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Progress on Deer Valley's New Sister Resort

thetrailboss

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I haven’t looked at a topo map in that area for a while, but 3,200’ very is probably close to accurate. It’s just a low base elevation, much lower then DV/PC base. Could be like 5,600’ base elevation with 8,800’ top. Plus or minus some there for that total vert.

End result. This place sucks. Every part of it.
I think they are including the summit of Bald Mountain as their reference point. So they are including DV's terrain. I may be wrong.
 

Tin Woodsman

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I haven’t looked at a topo map in that area for a while, but 3,200’ very is probably close to accurate. It’s just a low base elevation, much lower then DV/PC base. Could be like 5,600’ base elevation with 8,800’ top. Plus or minus some there for that total vert.

End result. This place sucks. Every part of it.
If we are being as generous as possible, the lowest base elevation of Mayflower is 6400'. With a claimed 3200' vert, that implies a top elevation of 9600', which is roughly the top of Empire Canyon. As with just about everything else associated with this project, Extell is making a claim that isn't supported by facts on the ground - they have no operating agreement allowing Mayflower guests access to Deer Valley terrain/lifts.

Even if/when they do, it will be a pleasant 4 lift journey to access said vertical, with no ability to ride back to the base w/o taking at least 2 lifts and long, boring cat tracks. Where do I sign up??!!
 

thetrailboss

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If we are being as generous as possible, the lowest base elevation of Mayflower is 6400'. With a claimed 3200' vert, that implies a top elevation of 9600', which is roughly the top of Empire Canyon. As with just about everything else associated with this project, Extell is making a claim that isn't supported by facts on the ground - they have no operating agreement allowing Mayflower guests access to Deer Valley terrain/lifts.

Even if/when they do, it will be a pleasant 4 lift journey to access said vertical, with no ability to ride back to the base w/o taking at least 2 lifts and long, boring cat tracks. Where do I sign up??!!
That's what they used--the summit of Empire Express. Agreed that it really fudges the facts.
 

mbedle

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The do have an lease agreement with Deer Valley to allow guest at Mayflower to use Deer Valley ski terrain. Apparently, Mayflower owns land that both the mayflower and sultan lifts bases and lower trails are located. They stated that they renegotiated the leases with Deer Valley to allow mayflower guest to use their trails. Also, that last article in the park record shows buildings onsite. They must be further along with construction than just grading.
 

thetrailboss

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The do have an lease agreement with Deer Valley to allow guest at Mayflower to use Deer Valley ski terrain. Apparently, Mayflower owns land that both the mayflower and sultan lifts bases and lower trails are located. They stated that they renegotiated the leases with Deer Valley to allow mayflower guest to use their trails. Also, that last article in the park record shows buildings onsite. They must be further along with construction than just grading.
I just looked again and I see the labels for buildings but no buildings. The start of foundations--maybe.
 

mbedle

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I just looked again and I see the labels for buildings but no buildings. The start of foundations--maybe.
You are right, I was looking at the second picture in the article and it shows the employee housing they are building up near the Jordanelle lift.
 

thetrailboss

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You are right, I was looking at the second picture in the article and it shows the employee housing they are building up near the Jordanelle lift.
OK. I thought I missed something. Looks like they might have had some environmental cleanup to do from the old mines. I see mention of a soil cap. Maybe that is in part why there is so much earth work?
 

mbedle

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OK. I thought I missed something. Looks like they might have had some environmental cleanup to do from the old mines. I see mention of a soil cap. Maybe that is in part why there is so much earth work?
Correct again, just looked online and the large earthwork is in part to cleanup about 433 acres contaminated from the old mayflower mine site (heavy metals and petroleum). The total area of the cleanup project encompasses 2,276 acres. Based on the DEQ's database, the owners where accepted into the voluntary cleanup program in July 2017, which was amended in June 2020 when they discovered additional impacts on the property.
 

mbedle

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Forgot that attachment.
 

