Whaleback Mountain to cease operations

[AdironRider]

Well that's an easy question to answer. Management that has no idea what they were doing. The whole idea was flawed, as others have mentioned, a bunch of 14 year old park rats as your bread and butter goes nowhere when you bread and butter doesn't have jobs to pay for anything. How many 14 year olds have jobs?

 

[ScottySkis]

Did someone buy the place today?

 

[Smellytele]

Well that's an easy question to answer. Management that has no idea what they were doing. The whole idea was flawed, as others have mentioned, a bunch of 14 year old park rats as your bread and butter goes nowhere when you bread and butter doesn't have jobs to pay for anything. How many 14 year olds have jobs?

Not that it worked but they were thinking 14 year kids from Hanover have parents who have money...

 

[AdironRider]

Not that it worked but they were thinking 14 year kids from Hanover have parents who have money...

Hanover isn't wall street. The "plan" falls apart when the kids who have money go to other resorts that have money as well. Noone wants to use half assed terrain park features, and no rich Mom or Dad is going to bring their kid to a place like Whaleback.

 

[Smellytele]

Hanover isn't wall street. The "plan" falls apart when the kids who have money go to other resorts that have money as well. Noone wants to use half assed terrain park features, and no rich Mom or Dad is going to bring their kid to a place like Whaleback.

No it isn't wall street nor is Claremont. They were looking for the weekday after school/evening kids. No night skiing in that area at all. Closest is Pats Peak.

 

[marcski]

No it isn't wall street nor is Claremont. They were looking for the weekday after school/evening kids. No night skiing in that area at all. Closest is Pats Peak.

I've never skied it, but from passing by on 89, it looked like it has a pretty good pitch.

 

[Riverskier]

Well that's an easy question to answer. Management that has no idea what they were doing. The whole idea was flawed, as others have mentioned, a bunch of 14 year old park rats as your bread and butter goes nowhere when you bread and butter doesn't have jobs to pay for anything. How many 14 year olds have jobs?

This may or may not be an acurate assessment, I have no idea. However, I think bobbutts question referred to "what happened" in the auction that was supposed to take place today.

 

[deadheadskier]

However, I think bobbutts question referred to "what happened" in the auction that was supposed to take place today.

+1

Story should be in the paper within the next few days I would think. Looking forward to reading about. Hoping the eventual result is future skiing operations at Whaleback and they don't stay on NELSAP for long.

 

[xwhaler]

Looks like the bank now owns it----at least it wasn't sold to someone clearly intending to do something other than operate as a ski hill. Hopefully Upper Valley Snow Sports (non profit group) can work out a deal with the bank to acquire it.

http://www.vnews.com/news/7897029-95/whaleback-on-the-block

 

[Newpylong]

Hanover isn't wall street. The "plan" falls apart when the kids who have money go to other resorts that have money as well. Noone wants to use half assed terrain park features, and no rich Mom or Dad is going to bring their kid to a place like Whaleback.

Well, by definition my wife and I are rich, and we went there, and brought kids to learn to ski. Guess that blows your argument up.

Whaleback and other mountains are feeders. They offer lower cost options for families that want to teach their kids how to ski and socialize to a degree that is more difficult at larger mountains. When the kid's get big enough and bored, they move on to other mountains like Ragged if they can afford it.

The market is absolutely there for the mountain to survive, it just needs minimal improvements and a better operating plan.

 

[dlague]

Well, by definition my wife and I are rich, and we went there, and brought kids to learn to ski. Guess that blows your argument up.

Whaleback and other mountains are feeders. They offer lower cost options for families that want to teach their kids how to ski and socialize to a degree that is more difficult at larger mountains. When the kid's get big enough and bored, they move on to other mountains like Ragged if they can afford it.

The market is absolutely there for the mountain to survive, it just needs minimal improvements and a better operating plan.

We skied it and tried it out a couple of times. We are not locals but pass by on the way to Vermont. The lodge is definitely in need of improvement and the chair well that needs improvement too! Better marketing locally, getting sponsors and creative programs might help. We often found comps for Whaleback and that does nothing for revenue.

 

[AdironRider]

Well, by definition my wife and I are rich, and we went there, and brought kids to learn to ski. Guess that blows your argument up.

Whaleback and other mountains are feeders. They offer lower cost options for families that want to teach their kids how to ski and socialize to a degree that is more difficult at larger mountains. When the kid's get big enough and bored, they move on to other mountains like Ragged if they can afford it.

The market is absolutely there for the mountain to survive, it just needs minimal improvements and a better operating plan.

Right, because an exception makes a rule. Obviously, the market IS NOT THERE, considering in the history of Whaleback, no one has been successful. Were talking like 3-4 ownership groups and decades of trying.

 

[SkiRaceParent]

Well, by definition my wife and I are rich, and we went there, and brought kids to learn to ski. Guess that blows your argument up.

Not to pick a fight, but this is one of the greatest a-hole comments I've heard in a while. What IS the definition of Rich?

 

[Newpylong]

Right, because an exception makes a rule. Obviously, the market IS NOT THERE, considering in the history of Whaleback, no one has been successful. Were talking like 3-4 ownership groups and decades of trying.

No. It was owned by two groups since the mountain's inception, the first for nearly 40 years, the last group you know about.

Like I said, the market is there but was managed poorly. They never achieved the outside funding levels that they were looking for and got buried in debt by spending a million off the bat and two piss poor winters.

 

[Newpylong]

Not to pick a fight, but this is one of the greatest a-hole comments I've heard in a while. What IS the definition of Rich?

I think you read it wrong if it came off as that.

 

[steamboat1]

What IS the definition of Rich?

I don't know, you'll have to ask our president.

 

[ScottySkis]

I don't know, you'll have to ask our president.

All politicians are rich in our country.

 

[SkiRaceParent]

Yep, you're probably right, nevermind.

 

[Newpylong]

Steamboat1 got my humor, sorry if it was poor.

 

[Mapnut]

Steamboat1 got my humor, sorry if it was poor.

The President took his kids skiing at Whaleback?