Mt. Snow and Haystack....connected?

[Highway Star]

Just curious what you all thought about the possiblity of Mt. Snow and Haystack eventually being joined. I know it has been discussed in the past, and Haystack is now under new ownership.

What are the chances that Peak resorts will buy it and join the two? Maybe in 5+ years?

Will it happen before the Killington-Pico interconnect???

 

[thetrailboss]

No, no, and no.

 

[drjeff]

When asked basically that same question at last years Mount Snow Passholders Meeting, Mount Snow GM, Kelly Pawlak essentially declared the Mount Snow/Haystack interconnect once and for all a dead issue.

Basically, Peak wants to put their $$ into other things for Mount Snow. Expanded water rights, 100% snowmaking, lift upgrades and then a "base area master redevelopment plan" which at the time was just on the 5 year plan radar.

 

[Newpylong]

That's a big negative ghost rider.

It would be a stupid move as well.

 

[ski_resort_observer]

The two hills are too far apart, maybe 3m, at least?

 

[drjeff]

The two hills are too far apart, maybe 3m, at least?

Via Google Earth, if you follow the ridge line between the current lift served top of Haystack and the top of the Sunbrook Quad at Mount Snow it's basically 2.5 miles. From the lift served top of Haystack to the bottom of the Sunbrook Chair (the likely starting/ending point for this pure pipedream interconnect it's just over 1.75 miles straightline distance.

Driving wise from the entrance to Carinthia to the entrance for Haystack along Handle Rd it's basically 2.5 miles.

 

[jaytrem]

It would be a stupid move as well.

Why do you think it would be a stupid move? If they ever get their skier numbers up where they once were, they could use more terrain. Lines are short now, especially on the North Face and Sunbrook. But not tooooo long ago that was not the case.

Unfortuntaly it probably will never happen, but here's a plan for it from the 80s...

 

[vcunning]

Technically, I believe Mount Snow and Haystack are connected. There is a ridge trail (mostly hiking & cross country) off of the Big Dipper trail at the Sunbrook side of the mountain. It's actually very well marked.

I do remember at a passholder's meeting a very strong statement from Tim Boyd of Peaks when that question was asked. He interrupted the question with "Not a chance, next question". Almost like a Bill Belichick press conference.

In reality, their next 12 month effort is focused on water, not expansion. I can't see Haystack coming back (unfortunately).

 

[Newpylong]

Why do you think it would be a stupid move? If they ever get their skier numbers up where they once were, they could use more terrain. Lines are short now, especially on the North Face and Sunbrook. But not tooooo long ago that was not the case.

Unfortuntaly it probably will never happen, but here's a plan for it from the 80s...

Simple, if they ever feel the need to expand for whatever reason, I think that need could be better met by doing so around the current mountain rather than spreading themselves out too far. Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't mind more terrain but I think a plan of that magnitude (1 to 2 mile interconnect) is quite excessive.

 

[drjeff]

The other factor is big $$. ASC sold off Haystack to the developers that own it for $5 million. Word on the street right now (atleast pre-current bigtime economic crisis) is that it would now take something North of $15 million to buy it back. Then with the state of deconstruction the roadways and parking lots in and around the Haystack base area currently are, you'd need atleast another $1 million or so of land work to get that back and useable, and that's before you spend some $$ on the lifts/trails/snowmaking or even think about an interconnect. And that's assuming that you don't need to spend any appreciable amount of $$ in the permitting process and/or the more than likely environmental suits that someone would file. All said and done, probably would take something around 30 million for starters for this project, and then Mount Snow and Peak would have to find and even larger water source to meet the industry standard nowadays of 1 million gallons of water per acre of snowmaking terrain, which when Mount Snow gets approval for The West Lake Project, they'll have that level of water for 100% of their current terrain. Throw in the interconnect and Haystack terrain and you'd need probably another 250,000,000 million gallons of water

 

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

Just curious what you all thought about the possiblity of Mt. Snow and Haystack eventually being joined. I know it has been discussed in the past, and Haystack is now under new ownership.

What are the chances that Peak resorts will buy it and join the two? Maybe in 5+ years?

Will it happen before the Killington-Pico interconnect???

Isn't Haystack a private club..I don't think the environmentalists are going to want to see that large of a ski resort..

 

[WoodCore]

The other factor is big $$........ and then Mount Snow and Peak would have to find and even larger water source to meet the industry standard nowadays of 1 million gallons of water per acre of snowmaking terrain, which when Mount Snow gets approval for The West Lake Project, they'll have that level of water for 100% of their current terrain. Throw in the interconnect and Haystack terrain and you'd need probably another 250,000,000 million gallons of water

That's easy, The Somerset Reservoir. If only they could ever tap into that body of water.

On a side note, after reading some of the local news and government proceedings online regarding The Somerset Rez., I quickly realized why Mt Snow choose the West Lake Project over the pipeline.

 

[Dr Skimeister]

Anyone here ever skied Haystack? In all my years of going to Mt Snow, and all the years of, "Have to try Haystack sometime", I never have? Anything there, other than the additional acreage that would make it a worthwhile thing to even consider reopening Haystack?

 

[mountainman]

Awesome to ski or ride.

Got some really nice trails for all levels of skiing and riding. The witches area is awesome. Trouble with the stack was the chair lift ride to the summit. Not sure if that lift was even 500 per minute. You could ride to midstation get off and go to the bottom of the witches. To bad it's closed nice old stlye vermont skiing and riding. I'll say again smaller areas like Majic, Ascutney and Haystack have some of the nicest terrain. If someone with had the cash, brains and a little of marketing skills their is alot to be said for the small areas. I'm really surprised no major players have jumped on these areas. None of these areas listed above have had any really good management running them. All of these areas have very good access to them. Haystack was awesome.

 

[Talisman]

Haystack had issues in my book. Sure Witches had some fun trails, but the runs were short. Mosy of the trails as Haystack had little flow because of the annoying flat spot at mid-mountain. I liked the base lodge, lack of crowds, but would only ski there if i could score a hyper cheap lift ticket like $20. i did have some good powder days there becaus of the lack of crowds, but the up hill at mid-mtn makes powder tough.

Magic and Ascutney are way better hills.

 

[Newpylong]

I don't think there is any question Magic and Ascutney are better hills - but I don't think anyone was making that comparison.

My opinion is that Haystack would be awesome if it wasnt for its location (right next to Mount Snow). The Witches area was awesome and there are (were) some great cruisers off to the North side.

 

[Mildcat]

but would only ski there if i could score a hyper cheap lift ticket like $20.

If I recall correctly it was only $20 weekdays.

 

[Hawkshot99]

Used to go to Haystack in Middle and HS with ski clubs. I don't really remember it much, but I do remember I liked it.

 

[vcunning]

Used to go to Haystack in Middle and HS with ski clubs. I don't really remember it much, but I do remember I liked it.

Just to clarify . . . are you saying you didn't remember "Middle and HS" much? or were you talking about Haystack?:smile:

On another note, I believe the next Mount Snow passholders' meeting with Mount Snow's senior management is targeted for early December. I'm sure this question will be asked.

 

[Hawkshot99]

Just to clarify . . . are you saying you didn't remember "Middle and HS" much? or were you talking about Haystack?:smile:


Haystack. Unfortunetly I do remember HS.