• Welcome to AlpineZone, the largest online community of skiers and snowboarders in the Northeast!

    You may have to REGISTER before you can post. Registering is FREE, gets rid of the majority of advertisements, and lets you participate in giveaways and other AlpineZone events!

The "Sugarbush Thread"

KustyTheKlown

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 1, 2013
Messages
5,365
Points
113
Location
Brooklyn
yes, the skier owned, passionately loved, national historic landmark, in it's 70th+ year of operation, is bound to fail. ok guy.
 

deadheadskier

Moderator
Staff member
Moderator
Joined
Mar 6, 2005
Messages
27,921
Points
113
Location
Southeast NH
The lodge at spruce peak is one of the best ski in/ski out hotels in the country. Its certainly tops on the east coast.
It is a monstrosity that's totally out of place. F that lodge, club and village. Stowe was a hard core skiers mountain with little fluff pre-Spruce. It's now Disney Vermont.

Sent from my XT1635-01 using AlpineZone mobile app
 

Slidebrook87

Active member
Joined
Nov 24, 2019
Messages
584
Points
28
Location
CT
It is a monstrosity that's totally out of place. F that lodge, club and village. Stowe was a hard core skiers mountain with little fluff pre-Spruce. It's now Disney Vermont.

Sent from my XT1635-01 using AlpineZone mobile app

But has it been successful? Yes. They are running a business after all. I definitely see your point, but it is more than just that development that has “ruined” Stowe. There will always be hardcore skiers’ mountains like smuggs, MRG, etc, but since Stowe was owned by AIG, something like that was bound to happen.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

Orca

Member
Joined
Oct 12, 2017
Messages
251
Points
16
Add homeless people and the Ellen base lodge has all the charm of an overcrowded, squirming NY subway station.
 

deadheadskier

Moderator
Staff member
Moderator
Joined
Mar 6, 2005
Messages
27,921
Points
113
Location
Southeast NH
But has it been successful? Yes. They are running a business after all. I definitely see your point, but it is more than just that development that has “ruined” Stowe. There will always be hardcore skiers’ mountains like smuggs, MRG, etc, but since Stowe was owned by AIG, something like that was bound to happen.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Oil refineries a pretty darn profitable businesses. Do I want one on the scenic Bay my town resides on? No. Almost happened once the next town over. People get uptight about the challenges with Act 250 in VT. I'd say it failed it's intentions with the Spruce development. Massively out of place due to it's scale. It's one of the tallest and largest buildings in the state, at the base of Mt Mansfield for crying out loud.

Sent from my XT1635-01 using AlpineZone mobile app
 

prsboogie

Active member
Joined
Aug 13, 2014
Messages
1,764
Points
38
Location
Swansea
The lodge at spruce peak is one of the best ski in/ski out hotels in the country. Its certainly tops on the east coast.
Yes and complete inaccessible to "regular" skiers

Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk
 

Slidebrook87

Active member
Joined
Nov 24, 2019
Messages
584
Points
28
Location
CT
eww you are gross.

It is a beautiful hotel, that’s a fact. I think this project was a bit over the top though. Stowe is just too far for most people to drive for a weekend. As nice as it is, I think this would’ve worked better at a place like Okemo, Stratton or Killington.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

deadheadskier

Moderator
Staff member
Moderator
Joined
Mar 6, 2005
Messages
27,921
Points
113
Location
Southeast NH
It is a beautiful hotel, that’s a fact. I think this project was a bit over the top though. Stowe is just too far for most people to drive for a weekend. As nice as it is, I think this would’ve worked better at a place like Okemo, Stratton or Killington.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I hope you mean work better aesthetically?

If you mean do more revenue as a business you obviously don't know that Stowe has been the busiest four season resort town in VT with some of the highest priced lodging properties for decades. Okemo and Stratton are absolute ghost towns in comparison during summer and fall. No chance in hell that hotel does more annual revenue at probably any other ski area in the East.

Sent from my XT1635-01 using AlpineZone mobile app
 

cdskier

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 26, 2015
Messages
6,412
Points
113
Location
NJ
It is a beautiful hotel, that’s a fact. I think this project was a bit over the top though. Stowe is just too far for most people to drive for a weekend. As nice as it is, I think this would’ve worked better at a place like Okemo, Stratton or Killington.

