MRG's Single Chair Set for Renovations (?)

[dmc]

The snowboard thing is a non issue...things will not change...you can discuss this subject till the cows come home...waste of breath.

It's my breath to waste... And the cows aint home yet...
So I'll continue as long as the ban is in effect..

The main thing talking about MRG does for me is it exposes people that are anti-snowboard.. Then I can debate them until the cows come home...

I know it aint gona change... And I'll still go up there and telemark....
But I would LOVE the chance to hit Paradise on a snowboard...

A man can dream! Can't he?

 

[thetrailboss]

So, getting back to the topic of the chair, do any of you have any memories of the lift? Would you be swayed to visit the place if the chair was removed?

I rode it in March 2002...the 'abysmal' ski season of late...nice lift. Long ride, but what a view The mid-unload is pretty cool and the old towers are really interesting.

 

[Greg]

do any of you have any memories of the lift?

I rode it for the first time this season during the mountain's first big snowstorm (they picked up 18" that day). It was a great way to first experience it and MRG:


If it is replaced, I'm glad I got the chance to ride the real deal...

 

[ski_resort_observer]

DMC-

I hear what your saying but if you really are serious about this you will have to pony up 2000 bucks to have a voice.

 

[dmc]

So, getting back to the topic of the chair, do any of you have any memories of the lift? Would you be swayed to visit the place if the chair was removed?

I find the chair kinda boring.. It's also clunky and breaks down a bunch..

If they removed(replaced) that thing it would be great... IMHO....

 

[ski_resort_observer]

So, getting back to the topic of the chair, do any of you have any memories of the lift? Would you be swayed to visit the place if the chair was removed?

I don't think the removal of the chair will have any effect on non-member visitation. It's the terrain that brings people in. The single chair is a nice historical bonus which does keep traffic off the trails.

IMHO..if they vote to replace the chair they will compromise and replace it with a slow double. Very impressed with the financial MO of MRG.

On a side note...in the past few years a couple of Sugarbush managers went over to MRG..they didn't last very long.

 

[dmc]

DMC-

I hear what your saying but if you really are serious about this you will have to pony up 2000 bucks to have a voice.

F that...

$2000 is a trip to South America!!!

 

[Brettski]

Leave the chair and put a gondola next to it

And since I haven't been yet

 

[Tin Woodsman]

Here's what I know about this situation:

1) Of all the options contemplated, a refurb of the Single is either the cheapest, or 2nd cheapest. Other options are a new double, or a new single. Double would cost less than $1MM while a new Single would be substantially more b/c they aren't really made these days.

2) The refurb will include the existing lattice towers, though they'll need some work. The two big changes will be the drive motor and the return station. The drive motor will be changed from a diesel to electric with diesel back up. While there will be a proper off-load ramp for the return station. At least this is what I've heard.

3) The snowboarding ban iis certainly not about safety or even some strange aversion to snowboarders themselves. It's much more about the perceived impact that snowboarders have on gladed terrain and tight trees.

This will be controversial, but I'm not here to make peopple feel good. The perception (and, IMHO, there is some truth to it) is that you often find poorly-skilled snowboarders on terrain that is far too difficult for them. Due to the shape of the board, they are able to navigate these difficult lines by side slipping down the tough areas on their heel side. This is ruinous for tight tree shots where one practitioner of that technique can effectively scrape all the snow out of a line.

We've all seen it a million times out on the trails, and sometimes in the woods if you're in there. My guess is that this is a function of most skiers learning to ski in ski school whereas most boarders I know learned by coming up to the mountain with their friends. They'll just go anywhere w/o regard for whether they should be there. Let me be clear - this is by no means a blanket statement applying to all boarders, but the anecdotal evidence seems overwhelming to me.

I ski with many boarders and count them among my best friends. I love heading into the trees with skilled boarders who navigate the lines every bit as skillfully (or not) as I do. I hate passing by 15 year old kids on boards who are simply slipping down the line b/c they can't do anything else in there. Whether fair or not, that's the general perception that exists among the shareholders I've spoken to.

And who can fault them for it? MRG is one of the very few areas in the US that is able to make a consistent profit year after year just on skiing alone (there is no real estate or amenities there). Since they can make a profit every year with the current number of customers, why run out and try to increase that number by 20-30%? The shareholders aren't interested in increasing skier visits to drive profit. They are interested solely in the quality of the skiing experience as they interpret it. That means it is highly unlikely you'll ever see the ban lifted. I'd venture to say that of the four remaining areas w/o snowboarders (Deer Valet, Taos, and Alta being the others), MRG will tbe the last to change, if ever.

 

[smootharc]

I believe shareholder majority in favor of snowboard ban....

....feels that with the MRG's reliance on natural snow, and the terrain's inherent steepness, that most non-ultra-expert snowboard descents would be focused on scraping, scraping, scraping the snow away....

