MRG's Single Chair Set for Renovations (?)

[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...

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...

It would be cool.. I'd even take a test with ski patrol to prove that I'm no skidder...

Once a year Aspen used to let boarders on..
Also - Taos let's it's employees snowboard there the day after the season closes...

 

[ski_resort_observer]

:lol: "highly unlikely" is a nice diplomatic metephor but "when h*ll freezes over" would be a more honest and realistic metephor on the subject.

The debate over the snowscraping thing has been discussed ad nauseum over the years. MRGers say that the snowboarders scape off the snow while the snowboarders howl back that skiers do it too. It's all a matter of opinion and perspective. Enough already.

Everyone knows that for the past 10 years or so the #1 reason people go to a ski resort is NOT the skiing. I think this fits all the big resorts. For people that go to MRG, skiing IS the #1 reason.

In my years at the Bush I had the pleasure of hearing complaints directly from the guests. They rarely complain about the skiing.

The do complain about, the size of the wood provided they use for the fireplace in their condo, the fridge needs updating, the smell in the Gatehouse Lodge is awful, the parking lot is too muddy, don't like the colors of the website...things like that.

There was a recent skiing related complaint ..need to do a better job on spacing the moguls on Steins.
:lol:

 

[dmc]

The debate over the snowscraping thing has been discussed ad nauseum over the years. MRGers say that the snowboarders scape off the snow while the snowboarders howl back that skiers do it too. It's all a matter of opinion and perspective. Enough already.

Not hardly... I won't stop... Havent let up in 17 years... Fight the fight...

Ad nauseum....???
For sure... But I really don't care...

Why??? Cause every ski season I change a few skiers mindsets from the negative to the positives of snowboarding...

 

[thetrailboss]

In my years at the Bush I had the pleasure of hearing complaints directly from the guests. They rarely complain about the skiing.

The do complain about, the size of the wood provided they use for the fireplace in their condo, the fridge needs updating, the smell in the Gatehouse Lodge is awful, the parking lot is too muddy, don't like the colors of the website...things like that.

There was a recent skiing related complaint ..need to do a better job on spacing the moguls on Steins.
:lol:

Yep, sounds like SB customers to me as well :roll:

 

[Brettski]

Are we going on 'bout this again...

We should ban together to get the totaly inept in to ski/board school...

My only complaint (and it goes for skiiers and boarders) is when the sit or stand in the middle of the trail...

I had a gaggle of executive type with their wivers blocking the 7 chair at bellaeayre last friday...that part where you have to bomb to get back UP to the lift...(I hate their lifty placements)...

As I skated by,

Me: "That's not a really good place to stand"

Him: " Oh realy...well I think..." sound drifted off because I didn't want to listen and I had a good stride going..

Or better the people who ski up to a lift line and stand there, but aren't going because they're waiting for someone else...and your quads are burning and all you want to do is hop on the lift...

When my son was littler...7 or so...he used to call it the fork lift...mow that I think about..he may have been taking a shot a dad....

Clever kid....

 

[djspookman]

Are we going on 'bout this again...

We should ban together to get the totaly inept in to ski/board school...

My only complaint (and it goes for skiiers and boarders) is when the sit or stand in the middle of the trail...

I had a gaggle of executive type with their wivers blocking the 7 chair at bellaeayre last friday...that part where you have to bomb to get back UP to the lift...(I hate their lifty placements)...

As I skated by,

Me: "That's not a really good place to stand"

Him: " Oh realy...well I think..." sound drifted off because I didn't want to listen and I had a good stride going..

Or better the people who ski up to a lift line and stand there, but aren't going because they're waiting for someone else...and your quads are burning and all you want to do is hop on the lift...

When my son was littler...7 or so...he used to call it the fork lift...mow that I think about..he may have been taking a shot a dad....

Clever kid....

ditto.. I yelled at a guy for standing in the MIDDLE of the Northway trail at SB last saturday because that trail is only 10' wide, and him and his skiing buddy were in 7/8's of the trail.. he began spouting off about something but i kept skiing.. but anywya, thats OT.

MRG replacing the single with another single is GREAT! I love the idea, and i'll be over there taking pics of the whole changeover operation if it heppens!

 

[thetrailboss]

MRG replacing the single with another single is GREAT! I love the idea, and i'll be over there taking pics of the whole changeover operation if it heppens!

Awesome. Be sure to post them here and keep us all posted. :wink:

 

[riverc0il]

Whatever... I'm not hear to argue with you Greg...

It sucks to be excluded from such a great place on my primary sliding device...

there is nothing to argue about. check our mad river glen's site for the information straight from MRG. it would be in MRG's best interest from a public relations point of view to claim the ban is in effect because of safety, but they make no such claim. it was the original reason, but not the current one. shareholders voted on the issue when the co-op went into effect and they certainly could have allowed boarders to ride the double chairs and only be not allowed on the single chair if they wanted to.

you can still hit MRG if you really want to. earn your turns or use your tele gear.

