Saddleback

[bigbog]

They have the load station as well as the entire lift up for sale on 2 different listings. Sounds like the owners didn't want to put more $ into an aging lift and are now saying they won;t open unless they can raise enough $ to buy a new lift.
Have to believe something will get done---they have invested too much into the place over the last 10-15 yrs to just close it now.......

Will be interesting, regardless if there is an old-Killington/Stowe/Sugarbush style ski resort at the mountain or not...there is always good skiing as long as there is good snow....and maps;-) Lifts are an option...whose function hasn't really been exploited to the max, imho, by Big-resort wannabee owners...

 

[salsgang]

feels like a big game of chicken. Who is going to blink first.

 

[machski]

SB has been strange the last few years. I have a feeling the lodge and two new quads were put in first to try and grow skier visits as the Rangley double was a serviceable chair already at the time. However, this was a calculated move if so and looks to not have succeeded. As for the resort being for sale, that is true of the ski area alone. The Berry's are not selling the adjacent real estate property which if you know anything of current resort economics, would make anyone of interest stay away without the real estate tracts attached.

 

[HowieT2]

can I ask a stupid question, its the end of July, is it physically possible to install a new lift before winter???? especially if said lift hasnt been purchased to date?????

 

[thetrailboss]

can I ask a stupid question, its the end of July, is it physically possible to install a new lift before winter???? especially if said lift hasnt been purchased to date?????

+ 1. Another reason why this ploy does not make sense....

 

[Tin]

I'm curious if there will be any backlash from this. I can see individuals who know about this little scheme maybe not visiting even if they know about it. For one, it is just a bs stunt. Second, it could make potential visitors who have never been avoid the area due to the comments and possible concerns about the lift itself (seeing as though there is no way to get a new lift in there for ski season and it's a LOOOOONG drive to ride that thing).



They should have waited until Jan/Feb to pull this stunt. It could really come back to bite them this season.

 

[ss20]

can I ask a stupid question, its the end of July, is it physically possible to install a new lift before winter???? especially if said lift hasnt been purchased to date?????

Yes and no. They would have to sell the old lift, get that removed, secure funds for a new lift ($300,000 is pocket change for a new lift), and do this all before mid Agust for them to have a *chance* at having a new fixed-grip lift for a Christmas opening. If they're going for a high-speed quad or six pack that ship sailed away looooong ago.

 

[xwhaler]

Saddleback has always said the goal is a fixed grip quad. They have no intention in a HSQ. I will be up there on the lake over Labor Day wknd so will try and ask around to see what is going on.

To early to speculate but if they really don't want to put more $ into maintaining the Rangeley I wonder if a reduced operating schedule could work while they find the funds for lift replacement?
I was a passholder for 2 seasons and have skied there about 75 days lifetime. I can tell you the mtn is still very much worth going to without the double and I think on a reduced operation running the T and Kennebago they could offer full mtn access without as much of the costs. We shall see

 

[dlague]

Saddleback has always said the goal is a fixed grip quad. They have no intention in a HSQ. I will be up there on the lake over Labor Day wknd so will try and ask around to see what is going on.

To early to speculate but if they really don't want to put more $ into maintaining the Rangeley I wonder if a reduced operating schedule could work while they find the funds for lift replacement?
I was a passholder for 2 seasons and have skied there about 75 days lifetime. I can tell you the mtn is still very much worth going to without the double and I think on a reduced operation running the T and Kennebago they could offer full mtn access without as much of the costs. We shall see

I was looking at their trail map and noticed as wrll that the T bar offers access across to Kennebago.

 

[xwhaler]

Yes, riding the T and doing some laps on the fun terrain over there before heading up top was SOP for many of my 'back days. Lot of good terrain off the T and a good portion of the best mid mtn stuff can be accessed from the Kennebago anyways. Only reason usually to go down was to get lunch or head in for apres

 

[machski]

can I ask a stupid question, its the end of July, is it physically possible to install a new lift before winter???? especially if said lift hasnt been purchased to date?????

