LiftBlog Reports that Smuggs and Stowe are Exploring an Interconnect Gondola

[BodeMiller1]

Below is a list of resorts from the Whistler - Blackcomb site. The site used to have a map comparing the skiable acreage to other North American resorts. It's not there any longer. This holding company has control over way too much land. Even though all of the holdings are not in the United States it seems like they have a oligopoly (which is okay until "they" have too much pricing power). Everyone in the world is saying Google needs to shed YouTube (I don't care one way or the other). Butt, I do care about this.

This is a clear violation of The Sherman Antitrust Act.

The Antitrust Laws

www.justice.gov

OUR RESORTS

• ROCKIES
  Vail, opens in a new window
  Beaver Creek, opens in a new window
  Breckenridge, opens in a new window
  Park City, opens in a new window
  Keystone, opens in a new window
  Crested Butte, opens in a new window
• WEST
  Heavenly, opens in a new window
  Northstar, opens in a new window
  Kirkwood, opens in a new window
  Stevens Pass, opens in a new window
• NORTHEAST
  Stowe, opens in a new window
  Okemo, opens in a new window
  Mount Snow, opens in a new window
  Hunter, opens in a new window
  Attitash, opens in a new window
  Wildcat, opens in a new window
  Mount Sunapee, opens in a new window
  Crotched, opens in a new window
• MID-ATLANTIC
  Liberty, opens in a new window
  Roundtop, opens in a new window
  Whitetail, opens in a new window
  Jack Frost, opens in a new window
  Big Boulder, opens in a new window
  Hidden Valley PA, opens in a new window
  Laurel Mountain, opens in a new window
  Seven Springs, opens in a new window
• MIDWEST
  Wilmot, opens in a new window
  Afton Alps, opens in a new window
  Mt Brighton, opens in a new window
  Alpine Valley, opens in a new window
  Boston Mills, opens in a new window
  Brandywine, opens in a new window
  Mad River Mountain, opens in a new window
  Hidden Valley, opens in a new window
  Snow Creek, opens in a new window
  Paoli Peaks, opens in a new window
• CANADA
  Whistler Blackcomb, opens in a new window
• AUSTRALIA
  Perisher, opens in a new window
  Falls Creek, opens in a new window
  Hotham

 

[tumbler]

This is an awful story- the legal damage from this might force something

3-year-old suffers life-threatening injuries at Smugglers’ Notch Resort

Police say a three-year-old boy is fighting for his life after an accident at Smugglers’ Notch Resort Thursday afternoon.

www.wcax.com

 

[ss20]

This is an awful story- the legal damage from this might force something

3-year-old suffers life-threatening injuries at Smugglers’ Notch Resort

Police say a three-year-old boy is fighting for his life after an accident at Smugglers’ Notch Resort Thursday afternoon.

www.wcax.com

Wow that's awful news.

Legally sounds like this will be 100% on Smuggler's Notch. Grate failure in the pool and the poor kid got sucked in? Can't really wrap my head around it.

 

[BenedictGomez]

The kid died.

Vermont 3-year-old dies after falling into water storage tank near splash pad

A 3-year-old Vermont boy has died after falling into a water storage tank near a splash pad during a summer camp at Smugglers’ Notch Resort last week. Vermont State Police said the boy, identified as Tate Holtzman, of Cambridge, died at the University of Vermont Medical Center in Burlington over...

www.necn.com

 

[ThatGuy]

That’s devastating, his poor family

 

[djd66]

Awful news. Makes me want to hug and kiss my kids as I can’t imagine going through that as a parent.

 

[urungus]

Could gondola linking Smugglers’ Notch, Stowe help keep Smuggs independent?

A proposed gondola between Smugglers' Notch and Stowe has prompted cheers from some and jeers from others. Our Calvin Cutler takes a look at the controversy and the economic forces driving the idea.

www.wcax.com

 

[cdskier]

Could gondola linking Smugglers’ Notch, Stowe help keep Smuggs independent?

A proposed gondola between Smugglers' Notch and Stowe has prompted cheers from some and jeers from others. Our Calvin Cutler takes a look at the controversy and the economic forces driving the idea.

www.wcax.com

"Smugglers’ Notch Resort, the last independently owned ski resort in Vermont, is fighting for its life, and they say a proposed gondola connecting Smuggs and Stowe is their lifeline."

Eh?

 

[2planks2coasts]

"Smugglers’ Notch Resort, the last independently owned ski resort in Vermont, is fighting for its life, and they say a proposed gondola connecting Smuggs and Stowe is their lifeline."

Eh?

