# Hunter's lifts...........or lack of now!!



## RichT (Feb 13, 2018)

[h=2]CURRENT CONDITIONS[/h][h=3]TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2018 AT 6:44AM[/h]*Evening Update* - 8:25 PM:

Good evening skiers and riders! Tomorrow we will be open with up 46 trails serviced by 5 lifts. The forecast for tomorrow predicts partly cloudy skies in the morning which will clear by the afternoon. Temperatures are expected to be in the upper 30’s. Primary surface conditions are expected to be loose granular on a machine groomed base of 24-36 inches.
Please be advised, due to a mechanical issue, *the Kaatskill Flyer will not be operational tomorrow*. Unfortunately, F lift is also down limiting access to the summit. *We will be running a shuttle from the base area to Hunter West* as the Zephyr Quad will be spinning for guests looking to make runs on the West Side, as well as those looking to renew their vows at the summit for our special Valentine’s Day ceremonies. Once the parts are in our hands our lift maintenance team will be working around the clock.


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## FBGM (Feb 13, 2018)

Quick! Someone call the foreign investors for more money!


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## zyk (Feb 13, 2018)

Wow!  Just changed my plans for tomorrow...


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## andrec10 (Feb 13, 2018)

Wtf!


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## Smellytele (Feb 13, 2018)

At least it is a Wednesday


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## JimG. (Feb 13, 2018)

becoming a disaster


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## andrec10 (Feb 13, 2018)

JimG. said:


> becoming a disaster



Its called milking the cow...


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## kingslug (Feb 14, 2018)

It's called lack of maintenance..


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## catskillman (Feb 14, 2018)

FBGM said:


> Quick! Someone call the foreign investors for more money!



I think that money can only be used for capital improvements that generate new jobs.  NOT NEW MANAGEMENT


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## FBGM (Feb 14, 2018)

catskillman said:


> I think that money can only be used for capital improvements that generate new jobs.  NOT NEW MANAGEMENT



If peaks didn't get rid of mountain operations manager daddys son after his drug smuggling ring got busted at one of their properties then I doubt any low hanging fruits are getting disposed of.


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## catskillman (Feb 14, 2018)

FBGM said:


> If peaks didn't get rid of mountain operations manager daddys son after his drug smuggling ring got busted at one of their properties then I doubt any low hanging fruits are getting disposed of.



Huh???

OPS Mgr Daddy's son ??  half brother, step brother........

anyway this is interesting.  however, I do not see why the mountain should fire the dad for something the son did.......unless it involved the dad/mountain employee


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## FBGM (Feb 14, 2018)

catskillman said:


> Huh???
> 
> OPS Mgr Daddy's son ??  half brother, step brother........
> 
> anyway this is interesting.  however, I do not see why the mountain should fire the dad for something the son did.......unless it involved the dad/mountain employee



http://www.kmov.com/story/28450740/...-using-company-to-funnel-drugs-across-country

There is one of many news articles. 

The Jesse dude dirtball, the one that got caught pushing drugs through the ski area is the current operations director for peak resorts. His dad is CEO. So when you wonder why all peak resorts stuff is old and crap, and people above blame management, well, there is your management. A drug dealer


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## JimG. (Feb 14, 2018)

Interesting.

Maybe the guy who got lost at Whiteface and wound up in California is one of his mules.


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## rtjcbrown (Feb 15, 2018)

Second day in a row of no summit access from the main lodge......smh


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## andrec10 (Feb 15, 2018)

I think the cow is almost empty...


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## tnt1234 (Feb 15, 2018)

Wow - that's pretty crazy.


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## Smellytele (Feb 15, 2018)

They said they are waiting on parts right?


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## rtjcbrown (Feb 15, 2018)

Smellytele said:


> They said they are waiting on parts right?



Yes, but seeing the urgency, one would think they would have gotten it sooner. It's a newer lift, parts from Leitner/Poma should be readily available, and in house within hours. Mt Snow has an identicle lift 2.5 hours away, so there should be a local source...


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## Smellytele (Feb 15, 2018)

rtjcbrown said:


> Yes, but seeing the urgency, one would think they would have gotten it sooner. It's a newer lift, parts from Leitner/Poma should be readily available, and in house within hours. Mt Snow has an identicle lift 2.5 hours away, so there should be a local source...



Who knows what the part is and I can't imagine that they have a whole spare lift just to take parts from. also they aren't going to take parts off the lift at Mt Snow. It went down Tuesday. it really has only been 2 days. If we had teleporters or they could print these parts on 3d printers then we would be talking.


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## FBGM (Feb 15, 2018)

Smellytele said:


> They said they are waiting on parts right?



OxyContin could have been bought instead. That's a bigger priority.


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## catskillman (Feb 15, 2018)

If you noticed all of the recent updates only address the 6 pack flyer, they ignore the F lift conviently.  Rumor has it the F list is Toast....

Any other intel???


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## RichT (Feb 15, 2018)

Ok time to VENT!!! I was there today, at 10:24 the fedex truck showed up unloaded this "part" that was moved to the six via forklift.......by 2;00 still no six! Find out now oops that didn't fix it! Next part due later tonight or early tomorrow that will surely fix the problem! As for the "F" seems the motor that they got for it last year is to small to handle the load (brought cheaper one to save money?) No mention of fixing that! They've marked out the new trails over by wayout because "lets do that instead of FIXING THE SHIT WE HAVE NOW THAT'S BROKE!! We also have grass, dirt and giant patches of ice all over the mtn, because they didn't make the snow when they had the chance (again to save $)??? And last be not least Jerry at the bar is an asshole! but JON we love you!!!


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## Funky_Catskills (Feb 15, 2018)

RichT said:


> And last be not least Jerry at the bar is an asshole! but JON we love you!!!




hahahahah....  
Jerry is my neighbor. 
Jon is my long time bartender.


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## Smellytele (Feb 15, 2018)

Peaks is also in the midst of fixing the rocket at crotched as it is having electrical issues.


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## RichT (Feb 15, 2018)

Doug, I hope for you he's a better neighbor then he is a bartender. Guy's got attitude problems! 



Funky_Catskills said:


> hahahahah....
> Jerry is my neighbor.
> Jon is my long time bartender.


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## andrec10 (Feb 15, 2018)

Smellytele said:


> Peaks is also in the midst of fixing the rocket at crotched as it is having electrical issues.



They have spread themselves too thin....


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## drjeff (Feb 15, 2018)

Or the other version.... Mechanical stuff wears out and breaks from time to time...   Pretty sure that 0.0% of ski areas want ANYTHING lift wise to break down just before Presidents week.... 

Sent from my XT1254 using AlpineZone mobile app


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## Creakyknees (Feb 15, 2018)

RichT, could you give us an update on Friday. If the six is not running on Saturday it's going to be a sh*t show.


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## 180 (Feb 15, 2018)

this really sucks


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## kingslug (Feb 16, 2018)

Time to change your local mountain...Although to what I don't know. Mt Snow is closest. Hell, I changed mine to Stowe regardless of the insane drive.


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## Funky_Catskills (Feb 16, 2018)

RichT said:


> Doug, I hope for you he's a better neighbor then he is a bartender. Guy's got attitude problems!



He's a great neighbor! His house is really nice - like Martha Stewart nice...  

But - you'll ALWAYS see me waiting for Jon...   Jon is my bartender... always...


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## 180 (Feb 16, 2018)

Jon is celebrating 30 years working for Hunter


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## RichT (Feb 16, 2018)

Morning update, they just changed the snow report from "the Kaatskill Flyer will not be running this morning", to "The Kaatskill Flyer will not be running today"! Oh boy..........big weekend/week coming up!


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## cdskier (Feb 16, 2018)

The snow report says the Flyer will still not be running today. Hope they get it up by tomorrow for people that plan to ski this weekend. I wouldn't be surprised if many people planning to go up this weekend aren't even aware it has been down several days this week.


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## Funky_Catskills (Feb 16, 2018)

180 said:


> Jon is celebrating 30 years working for Hunter



awesome... Best bartender ever...


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## zyk (Feb 16, 2018)

kingslug said:


> Time to change your local mountain...Although to what I don't know. Mt Snow is closest. Hell, I changed mine to Stowe regardless of the insane drive.



If the Belleayre midweek pass included Gore that would be my move.  Although I've had that thought for awhile now not just because of this mess.


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## Abominable (Feb 16, 2018)

Funky_Catskills said:


> awesome... Best bartender ever...



Hear hear!  It's been fifteen years since I was a tour bus dude bringing people by the dozens to Hunter, but spent a lot of quality time at that bar back then, and even now every other year or so when I make it back always stop in and always glad to see Jon behind the bar.


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## Funky_Catskills (Feb 16, 2018)

Abominable said:


> Hear hear!  It's been fifteen years since I was a tour bus dude bringing people by the dozens to Hunter, but spent a lot of quality time at that bar back then, and even now every other year or so when I make it back always stop in and always glad to see Jon behind the bar.



I tip him at Christmas...  Tell him he's part of my team.


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## Smellytele (Feb 16, 2018)

Abominable said:


> Hear hear!  It's been fifteen years since I was a tour bus dude bringing people by the dozens to Hunter, but spent a lot of quality time at that bar back then, and even now every other year or so when I make it back always stop in and always glad to see Jon behind the bar.



Not sure I would want my tour bus dude in the bar...


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## rtjcbrown (Feb 16, 2018)

I was never the biggest fan of Hunter, but I always admired the way they ran their operation, and handled the masses. Seems like things have gone south since the sale.


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## Tdizz (Feb 16, 2018)

The lift issue is right on the front of the web page and their facebook. At least they're not hiding it from the public. Back when the quad was on the front and was always having issues, they used to never announce it.


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## Creakyknees (Feb 16, 2018)

Again, nothing in the snow report about snow making. The snow report for Mount Snow indicates they will start making snow as weather permits.


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## cdskier (Feb 16, 2018)

Tdizz said:


> The lift issue is right on the front of the web page and their facebook. At least they're not hiding it from the public. Back when the quad was on the front and was always having issues, they used to never announce it.



It always amazes me how many people don't look at that info ahead of time. I'll use my home mountain of Sugarbush as an example. There have been times this season that most of the lifts at Lincoln Peak started the day on wind hold yet at Mt Ellen almost all lifts are running. This is clearly listed on the snow report and lift status on their website and app. Yet I still see people piling into the Lincoln Peak parking lot on my way to Mt Ellen. I get to Mt Ellen and the parking lot and mountain is practically empty. Are people just holding out hope that the lifts will come off wind hold or do they really not look at the reports before heading to the mountain?


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## Abominable (Feb 16, 2018)

Smellytele said:


> Not sure I would want my tour bus dude in the bar...



Live a little!


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## kingslug (Feb 16, 2018)

These are the same people that have no idea the weather..the ones who say we'll see when we get there...yup


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## drjeff (Feb 16, 2018)

cdskier said:


> It always amazes me how many people don't look at that info ahead of time. I'll use my home mountain of Sugarbush as an example. There have been times this season that most of the lifts at Lincoln Peak started the day on wind hold yet at Mt Ellen almost all lifts are running. This is clearly listed on the snow report and lift status on their website and app. Yet I still see people piling into the Lincoln Peak parking lot on my way to Mt Ellen. I get to Mt Ellen and the parking lot and mountain is practically empty. Are people just holding out hope that the lifts will come off wind hold or do they really not look at the reports before heading to the mountain?



