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Tenney? Hello? Is this thing on?
- Thread starter witch hobble
- Start date
SIKSKIER
New member
Too bad after a genuine effort.
They've had a lot of issues.
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Sent from my iPhone using AlpineZone
MG Skier
Active member
Lets hope with a better weather pattern and some new snow making gear they can turn the corner next season.
New "News" from the mountain
As Tenney Mountain Ski Area nears rebirth, it is joining with*Plymouth State University in interesting ways
Works continues at Tenney Mountain Ski Area, which hopes to reopen to the public next winter. David Brooks /Monitor staff
The Hornet chairlift, the longer of Tenney Mountain’s two lifts, should be certified this month. David Brooks / Monitor staff
PSU Prof. Brad Allen, pointing, discusses a topographic map of the region with Tenney Mountain Ski Area owner Michael Bouchard inside the area's lodge on March 24, 2016. David Brooks—Monitor staff
Plymouth State Professor Brad Allen (left), a partner in Tenney Mountain Ski Area, discusses the area with owner Michael Bouchard on a porch outside the main lodge. Behind them is the Witch’s Hat, the area’s distinctive ticket counter. David Brooks / Monitor staff
Eclipse, the shorter of Tenney Mountain Ski Area’s two chairlifts, has a view of some of the wind turbines in the Groton Wind Farm.
SKIING*TENNEY MOUNTAIN*PLYMOUTH STATE UNIVERSITY
As long as we don’t suffer through another winter without much snow, skiing should return by Christmas to Tenney Mountain for the first time in six years.
But long before the snow flies, students will be working at the mountain doing weather experiments and could soon earn college credit.
That’s because the long-closed ski area and nearby Plymouth State University are nearing an unusual partnership, which both parties see not only as potentially valuable, but as absolutely necessary.
“The ski industry knows it needs to change, academia knows it needs to change. But the adjustment is difficult,” said Brad Allen, an associate professor of marketing at PSU and a partner in Tenney Mountain Ski Area.
The proposal, spelled out in a memorandum of understanding that is nearing completion, allows the school to use the ski area first for research – PSU’s well-known meteorology program is setting up National Science Foundation-supported experiments on the mountain – and then for hands-on classwork, probably involving business or environmental classes. Most interestingly, in future years the school might base entire classes at Tenney Mountain, or even build facilities at the site.
“There’s lots of room here,” said Tenney Mountain Ski Area’s owner, Michael Bouchard. Among the possibilities he cited: PSU could build dormitories there as part of its efforts to ease a housing crunch downtown.
The exact form for the partnership is still being decided.
“There are a lot of really great ideas being discussed right now. It’s hard to know which pieces are going to come together,” said Robyn Parker, dean of the college of business administration at Plymouth State.
Like many universities, PSU has established a number of programs with private companies over the years, but Parker said the Tenney Mountain partnership could be different, an integral part of the school’s reinvention of itself away from traditional subject majors.
“This one is interdisciplinary and in support of a transformative open lab. This will very likely involve students from many disciplines, bring them together in collective projects. That’s a direction we’re going to on campus – shared facilities and projects,” Parker said.
And, with any luck, shared income from inventions.
“The plan is eventually we’ll be developing some technologies and intellectual property together, mostly in the area of environmental sustainability,” she said.
Before any of that happens, however, there’s still work to be done on Tenney Mountain to make it skiable. The next big step is state certification of Hornet, the longer of the two chairlifts, which is necessary to open the entire mountain up to skiers. Certification is supposed to happen by mid-June.
The ski area’s situation is complicated because Keith Fitzgerald, the company’s former chief operating officer, faces charges that he stole $750,000 from his father, and has filed a lawsuit seeking $375,000 from the ski area. This controversy drove off some investors, Bouchard said, and the lawsuit could prove sticky if it goes through.
Regardless, there’s still work to be done at the main lodge and other buildings, as well as the never-ending job of improving drainage on the relatively wet mountain, which Bouchard said is important because climate change increases the likelihood of heavy, erosion-causing rainstorms.
The lodge will be nicer, but roughly the same as before, with an open design and picnic tables.
“People want it the way it was. If I changed it to aluminum and glass, they’d be up in arms. They enjoy moving the picnic tables around, forming little groups,” said Bouchard, who is officially Sir Michael Bouchard, having been knighted as part of the Knights of Malta.
Speaking of not changing things, the Witch’s Hat is not moving, after all.
Bouchard had planned to move the funky ticket booth, whose tall conical hat led to the witchy nickname, up to the top of the mountain as a warming hut. But the resulting outcry led him to change his mind, and instead use the Witch’s Hat as a centerpiece of marketing.
