- Joined
- Jul 1, 2001
- Messages
- 31,154
- Points
- 0
They plan to open for the weekend and then close Mon-Wed of next week.
-
Welcome to AlpineZone, the largest online community of skiers and snowboarders in the Northeast!
You may have to REGISTER before you can post. Registering is FREE, gets rid of the majority of advertisements, and lets you participate in giveaways and other AlpineZone events!
Jiminy starts over
- Thread starter Greg
- Start date
threecy
New member
Berkshire East has started making snow today also
- Joined
- Jul 1, 2001
- Messages
- 31,154
- Points
- 0
What a difference a day makes:
I've seen a constant band of snow showers over the area since yesterday. Every little bits helps!
I've seen a constant band of snow showers over the area since yesterday. Every little bits helps!
- Joined
- Jul 1, 2001
- Messages
- 31,154
- Points
- 0
They had 220 guns going last night. Pretty impressive for a ski area that size...
highpeaksdrifter
New member
theguy10
New member
Its funny that you say that. Here in the Berkshires, Brian Fairbank is not well regarded BECAUSE of the extra development and closing of Brodie.
highpeaksdrifter
New member
I can see why Berkshire locals would feel that way, but you have to admit the guy knows what he is doing.
highpeaksdrifter
New member
IMO that is a good comparison. Jiminy will never have the amount of terrain as Stratton because of the size of the mountain they have to deal with. Jiminy makes the most out of what they have to work with, which is something I've always admired about the place.
- Joined
- Jul 1, 2001
- Messages
- 31,154
- Points
- 0
Totally. Jiminy is the closest thing to a destination resort in the Berks. The mountain gets slammed here sometimes, but I like it. Great snowmaking, manageable crowds, fantastic lift system, decent pitch, nice facilities. For early season (i.e. December) skiing in the Berks, it's tough to beat. It's also a good night skiing option.For early/late skiing in the Berks or if you prefer mostly groomers, head to Jiminy. When the Berks get dumped on (and they do sometimes) head to Berkshire East for much better natural skiing terrain (best in SNE by far). Both great mountain; just very different.
theguy10
New member
And One More Day:
Its amazing what can be done in 2 days. They can open the 22 main trails with 168 hours of snowmaking.
Its amazing what can be done in 2 days. They can open the 22 main trails with 168 hours of snowmaking.
Chris I
New member
I strongly disagreed with the closing of Brodie, but the great condition they keep Jiminy in is worth it.
Plus im sure you could still hike brodie, probably make it up in just a few minutes longer than those lifts could get you up.;-)
220 guns to be blazing today, a mountain record... props to them
Plus im sure you could still hike brodie, probably make it up in just a few minutes longer than those lifts could get you up.;-)
220 guns to be blazing today, a mountain record... props to them
- Joined
- Jul 1, 2001
- Messages
- 31,154
- Points
- 0
I don't like to see any mountain close, but IMHO, Brodie kinda sucked. Even if it was still open, I'd be skiing Jiminy.
theguy10
New member
That is a great Idea, last time I was driving by on RT 7 I did notice that they are keeping it well mowed. I wonder if Snowy Owl Resort would mind hikers? It would guarantee some solo powder on the couple days we get more than a foot.
highpeaksdrifter
New member
What's the deal with Snowy Owl Resort? When will they open lifts for their members? Is that the plan?
theguy10
New member
Right now its just a resort, I haven't heard anything about reopening the slopes. They will need to do major lift work. When Brodie was still open, the equipment was so rare that they were buying parts to fix the constantly breaking lift from some guy's barn because he had an old similar lift in there but they didn't know where else to go. He was ripping Brodie off so they got fed up and sold to Fairbanks.
Chris I
New member
I agree with you opinion on mountains closing, and agree that it kinda sucked especially their lifts that seemed to crawl up the hill. Didn't they make green snow for St. Patrick's day?
Newpylong
Well-known member
I grew up skiing at Brodie. Here are some pictures from the place when I hiked this September: http://s106.photobucket.com/albums/m248/newpylong/
Plenty of NO tresspassing signs I would be careful skiing. As you can see, the lifts are falling apart and so is the infrastructure, and it was falling apart for years before they closed. I don't see them opening up without new lifts.
There is some displeasure with the closing of the mountain here, but most people have moved on. The Kelly's spent zero dollars on the place and everyone knows it. Like you said, when the place was open, most people went to Jiminy anyway.
As for that mountain, there is no denying what they are have done with the place. Fairbanks knows his market and he has invested time and time again and has done a great job. Night skiing there is great.... They have some SERIOUS snowmaking capacity as well.
Plenty of NO tresspassing signs I would be careful skiing. As you can see, the lifts are falling apart and so is the infrastructure, and it was falling apart for years before they closed. I don't see them opening up without new lifts.
There is some displeasure with the closing of the mountain here, but most people have moved on. The Kelly's spent zero dollars on the place and everyone knows it. Like you said, when the place was open, most people went to Jiminy anyway.
As for that mountain, there is no denying what they are have done with the place. Fairbanks knows his market and he has invested time and time again and has done a great job. Night skiing there is great.... They have some SERIOUS snowmaking capacity as well.
threecy
New member
I don't think lift parts were the main reason Brodie was sold...don't forget that Partek was still in business back then (they had a few Borvig lifts along with the Carlevaro). I find Brodie to be somewhat comparable to Butternut in terms of their terrain (though Brodie skied a bit bigger).
drjeff
Well-known member
The thing that many folks may forget, is that what Jiminy has become today, is the result of all the hard work and visionary dreams of Brian Fairbanks over a 20 year period. This evolution of the "Jiminy Product" really started in the mid/late 80's, and has proceded at a very reasonable pace. And while they have put alot of $$$ into base area development and real estate, they haven't forgotten that its the snow that drives most of the $$$ that they generate each year.
I remember a banner that Jiminy back in the upstairs of the old base lodge in the mid 80's when I took the instructor training course they offered. Verbatim the banner read "if Disney can do it, then by Jiminy we can too!" with a picture of Jiminy cricket on the banner. This determination from the top of the compnay on down and realizing and sticking too the idea that the snow quality comes first. You could draw many parallels between what Les Otten did with the evolution of Sunday River back in the late 70's/80's, before he formed first LBO and then bought SKI Ltd and eventually became ASC, to what Brian Fairbanks has done with Jiminy. Now if he wants to expand his product lets hope its in the way f the Muellers as opoosed to the overly aggressive ASC style.
Similar threads
