Bold plan at Balsams

[witch hobble]

http://m.wmur.com/news/balsams-resort-applies-for-snowmaking-water-withdrawal-permit/30438118

 

[dlague]

There has been discussion of this throughout the state. Even where I work, they are in the planning stages regarding electrical demand that will be needed.

 

[billski]

23 lifts? What are they nuts? Someone's got their numbers mixed with trail count, perhaps.

 

[ss20]

23 lifts? What are they nuts? Someone's got their numbers mixed with trail count, perhaps.

No, its just that Otten hasn't learned from the past and is putting his expectations 10 times higher than reality.

I still say if he can get that old double on the main mountain running again it'll be a miracle.

 

[Newpylong]

I think it's nuts considering location but I wish them the best of luck.

 

[VTKilarney]

According to Google it is only 20 minutes farther from Boston than the drive to Sunday River. It's 2:37 from Montreal.

I think the key is that it really needs to be a destination resort. That is going to take a LOT of investment.

 

[deadheadskier]

I was up that way for work a few weeks ago. It's a helluva long ways away, but Colebrook is a charming little town. I have been skeptical of the project, but the area is the same distance from Boston as Sugarloaf is. Obviously the ski terrain is not in the same league. 23 lifts seems crazy. Does Killington even have that now? But, I do think there's potential for tourism to succeed in the area like it once did. Someone just needs to be willing to lose a crap load of money to make it happen.

 

[VTKilarney]

but the area is the same distance from Boston as Sugarloaf is.

And Sugarloaf is over an hour farther from Montreal.

 

[DoublePlanker]

When did tourism ever succeed there? The old owner funded his baby without care of profits.

 

[VTKilarney]

When did tourism ever succeed there? The old owner funded his baby without care of profits.

I wouldn't invest my own money in this project, but I think that the theory is that if they make it into something much bigger then it will be a true destination resort that will draw people in. It's not as crazy as it seems when you look at Sunday River.

 

[doublediamond]

When did tourism ever succeed there? The old owner funded his baby without care of profits.

There were no profits because the old owner and then the trust after he died never reinvested back in the resort save the 2 Partek triples. The hotel was dead tired 20 years ago and it could not keep up with changing habits of guests. There were no TVs in rooms. The rooms themselves were/are tiny. The heating and plumbing weren't good. And not even a dime had been put into it since.

 

[freeski]

I wouldn't invest my own money in this project, but I think that the theory is that if they make it into something much bigger then it will be a true destination resort that will draw people in. It's not as crazy as it seems when you look at Sunday River.

If Les pulls it off and builds a new modern ski area it would really hurt Sunday River. They are only fifty miles apart (I thought they were closer, but everything is far from anything up there). It would also hurt Saddleback and Sugarloaf. There is obviously a limited market for the NE destination resorts. If The Balsams has a large draw and there are a couple of bad snow years one of them could go out of business.

 

[steamboat1]

If Les pulls it off and builds a new modern ski area it would really hurt Sunday River. They are only fifty miles apart (I thought they were closer, but everything is far from anything up there).

Maybe 50 miles as the crow flies but in reality a lot further than that.

I wish them luck up there.

The area actually reminds me of Sunday River.

A wide ridge line with a lot of developable terrain.

No peaks exceptionally high.

One advantage Balsams would have is natural snow.

They'd need some more advanced terrain.

I'm not sure if that's available.

Beautiful corner of the world though.

I'd think it would be a lot more accessable for the ski 93 crowd than anything in ME. Not bad for the ski 91 crowd either.

Access road could use a liitle work.

Yes it's up there.

Part of it's allure.

 

[freeski]

It's fifty miles by road. More like 40 as the crow flies. About 5 years ago I took some time off between jobs and spent a lot of time in Colebrook, NH. There is a good road that goes to Sunday River (that I had never been on). It goes through Dixville Notch were the Balsams is and Grafton Notch. It is beautiful. I remember being at Screw Auger Falls in Grafton Notch and thinking, this blows the Basin in Franconia Notch away. There is Goose Eye and Old Speck Mts, 3rd highest in Maine, which are great hiking (not as crowded as the Whites). You are correct the Balsams is easily accessible from 93. I hope they can pull it off also. When I was up there they were getting ready to close the Balsams and there was a great deal of concern over how it would hurt the economy. I also learned never try to drink with lumberjacks.

 

[steamboat1]

It's fifty miles by road. More like 40 as the crow flies. About 5 years ago I took some time off between jobs and spent a lot of time in Colebrook, NH. There is a good road that goes to Sunday River (that I had never been on). It goes through Dixville Notch were the Balsams is and Grafton

Didn't know about that road. I was thinking you'd have to drive down to Lancaster then across on rt. 2

 

[ThinkSnow]

Previous thread on this subject:
http://forums.alpinezone.com/showth...-up-with-ski-industry-legend-Les-Otten/page13

Thanks for the updates.