Weekend tickets were $62 in 2009-2010.
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Ascutney Mountain Sold!
- Thread starter manhattanskier
- Start date
Weekend tickets were $62 in 2009-2010.
steamboat1
New member
And in 2014 places like Magic are $63, Pico $67, Middlebury $50, Bromley $68. $62 was not cheap 4 years ago.
They ran a Sunday afternoon deal for locals and had some other deals that I was thinking of.
bobbutts
New member
Yeah, it's more like 1/2 way jerking your chain. It is actually interesting and cool to have so much knowledge on the board. Just like a layup to hassle you about the obvious excitement.
steamboat1
New member
Ski lifts will be gone. So very sad. RIP Ascutney.
They really should consider leaving the mid mtn lift in place as lift served mtb would attract a whole new crowd and make the place very competitive with Burke.
With that said they are sitting on some seriously good mtb terrain, big climbs, tech, flow, fields and sweet singletrack. I've come to like it even better than burke as its got more challenge and less people. Trails constantly being added and with closer proximity to more people things will likely catch on...words already out.
But they really need to get the lift served going IMO
With that said they are sitting on some seriously good mtb terrain, big climbs, tech, flow, fields and sweet singletrack. I've come to like it even better than burke as its got more challenge and less people. Trails constantly being added and with closer proximity to more people things will likely catch on...words already out.
But they really need to get the lift served going IMO
ss20
Well-known member
Never skied Ascutney, like so many others here. But we've all seen it. That giant, gnarly looking mountain that stands alone east of all the other VT mountains and west of all the NH mountains. An independent mountain in a divided area. Rest in peace, and may your history and memories be preserved on the servers of NELSAP, NE Ski History, and Chairlift.org.
bzrperfspec77
Member
Wow... On May 27th of this year I booked a room at the hotel on the mountain for my fiance and I on our annual VT Beer Trip. I thought it would be cool to check the place out, do some hiking and see the possible potential in the mountain of re-opening (after reading this thread last year). I guess now it will be just checking out the old ski area before it gets changed over for good.
manhattanskier
New member
There was a lot of hope, sad to see it go but it was never positioned to thrive, maybe if it had the right leadership it could find their market...I feel most bad for the town.
skiNEwhere
Active member
I skied ascutney once after they had the HSQ installed. I thought it was ok, it offered a little bit of everything, but I can't think of anything memorable that stuck out. How did they do in terms of snowfall?
WWF-VT
Well-known member
Less people than Burke = little reason why anyone would invest and run a lift
Yeah but still catching on. Like Burke was in the late 90's. They could easily steal a huge portion of burkes business.
WWF-VT
Well-known member
From other threads here about Burke, "stealing a huge portion of burkes business" still doesn't amount to much money.
^^^^The town is bustling with people on any given weekend in spring/summer/fall. Even the weekdays are busy often. These are people that ride 5k+ bikes....they ride then eat/shop/spend lots of money. There's much $$$ to be made.
I bet the village is busier in summer with the mtb crowd than winter with the skiers. I could be wrong but 25 years ago these places relied strictly on skiers in the winter to get them through the summer.
Look at highlands in NH. Couldn't survive as a ski resort ever but running things as a mtb only place they seem to be doing quite well.
I bet the village is busier in summer with the mtb crowd than winter with the skiers. I could be wrong but 25 years ago these places relied strictly on skiers in the winter to get them through the summer.
Look at highlands in NH. Couldn't survive as a ski resort ever but running things as a mtb only place they seem to be doing quite well.
steamboat1
New member
One of the problems with Ascutney was it has very low base elevation. The mountain is right off I-91 in the Ct. River Valley. Like has been said it's to the east of the spine of the Green Mtns. & west of the White Mtns. It didn't receive as much natural snow as some of it's nearby neighbors located in the middle of these mtn. ranges. Because of the low elevation any natural snow they did receive didn't last as long.
It's a shame to see a place like Ascutney close for good. I've skied there many times & thought the mountain offered lot's of variety & challenge. Certainly more challenge then it's neighbor Okemo & more variety than it's other nearest neighbor Suicide Six. It wasn't the largest ski area in VT. but by no means would I call it a small ski area.
slatham
Well-known member
Given what I know of Magic, with its very loyal following and significant skiing attributes, yet struggles, I find it hard to believe that Ascutney could find a big enough market to survive, especially after the required capital investment. The bikers and their $5k bikes probably want the full-on resort capabilities that are already served by Mt Snow, Stratton and Okemo (if not Hermitage Club for the ubber's out there). Hard core experts will ski Magic, Mt Snow (North Face) or head north to K-mart etc. The mountain, as commented, is not memorable. Its low and in a snow shadow. I just find it hard to believe, IMHO, that the mountain could survive in this day and age. I hate seeing another area NELSP'ed, but I think Ascutney will be. I just hope there are no others.......
bigbog
Active member
I really like the mid-mtn thinking!.....don't know if the ones with deeper pockets do...y/n?
AdironRider
Well-known member
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People always champion bikers for spending money, but in reality outside of the local gas and go, unless you own a bike shop that money never materializes.
Most of my mtb bike buddies do buy 5k bikes, but they wait tables and hustle for their bike just like they hustle for a ski pass.
How many Vice Presidents or CEO's do you know that really bike all that often. This isnt buying the latest greatest Cannondale road bike to impress their buddies with and ride once, you are talking about a biker thats going to commit to travel and buy lift tickets to go beat themselves up with a downhill run? Yeah that market is slim.
Highland is also just outside of an hour from Boston, unlike Ascutney.
Take a look at a town like Burke or better yet Fruita in Co. Fruita at this point exist solely for mtn bikers. All the restaurants/shops/lodging ect...all revolve around mtb riders and serving them. The hot tomato is slamming on any given day, it would not exist without that crowd. In fact Fruita would literally just be a gas station and Mcd's before entering the desert on I-70. Places like Bruke/Moab/Sedona would exist as there's other activities but I bet not to the extent they do now. People travel on planes to go to these places all the time.
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