizza store, and a convenience store down the street. We went there specifically because the traffic was low and we were concerned about our kids getting plowed into. We pretty much had the beginners slope to ourselves.

It's not like it's in the middle of nowhere, but most of the other area had more nearby options for eat and drink and shopping. It acts more like a day tripper's mountain, not a destination.

The other thing we found is that the weather can be a bit more fickle since the mountain is not on the spine. We hit rain more than once when it was snowing on the spine. Burke, while not on the spine, often lucks out because it is so far north.

I wouldn't even think about opening it this year as a ski area. They have a lot of work to do to get demand gen going again, no matter what the venture. It would be folly to open it without a lot of PR.

If I remember right, the management tried to make a go of diversifying into golf, but when he did, he neglected the ski area.

 

[thetrailboss]

We took our three daughters there for 3 years. We stayed three nights each visit. The real problem, is that it's not convenient to anything. We stayed at the base lodge. There were three options for dinner - the restaurant (which served the same six things every night), the little pizza store, and a convenience store down the street. We went there specifically because the traffic was low and we were concerned about our kids getting plowed into. We pretty much had the beginners slope to ourselves.

It's not like it's in the middle of nowhere, but most of the other area had more nearby options for eat and drink and shopping. It acts more like a day tripper's mountain, not a destination.

I don't think it's meant to be a "destination" resort like, say, Stowe. It's meant to be a place to get away from things...that's what they always were going for with the small town literally at the base. It's similar to Burke in that way. I also find it funny that folks say they want to get away from things to relax and then complain that there is nothing to do. That said, it sounds like they just did not have any options and that would hurt out-of-town traffic.

On the flip side, I do think that it was (a very weak) local's resort. The problem was that the management burned so many bridges, and locals had so many options, that locals went elsewhere. When I lived in the Upper Valley from 2005-2007 everybody knew it was a cheap alternative but nobody really went there. And you heard nothing about them. But that was the beginning of the end really for them and they were running out of cash.

Considering that MFW is just a finance company, I agree that it's unlikely they are going to open this season. It is next to impossible, even if the snowmaking and lifts were all ready to go. There is no staff, no management, etc. That said, there was something said about there being a serious buyer or two. Vail? They could buy WV and Ascutney. 2 for 1.

 

[billski]

maybe they are looking to flip it to some developer.

 

[mister moose]

What kinds of airplanes can land there?

I'm guessing you're jerking my chain, but interestingly Hartness State Airport is only 12 miles away, has a LOC/DME approach, and the runway is 5,500 feet. That's a place even jets can go. Twice the airport Mt Snow has, but probably less natural snow and a warmer base elevation that's 1,000 feet lower. Superb access to I-91.

 

[steamboat1]

On the flip side, I do think that it was (a very weak) local's resort. The problem was that the management burned so many bridges, and locals had so many options, that locals went elsewhere. When I lived in the Upper Valley from 2005-2007 everybody knew it was a cheap alternative but nobody really went there. And you heard nothing about them. But that was the beginning of the end really for them and they were running out of cash.

If there's one thing Ascutney was not it's cheap. Their walk up window rates were right up there with the big boy's