Saddleback - WOW!

[tipsdown]

I'm just busting stones. You, like their marketing department, tends to inflate the place to a high degree. Don't get me wrong, it is a great mountain and it's cool that you are very passionate about the place, but you make the place out sometimes to be the Jackson Hole of the East with your continuous pom pom waving.

Great place and I'm happy to see the investments being made.

I'm with you on the passionate part. Any place investing a lot in a mountain at this day in age I'm passionate about..They seem to be doing more of that than other mountains lately...But what have I stated that is untrue?

 

[deadheadskier]

Well for one, in another thread, you talked about with the new Casa Blanca glade that the mountain has the largest expert skiing complex in the East. This simply is not true with MRG on the scene. After this was pointed out, you agreed.


I guess I just appreciate passion, but with a more pragmatic view on things. Anyone who reads these boards enough knows that I think Stowe is the best ski area in the East. That said, I'll be the first to admit that it is too expensive for most to enjoy and that it often has crappy moguls. The only things I ever see you post about is how awesome saddleback is, to the point one might think you are own their payroll.

I'm not saying I'm right and your wrong here by the way. But, I will bust your stones for having the crown of biggest homer to a particular mountain here on the boards. Again, no offense intended.

 

[tipsdown]

Well for one, in another thread, you talked about with the new Casa Blanca glade that the mountain has the largest expert skiing complex in the East. This simply is not true with MRG on the scene. After this was pointed out, you agreed.


I guess I just appreciate passion, but with a more pragmatic view on things. Anyone who reads these boards enough knows that I think Stowe is the best ski area in the East. That said, I'll be the first to admit that it is too expensive for most to enjoy and that it often has crappy moguls. The only things I ever see you post about is how awesome saddleback is, to the point one might think you are own their payroll.

I'm not saying I'm right and your wrong here by the way. But, I will bust your stones for having the crown of biggest homer to a particular mountain here on the boards. Again, no offense intended.

No offense taken…I'm just having fun with this too BTW, I would agree with you on Stowe. I'm on the record (somewhere on this forum) saying that. It's just that Stowe has a firm hold on that reputation so it's not nearly as fun to discuss. They've been there done that. Saddleback is up and coming so it's more interesting right now…But the basis of my feedback on this thread is that I think their lift system needs improvement. I think they would benefit from a lift/trail pod that offered longer runs and I was just making an argument that they could do it and provided examples of why.

For the record I'm not on the payroll!

 

[bill2ski]

http://www.sunjournal.com/node/274316/
Hey, Mainers with smart kids ,here's some incentive to love SB
10 yrs as a SR/SL pass holder and finally, my kids brains are paying dividends, they saved me a boat load of dough, using their smarticle particles.

 

[mikestaple]

As a dad with 3 kids pushing out of toddler and tween, and who can handle all the blue at Sugarloaf, the next time we drive up there (coming from the edge of Cape Cod) I will definitely consider blowing off a day at Sugarloaf and going for a day at Saddleback.

It appears to be a mt on the verge of breaking out and the vibe is defintely more old school. The kids love new mts, glades etc and would be pumped to go there. I'm excited to see another far northern Maine destination and if the Loaf and SB could join together in some marketing I think it could really attract the Boston market. (Which of course won't happen as long as SR and the Loaf are have the same owner).

Why not check out Saddleback after driving "all the way" to the Loaf? Hoping to get back up there this year..................

 

[jerryg]

Weren't there plans a while back for a base area to summit lift? Im pretty sure they cut a line and everything. Why were those plans abandoned? Wind? That would be able to open up almost 2000 vert if it were possible.

Not wind, my friend, but alas, that wold have been an issue. The owners prior to the current ones, had super-big plans for Saddleback, but because the AT goes right over the top, they couldn't get a permit for anything, which led to many years of little to nothing being done and ultimately, the resort almost becoming part of NELSAP.

As for the liftline you speak of, it used to resemble Gondola Line (Loaf) a lot, and there's a reason for that. Saddleback has planned a Gondola in the late-70's I believe, but abandoned the plans after all the rifts with the AMC.

I'll try to find the actual history of this. I know it exists online somewhere...

 

[riverc0il]

Just as well nothing went to the summit. The top of all the trails get heavy wind, I doubt a summit lift would run much. As is, the new quad will go down more frequently than the T-bar went down. The AT and AMC can keep their summit on Saddleback for all I care. A lift to the very summit is a dumb idea.

 

[bousquet19]

Just as well nothing went to the summit. The top of all the trails get heavy wind, I doubt a summit lift would run much. As is, the new quad will go down more frequently than the T-bar went down. The AT and AMC can keep their summit on Saddleback for all I care. A lift to the very summit is a dumb idea.

:beer:

Agree, rivercOil. I'm glad to see the fragile and significant alpine zone remain relatively undisturbed ... and the skiing developed where it's practical.

Woody

 

[deadheadskier]

There was extensive debate over the fate of the 'horn' and 'ridge line' at Saddleback. Most everything within a couple hundred feet of the ridge line is off limits.

http://www.aldha.org/saddlebk.htm

 

[marcski]

I'm somewhat saddened that I never was able to ski Saddleback when they had just the Kennebago T servicing the double blacks and muleskinner, etc., when it was still a throwback area. I'm not sure you you can really call Saddleback a throwback ski area anymore.....it certainly seems to be coming into its own. With the new/planned development and FWIW, (not much in my book!) but it was even mentioned in Skiing's Best of Mountains in, I think, the underrated terrain section.