My vote is on option B!!



kingslug said:


> These are the same people that have no idea the weather..the ones who say we'll see when we get there...yup



Yup! Or even better, the ones who see that the temperature is supposed to max out for the day DOWN IN THE FLATLANDS where they live, at say 35 degrees, and then when the summit temp at 9AM (or more like 10:30AM for this crowd I'm referencing  ) is say 5 degrees and never gets above 12 degrees for the day, they wonder why the weathermen "got it wrong" and why their circa 1987 headband isn't keeping them warm enough??? LOL!


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## RichT (Feb 16, 2018)

F it i'm going home...............they DO say that they will be making snow.


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## kingslug (Feb 16, 2018)

Go to Belleayre..almost totaly open. Might be my close go to place from now on, especially in spring when the bumps are nice. I learned to ski there, good vibe..The top runs are pretty steep but short. and Hey..they have a gondi..


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## cdskier (Feb 16, 2018)

drjeff said:


> My vote is on option B!!



Mine too!


> Yup! Or even better, the ones who see that the temperature is supposed to max out for the day DOWN IN THE FLATLANDS where they live, at say 35 degrees, and then when the summit temp at 9AM (or more like 10:30AM for this crowd I'm referencing  ) is say 5 degrees and never gets above 12 degrees for the day, they wonder why the weathermen "got it wrong" and why their circa 1987 headband isn't keeping them warm enough??? LOL!



Hah...another good one!


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## cdskier (Feb 16, 2018)

kingslug said:


> Go to Belleayre..almost totaly open. Might be my close go to place from now on, especially in spring when the bumps are nice. I learned to ski there, good vibe..The top runs are pretty steep but short. and Hey..they have a gondi..



Platty is still my number 1 "close" choice, but Belleayre is number 2 for me. With conditions right now though, I'd pick Belleayre over Platty though due to how much terrain is open at each one. Currently debating if there's a good day this weekend to go to Belleayre.


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## cdskier (Feb 16, 2018)

cdskier said:


> Platty is still my number 1 "close" choice, but Belleayre is number 2 for me. With conditions right now though, I'd pick Belleayre over Platty though due to how much terrain is open at each one. Currently debating if there's a good day this weekend to go to Belleayre.



Just looked at the webcams for Belle and Platty...quite a bit of ugliness :sad:


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## JimG. (Feb 16, 2018)

cdskier said:


> Platty is still my number 1 "close" choice, but Belleayre is number 2 for me. With conditions right now though, I'd pick Belleayre over Platty though due to how much terrain is open at each one. Currently debating if there's a good day this weekend to go to Belleayre.



Nobody should go to Belleayre this weekend. I'm sure Hunter will fix all the lifts and blow a few feet of snow everywhere. 

Stay at Hunter.


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## andrec10 (Feb 16, 2018)

JimG. said:


> Nobody should go to Belleayre this weekend. I'm sure Hunter will fix all the lifts and blow a few feet of snow everywhere.
> 
> Stay at Hunter.



So then, you will be at Belleayre?


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## cdskier (Feb 16, 2018)

JimG. said:


> Nobody should go to Belleayre this weekend. I'm sure Hunter will fix all the lifts and blow a few feet of snow everywhere.
> 
> Stay at Hunter.



I haven't been to Hunter in many years...so "Stay at Hunter" doesn't apply to me.


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## JimG. (Feb 16, 2018)

cdskier said:


> Platty is still my number 1 "close" choice, but Belleayre is number 2 for me. With conditions right now though, I'd pick Belleayre over Platty though due to how much terrain is open at each one. Currently debating if there's a good day this weekend to go to Belleayre.



In all seriousness, it's a toss up. Belle is going to be a madhouse this weekend no matter what day it is especially with the obvious infrastructure issues at Hunter.

Even though conditions right now suck (my last 3 ski days were storm skiing at K, a powder day at Pico, and a day at Greek 100% open) I really want to get a few days in but I'm seriously considering just bagging it and staying home. If you decide to go to Belle I would definitely make the trip to perhaps ski a few runs with you. I think I will need the motivation.


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## JimG. (Feb 16, 2018)

andrec10 said:


> So then, you will be at Belleayre?



I didn't get a Peaks pass this season...Belle season pass/MAX.

With MAX going away I thought I would go back to Peaks but the current lift issues have me spooked. 

I guess I will wait to see what the Ikon pass looks like. Or maybe finally step up and get a Killington pass.


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## Bandit2941 (Feb 16, 2018)

JimG. said:


> In all seriousness, it's a toss up. Belle is going to be a madhouse this weekend no matter what day it is especially with the obvious infrastructure issues at Hunter.
> 
> Even though conditions right now suck (my last 3 ski days were storm skiing at K, a powder day at Pico, and a day at Greek 100% open) I really want to get a few days in but I'm seriously considering just bagging it and staying home. If you decide to go to Belle I would definitely make the trip to perhaps ski a few runs with you. I think I will need the motivation.



Belleayre should be decent on Sunday as they're saying 3-6" of snow for the area Saturday night. I'm going to skip tomorrow because of the refreeze but get an early start on Sunday.

If anyone wants to take a few runs I'm game!


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## cdskier (Feb 16, 2018)

JimG. said:


> In all seriousness, it's a toss up. Belle is going to be a madhouse this weekend no matter what day it is especially with the obvious infrastructure issues at Hunter.
> 
> Even though conditions right now suck (my last 3 ski days were storm skiing at K, a powder day at Pico, and a day at Greek 100% open) I really want to get a few days in but I'm seriously considering just bagging it and staying home. If you decide to go to Belle I would definitely make the trip to perhaps ski a few runs with you. I think I will need the motivation.



I'm having a difficult time convincing myself that it would be worth spending the $60 or so on a lift ticket to deal with crowds and the current conditions. If conditions were going to be good I'd have a much easier time convincing myself I could put up with the crowds without thinking I wasted money. Last year on the Monday of President's weekend Belleayre was pretty empty, but it was also frozen quite solid after a warm Saturday/Sunday. This year the weather forecast for Monday doesn't look great. Sunday looks good weather-wise up there, but I'm looking at the prospect of having to cleanup 6-8" of snow in NJ before I could leave in the morning. If I end up deciding to go, I'll let you know though. Always cool to meet people from this board and ski with them a few runs.


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## BenedictGomez (Feb 16, 2018)

Bandit2941 said:


> Belleayre should be decent on Sunday as* they're saying 3-6" of snow for the area Saturday night*.



I'll take the under on that.  Not looking good.


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## BenedictGomez (Feb 16, 2018)

cdskier said:


> *I'm having a difficult time convincing myself that it would be worth spending the $60 or so on a lift ticket to deal with crowds and the current conditions.* If conditions were going to be good I'd have a much easier time convincing myself I could put up with the crowds without thinking I wasted money.



I get that entirely.  This is what I'm wondering.  That and the 14 hour round-trip drive.


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## JimG. (Feb 16, 2018)

BenedictGomez said:


> I get that entirely.  This is what I'm wondering.  That and the 14 hour round-trip drive.



Assuming from the 14 hour round trip you are looking Stowe or north I would not even consider making that long drive for skiing this weekend. I've looked as far north as Tremblant and MSA and they got the same rain and warmth we had here. Most of the natural terrain is closed up there too. 

Closer is better if you choose to ski this weekend.


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## x10003q (Feb 16, 2018)

There is a winter storm watch in north NJ, but nothing in the Catskills yet. If it snows in the flatlands, the Cats will be overrun. I am thinking a skip for this weekend. The cams are showing ugly. If temps drop as predicted, you will need to break out the Super Tacks on Saturday.


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## 180 (Feb 16, 2018)

Hunter says they are making snow tonight.  Wonder where they'll do that.


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## FBGM (Feb 16, 2018)

180 said:


> Hunter says they are making snow tonight.  Wonder where they'll do that.



All the trails that only have access from the broken chairs.


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## cdskier (Feb 16, 2018)

BenedictGomez said:


> I get that entirely.  This is what I'm wondering.  That and the 14 hour round-trip drive.



At 14 hour round trip I'd definitely be saying no. Only 4 hours round trip if I do Belle and I'm still leaning towards "skip".


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## Tdizz (Feb 16, 2018)

My guess is Kennedy, Ike and maybe west side since those trails saw more traffic this week than usual. I was there Tuesday (before the lift died) and everything was frozen solid. Hellgate and Eastside were good because they were in the sun but it was getting really sketchy. I would never go near any mountain on a holiday weekend but if I had to, I'd go Sunday first chair and be half way home by noon.


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## BenedictGomez (Feb 16, 2018)

JimG. said:


> Assuming from the 14 hour round trip you are looking Stowe or north I would not even consider making that long drive for skiing this weekend.





cdskier said:


> At 14 hour round trip I'd definitely be saying no.



Normally I would bag this weekend given conditions, but next weekend is looking WAY worse than this weekend in terms of conditions, and I cant ski the weekend after that.  So I'd be looking at March 10th to return to the slopes.  I think pretty much everywhere will be skiing poor this weekend, but I'm hoping Jay Peak perhaps will be less poor than most.


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## Creakyknees (Feb 16, 2018)

FBGM said:


> All the trails that only have access from the broken chairs.



That' very funny........


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## andrec10 (Feb 16, 2018)

Well, F lift is back up...for now!


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## JimG. (Feb 16, 2018)

180 said:


> Hunter says they are making snow tonight.  Wonder where they'll do that.



I'll guess...Belt Parkway, Kennedy, Hunter One, if you're lucky Hellgate and Broadway or Cliff.


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## kingslug (Feb 16, 2018)

JimG. said:


> I didn't get a Peaks pass this season...Belle season pass/MAX.
> 
> With MAX going away I thought I would go back to Peaks but the current lift issues have me spooked.
> 
> I guess I will wait to see what the Ikon pass looks like. Or maybe finally step up and get a Killington pass.


Get the k pass.. Its my next go to place on the way up north. I'm done with Hunter..just not worth it anymore. Well, almost..might be some days I just need a quick fix.


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## 180 (Feb 16, 2018)

F lift is running


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## Funky_Catskills (Feb 16, 2018)

I've been enjoying an empty West Side during this chair debacle..
If you take the shuttle or walk over to Way Out - you have the place to yourself...  Just sayin...


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## JimG. (Feb 16, 2018)

kingslug said:


> Get the k pass.. Its my next go to place on the way up north. I'm done with Hunter..just not worth it anymore. Well, almost..might be some days I just need a quick fix.



K is getting serious consideration; waiting for details on IKON pass.


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## cdskier (Feb 17, 2018)

On topic...the Flyer is still down as of this morning's report, but they supposedly have the part in hand and are working to install it as quickly as possible. From the way the report is worded, sounds like they're hoping to get it open at some point today.


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## JimG. (Feb 17, 2018)

cdskier said:


> On topic...the Flyer is still down as of this morning's report, but they supposedly have the part in hand and are working to install it as quickly as possible. From the way the report is worded, sounds like they're hoping to get it open at some point today.



Hopefully...Flyer still on hold, F lift showing closed. Looked at webcams, nobody skiing on front side and line for B lift extends back to the Flyer. What a mess!


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## cdskier (Feb 17, 2018)

JimG. said:


> Hopefully...Flyer still on hold, F lift showing closed. Looked at webcams, nobody skiing on front side and line for B lift extends back to the Flyer. What a mess!



Yikes. Brutal timing on these issues too...here was the 11AM update (which is the most recent one on their website):



> Update - 11:00 AM: UPDATE ON THE KAATSKILL FLYER AND F-LIFT
> 
> The necessary part needed for the Kaatskill Flyer has arrived. As of now, representatives from Poma Lifts are currently on site working with our Lift Operations crew to get the Kaatskill Flyer operational as soon as possible.
> 
> Unfortunately, F-lift is now on standby due to a mechanical issue. While our focus right now is to get the Flyer up and running, Lift Operations are also looking into what has caused the issue with F-Lift.


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## JimG. (Feb 17, 2018)

I didn't ski Belle today was just not into fighting crowds.

My plan is to leave early tomorrow, get up there by 8. Hopefully they get a little natural.


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## catskillman (Feb 17, 2018)

JimG. said:


> Hopefully...Flyer still on hold, F lift showing closed. Looked at webcams, nobody skiing on front side and line for B lift extends back to the Flyer. What a mess!



F went  down agian at about 9:30 and is down indefinitly.  the 6 also has no tentative open date.

To add another debacle ----- the D lift did nto open until about 9am this morning.  The issue???  

  A SNOWMOBILE DROVE UP WITH A SAFETY BAR FROM ONE OF THE CHAIRS!!!!  The lift operators then proceded to bolt it onto a chair in front of all the quests, and had a bit of difficulty doing so.  You an't make this stuff up.  What about preventative maintenance ??  and did they check all the other chairs yet?????

What a mess...........


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## danimals (Feb 17, 2018)

This makes me want to see if Amex will issue chargeback for my pass. I mean, it’s not a usable product.

I’m kidding of course, but I guess next year I’ll get a pass somewhere closer, that has two backup lifts to service a majority of their vertical.

Sent from my iPhone using AlpineZone


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## 180 (Feb 17, 2018)

I was on B lift at 8:30, 2 runs there, 2 runs on D, 2 runs on F, great man made across the face.  then over to West. Pretty icey, but edges were doable. Stayed all day. Great lunch at Scotty's. Late day runs on D lift Racers, till 4:30pm


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## Quietman (Feb 17, 2018)

Smellytele said:


> Peaks is also in the midst of fixing the rocket at crotched as it is having electrical issues.



No help to the Hunter situation, but the Rocket at the Crotch ran fine all day today.  And they did blow some snow last night.


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## So Inclined (Feb 17, 2018)

180 said:


> Late day runs on D lift Racers, till 4:30pm



The line for D around 1:45 - 2:00 looked appalling. "F this, I've got a pass, I'm going home" bad, for me, despite my suspicion that Racers and Ike would be sweet with so little traffic all day. Did it get decent enough at the end of the day that you could lap it?


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## cc1 (Feb 18, 2018)

Feb. 18, 2018 
F lift still inoperable
Six pack inoperable

Since Peak Resorts took over Hunter Mtn. the quality and quantity of snowmaking has diminished, lift maintenance is at an all time low, lodge is not being maintained and cleaned as well. 

They still tell people that 40 something trails are "available" (key word) and 9 lifts are "available" (key word). They don't tell you that you have to take bus to the west side, ride that lift to the top, then ski down the front, and take the bus back over and do it again, a 1 hr 1 run. 

They give vouchers to people who buy lift tickets, but the loyal and dedicated season passholders get no compensation for a week of no summit lift service. 

They continue to lie and deceive the public. 

They announce F lift is open...then F lift breaks down within 2 hours of opening Saturday.....F lift has been plagued all season long by issues and has been basically inoperable. 

The lastest was the six pack part was on a plane that broke so it couldn't get there. It makes me wonder if the plane was raided and searched for oxycodone transport in the parts that were getting sent to Hunter Mountain. Similar to the oxy trafficking scam involving Jesse Boyd (who posted a photo of snowmaking today at Hunter Mountain)...which is even more of a clusterflock because the snow they made was on trails they knew could never be accessed because the summit lifts were broke.


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## 180 (Feb 18, 2018)

So Inclined said:


> The line for D around 1:45 - 2:00 looked appalling. "F this, I've got a pass, I'm going home" bad, for me, despite my suspicion that Racers and Ike would be sweet with so little traffic all day. Did it get decent enough at the end of the day that you could lap it?



D lift was ski on at 3pm yesterday. 6 pack now loading ski patrol as I watch.


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## mriceyman (Feb 18, 2018)

Hunter says its loading on ig


Sent from my iPhone using AlpineZone


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## cc1 (Feb 18, 2018)

As of this mornings update the six pack is loading *EVERY OTHER CHAIR. * Does the issue have something to do with weight, pulling power? Does anyone know for sure? 

Also F lift is still down, so is the attitude...let's forget about the F lift again?


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## 180 (Feb 18, 2018)

Was on 6 pack early, and then headed west.  Nice powder and good grooming underneath.  This lasted about 2 hours.  Pretty scratched off now.
6 pack supposedly running on backup


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## andrec10 (Feb 18, 2018)

cc1 said:


> As of this mornings update the six pack is loading *EVERY OTHER CHAIR. * Does the issue have something to do with weight, pulling power? Does anyone know for sure?
> 
> Also F lift is still down, so is the attitude...let's forget about the F lift again?



Skied by the bottom of F lift and 2 mechanics were up in the terminal. The people working there are just as frustrated, trust me!


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## FBGM (Feb 18, 2018)

That 6 at mount Blow is nothing but problems as well. Id put the blames on Poma. Their stuff is junk. But the main blame game is on the lift maintenance at these resorts. Shit is scary. Don't catch me on that stuff sober.


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## Funky_Catskills (Feb 19, 2018)

Friends that work a Hunter are frustrated at the "perfect storm" that hit them..
They are shocked that people they consider friends would say things that are demeaning to the place they work when they haven't even asked what was up.
As a "local" with my future somewhat tied to Hunter I'm ignoring all this the best that I can and hoping that this equipment issue can be rectified without constantly dissing Hunter while they scramble to get things working 100%...
As a snowboarder - I actually used this to my advantage and rode an empty West Side through this whole thing while people bitched..


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## tnt1234 (Feb 19, 2018)

Wow - pretty incredible and rotten timing.  Hope they get it sorted and learn some lessons from this.

Can't imagine how crazed the crowds must have been this weekend.


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## Vaughn (Feb 19, 2018)

Funky_Catskills said:


> Friends that work a Hunter are frustrated at the "perfect storm" that hit them..
> They are shocked that people they consider friends would say things that are demeaning to the place they work when they haven't even asked what was up.
> As a "local" with my future somewhat tied to Hunter I'm ignoring all this the best that I can and hoping that this equipment issue can be rectified without constantly dissing Hunter while they scramble to get things working 100%...
> As a snowboarder - I actually used this to my advantage and rode an empty West Side through this whole thing while people bitched..



I get wanting your local to be a good mountain. You lose me where you seem to be saying people shouldn't complain about paying $85 to go to a mountain when large chunks of it are offline due to maintenance issues. I'll side with the customer over the corporation on that one. Can't operate properly on a holiday weekend? Take the loss and discount or refund tickets instead of abusing the trust of your paying customers.


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## danimals (Feb 19, 2018)

Wait...they charged full holiday pricing while all those lifts were down?


Sent from my iPhone using AlpineZone


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## tnt1234 (Feb 19, 2018)

danimals said:


> Wait...they charged full holiday pricing while all those lifts were down?
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using AlpineZone



Yikes.  If that's true, that's pretty lame.


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## Vaughn (Feb 19, 2018)

Sorry to cause any confusion - I don't know if they charged full price or not. If they didn't or gave out refunds, that's different and maybe they should be cut a break.


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## cdskier (Feb 19, 2018)

Flyer still running at half capacity and F still down. And yes, the report says they are charging $85 at the window. Although to be fair you could argue that they're not exactly hiding the fact that a couple lifts are down or not at full capacity. If you still choose to pay the price and ski, that's your choice. Is there a precedent for any other mountains offering discounts when key lifts are down? Even on days with wind holds at mountains on many lifts I can't recall discounted tickets being offered.

I could understand the argument about lift tickets for people that bought ahead of time with the assumption lifts would be running. In that case, making refunds available for people that don't want to ski in those conditions would make sense and be the right thing to do from a customer service perspective. I haven't seen anything one way or the other on whether they are doing this though, so maybe they are.


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## kartski (Feb 19, 2018)

Vaughn said:


> Sorry to cause any confusion - I don't know if they charged full price or not. If they didn't or gave out refunds, that's different and maybe they should be cut a break.



According to their website, there is a 1 Hr Snow Guaranty. If you don't like it after an Hour, you can get a Voucher, no cash.


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## Funky_Catskills (Feb 19, 2018)

Vaughn said:


> I get wanting your local to be a good mountain. You lose me where you seem to be saying people shouldn't complain about paying $85 to go to a mountain when large chunks of it are offline due to maintenance issues. I'll side with the customer over the corporation on that one. Can't operate properly on a holiday weekend? Take the loss and discount or refund tickets instead of abusing the trust of your paying customers.



I didn't say that..   Complain all the F you want. Everyone I know has a season pass.. 
Everyone I know is frustrated.   Just giving everyone another perspective.

It's not just customers that are suffering..  
People that work at the mountain that actually do care are frustrated as well.  They read this shit...   It affects them.. 
People that own businesses are frustrated when people cancel reservations because they hear how ad people make this out to be.
I'm frankly just shocked at the constant negativity I see from my friends that call people that work at the mountain friends...
It really does affect them..


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## Funky_Catskills (Feb 19, 2018)

Vaughn said:


> Sorry to cause any confusion - I don't know if they charged full price or not. If they didn't or gave out refunds, that's different and maybe they should be cut a break.



They also extended hours for people - they tried...


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## sull1102 (Feb 19, 2018)

FBGM said:


> That 6 at mount Blow is nothing but problems as well. Id put the blames on Poma. Their stuff is junk. But the main blame game is on the lift maintenance at these resorts. Shit is scary. Don't catch me on that stuff sober.


LOL. The Bluebird is far, far, far from nothing but problems. How about the Sunburst over at Okemo that seems to be trouble free? Or the tons of other Poma's that run no problem day in day out thanks to proper maintenance.

Sent from my LG-H820 using AlpineZone mobile app


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## jmgard (Feb 19, 2018)

sull1102 said:


> LOL. The Bluebird is far, far, far from nothing but problems. How about the Sunburst over at Okemo that seems to be trouble free? Or the tons of other Poma's that run no problem day in day out thanks to proper maintenance.
> 
> Sent from my LG-H820 using AlpineZone mobile app



Only problem with the Bluebird is line (especially singles line) management/nobody knowing how to count to 6... Grand Summit stops a lot more often but even including that it's usually much faster than waiting in the Bluebird line


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## catskillman (Feb 19, 2018)

danimals said:


> Wait...they charged full holiday pricing while all those lifts were down?
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using AlpineZone


yes the did.  if you complained they gave out $20 credits.  

I saw one girl running thru the lodge very excited that she got a fee cookie for being stuck on the F lift.....


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## Funky_Catskills (Feb 19, 2018)

catskillman said:


> yes the did.  if you complained they gave out $20 credits.
> 
> I saw one girl running thru the lodge very excited that she got a fee cookie for being stuck on the F lift.....



Fee cookie!!!?!?!?!  They charged her???  Oh no - now I'm pisssed...


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## millerm277 (Feb 19, 2018)

Funky_Catskills said:


> I didn't say that..   Complain all the F you want. Everyone I know has a season pass..
> Everyone I know is frustrated.   Just giving everyone another perspective.
> 
> It's not just customers that are suffering..
> ...



I don't think anyone reasonable is blaming the rank and file employees for issues. They do the best they can with the resources and direction they're given, same as anywhere. 

Whether or not there are enough employees, resources, proper procedures, etc, lies at the hands of management.

The fault is either with poor management making this likely to happen (ex: skimping on maintenance) or a true "perfect storm" of unavoidable bad luck at a well run ski area. 

I would be more willing to give them the benefit of the doubt if there was more clarity on what exactly is going on. Instead, the communication from the mountain has felt evasive and forced.

Regarding "People that own businesses are frustrated when people cancel reservations because they hear how ad people make this out to be."....is it different than it looks? I mean, I love the West Side, but I'm not making a 2.5hr trip each way to Hunter and spending my $$$ and time to only ski that and below midstation, and I'd be really pissed to show up and find out that's going to be my day for any reason other than wind-hold. I need to know that the 6-pack or at least F-lift is going to be running before I'm going to commit to a day at Hunter.


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## Funky_Catskills (Feb 19, 2018)

again - this is my perspective based upon living here and knowing people involved with the issue and people suffering from it..
I relay their pain... nothing more...


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## Bosco DaSkia (Feb 19, 2018)

cdskier said:


> Flyer still running at half capacity and F still down. And yes, the report says they are charging $85 at the window. Although to be fair you could argue that they're not exactly hiding the fact that a couple lifts are down or not at full capacity. If you still choose to pay the price and ski, that's your choice. Is there a precedent for any other mountains offering discounts when key lifts are down? Even on days with wind holds at mountains on many lifts I can't recall discounted tickets being offered.




 Yes there is, Windham dealt with this exact same situation earlier this year. They gave a very steep discount as detailed in this “skiing on the cheap” thread.





“Quote Originally Posted by ScottySkis  View Post
https://www.potterbrothers.com/

Written by Isaac PerelsonOpening weekend at Plattekill, and this past Sunday, I finally made it out. Descending onto Meeker Hollow Road, I was welcomed by a bright, clear morning. Snow still clung to the windswept fields, and to every branch shouldering the road. The conditions seemed great.
Gearing up in the lodge, sunlight beamed in through the massive windows, lighting up the empty bar. There was only a handful of us – quickly getting ready, nodding to one another, eager to kick off a new season.

Save up tp $32.00 OFF your Holiday Week Lift Tickets at Potter Brothers. We offer discounts to ski areas in NY, MA and VT. These tickets are good anytime during the 17/18 Season. SHOP ALL LIFT TICKETS.
$115.00
$85.00
$30.00


Ski Area
Mtn Price
Our Price
Save
Buy Now

$68.00
$60.00
$8.00
Buy Now

$89.00
$69.00	$20.00	Buy Now

$83.00
$67.00
$17.00
Buy Now

$100.00
$72.00
$28.00
Buy Now





Looks like Windham is undercutting your price at the moment with a $66 deal due to lift problems. Save an extra $6.60 by buying online and you're now down to $59.40.  Not bad if you don't mind the slower lift!



"Mountain Report | Windham Mountain Resort - 

This morning's corduroy will soon be topped with 4" of fresh snow! It's just starting to fall and will continue to do so throughout the day, which means freshies all day! Enjoy 250 acres of open terrain across 41 trails, serviced by 7 lifts until 4pm Thursday. Groomers left their tracks on everything but Upper Warpath, Upper Wheelchair and The Wall early this morning. Snowmakers are back at it, focusing on completing the East Peak while continuing to build base depth on trails like Assembly Line and Lower Warpath on the West Peak. Expect a high of 18° this afternoon. 
Whirlwind Express (A lift) will be closed today for repairs. Mechanics are working around the clock to get the lift up and running as soon as possible.


Tickets - 

We recognize that not having one of our high speed lifts open is an inconvenience, therefore, lift ticket prices have been reduced. Prices through Friday 1/5 are: $66 for Adults, $51 for Youth, $54 for Seniors (65+), $47 for Seniors (75+), and $54 for College Students. Save 10% by purchasing your lift ticket in advance on our webstore, here. (Must purchase by 11:50pm the day before ticket date)."”


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## RichT (Feb 19, 2018)

So here's my 2 cents, I'm a mechanic, have zero experience with ski lifts. That being said a machine is a machine. Half capacity means the motor doesn't have the power to produce. So either the electricity is inefficient or the motor's burnt up, I saw them bringing what looked like a control panel after unloading it from a FedEx truck the other day, so I'll go with the motor. As for the F lift I think that motor (new/rebuilt one last year) is to small for the job. Since there's no word on the status of it at all, I'll assume it's done for the year like it was last year. 

JUST MY GUESSTIMITE................


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## catskillman (Feb 19, 2018)

Funky_Catskills said:


> Fee cookie!!!?!?!?!  They charged her???  Oh no - now I'm pisssed...



OK - but I am sure everyone knew I meant to type "free"  cookie.  She was very excited however......


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## cc1 (Feb 19, 2018)

Hunter's F lift has been problematic all season..the B/D to F combo to summit and the shuttle to the Z lift on the west side are the backup plan if the 6 pack fails. Why wasn't the F lift issue addressed and fixed pronto, instead it's limped along all season, not running weekdays, and breaking down on weekends.

Z lift on the west side has it's reliability issues...and it services top expert terrain only...so in order to get a full run on the frontside one would have to wait in line, take the shuttle to Z lift (which was dropping people off far from the lift making them walk in ski boots), take Z to the top, ski down the front and do it all over again, roughly 40 minutes minimum at best for 1 run. 

The 6 pack, from what I understand, is loading every other chair and running half power on auxillary, so what happens if that goes. Is that even safe? 

It's obvious Peak Resorts is not helping the employees at Hunter Mountain with the funding they need to provide a quality skier experience, with good quality snowmaking, grooming, and lift maintenance. It's not the same Hunter Mountain this is for sure.

So that being said.....all of this is poor management.....POOR MANAGEMENT! 
Ex. Jesse Boyd of Peak Resorts credited photo is posted on Hunter FB page stating they were making snow....the problem is they were making snow on the summit accesible trails which were NOT accesible because the summit lifts were down for days and they knew they were down the day the photo went up...dumb. 

With the Z lift the only to summit working lift, on the expert serviced west side, they chose NOT to groom....why???? 

Lifts have broken before and they will break again....the Slutzkys got the parts they needed, the appropriate parts and fixed the problem because without working lifts, snow on the trails, and grooming that mountain is toast.

I leave the injury reports vs. past ownership for another day.


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## drjeff (Feb 19, 2018)

jmgard said:


> Only problem with the Bluebird is line (especially singles line) management/nobody knowing how to count to 6... Grand Summit stops a lot more often but even including that it's usually much faster than waiting in the Bluebird line





sull1102 said:


> LOL. The Bluebird is far, far, far from nothing but problems. How about the Sunburst over at Okemo that seems to be trouble free? Or the tons of other Poma's that run no problem day in day out thanks to proper maintenance.
> 
> Sent from my LG-H820 using AlpineZone mobile app


You know what the common issue is in both of these, valid complaints, and it's not a maintenance issue, it's frankly CLUELESS people, who often ski/ride only a few times a year, who can't follow basic instructions, such as "how many in your group? 1 single from the right and 1 single from the left please!" and then to slide out, all the way to the loading line from the loading gates WHEN THEY OPEN, and then just sit down, instead of staring at the lift!!! 

If a huge amount of the people who have loading/unloading issues with either the Bluebird or Grand Summit at Mount Snow had to ride say a poma, or a fixed grip lift that runs at full, 500ft per minute haul rope speed, we'd NEVER make it to the top of the lift!!!

Lack of basic common sense and ability to pay attention and follow SIMPLE instructions is a HUGE problem for most lift stoppages and lack of full chairs heading up!!! 

Sent from my XT1254 using AlpineZone mobile app


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## 180 (Feb 19, 2018)

Even with all the problems, 7000 tickets sold , I drove my car to the West Side and back 2 times.  Was on the first six pack on Sunday morning.  Had first tracks on Wayout, Purna and Clairs.  Managed plenty of vertical.


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## Funky_Catskills (Feb 20, 2018)

180 said:


> Even with all the problems, 7000 tickets sold , I drove my car to the West Side and back 2 times.  Was on the first six pack on Sunday morning.  Had first tracks on Wayout, Purna and Clairs.  Managed plenty of vertical.



#killingit !


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## VTKilarney (Feb 20, 2018)

Poma is having a bad week.  This just came in from Burke:

_UPDATE: Well, not so good news folks.  We have a master electrician on their way from POMA themselves (the builders of the lift) to try and troubleshoot the radio silence we are receiving from the Mid Burke Lift.  We're not sure what has caused the malfunction but we're working to figure it out.  We don't have an ETA._


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## Smellytele (Feb 20, 2018)

VTKilarney said:


> Poma is having a bad week.  This just came in from Burke:
> 
> _UPDATE: Well, not so good news folks.  We have a master electrician on their way from POMA themselves (the builders of the lift) to try and troubleshoot the radio silence we are receiving from the Mid Burke Lift.  We're not sure what has caused the malfunction but we're working to figure it out.  We don't have an ETA._



And without the old quad they are basically dead in the water.


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## catskillman (Feb 20, 2018)

Hunter said they would have a delayed opening at Hunter 1 today.  Then at 11am they posted this!!  


WTF is going on - no carpet for the beginners......./those poor poor instructors...and beginners.


[h=3]TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2018 AT 11:01AM[/h]*Update* - 9:25 AM: E-:Lift, and Carpet One will not open today.


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## thetrailboss (Feb 20, 2018)

Smellytele said:


> And without the old quad they are basically dead in the water.



Yes, a bad development.  Burke is selling $20 lift tickets.


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## cdskier (Feb 20, 2018)

Hunter has discounted their tickets to non-holiday rates this week ($75 walk up per the report).

Crazy how many lift problems we seem to be hearing about this past week with some key lifts at several resorts.


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## VTKilarney (Feb 20, 2018)

thetrailboss said:


> Yes, a bad development.  Burke is selling $20 lift tickets.



I wonder if they are giving a credit to hotel guests who purchased a package that included tickets.  If not, I would be royally pissed off.


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## Hawkshot99 (Feb 20, 2018)

cdskier said:


> Hunter has discounted their tickets to non-holiday rates this week ($75 walk up per the report).
> 
> Crazy how many lift problems we seem to be hearing about this past week with some key lifts at several resorts.


This was never a holiday week at Hunter. Peak resorts does holiday on presidents day, but not the week.

Sent from my SM-G930F using AlpineZone mobile app


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## cdskier (Feb 20, 2018)

Hawkshot99 said:


> This was never a holiday week at Hunter. Peak resorts does holiday on presidents day, but not the week.



Ah. The way the report was worded made it sound like it was something they were doing to make up for the lift issues...



> We would like to thank all of you for your ongoing patience in regard to the F Lift and the Kaatskill Flyer. The Flyer will continue to run at half capacity today and we hope to have it back up and running at full speed as soon as possible. As for F-Lift, we are continuing to work with the lift manufacturing engineers to resolve the issue.
> 
> Although it is a holiday week, we will not be charging holiday rates for lift tickets this week which means you can save big while enjoying your holiday break on the slopes.


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## catskillman (Feb 21, 2018)

cdskier said:


> Ah. The way the report was worded made it sound like it was something they were doing to make up for the lift issues...


  I agree.  They are still saying that,

AND - then today they say the West Side is closed completely.  What is going on now???????


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## cdskier (Feb 21, 2018)

catskillman said:


> I agree.  They are still saying that,
> 
> AND - then today they say the West Side is closed completely.  What is going on now???????



Could be conditions related due to the wacky weather... The Flyer is supposed to be back to full capacity now though (or at least that was the plan listed in the report).


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## Funky_Catskills (Feb 21, 2018)

Just got in from a bunch of warm and sunny runs...

I just did top to bottoms to the 6Pack -which ran fine.
Racers,Ike, Juega...

Coverage is hurting. Weather sucks..


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## MEtoVTSkier (Feb 21, 2018)

Smellytele said:


> And without the old quad they are basically dead in the water.



Doesn't the new T-bar end higher up the hill just below the summit?


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## abc (Feb 22, 2018)

_ “you can save big while enjoying your holiday break on the slopes”

Seriously???

“Save big” when the lift is down and the best terrain is inaccessible? 

The best “save” is to ski somewhere else!_


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## VTKilarney (Feb 22, 2018)

MEtoVTSkier said:


> Doesn't the new T-bar end higher up the hill just below the summit?



No.


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## RichT (Feb 22, 2018)

WHAT ABOUT "F" LIFT??????? Also thank GOD for Windham, because there camera's great! Hunter's horrible, they have it positioned so you can't see anything except the base area, when it's actually working that is.


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## catskillman (Feb 22, 2018)

abc said:


> _ “you can save big while enjoying your holiday break on the slopes”
> 
> Seriously???
> 
> ...



do they honestly think we are falling for this?  Great move - treat your customers like idiots.  This is the talk everywhere in town and at the mtn...lot of bad vibes brewing and brewing more than I can remember ......


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## Funky_Catskills (Feb 22, 2018)

catskillman said:


> do they honestly think we are falling for this?  Great move - treat your customers like idiots.  This is the talk everywhere in town and at the mtn...lot of bad vibes brewing and brewing more than I can remember ......



My local friends don't share this angst...   
There's more bad vibes being generated by weekenders right now then they can handle.    
It's becoming clear to many who is on the side of the mountain and who is not.
My suggestion for someone that wants some day passes from an employee is to not  diss the mountain that these people make a living from..  

Just my .02


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## Smellytele (Feb 22, 2018)

Funky_Catskills said:


> My local friends don't share this angst...
> There's more bad vibes being generated by weekenders right now then they can handle.
> It's becoming clear to many who is on the side of the mountain and who is not.
> My suggestion for someone that wants some day passes from an employee is to not  diss the mountain that these people make a living from..
> ...



So sell out.  - "If you pay me off and I won't say anything"


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## Funky_Catskills (Feb 22, 2018)

Smellytele said:


> So sell out.  - "If you pay me off and I won't say anything"



I guess...   
I'm not sure everyones hating on Hunter is 100% warranted..   I'm staying out of most of the banter.
It's been a shitty year..


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## catskillman (Feb 22, 2018)

Funky_Catskills said:


> My local friends don't share this angst...
> There's more bad vibes being generated by weekenders right now then they can handle.
> It's becoming clear to many who is on the side of the mountain and who is not.
> My suggestion for someone that wants some day passes from an employee is to not  diss the mountain that these people make a living from..
> ...


??  If folks are looking for a free pass that suggests to me that they are not regular skiers at all, unless they hit up multiple employees for passes.  I guess I am just confused by this comment.  It is a mess for sure, and these are seasonal low paying jobs...most are seasonal anyway.


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## Funky_Catskills (Feb 22, 2018)

catskillman said:


> ??  If folks are looking for a free pass that suggests to me that they are not regular skiers at all, unless they hit up multiple employees for passes.  I guess I am just confused by this comment.  It is a mess for sure, and these are seasonal low paying jobs...most are seasonal anyway.



Not everyone has a low paying job...  At least for the area...
Employees sometimes have extra tickets that they can use at their discretion. Friends and Family stuff...


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## cc1 (Feb 22, 2018)

Funky_Catskills said:


> My local friends don't share this angst...
> There's more bad vibes being generated by weekenders right now then they can handle.
> It's becoming clear to many who is on the side of the mountain and who is not.
> My suggestion for someone that wants some day passes from an employee is to not  diss the mountain that these people make a living from..
> ...



I feel sorry for the employees who are getting royally screwed by Peak Resorts business model, which is clearly different than the previous style of ownership. It's clearly obvious that Peak Resorts takeover of Hunter Mtn. has significantly effected decision making at the management levels.

There is clearly less snow being made, clearly less lift maintenance, clearly less maintenance of the lodge, clearly a decline in grooming quality.........

clearly no communication between the left and the right hands.....
Ex. Let's make snow on the top of the mountain when no frontside summit lift is working to get us there
Ex. Let's let the F lift limp along and pray the 6 doesn't break, leaving no alternatives to the summit. 
Ex. NO SUMMIT lifts operating, shuttle to west side Z lift......so let's not groom trails on the west side, so unungroomed frozen terrrain "available" is not good customer service....yet thats the only summit to base lift serviced terrain "available".
Ex. Let's drop our customers off the shuttle and make them walk to the Z lift, up and over a solid ice embankment. 
Ex. Let's remove anyone who disagrees or comments on our Facebook page with a critical comment to hide the truth from the public
Etc, etc, etc.....

Peak Resorts needs to fund more snowmaking, improve the quality of the grooming, fix the lifts before the expansion even starts which it altready has, and improve customer service. I don't remember this much public outrage/criticism of the previous ownership. 

My 2 cents.


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## Funky_Catskills (Feb 22, 2018)

Your points are valid..


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## FBGM (Feb 22, 2018)

Over/under on how long before peaks goes belly up? Or asks for more funny money from investors?


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## RichT (Feb 22, 2018)

Funky_Catskills said:


> My local friends don't share this angst...
> There's more bad vibes being generated by weekenders right now then they can handle.
> It's becoming clear to many who is on the side of the mountain and who is not.
> My suggestion for someone that wants some day passes from an employee is to not  diss the mountain that these people make a living from..
> ...



I'm a second home owner (30+yrs) I'm trying to give the mtn a break, but please!!!! The season's not going to last long this year because of the lack of snow made, heck I saw this coming when it was -10 and the guns were off, this was in December when electricity is cheaper! This is hurting the whole area, I love Hunter we cannot control the weather, but by golly we can prepare for it! Orville and Izzy would of!


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## Funky_Catskills (Feb 22, 2018)

valid points too


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## Funky_Catskills (Feb 22, 2018)

FYI - my buddy on patrol says the mountain is skiing great...  Racers Edge has a couple inches of loose granular thats now being covered with fresh and is awesome...


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## abc (Feb 22, 2018)

Question is, without the angry, constantly complaining, full-window-rate paying day trippers, can Hunter still thrive on the love of the local season pass holders?


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## JimG. (Feb 22, 2018)

Funky_Catskills said:


> It's been a shitty year..



For every ski area in the east. Lift situation not much better at Windham apparently.


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## legalskier (Feb 22, 2018)

RichT said:


> Orville and Izzy would of!



Word. It was their baby & they ran it well. For Peaks it seems to be just another "peak."


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## sull1102 (Feb 22, 2018)

Just read thru this and it sounds like the Hunter crowd and the Attitash crowd have similar complaints about Peak while the Mount Snow people (myself included) are happy with management here. I wonder why there's such a clear difference between Sneaux and the others when it comes to leadership style and investment.

Sent from my LG-H820 using AlpineZone mobile app


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## cdskier (Feb 22, 2018)

sull1102 said:


> Just read thru this and it sounds like the Hunter crowd and the Attitash crowd have similar complaints about Peak while the Mount Snow people (myself included) are happy with management here. I wonder why there's such a clear difference between Sneaux and the others when it comes to leadership style and investment.



Kind of seems like Peaks picked Mt Snow to be their crown jewel and everyone else just gets the leftovers in the budget... (This is my perception from a purely outsider perspective from what I'm seeing posted here and hearing elsewhere...)


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## KustyTheKlown (Feb 22, 2018)

sull1102 said:


> Just read thru this and it sounds like the Hunter crowd and the Attitash crowd have similar complaints about Peak while the Mount Snow people (myself included) are happy with management here. I wonder why there's such a clear difference between Sneaux and the others when it comes to leadership style and investment.
> 
> Sent from my LG-H820 using AlpineZone mobile app



that's easy. mt snow gets the big money family visits from the tri-state area. the most people with the most money go to mt snow.


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## Jully (Feb 22, 2018)

sull1102 said:


> Just read thru this and it sounds like the Hunter crowd and the Attitash crowd have similar complaints about Peak while the Mount Snow people (myself included) are happy with management here. I wonder why there's such a clear difference between Sneaux and the others when it comes to leadership style and investment.
> 
> Sent from my LG-H820 using AlpineZone mobile app





cdskier said:


> Kind of seems like Peaks picked Mt Snow to be their crown jewel and everyone else just gets the leftovers in the budget... (This is my perception from a purely outsider perspective from what I'm seeing posted here and hearing elsewhere...)



Cdskier is correct. Mount snow makes WAY more snow than the NH resorts do. Lift problems are lift problems, I do not think Mt Snow not having any and Hunter having a bunch has to do with Peaks management. That said, if Peaks was having age related trouble with a main lift at Snow, it wouldn't shock me if they would be more likely to replace it rather than pull a few more years out of it. TBD what happens this offseason at Hunter in that department.


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## Hawkshot99 (Feb 22, 2018)

abc said:


> Question is, without the angry, constantly complaining, full-window-rate paying day trippers, can Hunter still thrive on the love of the local season pass holders?


You say that as if these day ticket people are truelly pissed. The day tripper is who I deal with on a daily basis. I do not hear the complaints from them. 

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## dhmcgill87 (Feb 22, 2018)

granted this sounds like a complete clusterfck, and I haven't been to Hunter in a  couple of weeks, but there have been times this year I have been impressed with the snowmaking. MLK day skied surprisingly well after the blowtorch and downpour from earlier in the weekend -  whales everywhere.

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## dhmcgill87 (Feb 22, 2018)

granted this sounds like a complete clusterfck, and I haven't been to Hunter in a  couple of weeks, but there have been times this year I have been impressed with the snowmaking. MLK day skied surprisingly well after the blowtorch and downpour from earlier in the weekend -  whales everywhere.

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## Smellytele (Feb 22, 2018)

sull1102 said:


> Just read thru this and it sounds like the Hunter crowd and the Attitash crowd have similar complaints about Peak while the Mount Snow people (myself included) are happy with management here. I wonder why there's such a clear difference between Sneaux and the others when it comes to leadership style and investment.
> 
> Sent from my LG-H820 using AlpineZone mobile app



Snow is the place that had the infusion of eb-5 money. If they didn't they would be in the same boat.


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## catskillman (Feb 23, 2018)

So at 8:45 this morning I check Hunter's website had 4 different figures for open lifts.

The landing page had 7
Their daily report had 5 in the opening paragraph
Further down in the report it had 8 
If you clicked on the lift status it showed 6 lifts as being open

Really??  How do you plan a day or take them serious anymore?  Who maintains the website?  No proofreader?  I am continually amazed.

I will be there later, can't wait to count


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## Funky_Catskills (Feb 23, 2018)

Dear Season Passholder,

The past week and a half has been a whirlwind for us here. As we were ramping up for President’s Weekend, one of our worst fears occurred: the Kaatskill Flyer went down due to what ended up being an electrical issue. At that time, F-lift had also been down due to electrical issues.

Traditionally when we post updates to social media, we summarize and condense the nitty gritty details. This allows us to provide you with accurate updates in the most timely manner possible while still being sufficiently informative. We hoped that our guests trusted that we were doing everything in our power to fix these issues as soon as possible because hey, we live for the winter season, we live for skiing and riding, and this is what we all do and love. However, we saw that a number of you voiced your frustrations, and for that we are sorry.

With that said, we are now providing you with all the details regarding the series of unfortunate events that unraveled as we worked toward fixing the lift issues. We hope that this clears up any misinformation, rumors, and ill feelings that you might have. Ultimately, we hope you understand that while you were frustrated as a skier or rider, we were also frustrated – because just when we thought we were taking two steps forward, we ended up a few steps back.

Before reading the timelines below, please note that we’ll be using the term “drive” often. “Drive,” in this case, is a major part of the lift that controls many functions of the motor including starting, stopping, converting electricity, and controlling the speed. “Panel” is another term we’ll use. Our drive unit is comprised of 4 “plug-in” panels, each weighing 375lbs (unfortunately not a spare part that we can simply stock on site).


TIMELINE FOR THE KAATSKILL FLYER:
At approximately 3:45pm last Tuesday when the Flyer went down, we discovered that one of the panels within the Flyer’s drive unit stopped working.
We immediately contacted the support team for our lift manufacturer. They made arrangements to ship a spare panel to us from Colorado. The part had to be transported to the airport from Breckenridge, so unfortunately the part could not be shipped until Wednesday evening.
Thursday morning we received the part. Upon plugging it in, another panel blew.
We called the manufacturer and they got another part ready to ship to Albany International Airport Thursday night.
Friday morning, our Lift Operations Manager was at Albany International at 6am, only to be told that the airplane never left Colorado due to mechanical issues.
We then had the manufacturing company put the part on another plane and had it delivered first class so that it would arrive Saturday morning.
Saturday morning, our Lift Operations Manager headed back to Albany International and picked up the part.
When we plugged in the second panel Saturday morning, it was not communicating properly with the first replacement panel. By this time, the president of the manufacturing company, electricians from the manufacturing company, and our master electricians from Peak Resorts were all on site to work through this.
After working through the night, they were able to figure out a solution to get the motor running for Sunday (at half capacity to ensure the motor ran as smoothly as possible).
A third replacement panel arrived Wednesday. The part has been installed and the Flyer is now back to running at full capacity. 

TIMELINE FOR F-LIFT:
Over this past summer, we completely replaced F-Lift’s motor and were confident this would resolve the issues it had had in the past.
During the current season, when we realized that replacing the motor did not in fact resolve issues with F-Lift, the drive engineer for the lift company replaced several components and believed it was now ready to go.
After this was not enough, we pulled the motor out yet again and rebuilt it.
This did not work. We sent it to the motor company again, at which time they tested the motor and CONFIRMED it was working properly.
Upon receiving it back, it failed again, which lead us to believe it could possibly be the drive. We asked the drive engineer to look into it and he confirmed that the drive itself was also working properly.
As of now, the motor engineer and the drive engineer have been in direct contact for the last week. They will provide us with an update when they figure out what the issue is. We will then move forward with their recommendation on how to fix F-Lift. 


We’ll say this again – it’s been a whirlwind. While we keep spare lift parts stocked on site and are fortunate to employ numerous highly skilled mechanics and electricians, sometimes issues arise that are out of our hands. When that happens, we do whatever we can to resolve the issue as soon as possible. In this case, it was over-nighting parts, bringing in specialists from the manufacturer, and waiting for their recommendations and instruction.

We are a company that values our customers and strives to create the best experience possible. We have been since 1959 and continue to be as part of the Peak Resorts family. To see our guests dissatisfied makes us feel defeated, especially when we know we are doing everything in our power to fix the issue. Now that the Flyer has been fixed and we continue to work with engineers on F-Lift, we are focused on moving forward and ensuring we continue this season on a high note; we hope you will do the same.


Thank you for taking the time to read this and for your understanding.

Sincerely,

Russ Coloton
GM & President, Hunter Mountain


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## abc (Feb 23, 2018)

Hunter's surprisingly abundant new snow... man-made, that is.

I got an e-mail blast about 7" of "new snow"! Impressed, I immediately went to Hunter's web site to see what makes the so lucky on snow fall...

"Good afternoon skiers and riders. Today we enjoyed up to 4 inches of new snow thanks to our snowmakers along with 3 inches of natural snow courtesy of Mother Nature "


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## andrec10 (Feb 23, 2018)

abc said:


> Hunter's surprisingly abundant new snow... man-made, that is.
> 
> I got an e-mail blast about 7" of "new snow"! Impressed, I immediately went to Hunter's web site to see what makes the so lucky on snow fall...
> 
> "Good afternoon skiers and riders. Today we enjoyed up to 4 inches of new snow thanks to our snowmakers along with 3 inches of natural snow courtesy of Mother Nature "



I am using my rock skis this weekend.....


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## skimagic (Feb 23, 2018)

What trail received the abundant snowfall?  This is beyond pathetic.


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## FBGM (Feb 23, 2018)

I'd assume the Hunter lift problems stem from lack of preventive maintenance because finding a knowledgeable experienced mechanic is not a thing that happens. Especially on new lifts in the east. Poma is pretty much supporting their own stuff.

Also, dopplagang way better then poma.


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## RichT (Feb 23, 2018)

I just saw this...........I am grateful for the information, shows us that they are listening! As they should. I'm not only a season passholder, I own a second home there and I own stock. I LOVE Hunter it hurts me too!


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## Hawkshot99 (Feb 23, 2018)

FBGM said:


> I'd assume the Hunter lift problems stem from lack of preventive maintenance because finding a knowledgeable experienced mechanic is not a thing that happens. Especially on new lifts in the east. Poma is pretty much supporting their own stuff.
> 
> Also, dopplagang way better then poma.


How much maintenance could they have skipped out on in only 3 yrs? When I get a new car there's not much I do for it for many yrs.
A chairlift is a mechanical thing, sometimes shit just happens.

Sent from my SM-G930F using AlpineZone mobile app


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## Not Sure (Feb 23, 2018)

Funky_Catskills said:


> Dear Season Passholder,
> 
> The past week and a half has been a whirlwind for us here. As we were ramping up for President’s Weekend, one of our worst fears occurred: the Kaatskill Flyer went down due to what ended up being an electrical issue. At that time, F-lift had also been down due to electrical issues.
> 
> ...



Not the motor, not the panel???  
Anyone check the incoming power supply? Seen many things blow up from out of spec power!!!!


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## RichT (Feb 23, 2018)

FBGM said:


> I'd assume the Hunter lift problems stem from lack of preventive maintenance because finding a knowledgeable experienced mechanic is not a thing that happens. Especially on new lifts in the east. Poma is pretty much supporting their own stuff.
> 
> Also, dopplagang way better then poma.



There isn't any kind of "preventive maintenance" that could be done on an electrical panel.....think about the printed circuit board on just about anything that's electrical.


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## cc1 (Feb 23, 2018)

Well that's just great that Peak Resorts addressed the season passholder about the lifts, which in my opinion are lacking preventative maintenance as compared to past regime.....now on to step #2......lack of quality snowmaking.......if they made more snow like the old regime.....and didn't have a paupers budget they'd be in great shape right now and all the other mountains would be envious.


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## Not Sure (Feb 23, 2018)

RichT said:


> There isn't any kind of "preventive maintenance" that could be done on an electrical panel.....think about the printed circuit board on just about anything that's electrical.



Relays are replaceable and often check out fine , kind of like a roulette wheel . A burned contact can be tough to see . I would imagine there are some sizable ones with the amperage involved . My guess and that's all it is , is related to a poor power supply . Something that shows up under a heavier load and checks out fine with testing . No doubt lots of torn out hair on the floor of the mechanics work area .


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## mriceyman (Feb 23, 2018)

Siliconebobsquarepants said:


> Relays are replaceable and often check out fine , kind of like a roulette wheel . A burned contact can be tough to see . I would imagine there are some sizable ones with the amperage involved . My guess and that's all it is , is related to a poor power supply . Something that shows up under a heavier load and checks out fine with testing . No doubt lots of torn out hair on the floor of the mechanics work area .



Yes good call.. ive had plenty of machines work fine in the shop but when hooked to generators they dont get the true power they need


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## millerm277 (Feb 24, 2018)

Good reply from the mountain. While it would have been better to get something like that out there sooner, I'm glad to see it now. 

Thanks for posting it for the non-passholders DMC.

Agreed with the others as well: Two lifts with odd and repeated electrical problems sure sounds like an issue with the power supply. I hope they're looking into the quality of what they're receiving from the utility and whatever lines/electrical infrastructure they own to get it to the lifts.


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## spk27alumni (Feb 26, 2018)

FBGM said:


> I'd assume the Hunter lift problems stem from lack of preventive maintenance because finding a knowledgeable experienced mechanic is not a thing that happens. Especially on new lifts in the east. Poma is pretty much supporting their own stuff.
> 
> Also, dopplagang way better then poma.



As for the experience factor... B.A. who replaced S.B., as the person in charge, has worked there every year since I worked Lift Maintenance there; in the Summer of 1979! I think it is logical to conclude that he has plenty of experience with the Hunter Mountain Lift Infrastructure.


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## sull1102 (Feb 26, 2018)

Just came here to take back my Poma isn't shit earlier now that the Bluebird is down for a week at Sneaux.


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## JimG. (Feb 26, 2018)

sull1102 said:


> Just came here to take back my Poma isn't shit earlier now that the Bluebird is down for a week at Sneaux.



That's a little scary.


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## Funky_Catskills (Feb 26, 2018)

cc1 said:


> Well that's just great that Peak Resorts addressed the season passholder about the lifts, which in my opinion are lacking preventative maintenance as compared to past regime.....now on to step #2......lack of quality snowmaking.......if they made more snow like the old regime.....and didn't have a paupers budget they'd be in great shape right now and all the other mountains would be envious.



"regime" - Orville and Izzy would probably not like that hahaha...


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## cdskier (Feb 26, 2018)

sull1102 said:


> Just came here to take back my Poma isn't shit earlier now that the Bluebird is down for a week at Sneaux.



It would be interesting if there were some real reliability statistics for lifts from different manufacturers. Sure seems Poma has had some bad luck recently, but Dopp has had problems in the past with lifts as well I'm sure.


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## 180 (Feb 26, 2018)

I have been a Hunter love forever.  But as others are saying, they no  longer make the same amount of snow and now we look just like the others mountains.  When Peaks took over they asked BT why he made so much snow.  Insurance he said.  Sadly, we have little to no insurance base anymore.  If the nor-easter is rain, the place is toast. 

On the other hand, more crowds and new folks than ever.  My rentals have been great.


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## andrec10 (Feb 26, 2018)

180 said:


> I have been a Hunter love forever.  But as others are saying, they no  longer make the same amount of snow and now we look just like the others mountains.  When Peaks took over they asked BT why he made so much snow.  Insurance he said.  Sadly, we have little to no insurance base anymore.  If the nor-easter is rain, the place is toast.
> 
> On the other hand, more crowds and new folks than ever.  My rentals have been great.



The base is pretty bad. Peaks motto is make it when you need it, except if you cant, your screwed!


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## 180 (Feb 26, 2018)

I have been a Hunter love forever.  But as others are saying, they no  longer make the same amount of snow and now we look just like the others mountains.  When Peaks took over they asked BT why he made so much snow.  Insurance he said.  Sadly, we have little to no insurance base anymore.  If the nor-easter is rain, the place is toast. 

On the other hand, more crowds and new folks than ever.  My rentals have been great.


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## kingslug (Feb 27, 2018)

There actualy is a device that can be used to tell some things about electrical systems. FLIR guns can spot hot spots. They are used all the time but cannot see everything. Electrical issues are a pain to deal with for sure ..it looks like they tried to correct the problems as best theey could. I deal with this stuff all the time and its never an easy fix. And yes..out of spec voltage plays havoc with parts.


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## tnt1234 (Feb 28, 2018)

Wonder how the repaired lift will run int eh wind and snow on Friday.....


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## andrec10 (Feb 28, 2018)

tnt1234 said:


> Wonder how the repaired lift will run int eh wind and snow on Friday.....



Depends on the winds. Lift is 100% now. The Flyer can take higher winds than a lot of chairs since each chair itself weighs 1200 pounds.


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## spk27alumni (Mar 1, 2018)

andrec10 said:


> Depends on the winds. Lift is 100% now. The Flyer can take higher winds than a lot of chairs since each chair itself weighs 1200 pounds.



I skied Hunter yesterday (Wednesday March 31st), from 10:00 AM to just before 1:00 PM. The Six ran fine the whole time. There was a large crew working at the bottom of F Lift, and it was running, but not open yet. Most likely being tested.


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## andrec10 (Mar 2, 2018)

andrec10 said:


> Depends on the winds. Lift is 100% now. The Flyer can take higher winds than a lot of chairs since each chair itself weighs 1200 pounds.


Of course, when the power goes out, nothing you can do.


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## Hawkshot99 (Mar 2, 2018)

andrec10 said:


> Of course, when the power goes out, nothing you can do.


I was getting a laugh out of people bitching like crazy on their Facebook page about them not running currently. The entire Catskills are shut down from no power.

Sent from my SM-G930F using AlpineZone mobile app


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## BenedictGomez (Mar 2, 2018)

Hawkshot99 said:


> *I was getting a laugh out of people bitching like crazy on their Facebook page about them not running currently. The entire Catskills are shut down from no power.*



I'm surprised people even WENT skiing there today.  You have strong winds that were high risk to either shut down lifts due to excess peak gusts, or shut them down due to power disruptions, and the last thing I'd want to be doing is skiing under conditions where losing power is a good possibility.  A lift evacuation at 60 feet doesnt sound like fun to me, nor does sitting up there in the snow for 1.5 hours before they get to you.  Apparently Platty is still spinning, but even were I a local there's no way I'd risk it.


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## tumbler (Mar 2, 2018)

andrec10 said:


> Of course, when the power goes out, nothing you can do.



Run them on diesel


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## Jully (Mar 2, 2018)

tumbler said:


> Run them on diesel



I believe (someone who knows more correct me if I'm wrong) that you aren't allowed to operate a lift without a backup. If diesel is the primary source with no backup, you can't do that.


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## cc1 (Mar 2, 2018)

BenedictGomez said:


> I'm surprised people even WENT skiing there today.  You have strong winds that were high risk to either shut down lifts due to excess peak gusts, or shut them down due to power disruptions, and the last thing I'd want to be doing is skiing under conditions where losing power is a good possibility.  A lift evacuation at 60 feet doesnt sound like fun to me, nor does sitting up there in the snow for 1.5 hours before they get to you.  Apparently Platty is still spinning, but even were I a local there's no way I'd risk it.



It's not that windy yet, and they have a backup to get the lift operating to get you off in the event of.


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## abc (Mar 2, 2018)

BenedictGomez said:


> Apparently Platty is still spinning, but even were I a local there's no way I'd risk it.


Depends on whether you trust the lift op. I'm sure they don't want to do a lift evac. So they would only run the lift when they reasonably expect no disruption. 

Area wide power outage while you're on the lift is a lessor concern. After all, that's what the diesel backup motor are there for? 

For me, my decision had mostly to do with road condition. Also, I'm battling a lingering cold for all of last week. So my energy level is low. The thought of driving white knuckle for 2-3 hours each way is not very appealing. 

As the lifts were down, all the snow will still be there tomorrow!


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## JimG. (Mar 2, 2018)

BenedictGomez said:


> I'm surprised people even WENT skiing there today.  You have strong winds that were high risk to either shut down lifts due to excess peak gusts, or shut them down due to power disruptions, and the last thing I'd want to be doing is skiing under conditions where losing power is a good possibility.  A lift evacuation at 60 feet doesnt sound like fun to me, nor does sitting up there in the snow for 1.5 hours before they get to you.  Apparently Platty is still spinning, but even were I a local there's no way I'd risk it.



Belleayre and Hunter both down for the day with no power and high winds. I arrived at Belle just in time to hear an employee tell everyone in the lodge that the mountain was closed. Platty ran all day, Windham opened up around noon. Driving in the blizzard up there was very sketchy and I did not want to add all that white knuckling to get to Platty and back. The 35 minute drive from Belle would have taken twice that long. Same for Windham.

Then the hotel I booked in Pine Hill for the night called and they of course have no power so they asked me if I would pick another day to visit. Not knowing if Belle will even open tomorrow and knowing it is likely Platty will be a zoo, I agreed. So my day consisted of driving up to Belle and leaving to go back home. 

Hey what can you do? I'll be skiing somewhere tomorrow, not sure where.


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## BenedictGomez (Mar 2, 2018)

JimG. said:


> Belleayre and Hunter both down for the day with *no power and high winds.*



It's insane where I am in Jersey, there are trees and power lines down all over.  A telephone pole snapped out by my girlfriend's school!  Remarkably I still have power, hopefully that continues.


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## Not Sure (Mar 2, 2018)

JimG. said:


> Belleayre and Hunter both down for the day with no power and high winds. I arrived at Belle just in time to hear an employee tell everyone in the lodge that the mountain was closed. Platty ran all day, Windham opened up around noon. Driving in the blizzard up there was very sketchy and I did not want to add all that white knuckling to get to Platty and back. The 35 minute drive from Belle would have taken twice that long. Same for Windham.
> 
> Then the hotel I booked in Pine Hill for the night called and they of course have no power so they asked me if I would pick another day to visit. Not knowing if Belle will even open tomorrow and knowing it is likely Platty will be a zoo, I agreed. So my day consisted of driving up to Belle and leaving to go back home.
> 
> Hey what can you do? I'll be skiing somewhere tomorrow, not sure where.



“Platty will be a zoo” Not being much of a weekend skier , I’m tempted to do a road trip .I was thinking Elk tomorrow but skiing woods is appealing as didn’t get “S&@t “ in Pa. this year. What kind of lines do they get?


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## abc (Mar 2, 2018)

BenedictGomez said:


> It's insane where I am in Jersey, there are trees and power lines down all over.  A telephone pole snapped out by my girlfriend's school!  Remarkably I still have power, hopefully that continues.


I'm at northern Westchester. It's not over yet. In fact, the storm seems still intensifying.


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## BenedictGomez (Mar 2, 2018)

Siliconebobsquarepants said:


> What kind of lines do they get?



Tomorrow will be as bad as it gets there, and it wont be as bad as what you're used to with the Pocono places you hit.    Platty > Elk IMO.


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## ss20 (Mar 2, 2018)

BenedictGomez said:


> I'm surprised people even WENT skiing there today.  You have strong winds that were high risk to either shut down lifts due to excess peak gusts, or shut them down due to power disruptions, and the last thing I'd want to be doing is skiing under conditions where losing power is a good possibility.  A lift evacuation at 60 feet doesnt sound like fun to me, nor does sitting up there in the snow for 1.5 hours before they get to you.  Apparently Platty is still spinning, but even were I a local there's no way I'd risk it.



HEY HEY HEY...it took only 20 minutes to get the backup-backup drive for the Gondola at Belleayre running today.


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## benski (Mar 2, 2018)

Platty a zoo? What does that mean 5 minuet lines. I am driving there tomorrow morning. In Binghamton it wasn't windy but the roads were bag.


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## abc (Mar 2, 2018)

JimG. said:


> Then the hotel I booked in Pine Hill for the night called and they of course have no power so they asked me if I would pick another day to visit. Not knowing if Belle will even open tomorrow and knowing it is likely Platty will be a zoo, I agreed. So my day consisted of driving up to Belle and leaving to go back home.
> 
> Hey what can you do? I'll be skiing somewhere tomorrow, not sure where.


I was going to suggest Platty. But if you think it's going to be a zoo, the only thing I can think of is back country


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## JimG. (Mar 2, 2018)

abc said:


> I was going to suggest Platty. But if you think it's going to be a zoo, the only thing I can think of is back country



After shoveling 6" of slop out of my driveway when I got home I sat down and pondered what to do. I don't trust Belleayre to have power back tomorrow but would rather not spend money on a ticket for Platty if I can ski on my pass. I think Platty may be a zoo because Hunter and Belle may or may not be open. I was at Platty last year on Presidents week and cars were parked at least a mile down the access road. It is sometimes crowded and tomorrow has that potential for sure. That said I don't care about crowds, I just want an open ski area so I can make turns. So the plan is Platty unless Belle is open.


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## abc (Mar 2, 2018)

You got a MAX pass? It’s also good at Windham.


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## JimG. (Mar 2, 2018)

abc said:


> You got a MAX pass? It’s also good at Windham.



Was there early season but not familiar with any tree skiing at Windham. 

Just want to park, go to an open lift, and find some trees to ski. At this point don't care if I pay or not. Platty or Belle it is.


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## Abominable (Mar 2, 2018)

Windham had some decent woods right in the middle but it’s been 15+ years since I was there.


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## JimG. (Mar 2, 2018)

Abominable said:


> Windham had some decent woods right in the middle but it’s been 15+ years since I was there.



In that saddle between the eastern and western sides of the resort? 

No matter, Plattekill it is tomorrow.


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## RichT (Mar 3, 2018)

Hunter, Bell closed. Platty, Windham open.


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## Pez (Mar 3, 2018)

I think I saw this AM that snow was honoring advanced tickets for hunter.


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## Tdizz (Mar 28, 2018)

Here we go again.
CURRENT CONDITIONS
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 28, 2018 AT 6:44AM
UPDATE - 8:00 AM: The Kaatskill Flyer is currently on stand-by due this morning. Access to the summit is available via F Lift. Thank you for your patience! 

It was down Monday too for two hours. 
I was there yesterday 11-4 and it was running without any issues.


