The "Sugarbush Thread"

[MadPadraic]

No doubt a larger building would be nice (on busy days), but if you put yourself in the mountain's shoes, that's a tough spend for a 12 week Thur through Sunday facility at their already less busy of the two mountains.

Isn't this argument applicable to all lodges at all East Coast ski areas? But back to their press release, I hope that the bathrooms/warming area below Walt's is still accessible to the non-dining public.

In a bigger sense, I have to say that I'm pretty happy with what they are trying to do.
Yes, I'd like new lifts right now, but the impact of a better surfaced Downspout (no more Deathspout)? Is going to make the mountain ride significantly better. It looks like they are trying to find ways to deal with the severe crowding at the Ellen lodges, and the snowmaking upgrades are promising. I can't wait for winter.

 

[tumbler]

Am I missing something about Downspout? It will always be Deathspout, it's most used route to get to HG. It gets almost no sun and heavily groomed so will always be a sheet of ice.

 

[MadPadraic]

My understanding (and I hope I'm right, but more knowledgable ppl will probably chime in), is that Deathspout was created by a combination of heavy traffic and the snowmaking style that they were forced to employ on it for early season operations. The implication is that if they now have the option to open with the newly recut traverse trail, which will let them blow a nicer surface on Downspout.

 

[tumbler]

Unfortunately they don't blow nice snow anymore except on Steins when it is very cold. Even with the the new traverse Downspout will still see a great deal of skier traffic. It's just the way the mountain lays out.

 

[Hawk]

No Downspout is Downspout. Until they fully upgrade the piping and commit to blowing more and better quality snowmaking, it will always be the same.

 

[teleo]

Downspout will still be deathspout early season and on crowded days. The traverse should at least provide an alternative early season.

If the weather cooperates early, would it make sense to open both traverses, run vh and hg but not bravo? Then downspout would only have traffic from hg lift instead of bravo and hg.

BTW downspout mid-week or when hg is down can be a nice trail.

 

[Hawk]

People always make a big fuss over downspout. To be honest I don't really care if it is crowded or icy. I have always skiied multiple other ways just to make it different going down to HG. Cutting throught the bike trail or woods over to Ripchord, Lews or the woods right or left of Lews, Domino, lower organgrider to the traverse, all good options.

 

[teleo]

Same. But not when there's no natural snow yet.

 

[Hawk]

Right. I left that part out.
I am thinking law of averages Teleo. We are due for a great December!

 

[Tin Woodsman]

People always make a big fuss over downspout. To be honest I don't really care if it is crowded or icy. I have always skiied multiple other ways just to make it different going down to HG. Cutting throught the bike trail or woods over to Ripchord, Lews or the woods right or left of Lews, Domino, lower organgrider to the traverse, all good options.

We have bingo. If you have reached a certain level of skiing proficiency and are still taking Downspout on the regular, you are doing it wrong. Heck - you can even do some fun stuff to the right of Lower OG and still make the Traverse to HG.

 

[Newpylong]

I was gonna say, I dont know of anyone who laps Downspout. It's a way to get somewhere and that's it.

 

[crank]

Theres a 2 bedroom condo listed for 570K. One of those ones overlooking teh base area near Valley House and Super Bravo. Good price? Too high?

I'm thinking stuff will come down as more corporations reaquire their people come into the office.

 

[Hawk]

That is a snow creek unit on the upper level. That is the going rate now-a-days. They recently did a major roof, window and envelope renovation so any big assessments should be in the rear view. Ski in, ski out. Cheaper than the Clay brook unit going for 1.2 Mil or the House on shady lane going for 1.22 Mil.

 

[crank]

I've stayed in a few of those units around 25 years ago. They are pretty nice.

 

[Hawk]

I have a few friends that own there. A couple of times a year we swing in for lunch and a beer when the skiing is so so. Best locaton on the hill for ski in ski out.

 

[Newpylong]

If those are the units looker's left of Spring Fling near the bottom I also have stayed there before, but this was 25 years ago. They were a great location.

 

[Boxtop Willie]

If those are the units looker's left of Spring Fling near the bottom I also have stayed there before, but this was 25 years ago. They were a great location.

Snow Creek is a great location...but those prices are starting to get to "eye watering" levels. As a former SB condo owner (since sold and bought a house in Fayston) I continue to watch the market for my own amusement. That particular unit for sale at Snow Creek sold for $91,000 back in 2000. Many of the condo complexes, Snow Creek, Mountainside, South Village have seen prices almost double since the beginning of COVID. (kinda wish I had held on to the condo...but I like the house better.)

 

[Hawk]

The condo market was totally flatline for years at Sugarbush. As I look back I think most of the condos were under valued but there was a ton of inventory so people would pick and choose with high interest rates. I watched the market and bought mine right when the interest rates dropped to 5% in 2003 and then refinanced in 2013 at just over 3%. My condo is now probably twice the value or more. If you look at the inventory there is nothing, even with the potencial high selling prices. It shows that the costs are what the market will bear. People are buying up everything.

 

[x10003q]

We rented a week in a Snow Creek unit on Upper Snow Creek Rd the first week in March last season. It was excellent and in a great spot.

 

[tumbler]

They are really one of the very few ski on ski off complexes at SB.