What's up with Maple Valley?

[Newpylong]

New Low-E guns come with a steep price tag. For a fraction of the cost a small hill can buy older used equipment and get by until they get their feet under them.

If the snowmaking infrastructure has not been vandalized or suffered extensive freeze damage it's possible much is salvageable. Steel snowmaking pipe wears more from use rather than sitting there (the walls get thin and eventually fail from water flowing inside). But yeah, there likely is nothing fully functional about it without some work after being dormant. Also 800 GPM is not much volume for a 1,000 foot vertical hill.

 

[tumbler]

Everything there runs off diesel generators, lifts and snowmaking system. I could see it functioning as a night skiing and local schools hill. The ad has had the same bizzare language for years but never had a price stated. As a straight real estate deal ~ $2,500/acre is not too bad.

 

[drjeff]

The reality is that Maple Valley may have more potential with the installation of some summer operations items than as a functioning winter ski area.. There's already a sizable number of people who go to that immediate area in the summer to swim/tube/frolic in the West River, so building off that would be likely a much easier starting point than trying to get some of the Mount Snow/Stratton/Bromley/Magic crowd to pull off Route 30 on their way to other ski areas. Additionally, the reality is that there's just not enough of a population base in the immediate area to make night skiing an economically viable option either IMHO....

Get some zip lines, maybe install some of that year round synthetic ski/rideable carpet for a novelty terrain park set up, maybe a mountain coaster and then see if one can get approval for a windmill or a much needed on that stretch of route 30, cell tower set up for additional, stable, year round income.

 

[Mapnut]

Nice vertical drop lie there - "over 1000 feet". It's about 770.

 

[drjeff]

Nice vertical drop lie there - "over 1000 feet". It's about 770.

I heard their last marketing guy went on to become a snow reporter at Jay Peak when Maple Valley closed ;-):lol::roll:8)

 

[thetrailboss]

I heard their last marketing guy went on to become a snow reporter at Jay Peak when Maple Valley closed ;-):lol::roll:8)

 

[Glenn]

It's been for sale for a number of years now. It would be great if someone would buy it and start bringing it back. The town has thrown up a few roadblocks. The current owners came with a number of off season ideas, and the town balked at many of them. Plus, some of the abutting property owners aren't keen on the area opening up again due to noise.

 

[VTKilarney]

I think that Jamaica Man and Do Work need to expand their empire.

I can see it now, the "Magic Maple Pass."

 

[thetrailboss]

It's too bad that it has sat unused for so long. I think that will be a hard one to bring back.

 

[JamaicaMan]

I think that Jamaica Man and Do Work need to expand their empire.

I can see it now, the "Magic Maple Pass."

Uh no. We are not into empire building. Just plain old building right now. But we are here to talk and help MV as need be since we'd be SoVT neighbors.


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[Glenn]

It's too bad that it has sat unused for so long. I think that will be a hard one to bring back.

A lot of trails are getting overgrown. And one has some pretty bad washouts from heavy rains. The snowmaking system is missing pipes in sections. I'm sure it could be brought back, but it will need some updating.

 

[thetrailboss]

A lot of trails are getting overgrown. And one has some pretty bad washouts from heavy rains. The snowmaking system is missing pipes in sections. I'm sure it could be brought back, but it will need some updating.

I imagine that the lifts are shot.

 

[drjeff]

I imagine that the lifts are shot.

If Magic can resurrect the Green, then I'd bet that with a bunch of $$ and work that the lifts at MV could be brought back to life for less $$ than a new installation.

When I drove by them on my way home to CT this past Sunday, on the outside at least they still look intact - no clue as to the status of the drive motors, the sheaves, the haul rope, etc...... 100% not likely to be just a "flip the on switch" and pass inspection type of things I'd guess.....

 

[thetrailboss]

If Magic can resurrect the Green, then I'd bet that with a bunch of $$ and work that the lifts at MV could be brought back to life for less $$ than a new installation.

When I drove by them on my way home to CT this past Sunday, on the outside at least they still look intact - no clue as to the status of the drive motors, the sheaves, the haul rope, etc...... 100% not likely to be just a "flip the on switch" and pass inspection type of things I'd guess.....

Yes, does anyone know the status? Photos I have seen show trees growing up around them and chairs still hanging.

 

[Glenn]

My wife and I hiked it within the last year or so. The liftline for the North Chair had been trimmed somewhat. I know they did run that lift and possibly test the haul rope. The South Chair is much more overgrown. But that's been run as well. Can't say how much. But some chairs had moved at some point.

The lodge is still neat and tidy inside based on what you can see through the doors. They had a party/event there a few years back. I think it was some type of New Years Eve party or concert.

I may have said it before, so sorry if it's redundant. A lot of locals have fond memories of the area. It was a great place to learn to ski and may schools had their after school ski events there. Who knows, maybe it could reopen in a limited capacity; weekends only...certain school nights only.

 

[machski]

End of season for my collegiate division races were there. Lifties would pull straws to see who got the top, some crazy ski suits (well, not much of a suit) on some who weren't trying for points in those races.

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[dlague]

If Magic can resurrect the Green, then I'd bet that with a bunch of $$ and work that the lifts at MV could be brought back to life for less $$ than a new installation.

When I drove by them on my way home to CT this past Sunday, on the outside at least they still look intact - no clue as to the status of the drive motors, the sheaves, the haul rope, etc...... 100% not likely to be just a "flip the on switch" and pass inspection type of things I'd guess.....

Look at what they did with the lifts at Tenney.

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[thetrailboss]

Look at what they did with the lifts at Tenney.

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Being out of operation and unmaintained for what, two maybe three years like at Tenney, versus now going on almost 20 years makes a big difference.

 

[slatham]

MV has been closed since 99/00 season. The two chairs were installed in 63 and 64. I find it hard to believe that those lifts can be economically brought back to life under current lift safety standards.


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[Newpylong]

Being out of operation and unmaintained for what, two maybe three years like at Tenney, versus now going on almost 20 years makes a big difference.

6 years at Tenney when they rebuilt the lifts.