Environmental Damage at Cannon Mountain Ski Area

[threecy]

While this was first reported during HB2 State Senate hearings this spring, photos are now being published online of environmental damage related to the Mittersill expansion project.

Above the lift:





Lift access:





"Under pressure from state elected officials, Cannon Mountain Ski Area has begun to attempt to fix some of the issues. It remains to be seen if the damage already incurred can be corrected and at what cost to the state."

 

[jimmywilson69]

that looks like typical erosion that happens when a construction project finishes in the winter and no one comes back to stabilize the site in the spring. Is it damage to the site? yes, is it unfixable environmental damage? NO. Unless there is some sort of high quality stream at the bottom that has collected tons and tons of silt.

 

[thetrailboss]

that looks like typical erosion that happens when a construction project finishes in the winter and no one comes back to stabilize the site in the spring. Is it damage to the site? yes, is it unfixable environmental damage? NO. Unless there is some sort of high quality stream at the bottom that has collected tons and tons of silt.

+ 1. We're not talking about the next Deepwater Horizon or anything here. Just looks like some site erosion that will be easily fixed.

 

[jimmywilson69]

It should be repaired, I'm certainly not questioning that. And it should be repaiared immediately. I'm suprised that the state run environmental agency didn't see this in the spring, when they would've had to have their final inspection for the permit's. then again, that would be a state agency calling out a state agency...

Calling it "environmental damage" is probably a little bit of a stretch, IMO.

 

[Trekchick]

It should be repaired, I'm certainly not questioning that. And it should be repaiared immediately. I'm suprised that the state run environmental agency didn't see this in the spring, when they would've had to have their final inspection for the permit's. then again, that would be a state agency calling out a state agency...

Calling it "environmental damage" is probably a little bit of a stretch, IMO.

X2

Having been in the construction business for 25 years, I can say that sites often look like that before the "finished project" is complete.
Its hard to believe that Cannon's intent was to leave it like that.

Makes me wonder if they ticked someone off, someone who has enough clout to go after them.

 

[deadheadskier]

Didn't a private company install the lift? Shouldn't they be responsible for environmental repairs?

 

[thetrailboss]

Didn't a private company install the lift? Shouldn't they be responsible for environmental repairs?

I bet you that the contractor is on the hook, but the permit was in the ski area's name, so the ski area probably is responsible to the state.

 

[threecy]

There are more pictures to be posted which, in my opinion, are worse.

The photos posted thus far, aside from the stream sedimentation upper mountain moss damage, show stuff that can probably be fixed.

I don't believe the damage is from the lift contractor. The lift line was mostly hayed and is growing grass. Virtually every indication is that Doppelmayr-CTEC did a good job.

 

[jimmywilson69]

so was it Cannon maintenance that was driving heavy equipment up the trail and access road as the linked site says?

Since the areas in question are either ski slopes or access roads, erosion repair should be fairly easy to accomplish. They need to get some temporary rye grass seeded on then ASAP to stop any additional erosion, then in the fall get some top soil moved around and seeded with a permanent seed mixture and stabilized with erosion control blanket.

 

[SIKSKIER]

X2

Having been in the construction business for 25 years, I can say that sites often look like that before the "finished project" is complete.
Its hard to believe that Cannon's intent was to leave it like that.

Makes me wonder if they ticked someone off, someone who has enough clout to go after them.

Probably somebody posting in this thread.

 

[Puck it]

Those are pics of the widened Taft trial above the lift. Correct? If so, that work of widening was done the year before the lift install.

 

[millerm277]

As a note to everyone, threecy/rocket21 is quoting himself, and linking to his own website.

Not that he's necessarily always wrong/right, just this isn't some outside site with definite credibility, and he has a pretty clear bias against state operation of the mountain. (As his website shows).

 

[threecy]

As a note to everyone, threecy/rocket21 is quoting himself, and linking to his own website.

Not that he's necessarily always wrong/right, just this isn't some outside site with definite credibility.

I am not the only person involved with this project. I'm the only person posting on ski forums about it, though.

 

[deadheadskier]

Is that your website threecy?

 

[threecy]

Is that your website threecy?

I'm doing the 1990s vintage HTML, yes.

 

[deadheadskier]

Is there a reason why this needs a separate thread from the Cannon Lease thread?

 

[threecy]

Is there a reason why this needs a separate thread from the Cannon Lease thread?

I created a separate thread because it's not a financial-lease type thing. Also, that thread is way too long and frankly too difficult to keep track of at this point.

 

[UVSHTSTRM]

Threecy, while I have not always agreed with your view points, I have always respected and appreciated the way you present things (as far as can be done via internet posts). However my question in regards to this is what am I exactly suppose to be appalled at when looking at these pictures? What makes this a Cannon thing? We had some very good snow this year, and we followed that up with some really bad rains. I am guessing other resorts within the NE have had similar issues. Shouldn't this type of small erosion be expected? My other point of intrest is the fact that you clearly have it out for Cannon (in regards to leasing), so would leasing the ski area have prevented this erosion? Shouldn't you instead be opposed to any ski facility being located at Cannon? Finally, on my way up to Stowe/Smugglers notch this weekend we passed through several Gaps and saw tons of washouts along the sides of the road that made the pictures that you have provided (so far) look like childs play.

 

[deadheadskier]

I created a separate thread because it's not a financial-lease type thing. Also, that thread is way too long and frankly too difficult to keep track of at this point.

This thread is not an attack on State run Cannon Mountain with it's link to a Pro-lease website?

really?

 

[threecy]

What makes this a Cannon thing? We had some very good snow this year, and we followed that up with some really bad rains. I am guessing other resorts within the NE have had similar issues. Shouldn't this type of small erosion be expected?

The damage was present early this spring and has continued to increase. I have walked access roads at Sugarbush, Waterville, etc. this spring and summer - not such issues. One of the big problems on the Cannon access road is that machines were driven through water bar berms without repairing them.