Smellytele
Well-known member
This is too bad. Is the black chair running at all?
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Magic's Red Chair down again!
- Thread starter Smellytele
- Start date
bobbutts
New member
Not even a mention of the Black chair. Must not even be close to ready.
steamboat1
New member
Wow, that is really a shame. I read they had good crowds this weekend also. To have to close on a busy holiday weekend has got to hurt.
billski
Active member
this is the wrong time. middle of the profits, and a dis to their rep,., Lord knows how long the vt. inspectors can get there or if custom parts have to be made. not good. not good
Too bad. Prayers for them to get it up and running.
MadMadWorld
Active member
If they were going to use the triple as a backup, why the hell wouldn't you have had it inspected at the beginning of the season? Not having a contingency plan in any industry is a bad decision.
Wow, that's not good. Let's hope they get it resolved ASAP. The snow was incredible, sorry to hear about this. I wonder what the issue is? I don't know much about lift technology but it sounds like it must be something with a motor going bad if it can't support the full load.
riverc0il
New member
"it did not function to standard on a stop"
That certainly raises my eye brow a bit...
... this is really too bad as Magic could not have hoped for a better Christmas holiday with lines and fully loaded chairs on back to back days following a late December storm. At least they have a base for the rest of the season. I know it is a minimalist operation barely scraping by thanks to the financial support of its shareholders... but Magic absolutely needs to fully functioning and inspected lifts to survive the long term. Those of us on here are understanding because we know Magic's situation and love the mountain for its terrain and vibe. Those not familiar or not as in love with the place and skiing it for the first time especially with a family during a ski trip are not going to be as forgiving. Hopefully this doesn't have long term negative effects...
EDIT: UGH so sick of formatting in posts. Can pasting formatting be disabled in vB?
That certainly raises my eye brow a bit...
... this is really too bad as Magic could not have hoped for a better Christmas holiday with lines and fully loaded chairs on back to back days following a late December storm. At least they have a base for the rest of the season. I know it is a minimalist operation barely scraping by thanks to the financial support of its shareholders... but Magic absolutely needs to fully functioning and inspected lifts to survive the long term. Those of us on here are understanding because we know Magic's situation and love the mountain for its terrain and vibe. Those not familiar or not as in love with the place and skiing it for the first time especially with a family during a ski trip are not going to be as forgiving. Hopefully this doesn't have long term negative effects...
EDIT: UGH so sick of formatting in posts. Can pasting formatting be disabled in vB?
It does seem odd that the triple was no readied in the fall and inspected with the other lifts on the same day.
Newpylong
Well-known member
No Triple is pretty ridic...
Bene288
New member
I just saw this on their website. I don't think they were expecting the big snow this early. Absolutely not what they needed on one of the busiest weekend of the year. I felt bad taking the voucher they gave me on Saturday when it broke. After last season I wouldn't be surprised if they were too in the red to get both chairs up to par for the beginning of the season.
Any updates?
Greg and Brian went there today but then headed up to Pico...
skithetrees
Active member
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- Dec 30, 2012
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As a Magic devotee this is hard for me to see. Before my rant, a little about myself: I have been skiing Magic almost 25 years. My family has had places on the mountain for at least that long. When the mountain was closed, we would sled or hike up and ski down. We are season pass holders and also shareholders. I love this mountain and there is nowhere I would rather ski in Vermont.
I understand what I am about to say may not go over well with some people, and apologize for that. But if this mountain succeeds it is going to be in spite of the way it is run. The people that ski Magic are great and I don't think I could say this to anyone's face because they are such nice people and there are so many people that work so hard. Not only that, you see people complaining about the lifts attacked on Magic's Facebook page. The fact of the matter is that the ski industry is a business. Yes Magic is a family, but you can only lose money for so long. There are only so many people that are willing to invest in the mountain and when that money is gone, that is the end. Criticism is warranted where the mountain is closed on a holiday week with the best conditions since 2011. Magic may very well have lost 25% of its revenue for the year - not to mention the lasting impression surely left with some people.
But it seems that, without fail, multiple times a year, and always on a holiday weekend, one of the lifts go down. More often than not, it is the only lift running. I have been stuck on the chair on more than one occasion. Problems with the lifts are not unforeseen at Magic. There needs to be a contingency plan and there never is. It is inexcusable not to have both chairlifts in functional condition over Christmas week. I understand there are limited funds, but let's be honest, if there is no snow, not many people come to Magic - even on a holiday week. People know that Magic can't blow snow like the other resorts. This will continue to be the case until the co-op funds are released and likely for at least a short while thereafter. Thus, it seems like a waste of money to continue pouring money into a snow making system that can barely afford to be run. Focus on having two working lifts. If you can't get people up the mountain it doesn't matter how much snow you blow on the mountain. And this is what I don't understand. If the only improvements you can afford are mowing the trails and having working lifts, do that. Because without lifts, what is the point?
