Balsams Grand Resort teams up with ski industry legend Les Otten

[Smellytele]

NH legislature takes a step toward getting state money easier for the Balsams....

http://caledonianrecord.com/main.asp?SectionID=180&SubSectionID=778&ArticleID=130075

I know you know that it isn't State money

 

[doublediamond]

NH legislature takes a step toward getting state money easier for the Balsams....

http://caledonianrecord.com/main.asp?SectionID=180&SubSectionID=778&ArticleID=130075

It's just backed by the state as in if The Balsams defaults, the state is on the hook.

The most notable failed state-backed bond would be that of Schilling's computer game company in RI.

 

[St. Bear]

http://www.snocountry.com/en/news/e...-law-making-balsams-redevelopment-a-reality-1

 

[Smellytele]

http://www.snocountry.com/en/news/e...-law-making-balsams-redevelopment-a-reality-1

Here we go...

 

[SIKSKIER]

Whats up with this statement though.

The plan also includes expanding The Balsams Wilderness Ski Area into the largest and most technically advanced ski resort on the East Coast.What does this mean?

With a skiing base camp at 2,350 feet above sea level, in a true alpine climate zone, The Balsams is known to receive among the highest annual snow totals of any ski resort in the Northeast.Really?

 

[dlague]

Whats up with this statement though.

The plan also includes expanding The Balsams Wilderness Ski Area into the largest and most technically advanced ski resort on the East Coast.What does this mean?

With a skiing base camp at 2,350 feet above sea level, in a true alpine climate zone, The Balsams is known to receive among the highest annual snow totals of any ski resort in the Northeast.Really?

Now that they have the dollars, you need to sell the idea/vision. Faster better lifts, nicer lodges, better and bigger snow making ..... who knows! Leaves it open for speculation.

 

[thetrailboss]

Another article on the deal....

http://caledonianrecord.com/main.asp?SectionID=180&SubSectionID=778&ArticleID=131003

 

[steamboat1]

With a skiing base camp at 2,350 feet above sea level, in a true alpine climate zone, The Balsams is known to receive among the highest annual snow totals of any ski resort in the Northeast.Really?

225" isn't bad.

 

[ScottySkis]

225" isn't bad.

More then the Catskills. 25 inch average less then mid Vermont.+1

 

[AdironRider]

If you have actually been there, you would know its better overall climate for skiing than most of VT.

I also have a lot more faith in the 225" snowfall number up there, than Killington claiming 250" down there. There has been a lot less marketing creep of snowfall totals in Colebrook.....

 

[River19]

I agree, that 225" is closer to the truth than 250" claimed elsewhere, at least year after year. If you want to know where heavy snowfall exists, follow where the snowmobiles go......Stowe area and central VT ain't exactly a hot spot compared to Crawford Notch, Colebrook and Pittsburgh NH.

 

[steamboat1]

I agree, that 225" is closer to the truth than 250" claimed elsewhere, at least year after year. If you want to know where heavy snowfall exists, follow where the snowmobiles go......Stowe area and central VT ain't exactly a hot spot compared to Crawford Notch, Colebrook and Pittsburgh NH.

Definitely snowmobile country up there. It's almost as popular as the Rangeley, ME area. Pull into any hotel/motel mid-winter & the parking lots will be full with sleds not skis.

 

[Tin Woodsman]

I agree, that 225" is closer to the truth than 250" claimed elsewhere, at least year after year. If you want to know where heavy snowfall exists, follow where the snowmobiles go......Stowe area and central VT ain't exactly a hot spot compared to Crawford Notch, Colebrook and Pittsburgh NH.

Yeah - this overstates the case somewhat. The Green Mtn spine from Killington northward to Jay receives more snow than anywhere else in the NE, and there really isn't an argument otherwise. This is particularly the case for the portion of same north of I-89 which receives 250-300" per year or more. The only place that consistently approaches it might be the upper reaches of the Presidentials.

Does Dixville Notch area receive a lot of snow? Absolutely. But it's important to note that the topography in the area lends itself much better to snowmobiling than that of the Green Mtn spine. If you go 3-4 miles in either direction from the apex of the Green Mtn spine, the snowfall drops dramatically with the change in elevation from 4000' down to the 700' range in town. Near Balsams, the land is consistently in the 1500-2500' range (with higher peaks up to 3500' dotted throughout), so average snowfall on the flatter terrain where you would snowmobile is naturally boosted by that difference. Any claims that the Balsams ski resort will receive more snow than the northern VT mountains are, to be charitable, uninformed.

 

[Newpylong]

The claim was that the Balsams receives the amount of snow that they state more consistently than it's neighbors in Vermont.

 

[machski]

True. If you claim Killington averages 250", if I recall correctly, the have not gotten that in at least 5 seasons there. As for the most modern, well that won't be hard since almost every lift will be brand new as will the snowmaking system, etc.

 

[ThinkSnow]

I just hiked the Sanguinary Ridge trail in Dixville Notch on May 16, and there were still occasional pockets of snow to be found in the notch.

 

[River19]

Killington ave for 10 years is about 225" on the dot, but that is bolstered by some 280+ years from 7-10 years ago. The last few years have been 187,196,208,152,263 (2011).

Not getting in a snow measuring battle, just throwing that out there, that it appears that any marketing piece claiming 250" per year was created by fishermen.....with selective memories.

 

[St. Bear]

It's been stated in this thread before, but the Balsams will have 2 major factors working in it's favor. High latitude and low skier density for superior snow preservation. They'll be spared of many of the freeze/thaws that are so common in NE, and even if they approach 50% of their proposed build-out, you'll likely have powder stashes that will never get skied during the season.

None of that is as marketable as a snowfall number though, so you won't hear about it outside these forums.

 

[deadheadskier]

http://m.wmur.com/special-reports/developer-details-plan-for-balsams-renovation/33732084

 

[mbedle]

Just another view of the proposed layout.