Big Burke announcement

[thetrailboss]

For all of the complaining, I'm not convinced that the locals are fleeing. This is because most of the local market is a captive one. For most locals it's a significantly longer drive to the next closest hill. Having said that, this is a test year for us since it's the first year that we have season passes. If Burke does not deliver, we will go to Cannon or Bretton Woods. Had we gone to Bretton Woods, we would have been skiing already - and we would be skiing later in the spring. That alone makes up for 30 minute longer drive. And, frankly, Bretton Woods is a better fit (terrain-wise) for my children.

On the other hand, I think Ary may mistake the difficulty locals have for skiing elsewhere with support. That would be a grave mistake, indeed.

Their season pass sales may be down (or may not be). But I'm talking about the locals who buy day tickets and are not committed. They will go elsewhere.

And I agree with DHS' comment re: small market. They need to grow their market, not lose market.

 

[Edd]

The "no such thing as bad press" argument. Anyone who is remotely knowledgeable about marketing knows that this is a myth. Just ask Toyota and Tiger Woods how they feel about this issue. Respectfully, TV promotion is probably much different than ski area promotion.

Bill Cosby is getting a ton of press lately.

 

[Masskier]

The thing is though, how many "locals" are really supporting the place? They did what, 75K skier visits last year? So, how many season passes do we think they sold? 500? It's not a busy mountain. You piss off say a dozen season pass buying families that do make the decision to ski elsewhere and that's a big hit for a place like Burke.

Since BMA took over in 2000, season pass sales have been north of 2k, if not for all, then most of the seasons since then.

 

[thetrailboss]

Bill Cosby is getting a ton of press lately.

I am still stunned by those allegations....

 

[Edd]

I am still stunned by those allegations....

Yeah, that really kills me. I could talk for some time about this as I grew up on his stuff. One particularly mind-blowing thing is that he's on tour right now with sell out crowds. I mean....wow.

 

[BenedictGomez]

You guys are talking nonstop about Q. Ski mag is talking about Q. I think you are raising awareness of Q. Probably more people are aware of Q now than were ever aware of a sleepy little hill everybody drives by called Burke.

I hadn't considered this, but perhaps you're right.

Cant even recall the last time the place got national attention, and at the end of the day, the mountain is what matters and the terrain is still there. Dunno if QBurke will save the place, or if it will be NELSAP in a dozen years, but I dont see this attention hurting them. What's the big deal, so the owner has an ego? Yeah, that's not keeping me away if I want to ski there. I LOATHE what Jay Peak is doing with EB-5, but it doesn't keep me from buying lift tickets (at a discount of course!) and staying out of their woods.

 

[deadheadskier]

I hadn't considered this, but perhaps you're right.

Cant even recall the last time the place got national attention, and at the end of the day, the mountain is what matters and the terrain is still there. Dunno if QBurke will save the place, or if it will be NELSAP in a dozen years, but I dont see this attention hurting them. What's the big deal, so the owner has an ego? Yeah, that's not keeping me away if I want to ski there. I LOATHE what Jay Peak is doing with EB-5, but it doesn't keep me from buying lift tickets (at a discount of course!) and staying out of their woods.

Right, but had Hank Greenberg changed the name of Stowe to G-Stowe and put it on a trail map, you'd certainly have an opinion. Probably not a favorable one either. Actually, it's even worse. It would be more like him calling it G-Mansfield, like he was some colonial explorer who found the mountain.

 

[noreasterbackcountry]

...like he was some colonial explorer who found the mountain.

Magua will wipe the seed from the Earth of the next Whitehair who claims colonials "discovered" mountains.

 

[BenedictGomez]

had Hank Greenberg changed the name of Stowe to G-Stowe and put it on a trail map, you'd certainly have an opinion.

If someone changed the name to G-Stowe, I'd have guessed P.Diddy bought it.

 

[dlague]

Their season pass sales may be down (or may not be). But I'm talking about the locals who buy day tickets and are not committed. They will go elsewhere.

And I agree with DHS' comment re: small market. They need to grow their market, not lose market.

Last year we never ski Burke we opted to ski BTW afternoons on Sunday rather than NE Sundays. Likewise RNSE did not have a tour stop there last year.

 

[from_the_NEK]

Via the webcam this morning, it looks like the MBEx has chairs on it and they are spinning it up for testing.

 

[Masskier]

Via the webcam this morning, it looks like the MBEx has chairs on it and they are spinning it up for testing.

I was at mid Burke this AM and some of the ski patrol were practicing chair evacuations

 

[VTKilarney]

I was at mid Burke this AM and some of the ski patrol were practicing chair evacuations

Thanks.


.

 

[Masskier]

Check out the construction progress of the new Hotel; Daily photos from July.

http://www.earthcam.net/projects/qburkemountain/resorthotel/

 

[BenedictGomez]

Check out the construction progress of the new Hotel; Daily photos from July.

http://www.earthcam.net/projects/qburkemountain/resorthotel/

Pretty neat.

And people can use Camera 2 as the, "are they blowing snow" cam.

 

[from_the_NEK]

6+" of heavy dense slop today. It stayed snow all day. Perfect base building snow.

 

[snoseek]

When is opening day?

 

[thetrailboss]

When is opening day?

I think it's this weekend. Has BMA been able to use the Poma yet?


Sent from my iPhone using AlpineZone

 

[VTKilarney]

I think it's this weekend. Has BMA been able to use the Poma yet?


Sent from my iPhone using AlpineZone

There were some photos of BMA using the training hill that were posted about mid-week last week.


.

 

[Masskier]

Yes, The students spent most of November in CO training and returned to Burke on 11/30. Then started training at Burke last Wednesday 12/3.