Vail to buy Stowe?

[yeggous]

Give me Mt Ellen over Stowe any weekend day. Hands down.


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[BenedictGomez]

The unknown is how will the Epic local rates (if they even offer an Epic local for Stowe) effect the purchase by locals and the Burlington College age crew if it's a decent amount more than the current local deals they get????

The first thing I'd do if I was Vail was kneecap the Burlington College age crew. Doesn't fit their demo, doesn't fit their vision/goal, and would help lessen the crowding somewhat. If there's a group that needs to be sacrificed, it's them.

If you think Stowe won’t be on the Epic Pass, I don’t think you understand Vail’s strategy. The whole point of the thing is to lure people out west so they spend big $$$ on a vacation there. That’s why Stowe is such a great area for Vail to buy - because of its reach to metro NYC, Boston, and Montreal.

And the clientele with the disposable income to afford an annual week-ling western ski trip.

He didn't say "on trail acreage". Sugarbush openly encourages skiing of all their terrain including Slide Brook. Is every acre of that 4000 skiable? No, but neither are every single acre of in-bounds terrain at other resorts. He didn't lie, you just need to interpret it properly.

 

[hovercraft]

The first thing I'd do if I was Vail was kneecap the Burlington College age crew. Doesn't fit their demo, doesn't fit their vision/goal, and would help lessen the crowding somewhat. If there's a group that needs to be sacrificed, it's them.



And the clientele with the disposable income to afford an annual week-ling western ski trip.



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If you look at the epic pass options they have a college pass, plus a graduate pass as well as other options. Not sure they will do that. I wouldn't be surprised if they bring Stowe into the fold just like their other mountains. For better or worst. It's their business model. The article someone posted earlier on Vail being a disrupter gives you their road map.

 

[jimmywilson69]

Who in their right mind would ski over at Spruce? That is a beginners area and is a total bore. I'd rather not ski. So this is a crap argument.

This might be the dumbest thing stated in this thread... I'll enjoy laps off the Sensation Quad while you wait in line at the four runner.

 

[Smellytele]

This might be the dumbest thing stated in this thread... I'll enjoy laps off the Sensation Quad while you wait in line at the four runner.

Spruce line under the top of the quad and the glades it runs into is fun as is main street headwall. Smuggs isn't bad either.

 

[farlep99]

http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/2017/02/22/vail-buys-stowe/

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Interesting read. The only thing I disagree wholeheartedly with is "Because once you’ve ridden modern high speed lifts, slow ones are anathema." I'd rather wait in a lift line than ski trails with hoards of people. It's sometimes just outright dangerous. I hate the trend of high speed+high capacity lifts in skiing. I'll take a slow ride any day. But I guess that's something that isn't going to change

 

[VTKilarney]

I'd rather wait in a lift line than ski trails with hoards of people. It's sometimes just outright dangerous. I hate the trend of high speed+high capacity lifts in skiing.

Generally speaking, high speed lifts don't dump more people on the trail than regular lifts. Lift capacity is what matters.

 

[Jcb890]

Interesting read. The only thing I disagree wholeheartedly with is "Because once you’ve ridden modern high speed lifts, slow ones are anathema." I'd rather wait in a lift line than ski trails with hoards of people. It's sometimes just outright dangerous. I hate the trend of high speed+high capacity lifts in skiing. I'll take a slow ride any day. But I guess that's something that isn't going to change

I wholeheartedly disagree. I dislike crowded trails also, but slow chairs make the experience painfully boring.

 

[cdskier]

I wholeheartedly disagree. I dislike crowded trails also, but slow chairs make the experience painfully boring.

As long as high speed/capacity chairs are on terrain that can spread people out and handle it, I'm fine with them (and generally speaking prefer them). There also are certain areas of terrain that I'm perfectly ok with a slow chair that has a line (i.e. Castlerock). I guess the bottom line for me is that capacity/speed needs to match the terrain it serves.

 

[VTKilarney]

I guess the bottom line for me is that capacity/speed needs to match the terrain it serves.

Well said.

 

[Jcb890]

As long as high speed/capacity chairs are on terrain that can spread people out and handle it, I'm fine with them (and generally speaking prefer them). There also are certain areas of terrain that I'm perfectly ok with a slow chair that has a line (i.e. Castlerock). I guess the bottom line for me is that capacity/speed needs to match the terrain it serves.

That is a good and valid point, but I still find slow chairs painful no matter what.

 

[BenedictGomez]

Spruce line under the top of the quad and the glades it runs into is fun as is main street headwall.

Whirlaway is one of my favorite trails at Stowe with good snow. It gets little moguls on it, and there's that tiny rock formation in the middle you can jump off. The poster who claimed Spruce is all beginner skiing has obviously never even skied at Stowe.

 

[Shredmonkey254]

This might be the dumbest thing stated in this thread... I'll enjoy laps off the Sensation Quad while you wait in line at the four runner.

I never said I would wait in line at the quad. What I am saying is I'd rather ski a different ski area then ski at Spruce. Or not ski at all if it is so busy that is what you have to do to salvage the day. How many times can you ski the same terrain with becoming bored? You can lap that chair all you want if that makes you happy. Good for you.
Vail is going to completely ruin the Stowe experience. I would only get an Epic Pass for skiing at their resorts out west.
I'm exactly the kind of person they are looking for.

 

[Shredmonkey254]

Whirlaway is one of my favorite trails at Stowe with good snow. It gets little moguls on it, and there's that tiny rock formation in the middle you can jump off. The poster who claimed Spruce is all beginner skiing has obviously never even skied at Stowe.

The only thing worth skiing off Spruce is Tusk. Go find it. I know exactly where it is.

 

[deadheadskier]

The only thing worth skiing off Spruce is Tusk. Go find it. I know exactly where it is.

Go ski Tusk on Sunday. Take Pictures!

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[hovercraft]

The only thing worth skiing off Spruce is Tusk. Go find it. I know exactly where it is.

So do many other people, maybe we all should get a gold star.

 

[thetrailboss]

Now that Vail is taking over Stowe, my biggest question is if resources will be allocated for a search and recovery mission of someone's lost skis off of Kitchen Wall. That is a big concern.

 

[snoseek]

Now that Vail is taking over Stowe, my biggest question is if resources will be allocated for a search and recovery mission of someone's lost skis off of Kitchen Wall. That is a big concern.

Some say he's still there to this day searching for his long lost skis!

 

[jimmywilson69]

Whirlaway is one of my favorite trails at Stowe with good snow. It gets little moguls on it, and there's that tiny rock formation in the middle you can jump off. The poster who claimed Spruce is all beginner skiing has obviously never even skied at Stowe.

It often has some of the best snow on the mountain.

 

[thetrailboss]

Some say he's still there to this day searching for his long lost skis!

I think that it will become the basis for a wonderful mystery novel.