Major West Mtn Plans: High Speed Lift, Real Estate, More

[BenedictGomez]

Spencer Montgomery

That's like a fictitious name that liberal Hollywood uses to demonize all rich people as being evil in...... well..... pretty much every movie since..... ever.

 

[deadheadskier]

That's crazy. Either your company needs to pay better, or this dude is like Warren Buffett living in the same modest home since the 1950s. I'm a frugal guy, and even I cant understand the (extreme) frugality of some folks sometimes. To each his/her own I guess, but as one of my favorite Jewish sayings goes, "shrouds dont have pockets".

Depending on how well our region does for the year he makes between $400-600k. Just digs Northwestern Jersey and wants nothing to do with property maintenance anymore. Pretty nice 2800 square foot condo.

 

[ne_skier]

But from what I understand Vermont treats 2nd homeowners rough, with no lube, and prison style, so I'm not even sure that's an option.

What ever came of that thing from last April with Vermont trying to restrict people from operating their properties as rental properties/AirBNBs? Did that go through? If so, what does it actually do?

 

[drjeff]

What ever came of that thing from last April with Vermont trying to restrict people from operating their properties as rental properties/AirBNBs? Did that go through? If so, what does it actually do?

Never advanced out of the discussion phase

 

[x10003q]

West could be tapping into the 'work from home' path we are on right now. Glens Falls is the last stop of suburbia before you enter the Adirondack Park. The winter and summer outdoor rec possibilities are awesome. Living slopeside at West could be an interesting move for a family or empty nesters without giving up all the conveniences they are used having in the metro areas stretching from Boston to Washington. Now, instead of the Friday night slog North to a ski area, you can just walk out your door and get some runs in. For bigger areas, Gore is 45 minutes, Pico is 1:30, killington a little further, Bromley/Stratton/Magic is 1:30-1:45, and Whiteface is 1:50. Houses in the neighborhood at the base of West are 400K and up.

If they are capitalized properly, this might work, not as a second home, but as a primary residence.

 

[ss20]

West could be tapping into the 'work from home' path we are on right now. Glens Falls is the last stop of suburbia before you enter the Adirondack Park. The winter and summer outdoor rec possibilities are awesome. Living slopeside at West could be an interesting move for a family or empty nesters without giving up all the conveniences they are used having in the metro areas stretching from Boston to Washington. Now, instead of the Friday night slog North to a ski area, you can just walk out your door and get some runs in. For bigger areas, Gore is 45 minutes, Pico is 1:30, killington a little further, Bromley/Stratton/Magic is 1:30-1:45, and Whiteface is 1:50. Houses in the neighborhood at the base of West are 400K and up.

If they are capitalized properly, this might work, not as a second home, but as a primary residence.

I still don't see it. Living at West is convenient because you're still in civilization? It's 20 minutes from the town of Killington to the Rutland Walmart.

And as far as it being a place people can go to because its closer than the major resorts....from any location there's bigger/better mountains with slopeside living options. Jiminy Peak and Windham are as close if not closer than West for people from Albany. And obviously from NYC the Catskills are much closer than West.

 

[abc]

If they are capitalized properly, this might work, not as a second home, but as a primary residence.

^That!

 

[thetrailboss]

I can't speak to West as a destination resort but there is no better example of a mountain that has been well (re)capitalized and has turned itself around. I went to college near Albany and at the time we stopped going there because it was such a dump. It is a much different place today, but still a community mountain. Can't see it as a destination much.

Agreed. We need every ski open to stay open.

 

[Newpylong]

I still don't see it. Living at West is convenient because you're still in civilization? It's 20 minutes from the town of Killington to the Rutland Walmart.

And as far as it being a place people can go to because its closer than the major resorts....from any location there's bigger/better mountains with slopeside living options. Jiminy Peak and Windham are as close if not closer than West for people from Albany. And obviously from NYC the Catskills are much closer than West.

West is easier to get to from anywhere in the Capital District west of the Hudson which is the majority of the metro population. I do think Jiminy has better terrain.

 

[drjeff]

I still don't see it. Living at West is convenient because you're still in civilization? It's 20 minutes from the town of Killington to the Rutland Walmart.

And as far as it being a place people can go to because its closer than the major resorts....from any location there's bigger/better mountains with slopeside living options. Jiminy Peak and Windham are as close if not closer than West for people from Albany. And obviously from NYC the Catskills are much closer than West.

True, however Jiminy and Windham DON'T have the Summer opportunities that Lake George or the Saratoga race track offers 20 minutes from them.

As much as I will admit an inherent bias towards West, as in 1980 it was the 1st mountain I ever rode a chairlift at, and as I mentioned earlier in this thread I don't doubt the principle owner's drive to make things happen (and Spencer and his wife Sara did a very good Storm Skiing Podcast last April where you can get a sense of what I have known) and West since the Montgomeries bought it, has been doing lots of things right, and they have a great location, a great piece of property, and an unlimited snowmaking water source (the Hudson River) going for them

 

[cdskier]

I still don't see it. Living at West is convenient because you're still in civilization? It's 20 minutes from the town of Killington to the Rutland Walmart.

And as far as it being a place people can go to because its closer than the major resorts....from any location there's bigger/better mountains with slopeside living options. Jiminy Peak and Windham are as close if not closer than West for people from Albany. And obviously from NYC the Catskills are much closer than West.