Tenney Mountain Ski Area dates to 1960, although there was downhill skiing on logging roads long before then. It floundered in the 1980s, partly because the then-owners refused to pay for any snowmaking and partly because of financial problems involved with the construction of adjacent condominiums.
The ski area went through four owners in the following decades, with different names and business plans, including efforts by a Japanese firm to make artificial snow inside a giant refrigerator so that skiing could take place outside the regular season. It closed for good in 2010.
In 2014, Bouchard, a physicist who co-founded an engineering firm in Nashua, bought 900 acres, including the ski area, for a reported $1.2 million. He said he was really interested in the mineral rights, but was persuaded that it would be worthwhile to reopen the ski area. Bouchard, who had never skied until this past winter, said his long-term business plan involves building more housing – the area has zoning approval for roughly 2,000 more units – and businesses.
He and investors have spent some $4 million on upgrades since then
As Tenney Mountain Ski Area nears rebirth, it is joining with*Plymouth State University in interesting ways
Works continues at Tenney Mountain Ski Area, which hopes to reopen to the public next winter. David Brooks /Monitor staff
The Hornet chairlift, the longer of Tenney Mountain’s two lifts, should be certified this month. David Brooks / Monitor staff
PSU Prof. Brad Allen, pointing, discusses a topographic map of the region with Tenney Mountain Ski Area owner Michael Bouchard inside the area's lodge on March 24, 2016. David Brooks—Monitor staff
Plymouth State Professor Brad Allen (left), a partner in Tenney Mountain Ski Area, discusses the area with owner Michael Bouchard on a porch outside the main lodge. Behind them is the Witch’s Hat, the area’s distinctive ticket counter. David Brooks / Monitor staff
Eclipse, the shorter of Tenney Mountain Ski Area’s two chairlifts, has a view of some of the wind turbines in the Groton Wind Farm.
SKIING*TENNEY MOUNTAIN*PLYMOUTH STATE UNIVERSITY
As long as we don’t suffer through another winter without much snow, skiing should return by Christmas to Tenney Mountain for the first time in six years.
But long before the snow flies, students will be working at the mountain doing weather experiments and could soon earn college credit.
That’s because the long-closed ski area and nearby Plymouth State University are nearing an unusual partnership, which both parties see not only as potentially valuable, but as absolutely necessary.
“The ski industry knows it needs to change, academia knows it needs to change. But the adjustment is difficult,” said Brad Allen, an associate professor of marketing at PSU and a partner in Tenney Mountain Ski Area.
The proposal, spelled out in a memorandum of understanding that is nearing completion, allows the school to use the ski area first for research – PSU’s well-known meteorology program is setting up National Science Foundation-supported experiments on the mountain – and then for hands-on classwork, probably involving business or environmental classes. Most interestingly, in future years the school might base entire classes at Tenney Mountain, or even build facilities at the site.
“There’s lots of room here,” said Tenney Mountain Ski Area’s owner, Michael Bouchard. Among the possibilities he cited: PSU could build dormitories there as part of its efforts to ease a housing crunch downtown.
The exact form for the partnership is still being decided.
“There are a lot of really great ideas being discussed right now. It’s hard to know which pieces are going to come together,” said Robyn Parker, dean of the college of business administration at Plymouth State.
Like many universities, PSU has established a number of programs with private companies over the years, but Parker said the Tenney Mountain partnership could be different, an integral part of the school’s reinvention of itself away from traditional subject majors.
“This one is interdisciplinary and in support of a transformative open lab. This will very likely involve students from many disciplines, bring them together in collective projects. That’s a direction we’re going to on campus – shared facilities and projects,” Parker said.
And, with any luck, shared income from inventions.
“The plan is eventually we’ll be developing some technologies and intellectual property together, mostly in the area of environmental sustainability,” she said.
Before any of that happens, however, there’s still work to be done on Tenney Mountain to make it skiable. The next big step is state certification of Hornet, the longer of the two chairlifts, which is necessary to open the entire mountain up to skiers. Certification is supposed to happen by mid-June.
The ski area’s situation is complicated because Keith Fitzgerald, the company’s former chief operating officer, faces charges that he stole $750,000 from his father, and has filed a lawsuit seeking $375,000 from the ski area. This controversy drove off some investors, Bouchard said, and the lawsuit could prove sticky if it goes through.
Regardless, there’s still work to be done at the main lodge and other buildings, as well as the never-ending job of improving drainage on the relatively wet mountain, which Bouchard said is important because climate change increases the likelihood of heavy, erosion-causing rainstorms.