 

[deadheadskier]

Haven't ridden the quad, did get to ride the T before it's demise. You're not missing much. I say that with great fondness for old school surface lifts. It was a slow ass T. I found it a novelty for the first few hundred feet, but then thought, 'damn, when is this ride going to end'. It was not one of the old school, fun, 'detachable' T's that really flew you up the mountain.

 

[riverc0il]

I gotta disagree on the speed of the Kennebago T-bar. It was plenty fast and gave a HUGE lurch when you first got on board. The old telescoping style, really old school. It was no detaching Poma but it was plenty fast enough.

But I am not so down with nostalgia that I would not rather ride chairlifts than old school wooden slat T-bars most of the time (though a few here and there are definitely a treat!). That said, the big reason I will miss the T-bar is going to Saddleback on a powder day is now a crap shot. Did a storm just come through? Who knows if that quad will be spinning.

The loss of the T-bar in place of a quad did not effect the area's old school vibe, IMO. All the most beloved "old school" areas in New England all have pretty modern lifts (even MRG has a "new" Single Chair!). The trail system is still the same with some new additions, the people are still the same, the elbow room is still the same, etc. The character is not going to be hurt by a quad. I never skied there prior to the new lodge but I felt the place was just as old school with a brand spanking new best in the east coast lodge.

 

[snoseek]

I too would greatly miss that t-bar. A real lot of skiers and even more boarders would not ride it essentailly keeping the top empty. It was plenty fast for me and ran during almost any weather.

I do like the new base lodge. Does anyone remember the old painted pony lounge and the tight little stairway going up to it? It defined fire danger and the walk to the bathroom was a haul. New set-up is much nicer.

As a customer there is not much I would change about Saddleback and like the fact that it is still off the radar for most. I could care less about trailpod vert, slow lifts ect....It will always be my favorite east coast hill on a powder day. Ski a midweek pow day there and you will get it.

 

[deadheadskier]

Perhaps I caught it on a 'slow' day when they weren't running it full speed. It was pretty nasty up top the day I was there, so it's certainly possible. I remember getting on and thinking 'that's it?'

 

[ski_resort_observer]

Hmmmmm, well if Killington can claim to be the "Beast" (so dumb), why can't Saddleback be that someday......simply basing it on expert vertical that you seem to be so hung up on. I mean Killington has really nothing in the way of 2000k, 1500k and maybe, just maybe 1000k of expert vertical........And what mountain (I know there probably are couple) doesn't have several hundred vertical feet of runout?

Kmart has been called the Beast of the East for many years cause or I have always assumed because the number of trails and lifts dwarf's all other eastern resorts including Berkshire East and Saddleback combined.

 

[UVSHTSTRM]

Kmart has been called the Beast of the East for many years cause or I have always assumed because the number of trails and lifts dwarf's all other eastern resorts including Berkshire East and Saddleback combined.

Kmart doesn't dewarf everyone in regards to trails.....PS Pico is not part of Killington in regards to the ski resort. Lifts, yes they dwarf everyone in that regards, terrain no, expert vert no, yada yada yada. In all honesty I could care less about Killington and what they call themselves. I know from first hand experience and with the eye test what they really are and don't need some stupid self hype that will help give woody's to those who need to have Killington have more lifts and more trails (sections of trails), etc.

 

[ski_resort_observer]

Kmart doesn't dewarf everyone in regards to trails.....PS Pico is not part of Killington in regards to the ski resort. Lifts, yes they dwarf everyone in that regards, terrain no, expert vert no, yada yada yada. In all honesty I could care less about Killington and what they call themselves. I know from first hand experience and with the eye test what they really are and don't need some stupid self hype that will help give woody's to those who need to have Killington have more lifts and more trails (sections of trails), etc.

Whether you like Killington or not don't mean chit, blah,blah,blah...it's still the Beast of the East.

 

[roark]

I so don't get the elimination of surface lifts in wind prone areas...

 

[kcyanks1]

I so don't get the elimination of surface lifts in wind prone areas...

Probably because they are more difficult to ride, especially as there are fewer of them for people to practice on. Also, while I've never snowboarded, I imagine they are tougher on boarders, and the increase in boarding over the last decade would lead to a decrease in surface lifts. Finally, adding a new surface lift doesn't work as well for marketing as a new quad.

 

[roark]

Probably because they are more difficult to ride, especially as there are fewer of them for people to practice on. Also, while I've never snowboarded, I imagine they are tougher on boarders, and the increase in boarding over the last decade would lead to a decrease in surface lifts. Finally, adding a new surface lift doesn't work as well for marketing as a new quad.

Huh, when I *learned* to ski at okemo in the 80's all you rode were surface lifts... it wasn't until you could handle some 'real' terrain (by okemo standards) you got to ride chairs. The surface lifts were for beginners! Of course now it's silly side by side chairs that do their best to load and unload for you (rather poorly, I might add).

Aside from that, the applications I'm referring almost exclusively serve expert terrain. To me surface lifts seem tailor made for high wind, low traffic, mostly expert areas.

I do get the snowboarder argument. Except I think boarding has decreased in the last decade :fm. Oh wait, wrong board.

Anyway, this isn't a surface lift thread. I never rode the Saddleback T, just bemoaning the loss of another lift can run when it's windy. And it's often windy during/after a good dump. I can't comment on Saddleback specifically, but more a general trend I disagree with. I for one would like to see surface lifts added to service exposed and or underutilized terrain, rather than removed and replaced with a chair incapable of running in inclement weather - which is too often the case.