Sugarloaf Announces Terrain Expansion to Burnt Mountain and 10-year Development Plan

[bigbob]

I like the Waterville-Madison route the best. It seems slightly more direct than the Augusta-Farmington route. 99% of the drive is between 50-70 mph....depending how fast you go on 95, of course. I can make it to the Loaf from Portsmouth in under 3.5 hours, with a 10 minute stop at a store. Can't seem to get there fast enough.

That's the way I go, 65 minutes from Rt 95 to the loaf. I can make it in 3 hours 5 minutes from Lee if I get on the pike in Wells.

 

[bigbob]

First off, congrats to Sugarloaf for announcing a terrain expansion. It’s this type of news that creates excitement on a hot August day as we all dream about skiing and riding.

Killington Resort has long laid claim as the largest resort east of the Mississippi. Being the largest is one of our core attributes and a huge part of our brand identity. When another resort claims to become the largest resort in the east, it is expected that we would comment.

However, it all depending upon which metric used to make the claim.
Currently, Killington Resort has the following:
752 acres of “developed skiing terrain.”
71 miles of terrain
Approximately 3,007 acres of terrain boundary to boundary

We know that Sugarloaf will be at 900+ acres of “developed” terrain upon completion on phase 1 of their expansion. Plus, we know that Sugarloaf will be at 2,000+ acres of terrain boundary to boundary upon completion of phase 3. What we don’t know is what their mileage will be, or if they have even calculated it, or if it even matters to them.

As far as what constitutes the biggest in the east, it’s not always comparing apples to apples. There isn’t a formula for it as we all seem to pretty much use what best fits our individual resort’s interest, marketing plans, etc.

Here at Killington, we have numerous gladed areas that don’t calculate into our overall developed acreage, such as the trees on the skiers right of Superstar, numerous areas in The Stash, Needle’s Eye area and off Killington Peak, just to name a few. In addition, Patsy’s only has three acres of “developed” terrain. However as most of you who have skied that area know, there is much more than three acres of skiable terrain there. Same holds true for Julio, Anarchy, Low Rider, etc.

At the end of the day, we’re all passionate skiers and riders and excited the share our thoughts, experiences and adventures we have on the snow. So let the conversation continue as to who has the biggest, best, steepest, etc., because what really matters most is wherever you ski/ride you have a great time and share that experience with others.

Cheers!
:beer:

Tom, Killington USED to have the longest season in the east also.... Things do change!

 

[deadheadskier]

That's the way I go, 65 minutes from Rt 95 to the loaf. I can make it in 3 hours 5 minutes from Lee if I get on the pike in Wells.

you think taking 4 straight across to Wells is quicker than grabbing 95 in Portsmouth?

I'm curious as I travel from Newmarket to Portland all the time for work. Always just shoot over to 95 in Portsmouth

 

[snoseek]

I'm not hatin' but has anybody actually looked at this terrain on a topo or google maps?

Off the ridgeline it's only like 500ft vert of reasonable/mellow pitch before it flats out pretty seriously.

The part they are talking about opening this year, plus about half of "phase two", is pretty equivalent to the "snowdon bowl" at Killington. An believe me that gets tracked out.

I have yet to look at any maps but have skied off the upper part and wouldn't describe it as mellow at all.

 

[riverc0il]

This thread keeps on getting better and better. I was actually laughing out loud. I don't find much on the internet truly "laugh out loud" funny any more. But K continuing to conduct a marketing war that Loaf wants no part of in a thread devoted to the Loaf expansion plans is just too much. Instead of being defensive about marketing claims of other mountains, perhaps K should roll out their own 10 year development plan and fill us in on how the Pico/K inter-connect is going and how about all that new slack country they are opening up. Ah, no comment on that, I bet.

 

[180]

I agree with RiverCoil, very funny.

 

[Mapnut]

I have yet to look at any maps but have skied off the upper part and wouldn't describe it as mellow at all.

Here you can look at the map: http://msrmaps.com/image.aspx?T=2&S=12&Z=19&X=497&Y=6234&W=2&qs=|sugarloaf|me|

It looks like the good pitch goes down to about El. 2700 below the ridge. The King Pine chair tops out about El. 3600. So "Brackett Basin" (where did they come up with that name?) would have 900 feet of steeps off King Pine and 600 off the saddle which is at el. 3300. Over on Burnt Hill the steeps go down to El. 2600 so you'd have 1,000 vertical feet of steeps if the snowfields were skiable, maybe 600 from the traverse. Below that it would probably ski like Stub's Glade.

(Disclaimer) I haven't skied it. That's just what you can tell from the map.

 

[wa-loaf]

Here you can look at the map: http://msrmaps.com/image.aspx?T=2&S=12&Z=19&X=497&Y=6234&W=2&qs=|sugarloaf|me|

It looks like the good pitch goes down to about El. 2700 below the ridge. The King Pine chair tops out about El. 3600. So "Brackett Basin" (where did they come up with that name?) would have 900 feet of steeps off King Pine and 600 off the saddle which is at el. 3300. Over on Burnt Hill the steeps go down to El. 2600 so you'd have 1,000 vertical feet of steeps if the snowfields were skiable, maybe 600 from the traverse. Below that it would probably ski like Stub's Glade.

(Disclaimer) I haven't skied it. That's just what you can tell from the map.

What will be really sweet is coming down from the snowfields directly to the saddle and continuing down into Brackett. :beer:

 

[tipsdown]

I'm not hatin' but has anybody actually looked at this terrain on a topo or google maps?

Off the ridgeline it's only like 500ft vert of reasonable/mellow pitch before it flats out pretty seriously.

The part they are talking about opening this year, plus about half of "phase two", is pretty equivalent to the "snowdon bowl" at Killington. An believe me that gets tracked out.

