Balsams Grand Resort teams up with ski industry legend Les Otten

[deadheadskier]

with 2,200 skiable acres of alpine terrain, the largest vertical drop, and 100 km of nordic trails, the balsams will be larger and more varied than any other resort in the east.

not sure how it can be interpreted another way

 

[x10003q]

When did Les Otten become a comedian?
He has 3 transport lifts of 1 mile or longer coming out of the Balsam Lake Village base area. There is no way that is happening. The more likely scenario is a couple of $5k used school buses.
The current base elevation is around 1750ft - not 2350ft. If he is allowed to go down to Rt 26 on the east side of the Notch he might be able to claim a 1400ft elevation base.The highest point is one of the wind turbines at around 3500ft elevation. Who knows how close they can come to the turbines.
He also managed to create a map with multiple redundant lifts including some that serve only a few of trails and or a few hundred vertical feet.
He guess he figured if he made the map so crazy nobody would question it.

Go Big or Go Home :lol:

 

[deadheadskier]

If anything comes of this development that even approaches half this build out, I'll be curious to see what becomes of the town of Colebrook. It's a pretty charming little town and is only 10 miles away from the ski area. By comparison, the Village of Stowe is about 7.5 miles from the ski area. I wonder it if Colebrook would see much of an expansion in hospitality related businesses. Same goes for Errol on the other side with the lake right there for summertime activities.

 

[skiMEbike]

Looked like from what I read on that link that the "most" they're talking about isn't vertical drop, but skiable acres

You are right...he's a marketing genius. The write up says "largest" vertical....I can see it now: Ski the Balsams' 1500 Vertical Feet

 

[drjeff]

You are right...he's a marketing genius. The write up says "largest" vertical....I can see it now: Ski the Balsams' 1500 Vertical Feet

As I learned from Les's ASC era marketing genius days, longest steepest widest is different than longest, steepest, widest so its ALWAYS good to read his marketing info a few times

 

[danimals]

no words on a timeline?

 

[Jully]

Well they have phase one being about the size of Waterville... and I can't see 1500' vertical in that part of New Hampshire generating any where near enough revenue to justify another expansion. So phase one I think I've heard they are trying to open for the '16-'17 season, but I'll be shocked if it gets beyond that.

 

[snoseek]

I pulled up for my internship at this place on May 5th and there were 20 foot deep banks in that notch. Snow is as good as it gets back east and they retain it better than most for sure. My home area at Kirkwood now is 1800 feet at best and we all have a grand time....Alta Supreme lift is like 9oo feet. You don't need 3k vert to build a premiere are, of course it helps.

I really can only hope they reinstate the culinary school that was in place. It was awesome. You don't remember hearing too much about as not a lot made it through. The ones that did were all amazing chefs, a very unique program.

 

[noreasterbackcountry]

Ambitious.
http://thebalsamsresort.com/vision/ski-expansion/

Wow. Just wow.

 

[Jully]

http://m.nhpr.org/?utm_referrer=htt...ry.com/viewstory.php?storyid=233#mobile/64545
Claims to be investing quite a bit of his own money. Very intriguing.

 

[MadMadWorld]

Is the mountain that Balsams ski area on really that big?

 

[Newpylong]

Yes

 

[steamboat1]

Is the mountain that Balsams ski area on really that big?

Kinda like Sunday River. No peaks are particularly high but it's a wide ridge of peaks. Colebrook is sorta like the old west but instead of a empty town with tumbleweed blowing around they have snow.

 

[ThinkSnow]

http://www.newenglandskihistory.com.../balsamswilderness/googleearth-2013-0900a.jpg

 

[skiMEbike]

Is the mountain that Balsams ski area on really that big?

"Yes" to have the largest vertical in the East (as the write up proclaims), however, "No" to the most vertical in the East....

Kind of like White Heat being the Widest Steepest expert trail, but not being the Steepest, Widest expert trail...;-)

 

[MadMadWorld]

"Yes" to have the largest vertical in the East (as the write up proclaims), however, "No" to the most vertical in the East....

Kind of like White Heat being the Widest Steepest expert trail, but not being the Steepest, Widest expert trail...;-)

Ahh clear as mud :what:

 

[from_the_NEK]

Well that is certainly FAR more ambitious than I was thinking! :lol:

I think the "Largest Vertical Drop" claim may come at full build out. If totaling up the vertical of ALL of the trails, the total number would surpass Killington. This would be very possible given that a lot of those pods are between 1000 and 1400 vert.

Other things...
1440 lowest elevation I can find (bottom of Pod on the north side of "East Village" in the Route 26 valley).
3431 highest elev I can find (Sub peak to the East of Dixville Peak)
Total (not anywhere close to continuous) vert = 1991 But I'm sure Les will squeeze out the other 9 feet somewhere to get to the 2000 mark, even if it is in the river .
3.5 miles end to end
Two short upper mountain pods (700'-850' vert) with tops over 3000' that would make excellent candidates for first to open in the east.

 

[wa-loaf]

Do they get much snow there? How long is the drive? Hope he plans on getting a lot of people from Canada because you have to drive past a lot of good skiing to get there.

 

[from_the_NEK]

Master Plan (blown up a bit):


Overlaid in Google Earth: Clicking on the pictures should open them larger.

 

[deadheadskier]

The three transfer lifts from the hotel is pretty funny. That will definitely happen. :lol: