Smellytele
Well-known member
Liftopia has lift tickets available right now for the ex-peak resorts. I wounder if they will still be valid
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Vail Resorts is buying Peak Resorts.
- Thread starter mbedle
- Start date
Good to hear. It was closed when I got there last March, but I think it was iced over rather than untouched by snowmaking now that you mention it. I'm really interested to see how Vail approaches snowmaking at both Attitash and Wildcat. While I didn't like the relative lack of snowmaking on expert trails under Peak, I understood the rationale from a business perspective: most guests are ~intermediates, those trails get the most crowded, make sure as many of them are open at the potential expense of steeper and/or bump runs. I don't know if you went to Wildcat much in the 90s and early 00s, but the place has about 90% snowmaking coverage and the old owners used to use it. Vail could fairly dramatically change the way Wildcat skis if they make more snow and groom more like the old owners did (upper Wildcat, middle catapult and tomcat schuss come to mind).
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Newpylong
Well-known member
This past season Tim's was the last to be covered, Ptarmigan was earlier.
The two that they did not make snow on were Upper Kachina (chose not to) and Ammo Pitch (they never do, but Chickens instead).
Wilfreds and Turkey Chute are the two that had snowmaking in past but are disconnected. Turkey Chute no losa, Wilfreds we've been over.
They're replacing the pipe on Moat, Top Ammonoosuc, and Cathedral right now.
The two that they did not make snow on were Upper Kachina (chose not to) and Ammo Pitch (they never do, but Chickens instead).
Wilfreds and Turkey Chute are the two that had snowmaking in past but are disconnected. Turkey Chute no losa, Wilfreds we've been over.
They're replacing the pipe on Moat, Top Ammonoosuc, and Cathedral right now.
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Ammo pitch is natural, I believe. I was surprised Peak didn't make snow on Turkey chute to Carrigan. Could re-rate Whitehorse below highway to blue and manufacture another blue square run that they seemed to covet so much.
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BenedictGomez
Well-known member
That is interesting, but not terribly surprising as the deal has not closed. I suspect that if you buy legacy Peak Resorts tickets today, Vail will indeed have to honor those tickets.
My experience at Cat only dates to 2005 when I moved to Portland. Grew up skiing in VT pretty much exclusively. 2005-2012 I skied Cat 2-3 times a season. I've been a pass holder at Cat since 2012 skipping the one season following the catastrophic failure of the snowmaking system.
Since the system upgrade they've made snow on Middle Catapult most years. Just a small base and then it's left ungroomed most of the season. I could see Vail making more on it and regularly grooming it. Against my desires it would be a good groomer to take pressure off Middle Wildcat, which gets a ton of traffic and becomes skied off.
Id be happy with snowmaking on Schuss. It's one of the first trails to burn out in the spring as sun hits it early. It would be nice to have some base and have it be a good spring bump run.
Upper Wildcat I hope remains all natural, but I bet Vail turns it into a snowmaking run with regular grooming. Many cat regulars would be pissed by that move. It's such a great natural snow trail.
Catenary and Cougar I suspect will eventually see new pipe and regular snowmaking and grooming by Vail as well. Those also are great natural trails. I'd be less upset about that change than Upper Wildcat.
Upper Lift Lion might be something they consider as well if they want to remove the old gondola footings.
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ss20
Well-known member
I think significant snowmaking coverage increases at Mount Snow are much more likely than Wildcat. Mount Snow has the water capacity now, the demographic (intermediate level skiers who stick to groomed terrain), and the need to improve against their competition (Snowmaking coverage at Mt Snow 80%, Okemo and Stratton 95%+).
I don't think Vail will touch Wildcat or Attitash. They wanted Hunter and Mount Snow, imo. And I guess the midwest areas are a big draw too but I don't know enough to comment.
I don't think Vail will touch Wildcat or Attitash. They wanted Hunter and Mount Snow, imo. And I guess the midwest areas are a big draw too but I don't know enough to comment.
Newpylong
Well-known member
Natural by choice. The main Saco to Amon. line actually goes on Ammo Pitch, and until this year they dragged hoses from Idiots to cover Chickens. With the new pipe this year the lines split at the Tims valve box, Idiots still going that way but new pipe on Chickens and then down Ammon. Ammo pitch is disconnected, no big deal since its victaulic and hasnt been used in 20 years.
Their system is similar to that of Magics and Wildcats in that they have or had a high % of coverage on build out but economics (and this skier visits) does not warrant it all being used all the time. There's only so much you can do in so many hours where it makes sense.
Edd
Well-known member
Upper Wildcat as a groomer would be wildly unpopular, I agree. Middle Catapult I’d be fine with and want that groomed personally. Catanery, Cougar, and TS I like ungroomed although I can get behind grooming half of TS like Bretton Woods does with much of their terrain.
thebigo
Well-known member
Stopped by the cat today. Everything on windhold. Talked to staff, sensed some trepidation. Comment was along the lines of - we were told to expect business as usual this year, then changes next.
thebigo
Well-known member
Not advocating for grooming but always wondered if trails like upper wildcat would benefit from blowing a bulletproof base early season with a single groomer run prior to a deep freeze, then dont touch it the rest of the year - solstice proper at the crotch may be another example.
Tin
Active member
Rumor is they are going for the Stony Brook area at Attitash after the new summit lift in 2-3 years.
thebigo
Well-known member
Source?
Les Otten circa 1998?
Re: your conversation with employees. I heard via liftblog that Vail usually waits a year before making any updates. They like to see the kinks themselves before deciding how to fix them. Seems totally reasonable. It's hard to find a optimal solutions without really understanding the problems first.
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abc
Well-known member
It's also hard to make any changes when you have to honor all the deals and contracts already in place.
Wait a season, many of those obligation would disappear. Much less baggage to handle.
Newpylong
Well-known member
There are no such rumors even within highest Attitash management. They have heard nothing, and do not expect to until the deal is done. Until then it's business as usual, but long term agreements and major purchases have been scaled back or nixed.
BenedictGomez
Well-known member
A big part of Vail's business strategy is that there are no deals.
BOGOs disappear, ski club days will either go away or slowly diminish (boiling frog style), no more fun discount days, etc...
Kill off everything that even remotely lets people save money on tickets & simultaneously RAISE the price of tickets to pricepoints that are disconnected from financial reality, all in a bid to "force" people onto passes.
Is a Hunter bus trip from Manhattan going to cost $200+ now? Maybe there is a silver lining in this.
abc
Well-known member
Silver lining... Do you think the NYC yuppies will balk at that price?
Or do you think they'll start slumming it at Bellearye?
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