The NEW Magic Mountain

[ne_skier]

If I had to guess, there is no chance of Black opening this season if parts are still being machined. Magic will be unwilling to keep the work road clear for however long it takes to machine more parts, and rightfully so. I'd rather ski as much of the mountain as possible off Red alone, even if that means longer lift lines. If the parts are machined and ready to go in, I'd say it's probably 50/50. Those sheaves are the last major hurdle to getting that lift open, the rest is stuff like safety bar installation and fine-tuning.
This of course all depends on the condition of the Red Lift, however, I don't see the Red Lift's issues keeping it closed for longer than two weeks at the very most. Everything that is needed to fix Red is already there, that being drive and motor experts to help calibrate the two and prevent surging. Unless something major happens, there is no waiting for parts to be drawn up, machined, shipped, waiting for installation equipment, etc like we saw last summer with the Black Chair, and the massive delays associated.

 

[slatham]

Work road already covered in numerous sections........

 

[slatham]

From snow report

1/5: We will re-open wth Green Lift and possibly Red Lift to summit on 1/7 heading into the weekend. Red Lift is dependent on passing its state inspection on Thursday 1/6 after fixing the new drive.

There will be limited outdoor grilled food on the deck due to shortages in the kitchen with Covid-19 safety and health protocols. The Tavern will not be open for dinner until next week.

 

[KustyTheKlown]

gosh id love this storm to shift north and pummel magic and then use my sunday pass this weekend

 

[Hastur]

gosh id love this storm to shift north and pummel magic and then use my sunday pass this weekend

If red is running I'd prefer Magic to Stratton by a lot this Sunday. They should have umc through the woods, upper trick, medium, wand, lmc, vertigo, and showoff.

Not exciting and you won't get as many laps and vert in but whatevs. Strattons the same 7 trails worth skiing that all ski the same and end up an ice sheet by 10:30

 

[urungus]

Just received todays Alpine Update:

We will plan to re-open the ski area with Green Lift and beginner Sunkids conveyor lift this Friday January 7th--and, possibly Red Lift to summit as well on Friday depending on the lift passing its state inspection and load test tomorrow January 6th. Thursday we will be closed for the load test and as we adjust staffing, especially in food & beverage, due to COVID health protocols. Hopefully by next week we can return to our normal Thursday-Sunday plus holidays schedule as we get more staff returning by the MLK holiday weekend.

In terms of Red Chair, Pfister Mountain Services reviewed all lift mechanical--from the new shaft and couplings, the planetary, and bullwheel bearings--and all checked out perfectly. For the drive, a tachometer was added and the "regen" drive settings have gone through adjustments made per All Ski Lifts' Larry Wollum in consultation with the drive manufacturer and Stevens Engineering. The state lift inspector has been involved throughout this process. Today's Red Lift operating inspection was successful pending the final load test scheduled for tomorrow. If all goes well then the Red Chair will be set for service to the summit on Friday and into the weekend.

For Friday and the weekend, there will be no food available from the kitchen so we will simply be grilling on the deck due to staff shortages in the kitchen with Covid-19 protocols in place. Therefore, the Tavern will not be open for dinner until next week. The Tavern will be open on the deck and indoors for beverages, and our mask requirement policy remains in effect there.

We made snow Sunday night through Tuesday night on Wand and Show Off until snowmaking operations were suspended today due to warming temperatures. We will start up again to finish Show Off on Thursday after the load test, and then we will head up top to get Upper Trick into the middle of Magic Carpet later this week. There is at least a little snow expected on Friday (up to 2") but eventually we will get that foot+ powder storm!

[snip]

We will up date you on Red Lift status and summit skiing tomorrow after the load test.

 

[slatham]

Good news, Red passed.

Bad news, covid got too many patrollers scheduled to work tomorrow so they are closed Friday.

Punches just keep coming.

 

[MG Skier]

See you Saturday Magic!

 

[Hastur]

I wonder if they did a late or early groom. Or maybe no groom
should be fun tomorrow. I expect it to be ‘magic busy‘.
If the next storm performs well, maybe by sun afternoon they could have a couple experts only / thin cover routes down the east side.

 

[Not Sure]

Haha A little shade being thrown on AZ by TGR starting with post #775

East Coast Roll Call 21-22 We have a hot date with Skadi, Pictures at 11

Looks like Laps had some legitimate turns, Congratulations!!! Another long winter in front of us. Hope everyone can make the best of it and stay safe all winter. 30 year anniversary of Valley life for me and looking forward to celebrating with fun adventures near and far. Gong show...

www.tetongravity.com

 

[urungus]

Thanks for the link, I had heard about the shit Fairbanks pulled on the Brodie deed, but not the other allegations. Here’s the post

Originally Posted by MyNameIsAugustWest

Everybody also seems to forget (or maybe doesn't know) that when the Fairbank Group decided to shutter Magic, they cut holes in most of the snowmaking pipes to ensure Magic could never again compete with their resort down the street.

