Exactly.
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VAIL SUCKS
- Thread starter thebigo
- Start date
The attitash triple wasn’t running right last Friday, the first day they ran it for the season. It stopped a bunch each ride. Im terrified of getting lift evac’d on the high spot. At least it’s consistent year after year. Should have been replaced instead of putting in that stupid quad years ago.
xlr8r
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The best thing long term might be for that lift to continue to have problems this year. Vail then will not be able to avoid replacing it in the offseason
Well, they are asking for $500 million in capital from investors, so perhaps some is earmarked for Attitash.
ss20
Well-known member
Ha I think the same was said about Peaks for 15 years and the later days of ASC before that. Now it's Vail's turn with that lift that refuses to die. I doubt they replace it anytime soon. Being from the late 80s its still pretty new by fixed grip standards. And at 6,200 feet and nearly 1,900 vertical that's not a small job at all by EC or WC standards.
xlr8r
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Peak never spent money on brand new lifts at its other mountains though with the exception of the bluebird at Mount Snow. Besides Bluebird Peak was very cheap when it came to lift infrastructure. Vail on the other hand buys multiple new lifts every year for its other resorts
thebigo
Well-known member
This is beyond ridiculous. The triple sat idle for nine months, then ran for three days and is now down several days for maintenance. They sell it as getting ready for the holiday week, name another mountain in the county that shuts down their summit lift for several days prior to holiday weeks.
Based on their website, they are still not running their carpet.
It is December 21, wildcat and attitash have a grand total of two top to bottom runs open. How many do loon, sunday river or bretton woods have open?
Based on their website, they are still not running their carpet.
It is December 21, wildcat and attitash have a grand total of two top to bottom runs open. How many do loon, sunday river or bretton woods have open?
Most of that is probably to avoid financial insolvency and having to start selling off assets
I was trying to be optimistic.
I also thought it was weird that the main lodge is "closed" for "preparations for the holidays." But we are in COVID.
I agree with everyone that the snow reports are pretty bad. I was able to find some info on Stowe's site, but it took a little bit of digging. That information is vital--especially for NE ski areas where the weather constantly changes.
ss20
Well-known member
I doubt Attitash is what Vail wanted when they bought Peaks. They wanted Snow, Hunter, and the PA feeder hills. I would not count on a new hsq which would cost roughly $6-8m for an unwanted property they got through acquisition. Attitash is just a lost mid-sized player in a very competitive region. Their prominence is gone. In the past 10 years Loon added South Peak, Cannon added Mittersill, Bretton added their T-bar area and a gondola after already being the largest resort in NH, Waterville added that other area (blanking on the name). Attitash has done nothing and is lost in the shuffle after being one of the top resorts in NH, imo.
xlr8r
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Sunapee has started putting a daily written paragraph on their snow report, covering what's open, what trails have snowmaking, what will open soon, etc. It seems like all the other eastern resorts you have to go on Facebook or Twitter to get actual snow report info.
So for fun--let's say Vail did want to spin off Wildcat, Attitash, and Crotched. Who would be in the market? Boyne? Fairbanks? Someone else?
A bunch of us locals almost bought Wildcat approx 11-12 years ago....
xlr8r
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I think Attitash would be appealing to Fairbank if they can come up with the capital for it. Les Otten for a short period of time owned Cranmore as well as Attitash and marketed them together.
Crotched would be right up the Schaefer's alley, but they have taken a lot on in recent years with Catamount, Bousquet and Haystack now run by them.
Wildcat is much like Burke imo in that it is too big to close, but really is not profitable on its own and would struggle to find a buyer.
Crotched would be right up the Schaefer's alley, but they have taken a lot on in recent years with Catamount, Bousquet and Haystack now run by them.
Wildcat is much like Burke imo in that it is too big to close, but really is not profitable on its own and would struggle to find a buyer.