Snow King installed a new Quad in about 6 weeks this spring and it is already up and running for their alpine slide. It was built by Doppelmayr and was their fastest install to date. I have to assume the site survey and plans have already been done by Dopp and they simply need to sign for it.

 

[HowieT2]

Snow King installed a new Quad in about 6 weeks this spring and it is already up and running for their alpine slide. It was built by Doppelmayr and was their fastest install to date. I have to assume the site survey and plans have already been done by Dopp and they simply need to sign for it.

Ok, but that's 6 weeks from putting a shovel in the ground. I would think there's quite a bit of work to do before that point. I doubt you could just make a few phone calls and viola, there are crews dropping lift towers from helicopters and what not.
Seems to me if they aren't ready to start work now, the ship has sailed for this winter at least.

 

[thetrailboss]

Ok, but that's 6 weeks from putting a shovel in the ground. I would think there's quite a bit of work to do before that point. I doubt you could just make a few phone calls and viola, there are crews dropping lift towers from helicopters and what not.
Seems to me if they aren't ready to start work now, the ship has sailed for this winter at least.

Not to mention the Snow King is a mere 4.5 hours from Doppelmayr's office/headquarters here in SLC.

 

[bigbob]

Sainte Jerome, PC is not very far from Saddleback either!

 

[ss20]

Ok, but that's 6 weeks from putting a shovel in the ground. I would think there's quite a bit of work to do before that point. I doubt you could just make a few phone calls and viola, there are crews dropping lift towers from helicopters and what not.
Seems to me if they aren't ready to start work now, the ship has sailed for this winter at least.

Exactly. Snow King was definitely planned well in advance. To call up a lift manufacturer now and say "yeah we haven't even removed the old lift yet, can you start flying in towers in 3 weeks?" would be ludicrous.

 

[machski]

Exactly. Snow King was definitely planned well in advance. To call up a lift manufacturer now and say "yeah we haven't even removed the old lift yet, can you start flying in towers in 3 weeks?" would be ludicrous.

My guess is the new lift is all spec'd out and the manufacturer is just waiting for the word go. Okemo did the Sunburst 6 after July and opened for December and that was a heated bubble detach. I don't doubt they could get a fixed grip installed if the spec and engineering is done. SL took out the base terminal of KP in a week with just their lift ops crews. It can be done.

 

[thetrailboss]

Sainte Jerome, PC is not very far from Saddleback either!

I wondered if Dopp had an east coast office....

And I'd hope the new lift would be a high(er) speed lift for that price.


Sent from my iPhone using AlpineZone

 

[steamboat1]

I wondered if Dopp had an east coast office....

And I'd hope the new lift would be a high(er) speed lift for that price.

Isn't the price tag for the Valley House chair at Sugarbush about the same? Supposedly it will be a fixed grip carpet loaded lift identical to the Meadows quad at Stowe which is a Dopp. To tell you the truth after riding the Meadows quad several times I didn't notice much difference in speed over a conventionally loaded lift & it's a bigger pain to load. These guys don't exactly look comfortable loading the Meadows quad.

That's part of the Stowe Mountain Clubs new building in the background. It's quite a bit further along now seeing it myself 2 weeks ago. Comes with underground parking.

 

[drjeff]

The one thing, even with the time frame before winter now, Saddleback may have working for them, is the low number of installations on the East Coast this year - the crews of the companies aren't going to be stretched as thin as they might be if say it was a BIG year for Eastern installations

 

[HowieT2]

Isn't the price tag for the Valley House chair at Sugarbush about the same? Supposedly it will be a fixed grip carpet loaded lift identical to the Meadows quad at Stowe which is a Dopp. To tell you the truth after riding the Meadows quad several times I didn't notice much difference in speed over a conventionally loaded lift & it's a bigger pain to load. These guys don't exactly look comfortable loading the Meadows quad.

That's part of the Stowe Mountain Clubs new building in the background. It's quite a bit further along now seeing it myself 2 weeks ago. Comes with underground parking.

My understanding is that the carpet loading allows the lift to run about 100 feet/minute faster than a conventionally loaded fixed grip.

The new quad at sugarbush reportedly is costing about 3M but part of that is the removal of two structures and site work for widening the traverse up top.