 

[riverc0il]

I'd be in favor of a new single vs. a double or quad. I 'm just happy I got the chance to experience the old single this season. Is the current chair beyond repair, or is it simply too costly to maintain? Maybe they could auction off the old chairs? I was surprised to read that there were only 158 on that line.

the issue with the current chair is it is in need of an overhaul and lots of maintainence and repairs. it would be cheaper for the co-op to install a double chair (with big space between the chairs to keep up hill capacity the same) than fix the single. a new single would cost a premium as it would be a custom build. the fact that they could install a double for less than rehabbing the current single and could also keep uphill capacity the same speaks volumes about the place the single has in the hearts of it's shareholders. many people likely bought a share because of that chair and the unique experience it offers.

if i was a shareholder, i honestly don't know how i would vote. likely i'd vote keep the single due to it's uniqueness and historical value.

 

[riverc0il]

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...

just because someone does not want snowboarders at MRG does not make them "anti-snowboard." it makes them "pro-skiing-only at a specific ski area." i am a non-shareholder who appreciates the ski experience at MRG for what it is, no snowboards and single chair and all, but i have nothing against boarders.

 

[riverc0il]

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...

i disagree that this has anything to do with the decision. a slow double with well spaced out chairs could carry the same up hill capacity as the current single chair. while a TOP concern of those who ski MRG and especially the co-op is up hill capacity, it really doesn't factor into this decision as the up hill capacity would likely remain the same whether the single is rehabbed or a new double or new single is put in. imo, it's history vs. money.

 

[ski_resort_observer]

Here is the latest... MRG management is going to recommend to the members that the single chair be refurbished at a cost of 1.4 million.

Eric Friedman says " We believes there are some things in the world worth waiting for". Vote is this Saturday.

 

[dmc]

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...

just because someone does not want snowboarders at MRG does not make them "anti-snowboard." it makes them "pro-skiing-only at a specific ski area." i am a non-shareholder who appreciates the ski experience at MRG for what it is, no snowboards and single chair and all, but i have nothing against boarders.

Believe it or not...
Not everybody feels the way you do...

pro-skiing-only seems anti-snowboarding to me...
At the least it's exclusionary...

 

[awf170]

as long as snowboarders are good or just dont go in terrian over there head im okay with them. I have the same problem with skiers who get in terrian over there head.
The only problem i have is it would make MRG more crowded

 

[ftrain]

[quote="dmcIf they fix the chair - then snowboarders will be allowed... Or the true colors of the "Share Holders" will be shown....[/quote]

I hope they never allow snowboards at MRG. That is one of the many things I enjoy about that mtn. I do think they should make it a detached single chair. I only ski MRG on weekdays due to their lifts. Even on the weekday I find myself sitting on the chair way to much.

 

[Ig ODC]

I think the reason they are keeping it a single is not so much uphill capacity or "history" but rather the experience/affect of riding a single. You can't talk to others on a single, you think about skiing, trails, whatever, it is an introspective ride, to say the least. That is at least what I think. Also, the single chair is real comfy. All that being said, it would be nice if they sped it up a little, but I guess it moves at a nice clip. I'm not at all saying they should get a high speed, that wouldn't be a good idea, but perhaps a lift that is a little quicker or even one that had more chairs (I don't know if they could go closer) because it would be nice to have shorter lines there, and the marginal increase in capacity IS NOT going to affect the skiing. All in all, I say Good for Mad River.

Interesting comments from others on complaints from skiers don't have to do with the skiing but rather the trivial stuff. Only thing I care about is the skiing. If the bathrooms are nasty, big deal. If the food sucks, whatever.

 

[ftrain]

Re: RE: snowboarders

Maybe I'm not past the whole "Man, snowboarders suck" thing...

They do!!!

 

[ftrain]

But I would LOVE the chance to hit Paradise on a snowboard...

Why would you want to detroy such a nice trail?

 

[ftrain]

wouldn't it be cool if they lifted it for like a day or something and made a big deal about it?

Yea, lift the ban from May till October

 

[riverc0il]

If the bathrooms are nasty, big deal.

i love the stickers in the bathroom at mad river. oh, don't any one say what they are and spoil it for those that haven't been! all part of the experience. i think that's why the shareholders really have to keep the single chair, because that's what MRG really is all about: the experience. when you get down to it, there's really nothing trail wise at MRG that you can't find else where (ok, there's a heck of a lot more of it off one chair than you can find any where else!) but there is a character and experience that is unique to MRG. very few ski areas have anything that is truly unique and special any more.