Attachments

  • 160148810_160148810_CERCLA Branch_26 - Wasatch_Voluntary Cleanup Program `VCP`_The Mayflower M...jpg
    160148810_160148810_CERCLA Branch_26 - Wasatch_Voluntary Cleanup Program `VCP`_The Mayflower M...jpg
    7.2 MB · Views: 18

Tin Woodsman

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The do have an lease agreement with Deer Valley to allow guest at Mayflower to use Deer Valley ski terrain. Apparently, Mayflower owns land that both the mayflower and sultan lifts bases and lower trails are located. They stated that they renegotiated the leases with Deer Valley to allow mayflower guest to use their trails. Also, that last article in the park record shows buildings onsite. They must be further along with construction than just grading.

OK - I hadn't seen news of the lease/access agreement. It's still playing a little fast and loose with the wording, and doesn't change the facts on the ground w/r/t the hassle of actually trying to get out and enjoy that 3200' vert.
 

mbedle

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OK - I hadn't seen news of the lease/access agreement. It's still playing a little fast and loose with the wording, and doesn't change the facts on the ground w/r/t the hassle of actually trying to get out and enjoy that 3200' vert.
I agree 100 percent. But with the agreement, skier may have around 2k in vertical with two lifts (although the terrain kind of sucks for that). The mix of snowboarding allowed and not allowed also kind of messes that up, unless maybe Deer valley agreed to snowboarders on the mayflower lift.
 

thetrailboss

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The do have an lease agreement with Deer Valley to allow guest at Mayflower to use Deer Valley ski terrain. Apparently, Mayflower owns land that both the mayflower and sultan lifts bases and lower trails are located. They stated that they renegotiated the leases with Deer Valley to allow mayflower guest to use their trails. Also, that last article in the park record shows buildings onsite. They must be further along with construction than just grading.
Where did you see that they had struck a deal? My understanding was that they had not as of yet.
 

raisingarizona

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The do have an lease agreement with Deer Valley to allow guest at Mayflower to use Deer Valley ski terrain. Apparently, Mayflower owns land that both the mayflower and sultan lifts bases and lower trails are located. They stated that they renegotiated the leases with Deer Valley to allow mayflower guest to use their trails. Also, that last article in the park record shows buildings onsite. They must be further along with construction than just grading.
After posting in this thread I thought about the claims and how there’s gotta be something planned and agreed upon. I mean, if there wasn’t these developers would be walking themselves right into some serious legal problems.
 

mbedle

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thetrailboss

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I think it is at the 5:50 mark on the promotional video.

OK. So I see what you are saying. I think the devil is in the details. What she says is that Mayflower guests will have direct access to Sultan and Mayflower lifts. So they can ski from the top of Bald Mountain down. What may not be resolved is if they can access DV in general on the same ticket. I know that was in question. Since Extell is not a ski resort operator they may not understand the difference between giving guests full access and giving them only access to two DV lifts. Maybe I am reading into it too much, but DV has not said anything about this whole Mayflower project. At least anything from what I have seen so far.

I also know that Mayflower wanted DV to run its ski infrastructure as if it was part of DV and have a seamless experience. That part of the deal is not resolved and DV does not seem interested.

I would imagine that they will be able to give guests access to DV in general at some point but it will require a fee. Right now it sounds like it is similar to what folks at Moonlight Basin or Spanish Peaks once had at Big Sky--not necessarily a seamless experience but close to it.
 

BenedictGomez

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After posting in this thread I thought about the claims and how there’s gotta be something planned and agreed upon. I mean, if there wasn’t these developers would be walking themselves right into some serious legal problems.

In the construction industry, done the bad actors typically operate with a, "just get it built and deal with the consequences later" motto?
 

tumbler

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In the construction industry, done the bad actors typically operate with a, "just get it built and deal with the consequences later" motto?
Harder to do nowadays and nearly impossible if there is financing. No bank or entity is going to finance without doing serious due diligence.
 
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