Thus leaving the terrain which already relies on natural snow to begin with bereft of the stuff...a bad thing.

That being said, and back to the original post, I think the crux of the chair options up Molly Stark is maintaining the same uphill capacity, thus keeping the slopes relatively uncrowded (though the occassional weekend liftlines will occur, especially in good snow times). IMHO (and that of hundreds of others), not a good idea to mess with uphill capacity at MRG...

 

[dmc]

Re: I believe shareholder majority in favor of snowboard ban....

....feels that with the MRG's reliance on natural snow, and the terrain's inherent steepness, that most non-ultra-expert snowboard descents would be focused on scraping, scraping, scraping the snow away....

Thus leaving the terrain which already relies on natural snow to begin with bereft of the stuff...a bad thing.

Wow... I guess I'm a "ultra expert"...
cool...

When I was at MRG last month - I saw a lot of skiers sideslipping through places they felt they couldnt turn.....

 

[Talisman]

Re: I believe shareholder majority in favor of snowboard ban....

....(though the occassional weekend liftlines will occur, especially in good snow times)...

This is a bit of an understatement, there have been lift lines for the single every weekend I have ever skied MRG. I have waited 45 minutes for the single one weekends, which is a long time to me. Mid week the single has been ski on.

There are guerilla snow boarding raids at MRG typically by hiking the LT from App Gap and descending to a waiting get away vehicle.

I have to say Alta and MRG consistantly have the best moguls, perhaps because of the ski only status. What the ungroomed state of snow would be like at a snow board only resort? I heard a rumor that the long defunct Timberside area may become a snow board only resort with two T-bars.

 

[Greg]

This thread must hold some sort of record for the most replies in the shortest time - 50+ replies in less than 6 hours so far...

 

[ALLSKIING]

This thread must hold some sort of record for the most replies in the shortest time - 50+ replies in less than 6 hours so far...

51...LOL

 

[dmc]

Re: I believe shareholder majority in favor of snowboard ban....

There are guerilla snow boarding raids at MRG typically by hiking the LT from App Gap and descending to a waiting get away vehicle.

I was invited to one... But - didn't go...

I was afraid of being from NJ(at the time) and in a Vermont jail... They dont like Jersey people up there...

 

[thetrailboss]

This thread must hold some sort of record for the most replies in the shortest time - 50+ replies in less than 6 hours so far...

Yeah...didn't realize the response I'd get. For some reason, people are VERY passionate about the Mad River areas...Sugarbush and MRG. Sugarbush has an equally passionate bunch who are VERY vocal. :roll:

 

[Treeliner]

That's a better idea. In fact, if you show up with a board, they give you a free ski/tele rental per their policy. Not a bad idea.

Really? Is this on their website somewhere? I'm a long time snowboarder, probably going to learn to ski or tele next season and a free rental would be nice.

 

[thetrailboss]

That's a better idea. In fact, if you show up with a board, they give you a free ski/tele rental per their policy. Not a bad idea.

Really? Is this on their website somewhere? I'm a long time snowboarder, probably going to learn to ski or tele next season and a free rental would be nice.

Check the website. Or PM Mr MRG or Mr. MRG Jr

 

[dmc]

This thread must hold some sort of record for the most replies in the shortest time - 50+ replies in less than 6 hours so far...

Yeah...didn't realize the response I'd get. For some reason, people are VERY passionate about the Mad River areas...Sugarbush and MRG. Sugarbush has an equally passionate bunch who are VERY vocal. :roll:

MRG is not just a ski area... It's the last bastion of NO SNOWBOARDING on the East Coast...
It represents the end of a fight that we began a long time ago.. the list used to be really long but now - it's just MRG for the east...

Ironic thing is - MRG is one of the places boarding got it's resort start - way back when...

As passionate as I am about having a chance to legally ride there... Skiers are just as passionate about keeping my snowboard out...

 

[thetrailboss]

This thread must hold some sort of record for the most replies in the shortest time - 50+ replies in less than 6 hours so far...

Yeah...didn't realize the response I'd get. For some reason, people are VERY passionate about the Mad River areas...Sugarbush and MRG. Sugarbush has an equally passionate bunch who are VERY vocal. :roll:

MRG is not just a ski area... It's the last bastion of NO SNOWBOARDING on the East Coast...
It represents the end of a fight that we began a long time ago.. the list used to be really long but now - it's just MRG for the east...

Ironic thing is - MRG is one of the places boarding got it's resort start - way back when...

As passionate as I am about having a chance to legally ride there... Skiers are just as passionate about keeping my snowboard out...

Yeah, as they said, highly unlikely that the ban would be lifted, but wouldn't it be cool if they lifted it for like a day or something and made a big deal about it? Maybe something you can put to Eric in this year's round of AZ Ski Area Challenges...