Will Vail buy Haystack?

[mbedle]

Correct me if I am wrong, but isn't the Haystack property deed restricted? Not sure how that works since the primary driver of the deed restrictions was Mount Snow, but I a some that every adjacent land owner also has a say in if that deed restriction could ever be removed.

 

[icecoast1]

If the former members were going to purchase it, they would have purchased it prior to the snow guns being sold off.

They couldn't, the bank that owns the main mortgage on the ski area has to go through the bankruptcy/foreclosure process first and a determination has to be made weather it's more valuable to sell everything as one piece or individually. Also "some" of the Techno Alpin fan guns were sold, there's still hkds they had on the vast majority of the mountain. Unless something major happens like Barnstormer being sold, it's still a relatively attractive option for the former members, or somebody else (vail etc.) if they want to buy a ski area that would require little work to operate again

 

[icecoast1]

Correct me if I am wrong, but isn't the Haystack property deed restricted? Not sure how that works since the primary driver of the deed restrictions was Mount Snow, but I a some that every adjacent land owner also has a say in if that deed restriction could ever be removed.

It was restricted from being sold and operated as a public ski area when Mount Snow/ASC sold it, but since Vail owns Mount Snow now would that mean Vail could decide to sell Haystack to itself?

 

[taul]

The USFS, The Catamount Trail, and SoVTA have begun the process to create officially sanctioned backcountry ski zones off Deerfield Ridge, as well as other areas around the valley. This model has been successful at Dutch Hill and Brandon Gap, as well over in NH.

 

[BenedictGomez]

officially sanctioned backcountry ski zone

What does that mean?

 

[taul]

Crews under supervision of USFS can legally clear glades in those areas. There will be signage and parking. We’ve been skiing over there for years, it just will be more out in open.

 

[abc]

Arguing for a connection would bring in similar issues to the Killington/Pico connection. The scale of such an operation would be massive. 30+ lifts. 100+ miles of terrain to make snow on, patrol, groom, etc. Is there a need for a roughly 1,200 acre ski resort in Southern Vermont? Absolutely. But only on the 15-20 days a year that are between December 25 and March 15, when it's sunny, 25 degrees, and there's snow on the ground from Northern NJ to Boston. Is there money being made on a Tuesday in March when 20+ lifts need to be ran to keep all that terrain open, and you still have to groom roughly 70% of it? What about having a few DOZEN ski patrollers on-staff at all times working 9 hours a day to keep the hill open? What about non-core trails that still need $10's of thousands of snow made on them for them to only be open MLK weekend til the 2nd weekend in March?

Simply put...unless we're talking hamburgers in the ski lodge or sending rentals out the door...economies of scale in the ski industry does not work in the East. Season's too short, not enough ROI.

Doesn't that apply to every ski mountain in the east, big or small?

Or are you arguing there will be no trail expansion anywhere in the northeast, period?

 

[cdskier]

What does that mean?

Crews under supervision of USFS can legally clear glades in those areas. There will be signage and parking. We’ve been skiing over there for years, it just will be more out in open.

Yup...and if BG wants more info, check out this example: https://www.rastavt.org/trails/brandon-gap/

 

[BenedictGomez]

Crews under supervision of USFS can legally clear glades in those areas. There will be signage and parking. We’ve been skiing over there for years, it just will be more out in open.

Interesting, never heard of that.

 

[ScottySkis]

Interesting, never heard of that.

Hey BG I just sent u email question though AZ not related to to this thread

 

[jaywbigred]

Really interesting, thanks for the info everyone!