The lodge will be nicer, but roughly the same as before, with an open design and picnic tables.
“People want it the way it was. If I changed it to aluminum and glass, they’d be up in arms. They enjoy moving the picnic tables around, forming little groups,” said Bouchard, who is officially Sir Michael Bouchard, having been knighted as part of the Knights of Malta.
Speaking of not changing things, the Witch’s Hat is not moving, after all.
Bouchard had planned to move the funky ticket booth, whose tall conical hat led to the witchy nickname, up to the top of the mountain as a warming hut. But the resulting outcry led him to change his mind, and instead use the Witch’s Hat as a centerpiece of marketing.
Tenney Mountain Ski Area dates to 1960, although there was downhill skiing on logging roads long before then. It floundered in the 1980s, partly because the then-owners refused to pay for any snowmaking and partly because of financial problems involved with the construction of adjacent condominiums.
The ski area went through four owners in the following decades, with different names and business plans, including efforts by a Japanese firm to make artificial snow inside a giant refrigerator so that skiing could take place outside the regular season. It closed for good in 2010.
In 2014, Bouchard, a physicist who co-founded an engineering firm in Nashua, bought 900 acres, including the ski area, for a reported $1.2 million. He said he was really interested in the mineral rights, but was persuaded that it would be worthwhile to reopen the ski area. Bouchard, who had never skied until this past winter, said his long-term business plan involves building more housing – the area has zoning approval for roughly 2,000 more units – and businesses.
He and investors have spent some $4 million on upgrades since then
Did not know about the lawsuit. Weird. That is a good reason to move ahead slowly.
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4aprice
Well-known member
Saw a blurb on the owners facebook that they had the Hornet running and passing at least part of its test requirements (brakes?) and PSU is going to have some part in there too, not sure what that would be.
Alex
Lake Hopatcong, NJ
Alex
Lake Hopatcong, NJ
Newpylong
Well-known member
dormitory
MG Skier
Active member
Mike at Tenney also mentioned looking for volunteers to paint the Hornet's Stations and the Eclipse's Top Terminal.
I think I may go spend a day or two painting and help the cause. Will probably take a hike while I am there.
I think I may go spend a day or two painting and help the cause. Will probably take a hike while I am there.
witch hobble
Member
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- Messages
- 774
- Points
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The Hornet passed inspection. All lifts are a go.
dlague
Active member
I saw that on FB - another huge milestone. Now on to snowmaking?
Very cool. Also thought it was nice that the first thing he said was "thanks fans and keep the feedback coming." He has gotten more attention using his iPhone and Facebook than some places get with expensive media operations.
Newpylong
Well-known member
yep
Bump
Just checked their Facebook page out of curiosity - in addition to some interesting comments from mike about the lawsuit, it sounds like there will indeed be skiing this season at Tunney. But most likely it will be limited to one of the lower lifts, unless we get plenty of snow. A "soft opening" is planned, apparently... https://m.facebook.com/skiTENNEY/posts/?ref=page_internal&mt_nav=1
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Just checked their Facebook page out of curiosity - in addition to some interesting comments from mike about the lawsuit, it sounds like there will indeed be skiing this season at Tunney. But most likely it will be limited to one of the lower lifts, unless we get plenty of snow. A "soft opening" is planned, apparently... https://m.facebook.com/skiTENNEY/posts/?ref=page_internal&mt_nav=1
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mbedle
Well-known member
Was interesting to note that he is going to be using EB-5 for his development.
doublediamond
Active member
- Joined
- Dec 22, 2013
- Messages
- 546
- Points
- 43
The 'soft' opening is an Octoberfest shindig.
The issue is that there are boatloads of breaks in the water pipes on the Hornet side. There's also no top loop connection at the valve house.
The issue is that there are boatloads of breaks in the water pipes on the Hornet side. There's also no top loop connection at the valve house.
Hope they open because it seems like they're losing momentum and fan enthusiasm.
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Is there a reason why this wasnt taken care of this summer? I was under the impression that the new ownership had plenty of money to invest.
I know the plan was to be calculated and not over invest, but at some point you need to switch gears and try and drive revenue in order for the business to be viable. As a former pass holder I'm pulling for them, but I'm not eager to head back there to ski off just the triple. I'm sure that offering will attract some beginners looking for an inexpensive family friendly atmosphere, but getting terrain open off the Hornet should be a high priority.
Completely agree. The fact that they did not open last year, while understandable, has impacted their credibility in my mind. I really want to see them succeed and was figuring, based in part on the FB videos, that they were going to get Hornet going this year and have their ducks in a row. It sucks that they have so much to fix, but they now have had two summers.
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