Gunstock NH Master Plan: 31 New Trails, 4 New Lifts

[ne_skier]

Following record ski visits and on the heels of major developments at Loon and Bretton Woods as well as a potential Sunapee expansion, Gunstock presented a "2021 Master Plan", with multiple terrain expansions alongside 4 new lifts for existing terrain and future terrain. Skiable acreage will nearly double as a result of this, and skier visits are expected to nearly double as well. All of this comes with a $45.5M price tag.

Gunstock Presents $45.5 Million Expansion Proposal - NewEnglandSkiIndustry.com

 

[Newpylong]

Hopefully those are just notional trail alignments. They would make Sel Hannah turn in his grave.

 

[deadheadskier]

Hopefully those are just notional trail alignments. They would make Sel Hannah turn in his grave.

One of my best friends from my ski bum days in Stowe is the great grandson of Sel. Kinda interesting that the two trails in New England named after Sel at Okemo and Waterville are fairly boring straight and short runs. At least at Okemo it's a primary bump run.

The Western flank terrain would be a really nice addition. Add some much needed steeper pitches. The rest is mostly more of the low level cruising terrain they are known for now. The stuff off the East side has been talked about since at least 2012 when I had a pass there. Skied with the marketing director then and it was one of their future wish list items to take some traffic away from the front of the mountain

 

[ss20]

So Gunstock would grow to having 3 separate 1,100ft+ vertical pods. That's some pretty impressive terrain for NH. Certainly would blow Sunapee out of the water and be on par with Loon and Bretton Woods right around the 400 acre mark.

 

[Bostonian]

Very excited to see the Master Plan... Should be interesting to see how this progresses, especially with a County Delegation that has been less than keen on it.

 

[thetrailboss]

Very impressive. I also see that they have three spots for hotels--or at least potential sites. It will be interesting to see if this comes to fruition.

 

[ceo]

Hopefully those are just notional trail alignments. They would make Sel Hannah turn in his grave.

The Alpine Ridge and Eastside expansions might have some interesting terrain, looking at the topography, but the backside pod looks like a complete yawner.

 

[thebigo]

Was there any mention how gunstock plans to obtain forty five million dollars?

 

[speden]

I used to ski Gunstock quite a bit so I wish them well. They were often pretty crowded so I think they could use some extra capacity even if some of the new terrain won't be that exciting. I remember a couple of trail chokepoints that could get nasty on busy days.

 

[Edd]

Was there any mention how gunstock plans to obtain forty five million dollars?

It would be bank loans. However, the Gunstock Area Commission requires the approval of the Belknap County Delegation to take out such loans. If approved, Gunstock repays the loans as any business would.

The likelihood of the current members of the delegation approving large loans of this nature is in question. It may take a shakeup of the delegation to move the plans forward.

 

[Smellytele]

At one time didn't there used to be a lift that went to the top of the alpine ridge area where the penny Pitou lift is now? That was where they had an alpine slide as well - I think.

 

[Dickc]

At one time didn't there used to be a lift that went to the top of the alpine ridge area where the penny Pitou lift is now? That was where they had an alpine slide as well - I think.

https://skimap.org/data/342/7/1217789040.jpg I remember skiing that single chair! It was an American Wire and Cable corp chair like Stowe's single.

 

[ne_skier]

Being built in 1937, it was the first chairlift in Eastern North America. Just one year before, Union Pacific Railroad alongside American Steel and Wire installed the first two chairlifts in the world at Sun Valley. It was followed by other early New England lifts, notably the first Cannon Tram, Cranmore's Skimobile, and Pico T-Bar. In 1941, the second chairlift in New England was installed at Stowe.
It looks as though the lift carried its last riders in 1977, with the trail pod and lift being abandoned and eventually removed in 1980

 

[Smellytele]

Being built in 1937, it was the first chairlift in Eastern North America. Just one year before, Union Pacific Railroad alongside American Steel and Wire installed the first two chairlifts in the world at Sun Valley. It was followed by other early New England lifts, notably the first Cannon Tram, Cranmore's Skimobile, and Pico T-Bar. In 1941, the second chairlift in New England was installed at Stowe.
It looks as though the lift carried its last riders in 1977, with the trail pod and lift being abandoned and eventually removed in 1980

I know they had a alpine slide and thought it was over there. Not sure how you got to the top of it.

 

[Smellytele]

So figured out the alpine slide thing…

Mount Rowe/Alpine Ridge Ski Area

 

[Cobbold]

Being built in 1937, it was the first chairlift in Eastern North America. Just one year before, Union Pacific Railroad alongside American Steel and Wire installed the first two chairlifts in the world at Sun Valley. It was followed by other early New England lifts, notably the first Cannon Tram, Cranmore's Skimobile, and Pico T-Bar. In 1941, the second chairlift in New England was installed at Stowe.
It looks as though the lift carried its last riders in 1977, with the trail pod and lift being abandoned and eventually removed in 1980

Sunvalley / Union Pacific invented the chairlift, in 1936, that’s why cranmore had the skimobile, they did not want to pay royalties to Union Pacific/sunvalley so cranmore flipped it up side down essential.

 

[deadheadskier]

Edd recommended I listen to a recent Storm Skiing Podcast with Tom Day. Pretty good and dealt a lot with the recent turmoil and future plans.

Podcast #168: Gunstock Mountain President & GM Tom Day

Reflecting on one of the most eventful four-year periods in Gunstock (or any ski area's) history.

www.stormskiing.com

Sounds like the West and Alpine Ridge components of the Master Plan will be scrapped, but they're going to redo the plan and the East expansion behind Pistol can and might happen. The goal is to get to about 240k skier visits and it is believed that they need to expand to get there. They've grown from 170 to 220 already in the past five years. Increased revenue from about $12M to $20M during that time too.

 

[2Planker]

There was also mention of a Casino at one of the proposed hotels

 

[1dog]

Has this and other NH ( ski area) projects been approved or completed? I'm curious to know what the comparison of expansion projects in NH to VT might be. Is it regulation that hinders or local opposition?
All kinds of not comparable stats I'll assume ( National Forest/Feds/state or local regs, etc.).

I found this that was debated on another string regarding expansion in Europe as compared to US ski areas:

https://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2024/04/the-daily-chart-stagnating-regulation.php

The comment section has a lot of good opposition to this particular subject, worth checking out if you look at short piece.

 

[doublediamond]

This is county owned on county owned land. There will be very little regulatory hurdles other than getting the approval of the Trumpian Gunstock Commission.

Some areas are on federal land, yes. They can get more public blowback like the South Peak expansion at Loon that was tied up for years.

Access to water, development rules, etc. a lot more lax in ME and NH than VT.