LEt me say I love the Loaf. But this is mis-leading. I think when some people show up to ski "2300 vertical ft of glades" they're going to be dissapointed. The maps don't lie. There's some nice terrain towards the top but the last 1300 ft. of vert is flat as a pancake AND it's earn your turns. This is very gimmicky marketing. If there were a surface lift adjecnent to the King Pine chair (cutting off the bottom 2/3 of the terrain) it would be a much better experience. The numbers wouldn't sound as impressive, but it would be a much better experience and there wouldn't be any dissapointment.

 

[bigbog]

Now all they need is an airport between CV and Rangeley with flights from DC/ Baltimore, NYC Metro Area, and Boston Metro area. State of Maine, can you say stimulus funds or the type of funds from foreign investors seeking a green card similar to what Jay Peak and Sugarbush are using.

Many roads are being/have been worked on and repaved this year....pretty good odds on a lot better driving surfaces by ski season.......

*Ditto what said tipsdown.......

 

[wa-loaf]

LEt me say I love the Loaf. But this is mis-leading. I think when some people show up to ski "2300 vertical ft of glades" they're going to be dissapointed.

Where does it say that? I don't think anyone is advertising that and they tell you it's a mix of glades from tight to open. Open likely being the flat birch slopes at the bottom. Most of the folks going there will know what's the deal is. They definitely need to do something about the lifts to get people out of there and back up the mtn faster.

 

[AdironRider]

I havent had the time yet to read this entire thread, but heres what I love about this plan.

Its actually could be done in its entirety. The signature lift will be a challenge and expensive, and on a mountain like Sugarloaf, will be tough to operate daily due to weather conditions. However, its still a realistic plan. The terrain additions are modest in terms of labor needed to add, but huge in area. No new lifts and doubling of terrain, pretty outstanding. Grading will be minimal, and the staffing increase to service the area is really just a couple more ski patrollers. Replacement of the mid mountain lifts was necessary anyway, and with fixed grip quads shouldnt break the bank. That leaves the opportunity for the signature lift. Id say tram, but those are expensivo, but can actually run on high winds days. It takes like 60+ to close the Jackson tram.

Sugarloaf gets it. They realize they need something to separate itself from the rest of NE other than location. One massive glade practically the size of Killingtons on piste terrain is that something. Those real aerial photos show just how massive this area is.

 

[Tin Woodsman]

I'm not hatin' but has anybody actually looked at this terrain on a topo or google maps?

Off the ridgeline it's only like 500ft vert of reasonable/mellow pitch before it flats out pretty seriously.

The part they are talking about opening this year, plus about half of "phase two", is pretty equivalent to the "snowdon bowl" at Killington. An believe me that gets tracked out.

Dude -

Call us when K shows any interest whatsoever in improving the off-piste experience/access, let alone prioritizes a major expansion ahead of poorly conceived real estate at the base.

Snowdon bowl gets tracked out b/c it is easily accessible with no traversing from two quads and a triple at the heart of the resort. Hard to believe you'll get the same level of traffic on Burnt, especially when the Loaf has half the traffic of K-Mart to begin with (despite POWDR's concerted attempts to drive its customer base away).

 

[AdironRider]

I think itll see more traffic than say Mitt last year, even with more of a trek out and back, but it certainly wont get tracked out by 10.

It will be a draw though. While apples to oranges, if the backcountry provides the goods, people will go out there. Its amazing how much traffic the BC at Jackson gets, and theres a shitton more effort involved than Sugarloafs terrain will require, even with a tram. Four Pines is a minimum two bootpacks at 9000 feet or higher, Cody requires a long bootpack and some sketch rock scrambling until you get used to it. People will make the effort if the gettins good.

Killington is a weak comparison to this expansion, outside of pure skiable acreage.

 

[2knees]

This thread keeps on getting better and better. I was actually laughing out loud. I don't find much on the internet truly "laugh out loud" funny any more. But K continuing to conduct a marketing war that Loaf wants no part of in a thread devoted to the Loaf expansion plans is just too much. Instead of being defensive about marketing claims of other mountains, perhaps K should roll out their own 10 year development plan and fill us in on how the Pico/K inter-connect is going and how about all that new slack country they are opening up. Ah, no comment on that, I bet.

so dead on with this.

 

[deadheadskier]

That leaves the opportunity for the signature lift. Id say tram, but those are expensivo, but can actually run on high winds days. It takes like 60+ to close the Jackson tram.

.

I say they go all in and put in a Funitel. Good to go up to 80mph winds. Uphill capacity north of 3000 per hour. Come on Boyne. Only cost ya $20 million or so.

 

[AdironRider]

Thats cheaper than a tram, although I have no idea what it is.

How bout a high speed ski car like Cranmore used to have. Modernize the whole thing with eight passenger cars that whizz up through tunnels bored inside the mountain. Like a cross between Cranmore, airport monorails under the tarmac, and those suck tubes at the bank. I think were onto something here!

In all seriousness, if I had to put money on it, Im willing to bet a signature lift doesnt happen, but the plan is still relatively realistic. Should be good things all around for Sugarloaf for the next ten years, and its good to see Sugarloaf get some love over Sunday River.

 

[bvibert]

Thats cheaper than a tram, although I have no idea what it is.

It's basically like a big gondola that rides on two haul ropes instead of one. It's supposed to be more stable in wind.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Funitel

 

[Black Phantom]

It's basically like a big gondola that rides on two haul ropes instead of one. It's supposed to be more stable in wind.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Funitel

You couldn't find an example closer to home?

 

[Edd]

I'd take any option over a tram. The Funitel at Squaw is pretty sweet.