AlpineZone Ski Area Challenge: Waterville Valley Resort

[Greg]

Susan Watson from Waterville Valley Resort 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 Susan and keep it civil. Also, please refrain from asking specifics about skier visit numbers, financials, demographic information, etc. Waterville Valley needs to be discrete about certain information.

Ask away!

 

[teachski]

Being a teacher, it is very hard, if not impossible for me to get to a ski area mid-week, yet all special discounts seem to take place during the mid-week. School vacations are usually blacked out from these discounts and specials. Have you ever thought of having a couple teacher appreciation days through out the season, including one or two during the normally blacked out school vacations?

 

[Charlie Schuessler]

Wow, no queries, Waterville must be perfect!

WVV is closer to me than all of the bigger mountains, however, because of LONG LIFT LINES I (nor will most of the people I ski with) will not go there on weekends. I realize that weather does play a role, however,

Does WVV have plans to upgrade the Worldcup Triple chair, the North Side double chair or the Sunnyside Triple chair?

 

[riverc0il]

Are there any plans for expansion, specifically into the Green Mountain or Tripoli Road areas (i.e. not within existing alpine ski area boundaries) or is waterville confined to it's current boundaries.

Does Waterville have any plans to return skiing and/or boarding to Snows Mountain? What are the short and long term plans for this lost ski area.

Could you briefly detail the history of why there is the remains of an unload station at the top of the ski area (where the Sosman Hiking trail dumps out). My understanding is the High Speed Quad used to run to the summit. If this is so, why was the decision made to reduce the legnth?

Thanks!

 

[teachski]

Do you have any special events planned for next season that you can let us in on?

Recently I read some place that skis had been stolen from various New England ski area ended up for sale on eBay. Do you offer a ski watch type program and what other measures have you taken to help prevent and deter would be ski theives? ( Note: I have not heard that this is a major problem at your area. I bring my own lock so I didn't even look to see if you had any of theses services.)

Last year when I went to your area I saw that you had a valet service for parking. Do a lot of people take advantage of this and what is the maximum number of cars you can handle with your valet service?

When is the Summit lift run? Each time that I have been to Waterville it has not been in operation. The last time people were earning their turns (walking up the slope that is near the lift) as there was a good amount of fresh untracked powder to be had.

 

[Charlie Schuessler]

High Speed Quad

I remember when the High Speed Quad went to the peak. I thought it was a bad arrangement with the wind, icy conditions, the High Country Lift, the Schwinder Hut, and mixing it up with all types of skiers in a small area with one general direction to go…not a pretty site.

One time during the first year of its operation, on a cold and windy day, for more than 30 minutes, we sat on the stalled chair in the wind between the Sunnyside unloading station and the Peak unloading station. I was never so cold in my life. We went inside for a couple of hours. However it was a few years before we went back…

I applaud the decision to drop the loading station down to its current location where everyone can enjoy the lift in good weather and bad.

 

[Greg]

I sent ten questions off to Susan. Thanks for the suggestions!

 

[Greg]

At long last, the WV responses are in:

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

 

[MrMagic]

ok but it doesnt make me want to visit watervile vally any time soon

 

[Joshua B]

Yeah, I don't get the friendliest vibe from that rep.

 

[severine]

Never been there, and I have to say, I'm not exactly enticed to go there either. Sounds like they pretty much like things the way they are and aren't really open to change or challenges to the current system.