Huh? Stowe is too far for most people to drive? Since when? It has been a popular mountain for a long time. Where are all the people coming from if it is too far? It is under 4 hours from several major metro areas (i.e. Boston, Albany, Montreal). Even from the outside the NYC area it is under 6.
 

prsboogie

Active member
Joined
Aug 13, 2014
Messages
1,764
Points
38
Location
Swansea
Shit I have day tripped Stowe before. I was junk by the time I got home but it was a great day. 4 hours from door to door.

Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk
 

Hawk

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 22, 2016
Messages
2,430
Points
113
Location
Mad River Valley / MA
I've been to the Spruce Lodge. Even up stairs to the owners lounge with a very wealthy friend. She pointed out Abigail Johnson's private table. LOL It's really not my cup of tea either. They did spend a mint to build it thought. From a construction stand point, they did a good job but I agree it is out of scale for Stowe and really changed the character.

So this is another case of people that are less concerned about amenities and just want to ski and others that want all the bells and whistles. We even have people that live for the most part at areas and are part of the community. What does this mean? no one will ever agree on anything because everybody has their own preconception of what an area should be like. Most of which is based on a past experience that was pleasurable. Problem is things are changing in the industry and we are just along for the ride.
 

Orca

Member
Joined
Oct 12, 2017
Messages
251
Points
16
I'd like a new Ellen base lodge because I don't have quite the taste for squalor that many posters profess.
 

Slidebrook87

Active member
Joined
Nov 24, 2019
Messages
584
Points
28
Location
CT
Huh? Stowe is too far for most people to drive? Since when? It has been a popular mountain for a long time. Where are all the people coming from if it is too far? It is under 4 hours from several major metro areas (i.e. Boston, Albany, Montreal). Even from the outside the NYC area it is under 6.

I’ve always gotten the sense, at least from NYC people that it’s too far. It’s not less than 6 hours as Sugarbush is about 5.5 and stowe is about 45-1 hour more. While it may be doable for Christmas or a holiday weekend, 12 hours in the car each weekend is too much. Even Sugarbush is pushing it for most. Almost every skier that I know from around where I live thinks Stowe is too far for an average weekend.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

Hawk

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 22, 2016
Messages
2,430
Points
113
Location
Mad River Valley / MA
I'd like a new Ellen base lodge because I don't have quite the taste for squalor that many posters profess.

Come on Orca. It's not nearly as bad as you make it out to be. LOL OK I will buy into some upgrades and possibly a new lodge but building something that is the scale of Lincoln peak would not be my pick. And I think that Ellen has become the place that just regular people flock to. People that brown bag and buy discounted tickets or just are plain frugal and don't need the polished look. I am not one of those people by any stretch but I do agree that it does not make sense to turn your back on those people and tell them to pound sand.
 

Hawk

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 22, 2016
Messages
2,430
Points
113
Location
Mad River Valley / MA
I’ve always gotten the sense, at least from NYC people that it’s too far. It’s not less than 6 hours as Sugarbush is about 5.5 and stowe is about 45-1 hour more. While it may be doable for Christmas or a holiday weekend, 12 hours in the car each weekend is too much. Even Sugarbush is pushing it for most. Almost every skier that I know from around where I live thinks Stowe is too far for an average weekend.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

With the people you are talking to on this board, I would say your opinion about travel is not valid. Haven't you been listening to the stories from all the road warriors on here? Most commute 5 to 6 hours from NY, NJ or PA. So for me from Boston, Stowe is only about the same time as Sugarbush. 3:15 or so.
 

Orca

Member
Joined
Oct 12, 2017
Messages
251
Points
16
Come on Orca. It's not nearly as bad as you make it out to be. LOL OK I will buy into some upgrades and possibly a new lodge but building something that is the scale of Lincoln peak would not be my pick. And I think that Ellen has become the place that just regular people flock to. People that brown bag and buy discounted tickets or just are plain frugal and don't need the polished look. I am not one of those people by any stretch but I do agree that it does not make sense to turn your back on those people and tell them to pound sand.

A whole village like Lincoln peak suddenly appearing at Ellen seems a very small risk given that new paint appearing on the existing lodge took quite a while to happen. A new base lodge with decent amenities and generous space would be nice though, and likely appreciated by many who are more concerned with consuming lunch than consuming the building's "character".
 
Top