AZ Challenge 2011: Jesse Boyd, Peak Resorts (Mt Snow, Attitash, Crotched, Wildcat)

[Nick]

Jesse Boyd, VP and Chief Operating Officer at Peak Resorts (which includes Mt. Snow, Attitash, Wildcat, and Crotched), has agreed to participate in the 2011 AlpineZone Ski Area Challenge!

The AlpineZone Challenge is your chance to offer up questions, suggestions or praise to the people who run the mountains in the northeast. For more information on the challenge itself, please see the stickied post at the top of the forum.

We will pick ten of the questions asked here and submit them for review and response, and post them in the Challenge area when complete!

Caveats: we may edit/change your question for grammar, tone, or something similar. Questions may be merged. If we don't get to all the questions, we will encourage followup from the representatives, but no promises.

Please be respectful as well to those answering questions - please refrain from asking specifics about skier visit numbers, financials, demographic information, etc. as these may be confidential to the mountain.

Mount Snow Profile
Crotched Mountain Profile
Attitash Profile
Wildcat Profile


Prior Year AZ Challenge Results:
Peak Resorts General: 2007, 2009
Mount Snow Challenge Results: 2006, 2007
Crotched Mountain Challenge Results: 2004, 2005, 2006
Attitash Challenge Results: 2004, 2005
Wildcat Challenge Results: 2004, 2005

 

[deadheadskier]

Do you have a Master Plan for Wildcat? As real estate development is restricted, I'm highly curious what the 'build out' potential is for just the skiing at Wildcat. I love Wildcat as is, but I'm curious what if any expansion potential it has beyond current facility upgrades......snowmaking, lodge, lifts, select glading, etc.

 

[deadheadskier]

Will Peaks/Wildcat reconsider partnership with Liftopia? I've used their service often in buying tickets for Wildcat. If not, what other social media Outlets (such as groupon or even facebook) should I pay attention to for last minute deals and promotions?

 

[Nick]

Will Peaks/Wildcat reconsider partnership with Liftopia? I've used their service often in buying tickets for Wildcat. If not, what other social media Outlets (such as groupon or even facebook) should I pay attention to for last minute deals and promotions?

Awesome question

Sent with Tapatalk

 

[deadheadskier]

Somewhat related to my first question regarding a Mater Plan, but a bit more specific. Do you have any plans for the former Gondola unload building and lodge at the summit?

The views up there are stunning. I know I'd welcome a nice place to grab a bite and brew at what is the 'pinnacle' of lift serviced skiing in the MWV.

 

[deadheadskier]

Awesome question

Sent with Tapatalk

Maybe not on the liftopia part. :lol:


Wildcat is now listed on liftopias site (no current or future deals), but I think I remember Wildcat dropping Liftopia along with several other discounted skiing oportunities such as the Wildcard when the Peaks ownership transfer occurred last fall.

 

[kickstand]

Is there any news to report on the golf course that was supposed to go in near Attitash, across 302 along the Saco? Last I had heard the resort was trying to complete a land swap and was about 80% there. That was a few years ago and I haven't heard anything since. I'm guessing it all fell thru.

 

[hammer]

Will Peaks/Wildcat reconsider partnership with Liftopia? I've used their service often in buying tickets for Wildcat. If not, what other social media Outlets (such as groupon or even facebook) should I pay attention to for last minute deals and promotions?

Liftopia did have Wildcat tickets available last season after the sale...although the deals were not as good and the tickets were not interchangeable between Wildcat and Attitash.

 

[tcharron]

Any comment on if Crotched will *ever* raise a lift to the trails already cut up top? Really seems a shame, and the #1 complaint from recreational skiiers is the hairpin turn at the top.

Also, any plans on making recreational league ski teams more popular at Crotched? Compared to Pat's Peak *healthy* night league, your weekday league prices are astonomical. :-(

 

[Newpylong]

Would love to hear plans for Crotched Summit too. Went on the map a few years and there were rumors of something but we haven't heard anything in years...

 

[tcharron]

Nothing really impressive has been done at Crotched since they started buying big resorts. :-(

 

[thetrailboss]

Re: Attitash. In the Mount Washington Valley, only Cranmore has night skiing, and it is pretty limited now compared to what it used to be. Bretton Woods only has a couple runs that are lit. Any thoughts about lighting some of the terrain? With the bed-base in Conway, it might be a way to increase traffic.

And the perennial Attitash question: with the Summit Triple now pushing 25 years old, any thoughts on replacing or upgrading it? Granted the terrain it serves is pretty limited, but any thoughts about a HSQ or some other high speed lift?

 

[thetrailboss]

I have only heard great things about Mount Snow since you have taken it over. The six-pack is a great project. Do you have any updates regarding Mount Snow's efforts to tap into more water for snowmaking?

Are there any updates on what is happening at the former Haystack? Would you ever consider purchasing that resort and reuniting it with Mount Snow?

 

[Anklebiter]

Piggybacking on the Liftopia questions. Why doesn't Peak Resorts seem to offer descent mid week discounts. We've stayed at Attitash two of the last three years, but end up skiing at other resorts. I'd rather travel for the 2 for 1 offers at other places, such as Cannon, Bretton Woods, Cranmore & Black. In fact, coming from Delaware and skiing most of the time in PA. We don't even ski Jack Frost or Big Boulder anymore, because of the lack of discounts.

 

[deadheadskier]

Do you feel that not having the Dew tour last season was good or bad for business at Mt. Snow?

 

[deadheadskier]

I have read (only on these forums) that Peaks is going Public, or maybe they have already. Can you elaborate on why this decision was made and if it will have any effect on operations at your resorts for the upcoming season.

 

[Nick]

I don't want my questions to be amateurish but it's been a while since I've been to Mt. Snow. I used to love hitting it up in the winter but also equally I remember hitting it up in the summer - some of the best summer mountain biking I've ever done has been at the lift-served stuff at Mt. Snow.

Are there any other summer endeavors on the docket? (yeah, I know I should be focused on winter....) - I did see the recent press release on the new downhill course. That was the first ever downhill race I did, the NORBA nationals at Mt Snow in 1998. So much fun, except I wrecked and broke my Pro Flex's stem. Luckily the Pro Flex team on site switched it out for me gratis, which was super cool of them.

 

[steamboat1]

Are there any plans to set off a nuclear bomb on the north face of Mt. Snow to expand terrain as was once under consideration by former management?

 

[Glenn]

Are there any plans to set off a nuclear bomb on the north face of Mt. Snow to expand terrain as was once under consideration by former management?

I'm going to assume "no". That was an idea Walt Schoenknecht came up with years ago. I'm sure now that people know more after the "after effects", it's probably been off the table for awhile now. :lol:

 

[thetrailboss]

I'm going to assume "no". That was an idea Walt Schoenknecht came up with years ago. I'm sure now that people know more after the "after effects", it's probably been off the table for awhile now. :lol:

Considering what some of the locals think of Vermont Yankee, I highly doubt we will ever see that.....