Correct - It was LBO that built Bear Peak (1994), while owning Waterville, Loaf, BUsh and KMart at the time before the SEC made him divy them up
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thebigo
Well-known member
I would have to think vail spinning off any resorts would not look good to investors.
It was rumored at the time that LBO was interested but I am fairly certain he never owned crotched. There was the famous crotched full build out map generated around that time. Crotched would appear to be complimentary to the boyne pass, actually a very good fit.
I think attitash and wildcat need to stay together but I have no idea who would be interested. I doubt any of the major players, best guess would be someone currently outside the industry with money to lose. The fate of attitash and wildcat is tied to Rte 16; completely different story if 16 ever got upgraded.
I have been told that attitash has never made money in the winter and Peaks was effectively forced to take attitash with mt snow.
It was rumored at the time that LBO was interested but I am fairly certain he never owned crotched. There was the famous crotched full build out map generated around that time. Crotched would appear to be complimentary to the boyne pass, actually a very good fit.
I think attitash and wildcat need to stay together but I have no idea who would be interested. I doubt any of the major players, best guess would be someone currently outside the industry with money to lose. The fate of attitash and wildcat is tied to Rte 16; completely different story if 16 ever got upgraded.
I have been told that attitash has never made money in the winter and Peaks was effectively forced to take attitash with mt snow.
drjeff
Well-known member
Staffing seems to be a big issue.
If one is buying a day ticket online, you better be ready to wait in likely a lengthy line, to get your ticket for the day. To then get to probably wait in more lines all day to ride a lift, and even go in the lodge.
Grooming seems to be reduced as well.
Don't take your ire out on those working the ticket windows or running the lift lines, it's not their fault that there just simply aren't enough employees. They're trying their best.
The lack of foreign, seasonal employees, at many ski areas, and not just Vail properties, is going to be an issue likely all season that will probably be seen in the most direct fashion via not all lifts running at once.
It is what it is this year, and I'm sure for the next month, any Quebecois skier/rider would be more than happy to deal with this season's shortfalls at Vail properties over what their options are.
Take the time to thank the person on the other side of the ticket window if you need to go there, or the person scanning your pass or bumping the chair for you, or a snowmaker if you see them out on the hill doing a gun run. It's a good thing to do any season. It's probably an especially good thing to do this season as many of the issues people are experiencing have nothing to do with that person trying to do their job so we can all be out on the hill enjoying the sport we all love so deeply
If one is buying a day ticket online, you better be ready to wait in likely a lengthy line, to get your ticket for the day. To then get to probably wait in more lines all day to ride a lift, and even go in the lodge.
Grooming seems to be reduced as well.
Don't take your ire out on those working the ticket windows or running the lift lines, it's not their fault that there just simply aren't enough employees. They're trying their best.
The lack of foreign, seasonal employees, at many ski areas, and not just Vail properties, is going to be an issue likely all season that will probably be seen in the most direct fashion via not all lifts running at once.
It is what it is this year, and I'm sure for the next month, any Quebecois skier/rider would be more than happy to deal with this season's shortfalls at Vail properties over what their options are.
Take the time to thank the person on the other side of the ticket window if you need to go there, or the person scanning your pass or bumping the chair for you, or a snowmaker if you see them out on the hill doing a gun run. It's a good thing to do any season. It's probably an especially good thing to do this season as many of the issues people are experiencing have nothing to do with that person trying to do their job so we can all be out on the hill enjoying the sport we all love so deeply
ss20
Well-known member
They'd be a great addition for Boyne. That'd complete a nearly-perfect collection of East Coast properties for the Boston crowd. The future is bright for them with big projects coming up at the River, Loaf, and Loon. I also wouldn't doubt the Berkshire East owner getting into Crotched or maybe even Wildcat. Seems like there's some deeeeeep pockets there.
But I do see these places being some of the first to go if Vail sells some of its properties. Honestly it'd be a smart move to generate some cash. I doubt investors would see it as Vail being "weak" if they had to sell off 5-10 places they got through m/a to make a quick $20 million.