I had not heard this tidbit. Sounds like typical Fairbanks.

I first really got into skiing as a kid at Brodie. Then the Faribanks closed it. And wrote into the deed of the property that it may never be used as a public ski area ever again. Criminal, if you ask me.

Almost as criminal as their penchant for grooming the hell out of every single flake that falls on Jiminy, where I kept skiing after the closure of Brodie.

I've also heard that the widow of the operator of Mt Tom brought Fairbanks in as a consultant, once her husband died and operational responsibilities fell to her. Fairbanks persuaded her to close the ski area.

Quite a record of death and destruction in this dude's wake.

 

[PAabe]

Interesting that the lift inspector and engineers were allegedly present and in approval of the lift operating whilst surging

 

[Newpylong]

Thanks for the link, I had heard about the shit Fairbanks pulled on the Brodie deed, but not the other allegations. Here’s the post

Originally Posted by MyNameIsAugustWest



I had not heard this tidbit. Sounds like typical Fairbanks.

I first really got into skiing as a kid at Brodie. Then the Faribanks closed it. And wrote into the deed of the property that it may never be used as a public ski area ever again. Criminal, if you ask me.

Almost as criminal as their penchant for grooming the hell out of every single flake that falls on Jiminy, where I kept skiing after the closure of Brodie.

I've also heard that the widow of the operator of Mt Tom brought Fairbanks in as a consultant, once her husband died and operational responsibilities fell to her. Fairbanks persuaded her to close the ski area.

Quite a record of death and destruction in this dude's wake.

IIRC, In that time period, while O'Donnell was his partner at Jiminy I don't think Fairbanks was involved in anything other than that (including Magic). What is now the multi-resort owner The Fairbanks Group had yet to be born.

Oddly I don't hate the Fairbanks for what happened to Brodie. I place the blame more squarely in the Kelly's laps. What did they think would happen selling out to next door? They took the money and built that dumbass golf course without a care in the world.

 

[ss20]

IIRC, In that time period, while O'Donnell was his partner at Jiminy I don't think Fairbanks was involved in anything other than that (including Magic). What is now the multi-resort owner The Fairbanks Group had yet to be born.

Oddly I don't hate the Fairbanks for what happened to Brodie. I place the blame more squarely in the Kelly's laps. What did they think would happen selling out to next door? They took the money and built that dumbass golf course without a care in the world.

Yes and that region was way oversaturated with Brodie, Jiminy, Catamount, Butternut, Bousqet, Berkshire East, and Otis all on top of each other. When all of them were operating they all (save for Jiminy) had some bleak years (Butternut in the 90s, Catamount before being sold, Bousquet for most of the 21st century). While it sucks seeing ski areas close there needed to be some trimming of the fat.

And don't hate on Jiminy/Fairbanks. They've probably got one of the longest-running strong operations records of any mountain at the moment in the East. Super-aggressive snowmaking and I don't think I've ever seen a lift down. Last year with covid they brought back the Summit Triple midweek too which I thought was really cool as the lines for the Six were long with capacity restrictions. Of course I can complain about grooming and pricing, but it is a damn well fine-run resort and everything about Cranmore is the same way. Bromely the picture is a little less rosie but still have a solid operational record.

 

[Newpylong]

Yes I grew up in the Berkshires racing at all of those hills. I can say with exception of Jiminy and Bousquet (due to being in Pittsfield) every one of those areas was on obvious life support and felt like they were 1970s ski areas operating in the 90s. I am still amazed and happy the ones that survived are thriving.

My only real complaint about Jiminy is the brutal grooming.

Wow we've really deviated from topic. Sorry folks.

 

[skithetrees]

I think there is a lot of truth to that. Heard that first hand from the first owners of magic to reopen it. Granted, i take everything they said with a grain of salt, but they did say that. I also vaguely remember them saying that the Fairbanks dumped rocks down the pipes.

 

[ne_skier]

I don’t think that would be Fairbanks, but rather Boston Concessions and Joe O’Donnell/Simon Oren, which owned Bromley and Magic from the mid 80s till around Magic’s closure. This page goes into more detail, I’m sure you’ve all seen it https://www.newenglandskihistory.com/Vermont/magicmtn.php . Could be wrong though.

 

[zoomzoom]

"Interesting that the lift inspector and engineers were allegedly present and in approval of the lift operating whilst surging"

not likely, i know them both.

 

[IceEidolon]

I think it's plausible contractors or inspectors weren't present but were asked about the surging drive under load after the first day, and misjudged the severity of the issue based on that. It would certainly explain why they ran through the problem - management saying "just run it" is different than management saying "we asked the guy who knows, he said it's okay." Without an official answer or a face to face, I can't say that is or isn't what happened, just that it would make sense.

 

[Hastur]

nice day here today. red started a bit late but has run fine all day. firm snow. cold start.

wand to showoff not open yet but for sure tommorow. they need the second route down the lower half.