Ragged gets a new GM

[millerm277]

I heard rumors, from a friend of the new ownership, that one option mentioned for the expansion area is an uphill only pod. Some of it is accessible now, but I have no idea how much clearing the locals do.

It's worth pointing out that Ragged sits in a relative snow desert. They get some of the most limited snowfall in the area.

Obviously this year is far above the averages, but it means their glades aren't open that often and natural snow-only terrain has a very short window of being open in many years.

I think it's fine for a couple years if you're working on an infrastructure buildout and have the trails cleared before you get the money/coordination for the lift/snowmaking done, but I don't think it makes much sense to try to build an "uphill-only" natural pod that you're leaving that way long-term at Ragged with the low average snowfall totals. It's just going to be closed the vast majority of the average season.

 

[thebigo]

one of the pgri guys was on storm skiing before they sold ragged, on the topic of pinnacle he said there was zero chance they would ever realize any ROI

Ragged first priority needs to be snowmaking, their trail rollout is brutally slow.

next a surface lift up wildride offers a number of benefits:

-get the park crowd out of the six pack line
-move NHARA program from yankee to lower ridge, gets the race crowd out of the spear line and gives yankee back to the public on weekends
-servicing the school and youth races on main street gets another chunk of racers out of the six pack line

they could also light the park and lower ridge on select busy days, run it similar to cannon, something to keep the kids busy while parents buy overpriced beer in the bar

 

[chuckstah]

It's worth pointing out that Ragged sits in a relative snow desert. They get some of the most limited snowfall in the area.

Obviously this year is far above the averages, but it means their glades aren't open that often and natural snow-only terrain has a very short window of being open in many years.

I think it's fine for a couple years if you're working on an infrastructure buildout and have the trails cleared before you get the money/coordination for the lift/snowmaking done, but I don't think it makes much sense to try to build an "uphill-only" natural pod that you're leaving that way long-term at Ragged with the low average snowfall totals. It's just going to be closed the vast majority of the average season.

An uphill pod would be super cheap. Clear a trail or 2 a year, and open it when there's enough snow on the ground. The most likely option is to do nothing and it will remain largely as it is. As mentioned , putting a lift in will likely never bring in enough revenue to make it worthwhile. I'll take the uphill pod to spread people out just a bit over the status quo, though it's likely not happening.

 

[AdironRider]

Except this is New England, so those trails will require constant maintenance. Those costs aren't insignificant, and it makes basically zero business sense for the 5-10 days a year it would be open.

 

[sull1102]

I do think the Pinnacle expansion would be a true difference maker and move Ragged up a peg in the Boston day tripper market. I’d even suggest that they’re in the only window of opportunity they have to do it because the loft fleet is rock solid, you figure even a standard rebuild for the 6 is 5 years away(figure that 30 year mark is when that becomes a serious issue looming over the entire business). A pre-owned fixed grip quad and cut a couple trails a year here and there while adding pipe and guns as you go. This is all also relying on a great marketing department to push hard.

It’s funny, before Saturday I was totally in line with everyone here in that they just need to keep on keeping on, but once I saw those crowds goddamn haha.