AlpineZone Ski Area Challenge: Ski Butternut

[Greg]

Matt Sawyer from Ski Butternut also agreed to take the AlpineZone Ski Area Challenge! This is your chance to get official answers to your ski-related questions direct from a Northeast ski resort representative! Please post some suggested questions in this thread and I'll select ten to present for official responses.

As always, please be respectful of Matt and keep it civil. Also, please refrain from asking specifics about skier visit numbers, financials, demographic information, etc. Ski Butternut needs to be discrete about certain information.

Ask away!

 

[skijay]

What prompted you to offer the very attractive season's pass rate?

Catamount seems to be your closest competition. Have you ever worked with them on a season's pass sharing arrangement?

Since Butternut has that awesome learning area, have you ever thought of just offering a "lower mountain" lift ticket ONLY geared towards beginners?

If I could change one thing at Butternut regarding the lifts, I would upgrade / modify the Highline double to a triple or a quad to handle more of the Top Flight's volume, as the TF can get packed. Could a new lift be installed in the current location and be made to go further up the mountain and have a mid station where the current lift ends? Have you ever considered any of this?

 

[MrMagic]

is there any room to expand?

there was a tornado that came though your area a while back maybe 6 or 7 years a go, how much damage did it do, are there still evidence of such a event present, did this tornadow hurt your operations today?

 

[jimme]

Respectfully, Butternut is not known for it's having very difficult terrain for experienced skiers. I have however, think that I've noticed some areas where some "very difficult" trails or glades could be made.

The first several hundred feet under the Overbrook Chair lift looks like it would make a great Double-Black Diamond run. A "snow bridge" could be used over the brook. Would making this a trail ever be a consideration?

To the left of the map off the Top Flight Quad chair there is a wooded area. Might this be considered for use as trails, or gladed skiing?

Many thanks!

Jimme

 

[Joshua B]

What has lead to Butternut being such a successful and often crowded ski area?

 

[Greg]

As one of my favorite Butternut trails, why is Upper Applejack typically one of the last runs to get snow made on it?

 

[Greg]

I shipped these over to Matt:

1 - What prompted you to offer the very attractive season pass rate?

2 - Catamount seems to be your closest competition. Have you ever worked with them on a shared season pass arrangement?

3 - Since Butternut has an awesome learning area, have you ever thought of just offering a "lower mountain" lift ticket ONLY geared towards beginners?

4 - If I could change one thing at Butternut regarding the lifts, I would upgrade/modify the Highline double to a triple or a quad to handle more of the Top Flight's volume, as the Top Flight can get packed. Could a new lift be installed in the current location and be made to go further up the mountain and have a mid station where the current lift ends? Have you ever considered any of this?

5 - Is there any room to expand? If yes, where?

6 - There was a tornado that came though your area a while back maybe 6 or 7 years a go, how much damage did it do? Is there still evidence of such an event present? Does the effect of this tornado hurt your operations today?

7 - Respectfully, Butternut is not known for it's having very difficult terrain for experienced skiers. However, I think I've noticed some areas where some "very difficult" trails or glades could be made. The first several hundred feet under the Overbrook Chair lift looks like it would make a great Double-Black Diamond run. A "snow bridge" could be used over the brook. Would adding a trail(s) in this area ever be a consideration?

8 - To the left of the map off the Top Flight Quad chair there is a wooded area. Might this be considered for use as trails, or gladed skiing?

9 - What has lead to Butternut being such a successful and often crowded ski area?

10 - Applejack is one of my favorite Butternut trails. Why is Upper Applejack typically one of the last runs to get snow made on it? It usually doesn't open until well into January.

 

[Greg]

Matt's responses are finally in! In Matt's defense, he indicated he was waiting for signed approval from the state approving their building plan for the new quad lift before he could answer some of the questions, and didn’t anticipate the approval taking this long.

Nevertheless, Matt's answers are some of the most complete and compelling responses we've received so far so it was totally worth the wait! Enjoy:

http://skiing.alpinezone.com/articles/challenge/response.htm?resort=butternut

 

[skijay]

Thanks for answering the questions!