Waterville 10 year Master plan

[deadheadskier]

They've obviously been talking about it for awhile, but plans have now been submitted to the USFS.

https://www.newenglandskiindustry.com/viewstory.php?storyid=817

15 trails, 140 acres of terrain, 2 gondolas and other lift replacements. Pretty massive change and largest Northeast expansion since? Jackson Gore at Okemo maybe?

Wonder if this news motivates other NH areas with expansion plans to get moving

Sunapee West Bowl
Loon Village connect with Beginner area
Ragged Pinnacle Peak
Cranmore Black Cap expansion

Would be cool to enter a new period of significant Northeast terrain expansion kind of like the 1990s.



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[gregnye]

They've obviously been talking about it for awhile, but plans have now been submitted to the USFS.

https://www.newenglandskiindustry.com/viewstory.php?storyid=817

15 trails, 140 acres of terrain, 2 gondolas and other lift replacements. Pretty massive change and largest Northeast expansion since? Jackson Gore at Okemo maybe?

Wonder if this news motivates other NH areas with expansion plans to get moving

Sunapee West Bowl
Loon Village connect with Beginner area
Ragged Pinnacle Peak
Cranmore Black Cap expansion

Would be cool to enter a new period of significant Northeast terrain expansion kind of like the 1990s.



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I wouldn't hold my breath. Considering they couldn't even do Green Peak with a high-speed lift (and instead relocated the slowest lift on earth), and they keep removing lifts rather then replacing them (northside, high country--now a t-bar).

Where do they plan on getting the money? Did someone discover the same funds Jay Peak did?? :razz:

I know most people on this board hate waterville. I grew up skiing waterville and liked it for many years-and even I have seen a decline in the quality of management decisions over the past few years.

 

[ss20]

Very cool. 2,200 vertical feet is a great advertising point, even if it's not really feasible to ski. Whether you like the place or not, 80 trails and 500 acres of terrain is very impressive for anywhere in the Northeast, let alone New Hampshire.

Yes Jackson Gore is the last major expansion I can think of on this size. South Peak at Loon too.

 

[bdfreetuna]

I was hoping for expansion off the top of Tecumseh but I guess hiking trails take priority.

Looks great anyway. Quite a bit larger than Jackson Gore but appearances. Hopefully room for plenty of tree skiing. Is it steep?


Bretton woods has done a lot of expansion as well with West Mountain, Stickney and even Rosebrook. First time I skied there like 25 years ago it was pretty much Bethlehem and Zypher terrain.

 

[machski]

What is different this time around is that the Sununu's now control the ski area and the entire village resort as well. When they began the Green Peak expansions, they only had the ski area. This would be a huge win for Waterville, linking Town Square directly to the mountain (even if it is a two way ride to/from the new Green base area on the Gondola). It would be unique in New England for that outside of the purpose built Stratton village. I don't think it is very steep there and I wouldn't count on much glading in there either (very low elevations compared to the main mountain), but still a big win with likely some exceptional cruisers in there.

Will be interesting to see what Boyne does with South Peak at Loon now. Their Flight Path only stated a re-envisioned Pemigewasset base camp with a Lincoln Express upgrade. Perhaps at the least, they now string up the 7 Bros triple from the Escape Route lot up to Cruiser to form a quassi link to town with a maybe a pedestrian bridge across the pemi.

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[bdfreetuna]

Topo map....

Looks like the ravines on Green Mountain would be the ultimate expansion, along with continuing north along the Sandwich range ridge.

The top part of that little bowl does look to be as steep as True Grit though

 

[drjeff]

Where do they plan on getting the money? Did someone discover the same funds Jay Peak did?? :razz:

Just waiting to hear that Les Otten is getting involved with this project.... Kind of has the type of buzz and large scale change of scope of the resort type thing that he has been a part of many times over the years. And since that Balsam's project of his seems to be dead, who knows????

 

[Killingtime]

Just waiting to hear that Les Otten is getting involved with this project.... Kind of has the type of buzz and large scale change of scope of the resort type thing that he has been a part of many times over the years. And since that Balsam's project of his seems to be dead, who knows????

Any terrain expansion in my mind is a good thing. Ha, I don't think the Sununu's need advice from Les Otten at his stage. We are still reaping the benefits of some of the things Les accomplished but he will forever have the taint of the ASC bankruptcy. Can't help thinking that if the Balsam's had a different lead guy, someone like a Chris Diamond who ran Mt Snow and Steamboat, that the project would have had more of a fighting chance. Saying this as I just booked a stay at the Jordan Bowl Grand, which Les built.

 

[ericfromMA/NH/VT]

i hope they do it faster than the Ragged Mountain "future expansion". they cut down trees in like 2015 and then...nothing. I have a pass there- its so cheap, i mean why not- and would love to see that get going.

WV is another close option for me, skiing it thursday for the first time.

 

[machski]

Just waiting to hear that Les Otten is getting involved with this project.... Kind of has the type of buzz and large scale change of scope of the resort type thing that he has been a part of many times over the years. And since that Balsam's project of his seems to be dead, who knows????

You do realize this expansion has been at the proposed level for quite some time, since before the Sununus took over at WV. Linking the town to the mountain has been a long term goal, probably since Tom Corcoran's days.

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[machski]

Any terrain expansion in my mind is a good thing. Ha, I don't think the Sununu's need advice from Les Otten at his stage. We are still reaping the benefits of some of the things Les accomplished but he will forever have the taint of the ASC bankruptcy. Can't help thinking that if the Balsam's had a different lead guy, someone like a Chris Diamond who ran Mt Snow and Steamboat, that the project would have had more of a fighting chance. Saying this as I just booked a stay at the Jordan Bowl Grand, which Les built.

Diamond was a great resort executive but he never lead a major build up, major expansion or rebirth of a resort. So while he has certain skill sets, he might have been a fish out of water with the Balsams rebirth.

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