Mountain Improvements summer 07

[SKIER4LIFE1281]

does anyone know of any improvements going on this summerat any resort in the east?

 

[Newpylong]

2.5 Million at Mount Snow - Installation of new Fan Guns on some wider slopes.....

 

[millerm277]

Killington will probably have something done after the sale closes.

Blue is going to have the new intermediate trail between Razor's Edge and Paradise open.

 

[JD]

Stowe, aside from the AIG plans, I can think of a few augmentations here and there that will prolly take place.

 

[AdironRider]

Whiteface will begin cutting the trails to the Tree Island Pod expansion. Trail cutting should be done completely this summer, with the new lift, snowmaking, etc, going in the summer after.

 

[thetrailboss]

Some good fodder for the AZ Challenge.

 

[thebigo]

Loon should be progressing with their long awaited south peak expansion.

I spoke with a liftie at crotched last week who indicated that crotched will be replacing the old t-bar with a new surface lift to the actual summit. They are cutting up to five 'new' trails off the summit. These trails are listed on the current map as future expansion, I skied one of them last week and it is a decent, if short, expert trail with character.

Attitash is extending the fixed grip quad on the bear peak side. The current base will be a midsation. This move is basically just to serve the new houses in that area although it may make it easier for snowboarders to get between the two mountains.

Other than that I would be shocked if the new owners do not put any money into killington. Most likely not trial/lift expansions but long needed infastructure improvements. Also saddleback has stated that they intend to add new trials every year but I cannot confirm anything this year.

 

[tcharron]

Loon should be progressing with their long awaited south peak expansion.

I spoke with a liftie at crotched last week who indicated that crotched will be replacing the old t-bar with a new surface lift to the actual summit. They are cutting up to five 'new' trails off the summit. These trails are listed on the current map as future expansion, I skied one of them last week and it is a decent, if short, expert trail with character.

Older skiers will recognize the new short double black as the trail which used to be called 'Turbo' back in the late 80s before they closed. Many of the new trails are actually recut and reopening of old ones. The new trail which opened this year off of galaxy was actually lower turbo.

The new surface lift will be in the exact run as the old TBar. For reference, old trail map from www.nelsap.org.

 

[SnowRider]

I know this SUMMER bretton woods is going to try to get into mountainbiking.

They also have a future exspansion marked on thier map. Dont know if anything will be done in the near future or not.

 

[ski_resort_observer]

At Sugarbush the base area will be waking up from a 6 year slumber with the running of Bravo for mountain biking. 7 days a week.

The shop in Gatehouse will be transferred into a hiking/mountain biking shop, mountain biking rentals/repairs in the ski valet building and the addition of 2 Disc Golf courses, one at the base, one higher up. Pretty exciting for an old Sugarbusher like me.

Valley House Lodge, the original base lodge, will be demolished. I understand why they are getting it out of there but still have some saddness as we thought back in the 70's that it was a really cool base lodge. I realize I am going against the current here but I have advocated for 10 years that it could be renovated and somehow connected to the LP base area better. 8 years ago I even came up with a drawing connecting the two base area lodges with a "sky bridge". On special days having a burger and a cold beer for lunch at the Mushroom was awesome. Architectually, the buidling is unique. At the very least it needs to stay one more year if the Guest Services Center is not built this summer.

Sorry to go abit off topic here and again, I don't begrudge SV for demolishing it this summer. Just alittle sad to see it go. Here's a pic I took a couple of months ago

 

[Newpylong]

Good call SRObserver.... when us GMVSers went to South this is where we usually went. Remember the magic carpet just to the left of the lodge??? That was the first of the kind around if I remember, it was "interesting"..

 

[ski_resort_observer]

Good call SRObserver.... when us GMVSers went to South this is where we usually went. Remember the magic carpet just to the left of the lodge??? That was the first of the kind around if I remember, it was "interesting"..

Yea I remember it. We always felt the most boring job at the resort was the person that had to sit in a chair and watch people go up it all day long. I think it was even covered with a canopy(?)

