A new mountain opening?

[FRITOLAYGUY]

Ok my heading is not the case however i was wondering and i know someone in here has the answers, will there ever be another mountain in the northeast opening, ever or are we stuck with what we got for the next 50yrs? What was the last ski area to open in the Northeast?

 

[threecy]

Unless there's a big change in the industry, I don't think you'll see any new major ski areas in the northeast. Bretton Woods is the newest major resort if I recall.

 

[Greg]

I wouldn't say we're "stuck with what we got." Some damn fine ski areas in the NE.

 

[Grassi21]

What about the likelihood of reopening some of the lost ski areas? I haven't been over to NELSAP in a while but there has to be a few in there that might be able to come back to life.

 

[Greg]

Maple Valley VT is the only one I know of currently on the market.

 

[Ski Diva]

Didn't Whaleback open/re-open just a couple years ago?

 

[threecy]

There have been a few NELSAP reopenings over the years...Magic, Bolton Valley, Ascutney, Tenney, Whaleback, Crotched.

Most NELSAP areas will never reopen.

 

[FRITOLAYGUY]

I wouldn't say we're "stuck with what we got." Some damn fine ski areas in the NE.

OH i know theres some fine ski areas , just was curious if there could be a new one, ever.

 

[millerm277]

There could be, it's not impossible or anything...but, lenders aren't going to loan you a ton of money, after seeing ASC, so it would take a lot of time to build up anything significant, and many mountains that would be great for skiing, are either located too far from anything, or under significant developmental restrictions.

 

[BeanoNYC]

Other than the plans for the artificial mountains in NJ and LI, I doubt it.

 

[RISkier]

I'm certainly not an industry insider but it would very much surprise me. It's very difficult for extant areas to get legal permissions to expand terrain. A "new" area would likely be met with lots of opposition. Given that many existing areas are struggling the economics of creating a totally new area would seem pretty daunting.

 

[loafer89]

As far as the youngest ski area's are concerned, I believe Montage (Sno Mountain) opened in 1985.

 

[thetrailboss]

I'm certainly not an industry insider but it would very much surprise me. It's very difficult for extant areas to get legal permissions to expand terrain. A "new" area would likely be met with lots of opposition. Given that many existing areas are struggling the economics of creating a totally new area would seem pretty daunting.

You're exactly right.

Not to get political (and please don't folks), but the current "climate" (and I use the term in more ways than one) is not at all favorable for ski area development in VT or NH. Many got into the biz a couple years back because of the real estate boom....and it was not because ski areas were hot, it was because housing was the hot ticket.

If wind turbines can't come in, then ski trails sure aren't (but as the original trailboss can attest, there are some who think wind turbines are the work of the devil, but looking at sprawling ski area development is OK).

 

[AHM]

Coming to Northern VT in the next 5 years..............

AHM's cat and sled skiing will be debuting in northern VT in about 5 years. It will be the only opp like it in the east. Skiers will be ferried to prime eastern hardwood stashes that I have scoped over the decades using sleds and a cat (bio D so it will be nice and green-->we'll actually paint the cat camo (white in this case) so nobody sees where we are going). We'll have a yurt just like Silverton, with comfy couches and a wood stove. I'll be hanging the blue tooth sign in there as well. Old forest roads will be used as cat roads and we'll be off and rolling. Trailboss will write up the waivers, DMC will be the resident split boarder and Marc will be riding shotgun with a fire extinguisher to "cool down" the Turbo D when we are cresting the top of Mt Abe (Don't worry, we got a winch cat so we can get up stuff like Abe). With any luck I'll be able to sell out to Intrawest as GYL becomes all the rage (Green Yurt Living).

 

[Grassi21]

AHM's cat and sled skiing will be debuting in northern VT in about 5 years. It will be the only opp like it in the east. Skiers will be ferried to prime eastern hardwood stashes that I have scoped over the decades using sleds and a cat (bio D so it will be nice and green-->we'll actually paint the cat camo (white in this case) so nobody sees where we are going). We'll have a yurt just like Silverton, with comfy couches and a wood stove. I'll be hanging the blue tooth sign in there as well. Old forest roads will be used as cat roads and we'll be off and rolling. Trailboss will write up the waivers, DMC will be the resident split boarder and Marc will be riding shotgun with a fire extinguisher to "cool down" the Turbo D when we are cresting the top of Mt Abe (Don't worry, we got a winch cat so we can get up stuff like Abe). With any luck I'll be able to sell out to Intrawest as GYL becomes all the rage (Green Yurt Living).

Sounds great. What kind of discount will you offer AZers? ;-)