I apologize for this rant and highly encourage everyone to try Magic. When the lifts are running it really is the best and nicest place in Vermont. Contrary to the reputation, there is amazing beginner and intermediate terrain to complement the unparallelled marked and unmarked expert runs. There are lines more technical than in a lot of other places. It is great to ski with your family because everyone always ends up in the same place at the base - there is no getting lost. No one will run you over on the trails - you might even have them to yourself. The point of this message is more, that as a Magic community, we need to stop making excuses for things that should never happen - this message is not intended to take anything away from the mountain and the many wonderful and hard working people who give there all to make it what it is.
I understand what I am about to say may not go over well with some people, and apologize for that. But if this mountain succeeds it is going to be in spite of the way it is run. The people that ski Magic are great and I don't think I could say this to anyone's face because they are such nice people and there are so many people that work so hard. Not only that, you see people complaining about the lifts attacked on Magic's Facebook page. The fact of the matter is that the ski industry is a business. Yes Magic is a family, but you can only lose money for so long. There are only so many people that are willing to invest in the mountain and when that money is gone, that is the end. Criticism is warranted where the mountain is closed on a holiday week with the best conditions since 2011. Magic may very well have lost 25% of its revenue for the year - not to mention the lasting impression surely left with some people.
But it seems that, without fail, multiple times a year, and always on a holiday weekend, one of the lifts go down. More often than not, it is the only lift running. I have been stuck on the chair on more than one occasion. Problems with the lifts are not unforeseen at Magic. There needs to be a contingency plan and there never is. It is inexcusable not to have both chairlifts in functional condition over Christmas week. I understand there are limited funds, but let's be honest, if there is no snow, not many people come to Magic - even on a holiday week. People know that Magic can't blow snow like the other resorts. This will continue to be the case until the co-op funds are released and likely for at least a short while thereafter. Thus, it seems like a waste of money to continue pouring money into a snow making system that can barely afford to be run. Focus on having two working lifts. If you can't get people up the mountain it doesn't matter how much snow you blow on the mountain. And this is what I don't understand. If the only improvements you can afford are mowing the trails and having working lifts, do that. Because without lifts, what is the point?
I apologize for this rant and highly encourage everyone to try Magic. When the lifts are running it really is the best and nicest place in Vermont. Contrary to the reputation, there is amazing beginner and intermediate terrain to complement the unparallelled marked and unmarked expert runs. There are lines more technical than in a lot of other places. It is great to ski with your family because everyone always ends up in the same place at the base - there is no getting lost. No one will run you over on the trails - you might even have them to yourself. The point of this message is more, that as a Magic community, we need to stop making excuses for things that should never happen - this message is not intended to take anything away from the mountain and the many wonderful and hard working people who give there all to make it what it is.
skithetrees
Active member
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- Dec 30, 2012
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Now down Monday and Tuesday. While I am thankful I was unable to be there for this, I can't begin to express my disappointment for the people that are already up there and unable to ski.
riverc0il
New member
Excellent post skithetrees. You make an interesting point in the pouring of money into the snow making system. For a while, I thought that Magic needed to blow more snow to succeed. But for all the money that has been invested in the snow making system, what do they have to show for it? They still couldn't open by the Christmas holiday except for the natural snow.
But feeling safe on a lift is something we all take for granted. I appreciate Magic being honest in their assessment of their lift. Hopefully they get both Red and Black back into good working order. I suspect this weekend's difficulties will be on my mind next time I ski Magic and I'll probably put on that extra layer just in case.
You say "But if this mountain succeeds it is going to be in spite of the way it is run." and that is a pretty scary thought which begs the question why isn't it run differently. Do the shareholders have so little clout despite their investment? It seems like Magic needs an angel donor to give the mountain a million or three to get the basics taken care of so they can focus on the bigger picture.
I'll also end with the caveat that despite my honest assessment here, I love Magic and think everyone that enjoys old school, classic mountains with great and challenging natural snow trails and glades owes it to themselves to get there. Obviously, the word is getting out as evidenced by the amount of people there during the holiday week/weekend and by the amount of chatter this incident is generating. I think the chatter is based on loving concern rather than harsh criticism.
But feeling safe on a lift is something we all take for granted. I appreciate Magic being honest in their assessment of their lift. Hopefully they get both Red and Black back into good working order. I suspect this weekend's difficulties will be on my mind next time I ski Magic and I'll probably put on that extra layer just in case.
