Which resort do you think has done the best this year?

[JPTracker]

Greg and SRO are saying the same thing here, but I think you are both wrong. So maybe it's not primarily for the existing Claybrook owners (though keeping them happy is SURELY a factor). But, if they sell even a single unit at SB due to this change, then that will generate FAR more revenue and margin than all of the F&B sales in April and May.

I said a similar thing over in the Bretton Woods Closing thread. Part of the decision for opening early and closing late is Real Estate. The fact they SB is building Claybrook and is trying to sell all those units of course they will put on a good show. The question is when the Real Estate is all built and sold will it continue?

 

[skiadikt]

alright andyz. registering my joy! gotta admit k has been delivering with running lifts this spring. as with last weekend, it's really a no brainer for them. underpromise and overdeliver. gotta luv it. oh joy!

 

[riverc0il]

While everyone is generally suggesting their favorite or home mountains....



Here is a novel suggestion: EVERY ski area that extended their season, props. More than makes up for any short fall earlier in the season and shows a commitment to the skiers and riders that care the most about the sport.

 

[kingslug]

I would usualy just go with Hunter as they always make a ton of snow, open early and close late. But this year Belleayre upped the notch by having very consistant coverage and an extended season longer than Hunter. They do get more natural snow though and being state owned they have a different bottom line.

 

[millerm277]

As usual Hunter did a solid job of snowmaking and resurfacing during the tricky months of December and early January. I skied there in the rain on MLK Day (right before winter began) and there were several top-to-bottom routes on the front face, along with Wayout. They also got aggressive and opened Annapurna as soon as they could.

Agreed...I skied there on the 10th of December, and was treated to 4 inches of gun pow, and Belt, Hellgate, Minya and ESD were open. It all melted the next week, but they really did a great job, although I wish they'd blown open the stuff off the E chair and 44, but 44 was pretty much open after the storm, so I can't complain.

I have to give credit to Sno Mtn in PA, they've had a huge turn-around, they went from not even opening most trails and lifts last year, to having incredibly agressive snowmaking, and everything open for almost the entire season.

 

[tcharron]

Whiteface has always put up the goods with excellent customer service. However I was consistently impressed with Pats Peak/Crotched. What they can do down there given their geographic location, etc is pretty damn impressive. I never saw Crotched guns going full bore, but Pats can cover the mtn in a cloud at times. Pretty impressive sight to see an entire mtn in a snowmaking cloud, not just sections or trails.

I've actually skied thru Crotched havingat least half their guns on. Crotched going from quite literally patchy to nothing coverage the first week of January, to a two foot plus base within 48 hours:

 

[tcharron]

Even better, January 8th (?) I believe, the day when it finally got cold again.

 

[win]

Sugarbush obviously did the best job, and that is a totally "objective" decision. As far as keeping LP open vs ME that was my decision because I like skiing 72 trails more than 39 and having better access to Slidebrook. Tough luck, Tin, I have the Golden Vote on this one, and I was right this year!

 

[snoseek]

While everyone is generally suggesting their favorite or home mountains....



Here is a novel suggestion: EVERY ski area that extended their season, props. More than makes up for any short fall earlier in the season and shows a commitment to the skiers and riders that care the most about the sport.

i agree fully, the cat will now get a good chunk of my pass budget along with another day ticket or two

 

[millerm277]

Well, with you posting those picture of Crotched....I guess I have to present this pic of Hunter from Jan 11th. I am curious, has Hunter ever run their system at full power? Because from what they have listed, they can supposedly run almost every gun on the mountain at once, but that would require a phenomanal amount of manpower.

 

[jerryg]

Yeah, pretty much the same with Stowe and K-mart too. So who is still 100% open now? Wildcat, Jay, and Sugarloaf? Is that it?

All three are 100% open as of today, but I suspect that there are a few others that would be 100% if not for the fact they aren't running lifts for the terrain. Sugarloaf is in a unique position to be able to offer 100% of their terrain with 2 lifts. I think Wildcat can do it with one, but I'm not sure of that.

 

[riverc0il]

Stowe isn't 100% as they are not running Spruce.

 

[ski_resort_observer]

DMC - in the pic above of Hunter, any of those rooftops yours?

 

[Tin Woodsman]

Sugarbush obviously did the best job, and that is a totally "objective" decision. As far as keeping LP open vs ME that was my decision because I like skiing 72 trails more than 39 and having better access to Slidebrook. Tough luck, Tin, I have the Golden Vote on this one, and I was right this year!

What hubris!! You act like you own the place or something!! Oh, wait a sec. My b...


Win, as you well know, Slidebrook is perfectly accessible from both ME and LP. This year, the plan has worked out perfectly with two months worth of snow in the first two weeks of April. LP is clearly a better option if you're going to get 7 feet of snow in the waning days of the year - how did you know it was going to happen? ;-)

In most years, it's a difficult decision to defend on a pure skiing basis, though I understand there are other considerations. I guess this is what us SB lovers are going to have to deal with the ensure the future viability of the mountain.

BTW, it was nice riding up on the Bravo with you and Jim two Sundays ago. I was the guy with the yellow jacket and red helmet sitting between the two of you. I'm a shrinking violet, so I said nothing. I'll be sure to pipe up next time I ride the lift with you.

BTW< will Bravo be accessible by people not mtn biking or playing disc golf this summer? What if I want to hike the LT for a few hours and would like to get up there quicker? What will the fee structure look like?

 

[kingslug]

Well, with you posting those picture of Crotched....I guess I have to present this pic of Hunter from Jan 11th. I am curious, has Hunter ever run their system at full power? Because from what they have listed, they can supposedly run almost every gun on the mountain at once, but that would require a phenomanal amount of manpower.

I doubt they ever ran it up to full output, wouldn't make sense. But for their size they are one of the tops in snowmaking on any given day.

 

[Greg]

I have to give a big nod to Jiminy for pushing as late as they did this season. Now if they would only learn to not flatten so much terrain each night.

 

[ga2ski]

SR of course.

Pat's did a great job as well.

 

[jerryg]

I am nothing short of amazed at what Sunday River has done this year. Regardless of who owns the mountain, the staff has done a terrific job all season. They've always battled back from difficult weather and provided the best possible snow surface no matter what mother nature has thrown at them. However, I have been most impressed at how the employees have carried themselves this year amidst what has to be a very trying time. With the sales of ASC resorts and the constant talk of who will own SR next year, these people have worked hard every day and done so with a smile. Whereas I've heard that hasn't quite been the case at other ASC resorts, for some reason, these people seem to truly enjoy their jobs and show it on a daily basis.

My hat's off to you! :flag:

 

[frozencorn]

I am nothing short of amazed at what Sunday River has done this year. Regardless of who owns the mountain, the staff has done a terrific job all season. They've always battled back from difficult weather and provided the best possible snow surface no matter what mother nature has thrown at them. However, I have been most impressed at how the employees have carried themselves this year amidst what has to be a very trying time. With the sales of ASC resorts and the constant talk of who will own SR next year, these people have worked hard every day and done so with a smile. Whereas I've heard that hasn't quite been the case at other ASC resorts, for some reason, these people seem to truly enjoy their jobs and show it on a daily basis.

My hat's off to you! :flag:

I second this. When everyone else was suffering in December, SR had everyone lapped by leaps and bounds with the quality of their snow.

 

[ski lover]

My plug is for Mount Snow. They continued to make snow the latest of any of the Vt. resorts and did a fantastic job early in the season under challenging conditions.