CATAMOUNT: The Alpine Zone Ski Area Challenge, Vol II

[thetrailboss]

Jason Barrett, the Marketing Coordinator at Catamount Ski Area, has agreed to take the AlpineZone Ski Area Challenge! This is your chance to get official answers to your ski-related questions direct from a Northeast ski resort representative! Please post some suggested questions in this thread and we'll select ten to present for official responses.

Also please don't be offended if we edit/change your question for grammar, tone, or some other minor thing. In order to get in all of the questions we MAY merge some questions but we'll do our best to keep the substance of your question. If we don't get your question in, feel free to post a follow up after we get the results...we are encouraging the representatives follow the threads. :wink:

As always, please be respectful of Jason and keep it civil. Also, please refrain from asking specifics about skier visit numbers, financials, demographic information, etc. Catamount needs to be discrete about certain information.

Ask away!

 

[thetrailboss]

OK, HERE are Jason's responses from last year and HERE are some items that might help you.

Go get 'em

 

[bvibert]

Are there going to be any expansions for the next season, or any planned in the future?

Are there any plans to replace or upgrade any of the lifts?

 

[Greg]

Oooh. I've been waiting for this one...

Are there any plans to replace or upgrade any of the lifts?

I'd like to expand on this question a bit. I heard a rumor that the blue double that services the summit was going to be replaced with a quad. Can you confirm or deny?

There seems to be a thinned out area below Ali's Alley visible from the torquoise double. Do you maintain this off-the-trailmap glade?

Are you able to cut any more advanced terrain off Ridge Run? If so, is this in any future plans?

I applaud you guys for the dedicated bumps on Off-Stage and skier's right of Upper and Lower Glade. Will you be expanding the mogul offerings to any other trails?

I was rather shocked to hear you were no longer offering night skiing during a visit at the end of March last season. When do you usually cease night skiing operations? I didn't arrive to the mountain until after 2 PM that day and was planning to ski into the evening, but you guys closed at 4 PM. There was no mention of this on your ski report.

 

[thetrailboss]

I've seen a lot of your ads and understand that you are one of the few ski areas that operate in two states. How does this impact operations from a legal, planning, taxation, and regulatory perspective?

 

[bvibert]

I'd like to expand on this question a bit. I heard a rumor that the blue double that services the summit was going to be replaced with a quad. Can you confirm or deny?

Greg, The Catamount website shows a pic from 7/22/05 on their webcam page that shows a new lift being constructed. The caption calls it the "Meadows Triple", I can't tell where it is, but it looks kinda like the area where the torquoise chair is/was

 

[Greg]

I'd like to expand on this question a bit. I heard a rumor that the blue double that services the summit was going to be replaced with a quad. Can you confirm or deny?

Greg, The Catamount website shows a pic from 7/22/05 on their webcam page that shows a new lift being constructed. The caption calls it the "Meadows Triple", I can't tell where it is, but it looks kinda like the area where the torquoise chair is/was

Oh God. :roll: I hope not! That's the lamest terrain on the mountain. Nice looking lift though...

 

[bvibert]

Oh God. :roll: I hope not! That's the lamest terrain on the mountain. Nice looking lift though...

I think thats the only lift that goes through the trees like the picture shows... Unless its in a new location that was previously cleared...

 

[thetrailboss]

So is that a "new" lift or is it a re-located lift? Looks like the latter...either a C-TEC base or an old Riblet base.

 

[Greg]

Their home page says, "The Meadows Triple Chair will be replacing the Mountain View Double Chair". Their trail map doesn't specify lift names, but the intermediate trail that torquoise lift serviced is called "Mountain View" so that mus be it. Lame. They need to get a better lift going to the summit...

 

[bvibert]

Yeah, it sure doesn't look like a "new" lift does it? If it is re-located then its from another mountain...

 

[bvibert]

Their home page says, "The Meadows Triple Chair will be replacing the Mountain View Double Chair". Their trail map doesn't specify lift names, but the intermediate trail that torquoise lift serviced is called "Mountain View" so that mus be it. Lame. They need to get a better lift going to the summit...

Guess I should have scrolled down on the home page... :roll: Looks like thats the lift...

 

[skijay]

I thought I read / heard somewhere that you were planning on building a hotel near the base area parking lot. Is that true?

 

[thetrailboss]

Can you provide us with any details about the new chairlift (i.e. make, where it came from, who is doing the work)?

Any plans for lift work to the summit?

Few more questions and we're done.

 

[skizilla]

Old roads new trails

I have poached what appears to be a logging road or old trail off of sidewinder. It goes from sidewinder to the main lift area through the woods. Though it lack snowmaking and is a little tight without much work at all it could become an excellent little trail. Other areass are what appears to be aa small glade on the left hand side just under the lift with a mid station. This area is very skiable right now, but is not official and I was yelled at once for hitting it. Also under the main lift up top are a couple roads or trails that with a little skating look very doable. My point is I can think of at least three areas that with little or no work could becaome viable terrrain or natuyral conditions terrain. Are there any plans to make this or other logging/ access roads trails new trails or to ease access rules.

 

[tjd]

A few Q's for Catamout

1) I love the season pass bargains at catamout. I got passes for the whole family (5 passes in all) in march for less than the price of 1 pass at some bigger resorts up in VT. How are you able to keep the prices down on Passes ?

2) The lodge is often crowded with people's bags taking up table space. Any plans to (a) increase lodge space or (b) improve the useage of the existing space ? Provide more storage space ? more seating ?

3) Are there any discounts available for the children's ski school if they are season pass holders ?

4) Any chance of expanding the time that daycare is open ? (earlier)

5) What are the future plans for lift improvements for some of the more advanced terrain ?

6) Any plans to open up more of the mountain beyond Sidewinder ? (to the right of it on the trail map)

7) What is the schedle on Night skiing ?

8) What are your anticipated dates of operation in 05/06 ?

9) Is the Mountian open for hiking in the summer ? So we can check out some of the trails in the off season...

maybe i'll stop here - turned out to be more q's then I thought...


---

Also - the new lift is replacing #5 on the trail map

http://www.catamountski.com/trailmap.htm

 

[thetrailboss]

Great questions! This is closing at noon.

 

[bvibert]

Re: A few Q's for Catamout

Also - the new lift is replacing #5 on the trail map

Thanks, thats what we figured, doesn't seem like the best choice to replace first...

Here's one more question:

Is the new Meadows Triple going to have a mid-station?

 

[threecy]

When buying a used lift, you're limited to the power of the drive terminal (unless you decide to replace it, which ends up bringing you closer to what it would cost to buy new), thus it is likely to conclude the lift they purchased wasn't powerful enough to make it to the summit, hence its use on the smaller area.

 

[thetrailboss]

OK, closing this at noon.