Windham is also ridiculously expensive. A season pass at Windham is $1500 (or $1700 if you go for the "Ultimate" version that includes an Ikon Base pass). A West season pass is $700 right now (and was as low as $500 earlier). While we have no idea what the West properties will go for, I'd expect them to be cheaper than what is available at Windham slopeside (along with obviously more inventory). Right now I see only a few slopeside condos for sale at Windham...and they're around $1M or more.

 

[Killingtime]

Spencer and his wife Sara did a very good Storm Skiing Podcast last April where you can get a sense of what I have known) and West since the Montgomeries bought it, has been doing lots of things right, and they have a great location, a great piece of property, and an unlimited snowmaking water source (the Hudson River) going for them

Listening to it again now. Very ambitious plans. Condos, homes, new lifts and eventually a hotel.

 

[BenedictGomez]

I see only a few slopeside condos for sale at Windham...and they're around $1M or more.

Who buys a condo at Windham for $1M, the wealthy Manhattanite who thinks they love skiing, but doesnt realize that they really dont love skiing?

 

[ss20]

Who buys a condo at Windham for $1M, the wealthy Manhattanite who thinks they love skiing, but doesnt realize that they really dont love skiing?

People who would rather drive 2.5 hours to the Catskills than 4.5 hours to VT?

I never got the argument about "love" for skiing equating to drive time. Everyone has different limits. I love the terrain at Sugarbush more than Killington but the drive time of 3.75 hours to K vs 4.75 to SB (if the Gap is open/good) was my deciding factor of skiing K 90% of the time if I was coming from home. Only once or twice did I drive from CT to Sugarbush in the early AM, and to me, it sucks.

I almost joined a ski club that has a house off of Mt. Ellen, but instead I picked a club with a house in Weston, Vermont. Of course skiing Sugarbush and MRG 30+ days a year is better than the options in SoVt. But for me it wasn't worth the addition 1.5 hour drive each way, all season. Instead I got 30+ days a year at Magic, Okemo, Stratton, Killington, and Pico...and jumped up to MRG/SB when the snow was good but could never do it on a consistent basis.

The people who drive 6+ hours every Friday night from Long Island or Philly... bless their souls. I don't care if they're only skiing the blues at Okemo they've got my respect lol.

 

[cdskier]

Who buys a condo at Windham for $1M, the wealthy Manhattanite who thinks they love skiing, but doesnt realize that they really dont love skiing?

Lots of people including Anthony Scaramucci apparently according to the Windham property tax records I was just browsing through!

 

[cdskier]

People who would rather drive 2.5 hours to the Catskills than 4.5 hours to VT?

I get the drive argument to a point, but even within a limited driving range there must be better options than a $1M condo at Windham. It isn't like Windham is some amazing mountain...

Although the fact that there's demand for things like $1M+ condos at Windham is why I would not at all be surprised to see West be able to successfully sell slope-side condos (assuming they are priced reasonably).

 

[ss20]

I get the drive argument to a point, but even within a limited driving range there must be better options than a $1M condo at Windham. It isn't like Windham is some amazing mountain...

Although the fact that there's demand for things like $1M+ condos at Windham is why I would not at all be surprised to see West be able to successfully sell slope-side condos (assuming they are priced reasonably).

There are few options outside of Windham that are slopeside housing and are close. Jiminy Peak is one. Mountain Creek. I'm not too familiar with PA but they have some successful mountainside residences from my understanding.

My argument against West is that for all the major population centers, West isn't closer than other mountains, and it's smaller. Hence why someone joked about Wachusett adding condos and I mentioned Catamount trying to...it would make some sense as they at least have a competitive advantage with their respective locations, even if the mountain is small. West has little to no location advantage and is tiny.

 

[cdskier]

My argument against West is that for all the major population centers, West isn't closer than other mountains, and it's smaller. Hence why someone joked about Wachusett adding condos and I mentioned Catamount trying to...it would make some sense as they at least have a competitive advantage with their respective locations, even if the mountain is small. West has little to no location advantage and is tiny.

But West IS closer than other mountains. It is closer to Albany than VT resorts as well as even Adirondack resorts like Gore or Whiteface (which have no slope-side lodging anyway). So if you actually want to own something slope-side, I could see the appeal and potential market. For Albany metro, you're an hour away. Even for NYC metro, if they market it properly and price it properly, you're only 3 hours from an awful lot of people. The "but it is smaller argument" doesn't really hold much water when you consider how many people from the NY metro area ski at all the tiny resorts in the Poconos (and even Mt Creek NJ). And now being at West, you can ski West a good portion of your days and then once in a while take trips to other places. You're only a 45 minute drive from West to Gore or within a 2 hour day trip range you have a lot of options opening up. And as others have stated, you have some very attractive non-winter options close by (15 minutes to Lake George, 25 minutes to Saratoga Springs, etc). You also have lift-served mountain biking available at West.

Let's face it...the people on this forum are not their target demographic/market, but I do think they've done the proper due diligence and understand their own market and potential demand for this development. Time will tell, but I think if they move forward it will succeed.

 

[crank]

Queensbury has long been a bedroom community for Albany. A bit of a commute but closer to the Daks and the lakes. Development there has been a goal for decades.

 

[abc]

Who buys a condo at Windham for $1M, the wealthy Manhattanite who thinks they love skiing, but doesnt realize that they really dont love skiing?

Anyone who buys slopeside condo are wealthy. Get over it! You're just jealous.