In regards to usage of the Valley House Lodge it didn't help much. It would take some pretty drastic design/constuction to get people to use it. It seems alot of people nowadays want to be able to get out of their cars and walk no more than 20 feet to the lifts. Using shuttles to get around like they do in Europe, forgetabotuit. I guess if people are not going to use the VHL you might as well take it down.

It's ironic that even tho people have complained about how crowded the new Gatehouse Lodge is they still have no interest in walking the extra steps to use the Valley House Lodge which was open during busy weekends/holidays. Go figure.

 

[Tin Woodsman]

Though SRO touched on it, he didn't fully explain the somewhat significant investment Sugarbush is expected to make in their new Guest Services Lodge. It will be on the site of the current temporary village at the bottom of the wooden stairs and will house ski school, rentals, childrens programs, day care, and racing programs. I believe it's supposed to house a cafeteria (it better, seeing as how Gate House Lodge will be a mess if something doesn't exist to take the load off) and possibly some housing on the upper levels. Not sure of any retail or external F&B component.

I doubt you'll see much in the way of on-hill improvements at SB this summer given the money they're laying out for the lodge and the fact that they lost half the season this winter.

 

[castlerock]

Simple solution..

...........seeing as how Gate House Lodge will be a mess if something doesn't exist to take the load off

I can't get over how the Sugarbush management haven't figured out how to deal with "crowding" in the new Gatehouse. The solution is simple. Replace the plastic arm chairs with benches. They would almost double the number of people that could sit at the tables they have. Those chairs are ridiculous. They take up waaaay to much room, force the table spacing to be almost 6 feet apart, and limit you to 4 people on each side of the table. By limiting a table to 8 people, you reduce the seating options for combing groups at a table. If you look around the lodge you see on average 4 people at a table that could seat 10 or even 12 if there were benches.

Even on this past Saturday April 14th the lodge felt "crowded" as one couldn't get a seat. This on a day without a liftline, in APRIL!

 

[Tin Woodsman]

I can't get over how the Sugarbush management haven't figured out how to deal with "crowding" in the new Gatehouse. The solution is simple. Replace the plastic arm chairs with benches. They would almost double the number of people that could sit at the tables they have. Those chairs are ridiculous. They take up waaaay to much room, force the table spacing to be almost 6 feet apart, and limit you to 4 people on each side of the table. By limiting a table to 8 people, you reduce the seating options for combing groups at a table. If you look around the lodge you see on average 4 people at a table that could seat 10 or even 12 if there were benches.

Even on this past Saturday April 14th the lodge felt "crowded" as one couldn't get a seat. This on a day without a liftline, in APRIL!

My guess is that this is driven by their desire to make the base lodge a multi-use facility. They want to be able to move and stash/stack those chairs easily in case a large function is booked in the room. As with all mutli-use facilities, like the cookie-cutter baseball/football stadiums fo the 70s, you end up with a structure that is optimal for neither end use. Seems silly to me, given that the primary function by far of that room is as a day skier lodge. I don't think it would solve the problem entirely, but it would definitely make it a lot less acute.

 

[castlerock]

My guess is that this is driven by their desire to make the base lodge a multi-use facility. They want to be able to move and stash/stack those chairs easily in case a large function is booked in the room.

Definitely, It is a wedding hall.

http://www.sugarbush.com/weddingsandmeetings/cm.asp?pn=weddings&pid=99

But comapare the cost of 300 benches (and storing the cheesy function hall chairs for the winter) vs a new building!

 

[threecy]

Benches gain you no extra space if you have bags on and under tables

 

[Tin Woodsman]

Benches gain you no extra space if you have bags on and under tables

Much to me dismay, SB has a no bags/boots policy in the main cafeteria. Only in the overcrowded closet downstairs.

 

[castlerock]

Much to me dismay, SB has a no bags/boots policy in the main cafeteria. Only in the overcrowded closet downstairs.

I like the no boots/bags policy. And I don't mind the closet downstairs. It never feels crowded to me, but I never use it to change boots in, I just stash my bag there. I would add however that there is so much extra space under those lame plastic chairs that boot bags could fit under them.

 

[Newpylong]

Free bag check was enforced this year at Mount Snow, and it made a big difference!