You say "But if this mountain succeeds it is going to be in spite of the way it is run." and that is a pretty scary thought which begs the question why isn't it run differently. Do the shareholders have so little clout despite their investment? It seems like Magic needs an angel donor to give the mountain a million or three to get the basics taken care of so they can focus on the bigger picture.
I'll also end with the caveat that despite my honest assessment here, I love Magic and think everyone that enjoys old school, classic mountains with great and challenging natural snow trails and glades owes it to themselves to get there. Obviously, the word is getting out as evidenced by the amount of people there during the holiday week/weekend and by the amount of chatter this incident is generating. I think the chatter is based on loving concern rather than harsh criticism.
xwhaler
Active member
From Magic's website....the 4 runs I made on Saturday were great (Gonnif, Tailsman, Slide of Hans, Sorcerer).
I strongly considered going there this AM but opted for an AM session at Whaleback on my way home from VT instead. Amazing conbitions at the Whale...ropes dropping all moring....knee to thigh deep dry powder for first tracks. Little thin underfoot, def hit rock a few times but good for patrol for giving folks what they wanted. I know this is not Magic related but the Whale is a fun little mtn with sneaky legit terrain a la Magic. $15 Sunday AM ticket was probably the best powder to $$ ratio I've ever had in my life.
I strongly considered going there this AM but opted for an AM session at Whaleback on my way home from VT instead. Amazing conbitions at the Whale...ropes dropping all moring....knee to thigh deep dry powder for first tracks. Little thin underfoot, def hit rock a few times but good for patrol for giving folks what they wanted. I know this is not Magic related but the Whale is a fun little mtn with sneaky legit terrain a la Magic. $15 Sunday AM ticket was probably the best powder to $$ ratio I've ever had in my life.
| Late Sunday Update: Here's a status on current lift reparirs and unfortunately the news is not good. We need to replace one of the brake systems on the Red Chair which requires procuring a part from Utah and, after installation, an updated inspection. We will make every effort to expedite this repair, but we will not be able to open for the next two days. We are very disappointed that we will not have the lifts operational for you to access terrain for the remainder of this Holiday period. We are working to get the lower beginner tow and tubing park open so stay tuned on that front for late 12/31 or 1/1. We welcome, as always, those willing to skin, hike and snow shoe up Magic. There were quite a few today who got fresh tracks. Again, we look forrward to serving you soon as we work quickly to make repairs to the lifts. |
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Bene288
New member
Yeah I feel for those people. At least there are quite a few other ski options pretty close.
skithetrees
Active member
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- Points
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Shareholder funds have yet to be released. Once they are, you probably know where I think they should be spent - two working lifts and a beginner chair. Depending on what is leftover after that, snow making should be set up on one true beginner way down and one true expert way down (perhaps lucifer to blackline - the shortest way to get a true expert run). Magic will not compete in the foreseeable future with the big boys when it comes to snow making and even if it could, the people who want that won't come here. Having one true option for each level of skier is the best it should shoot for. Give families an option that will make everyone happy - that is Magic's best strength.
Smellytele
Well-known member
[h=5]Dear Magic Customers:
I am writing to provide you all an update on the status of the lifts and unfortunately the news is not good. We need to replace one of the brake systems on the Red Chair which requires procuring a part from Utah and, after installation, an updated inspection. We will make every effort to expedite this repair, but we will not be able to open for the next two days.
With respect to the Black Chair, it is not approved yet because the lift inspector has provided an extensive punch list of items which will take some time to complete.
I would like to apologize to the friends and fans of Magic. We have been hit with some extremely bad luck in terms of the Red Chair failure, but ultimately I am responsible for delivering a reliable product, and on that front I have failed. I understand the level of frustration and disappointment that people are feeling, and will assure you all that I and my team will make every effort to repair the lifts and get the mountain open again as soon as possible. I will personally keep you all updated on all developments, and will provide a time frame for you all as soon as I am able to do so with some certainty. Thank you.
Jim Sullivan[/h]
I am writing to provide you all an update on the status of the lifts and unfortunately the news is not good. We need to replace one of the brake systems on the Red Chair which requires procuring a part from Utah and, after installation, an updated inspection. We will make every effort to expedite this repair, but we will not be able to open for the next two days.
With respect to the Black Chair, it is not approved yet because the lift inspector has provided an extensive punch list of items which will take some time to complete.
I would like to apologize to the friends and fans of Magic. We have been hit with some extremely bad luck in terms of the Red Chair failure, but ultimately I am responsible for delivering a reliable product, and on that front I have failed. I understand the level of frustration and disappointment that people are feeling, and will assure you all that I and my team will make every effort to repair the lifts and get the mountain open again as soon as possible. I will personally keep you all updated on all developments, and will provide a time frame for you all as soon as I am able to do so with some certainty. Thank you.
Jim Sullivan[/h]