Yeah. That's gotta be news to Bolton, S6, Burke and Magic

 

[cdskier]

Yeah. That's gotta be news to Bolton, S6, Burke and Magic

Throw MRG in there too...and I'd consider Middlebury independent as well.

 

[BenedictGomez]

Could eating cheesecake, help keep you skinny?

 

[raisingarizona]

One could argue that it’s the last independent ski “resort” and the others are more appropriately categorized as ski areas but whatever, the media gets things wrong or slightly off in just about every article out there.

The enviro nuts are going to resist for sure but in reality it would likely have beneficial impacts on automobile use in that area. That’s a fun card to pull on the Sierra clubbers.

One thing that is for sure, even if killington has a larger footprint than a combined Stowe and Smuggs is that a new beast of the east will be claiming that title.

 

[cdskier]

One could argue that it’s the last independent ski “resort” and the others are more appropriately categorized as ski areas but whatever, the media gets things wrong or slightly off in just about every article out there.

The enviro nuts are going to resist for sure but in reality it would likely have beneficial impacts on automobile use in that area. That’s a fun card to pull on the Sierra clubbers.

One thing that is for sure, even if killington has a larger footprint than a combined Stowe and Smuggs is that a new beast of the east will be claiming that title.

I thought about the "resort" vs "area" distinction, but if you watch the video, they actually say "last independently owned ski area" instead of resort. So the text in the article doesn't even match exactly what was said on air in the video.

I also think the distinction between "resort" and "area" is a bit blurry anyway. What makes an "area" a "resort"? I'd say one criteria is lodging, but several of the other independents that were mentioned do have that. Activities other than skiing? Again, others have that. So who knows what they were really going for. The criteria would have to be extremely narrow and specific for Smuggs to be the "last" of it.

 

[ThatGuy]

I also think the distinction between "resort" and "area" is a bit blurry anyway. What makes an "area" a "resort"? I'd say one criteria is lodging, but several of the other independents that were mentioned do have that. Activities other than skiing? Again, others have that. So who knows what they were really going for. The criteria would have to be extremely narrow and specific for Smuggs to be the "last" of it.

I feel like one distinction could be whether there is adequate amenities/entertainment for non-skiers/boarders in the close vicinity.
So somewhere like a Jiminy Peak can be considered a resort while Catamount isn’t.

 

[jimmywilson69]

There is Zero chance this gets approved...

They wouldn't let Vale build a parking lot for Christ sake...

 

[cdskier]

There is Zero chance this gets approved...

They wouldn't let Vale build a parking lot for Christ sake...

I agree this isn't likely to be approved too easily...but the challenges getting the parking lot approved are completely irrelevant and different. Wasn't that the town that rejected that plan? And I tend to think the concerns with that weak attempt at a parking solution were valid. But they have nothing to do with the interconnect's chances. With the interconnect, it is more ACT 250 and the fact that you want to use state forest land for the project where the challenges will be...

So "they" is two different entities in this case...

 

[BenedictGomez]

There is Zero chance this gets approved...

They wouldn't let Vale build a parking lot for Christ sake...

I mostly agree, with the strong caveat that Vermont is extremely corrupt politically.

 

[jimmywilson69]

I agree this isn't likely to be approved too easily...but the challenges getting the parking lot approved are completely irrelevant and different. Wasn't that the town that rejected that plan? And I tend to think the concerns with that weak attempt at a parking solution were valid. But they have nothing to do with the interconnect's chances. With the interconnect, it is more ACT 250 and the fact that you want to use state forest land for the project where the challenges will be...

So "they" is two different entities in this case...

Yes but if the Town wanted this to help with traffic an what not, can't they have an influence on Act 250 or is it completely separate?

While a weak attempt at the parking fiasco, it was at least something and it was silly to not approve it because the one thing they need is more parking. So instead the skiing community gets paid parking. Which I get was likely coming anyways...

I think it'd be pretty obvious if this gets approved that there would be a payoff...

 

[Hawk]

I mostly agree, with the strong caveat that Vermont is extremely corrupt politically.

I have owned in VT for 15 years and pay pretty good attention to the politics up here. What makes you say the poitics are corrupt? I mean compaired to the other states that surround VT I get the impression that VT is the least corrupt.

 

[urungus]

I have owned in VT for 15 years and pay pretty good attention to the politics up here. What makes you say the poitics are corrupt? I mean compaired to the other states that surround VT I get the impression that VT is the least corrupt.

To start there’s the whole Jay Peak / Burke EB5 fiasco. But I’m of the opinion that politics are corrupt everywhere, VT state politics can’t be more corrupt than NY or NJ ?