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## skimagic (Mar 28, 2018)

Tdizz said:


> Here we go again.
> CURRENT CONDITIONS
> WEDNESDAY, MARCH 28, 2018 AT 6:44AM
> UPDATE - 8:00 AM: The Kaatskill Flyer is currently on stand-by due this morning. Access to the summit is available via F Lift. Thank you for your patience!
> ...



AND the west side is closed today.  I'm not sure if I should head there Friday.  Weather might be ok but mtn might not be....


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## kingslug (Mar 28, 2018)

OH....Rockies really  mad now...I'll go to Belleayre.


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## So Inclined (Mar 28, 2018)

skimagic said:


> AND the west side is closed today.  I'm not sure if I should head there Friday.  Weather might be ok but mtn might not be....



Platty it is, then.


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## catskillman (Mar 28, 2018)

skimagic said:


> AND the west side is closed today.  I'm not sure if I should head there Friday.  Weather might be ok but mtn might not be....



I think it is condition wise - rocks were popping up everywhere Sunday.  What a tough season.  They need to get the lift mess under control.


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## 180 (Mar 28, 2018)

Flyer running


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## Tdizz (Mar 28, 2018)

I did Wayout yesterday to the Zephyr. All other West Side trails were closed. From what I could see from the lift, Claire's wasn't THAT bad. Tight turns on the left of 44 would work fine but they probably won't open it. They lost about 2 feet since I was there the week before. K27 was actually really nice.


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## skimagic (Mar 28, 2018)

catskillman said:


> I think it is condition wise - rocks were popping up everywhere Sunday.  What a tough season.  They need to get the lift mess under control.


I'm not really familiar with Hunter. is the west side always an issue?  Lack of snow making?  I've only been to Hunter a few times and the west side was never open.   

I'm heading there Friday, even without the west side.


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## kingslug (Mar 28, 2018)

The west side is..the best side as far as im concerned..they hasve actualy done a little more for it this year..they made a lot of snow on Annapurna...but sadly westway is left to rot..its just too wide to blow on..one if the steepest runs around..it used to be good..way back when.


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## Harvey (Mar 28, 2018)

JimG. said:


> Just want to park, go to an open lift, and find some trees to ski.



Classic.


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## catskillman (Mar 28, 2018)

180 said:


> Flyer running



Wonder if we will get another letter from Russ as to the reason.  

They fixed the water fountain outside the men's room after about a month, but I did not get a memo on that.


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## 180 (Mar 28, 2018)

can someone post the letter


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## Rowsdower (Mar 28, 2018)

kingslug said:


> The west side is..the best side as far as im concerned..they hasve actualy done a little more for it this year..they made a lot of snow on Annapurna...but sadly westway is left to rot..its just too wide to blow on..one if the steepest runs around..it used to be good..way back when.



It's too wide and it gets wind scoured like crazy because its so exposed. Even during the peak of the season on good snow years the top is often closed because it just gets scoured down to bare ground up top.


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## kingslug (Mar 28, 2018)

20 years ago it was a regular run..covered side to side


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## Tdizz (Mar 28, 2018)

kingslug said:


> 20 years ago it was a regular run..covered side to side



In 1998? No. In 2014, I rode it straight through April.
They started to let the deadly branches grow in, probably to protect the trail and the lift. The wide trail cut was a mistake to begin with.  this was 3/13


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## Tdizz (Mar 28, 2018)

And sorry. I can’t figure out how to make the picture vertical. I haven’t played with “forums” since prodigy in the 90s...when 44 was open and totally covered


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## kingslug (Mar 29, 2018)

The storm in 2010 , the 7 footer made it a very fun, monster mogul course.


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## kingslug (Mar 29, 2018)

Use photoshop..then upload pics


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## 180 (Mar 29, 2018)

I believe they will cut the brush from the lift line this summer and let much of the top grow in.  They also should fix the wooden snowfences, they were never wide enough.


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## kingslug (Mar 29, 2018)

Or just cut the run in half and make it manageable. The area under the lift is deadly. I've seen too many people fall on those rocks and get banged up pretty bad. The west side could be a really great area.


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## catskillman (Mar 29, 2018)

180 said:


> can someone post the letter



check post #153 on this thread.  It was posted by funky a while ago.......


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## RichT (Mar 30, 2018)

Plant evergreens.................lots of them


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## kingslug (Mar 30, 2018)

yup..how hard could it be. 
I need to buy a mountain...


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## Scruffy (Mar 30, 2018)

RichT said:


> Plant evergreens.................lots of them



Exactly! Why they don't just plant a bunch of pine trees and make it a glade run is beyond me. They can never keep snow on it because the winf howls up it most of the time, yet the trees to the right and left of it still have snow in there.

BTW that pic ^ doesn't do it any justice; there legit steep in there, some sections are 39*.


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## kingslug (Mar 30, 2018)

I always wonder about some of the mountain..executives..some make or dont make..rather strange decisions..ir good decisions..Belleayre Gondola..letting the west side of Hunter rot..stuff like that..
My first priority would be the mountain and how to make people want to come there...the terrain..but thats just me..what do i know...


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## cdskier (Apr 1, 2018)

kingslug said:


> I always wonder about some of the mountain..executives..some make or dont make..rather strange decisions..ir good decisions..Belleayre Gondola..letting the west side of Hunter rot..stuff like that..
> My first priority would be the mountain and how to make people want to come there...the terrain..but thats just me..what do i know...



I'm with you 100%. As for the Belle gondola, I still think the expansion to the highmount area should have been the first priority before that lift. In that case though, I don't think it was a "mountain executive" that decided to put in the Gondola (the master plan only called for a new quad in that alignment). It was some politician in Albany saying "we're giving you a gondola even though you didn't ask for it because it sounds fancier and now we can market ourselves as being the only area in the cats with a gondi".


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## Harvey (Apr 1, 2018)

cdskier said:


> I don't think it was a "mountain executive" that decided to put in the Gondola



True.




cdskier said:


> l It was some politician in Albany saying "we're giving you a gondola even though you didn't ask for it because it sounds fancier and now we can market ourselves as being the only area in the cats with a gondi".



Not totally true. If you support the highmount expansion and resort, this was seen as a political necessity to make it happen.


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## kingslug (Apr 1, 2018)

Well i rode the gondi today and its rather nice..the run under it when it has snow will be pretty sporty as well.


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## cdskier (Apr 1, 2018)

kingslug said:


> Well i rode the gondi today and its rather nice..the run under it when it has snow will be pretty sporty as well.



A Maserati is nice too...doesn't mean I need one though. I'm sure the run under it will be a fun run, but it would have been equally as fun if it was another type of lift overhead as well.


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## kingslug (Apr 2, 2018)

Whats done is done...now they need to get highmount back in operation.


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## cdskier (Apr 2, 2018)

kingslug said:


> Whats done is done...now they need to get highmount back in operation.



This I completely agree with. And with Hunter adding more terrain soon, Belleayre needs to get the Highmount terrain up and running sooner rather than later.


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## 180 (Apr 2, 2018)

my understanding is that the current owners of Highmount wont sell


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## kingslug (Apr 2, 2018)

YUp..probably low ball offer.


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## catskills (Apr 2, 2018)

180 said:


> my understanding is that the current owners of Highmount wont sell



Where do you folks learn about these conspiracy theories?


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## mbedle (Apr 2, 2018)

The developer already owns the old Highmont property, which will be transferred to the state after its redevelopment.


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## kingslug (Apr 2, 2018)

Cool..looking foreward to it.


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## JimG. (Apr 2, 2018)

cdskier said:


> A Maserati is nice too...doesn't mean I need one though. I'm sure the run under it will be a fun run, but it would have been equally as fun if it was another type of lift overhead as well.



I like the new gondola. I would understand your opposition to the Gondi if you skied Belle regularly but you are a Sugarbush pass holder.

Why does that lift spur such opposition for you? Really, why do you even care?


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## cdskier (Apr 2, 2018)

JimG. said:


> I like the new gondola. I would understand your opposition to the Gondi if you skied Belle regularly but you are a Sugarbush pass holder.
> 
> Why does that lift spur such opposition for you? Really, why do you even care?



I skied Belleayre extensively for many years and it is still a place I care about. I have an issue with money being wasted for no reason (especially in this case since it is public money and not some private corporation's money). A quad would have been sufficient for that lift (and is what the master plan called for) and the money saved could have been put towards the other planned improvements at Belleayre.


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## KustyTheKlown (Apr 2, 2018)

I have only skied belleayre twice and somehow didn't wind up there at all this year when they were on max, and I also think that gondola is a dumb stupid waste of money and was placed in an illogical place. unless the sole logic was steering people to park at the lower lot.


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## Harvey (Apr 2, 2018)

KustyTheKlown said:


> unless the sole logic was steering people to park at the lower lot.



Not the sole logic, but part of it.  Belle wants to change the perception that Overlook is the "main lodge."

Look at the TIMING of the announcement of the Belle gondi and other events that preceded it to figure out the driving force behind the project.


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## catskillman (Apr 2, 2018)

Several of us were talking this weekend at Hunter about the 6th pack - they run the lift all summer and fall and noone can remember there being any breakdown issues since they put it in.

Cold or dampness issues?


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## JimG. (Apr 2, 2018)

cdskier said:


> I skied Belleayre extensively for many years and it is still a place I care about. I have an issue with money being wasted for no reason (especially in this case since it is public money and not some private corporation's money). A quad would have been sufficient for that lift (and is what the master plan called for) and the money saved could have been put towards the other planned improvements at Belleayre.



Fair enough. I believe a big reason they built the Gondi first was to use it as a centerpiece for the redevelopment. They want to recast their image to an upscale resort type destination. I am still shocked that it was built and installed so quickly. 

We can debate endlessly the placement of the lift or quality of Belleayre's terrain. Don't misunderstand me I have taken a liking to Belle but I also don't see it as a resort destination yet. But let's all not forget that little Holiday Valley in Ellicottville, NY is considered a resort destination for thousands of Midwestern skiers. And $ is $ so whatever that Gondi cost may be recouped in coming seasons.


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## catskills (Apr 3, 2018)

Everyone I talked to on the Belleayre Gondi said they love the Gondola.  One mother with her 9 year old daughter on a cold 10F degree day said she would not even have considered skiing that day if the Gondola was not there.   Obviously the intermediate crowd likes the Gondola, which is very different than the expert skiers and riders that hang out here.  Then there is the summer events that are probably planned around the Gondola.   The best part of the Gondola is it rarely stops for people having problems loading or getting off like they do for chair lifts.   Walk on and walk off.  No problem.


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## JimG. (Apr 4, 2018)

www.rtands.com/index.php/passenger/...h-plans-overhaul-of-white-plains-station.html

$135 million renovation. I don't commute so I'll never benefit from it. Compared to this the Gondi at Belle is a small drop in the bucket.

But you will never hear me say it is a waste of money even though part of me says it is. I'm sure there will be benefits to commuters who use the WP station. Just like the Gondi at Belle benefits those who ski there.


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## 180 (Apr 4, 2018)

Not sure what WP Train station has to do with Bell, but as a 25 year commuter on that line, this is long overdue. Of course my monthly will undoubtedly rise again which is not a good thing.


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## cdskier (Apr 4, 2018)

JimG. said:


> www.rtands.com/index.php/passenger/...h-plans-overhaul-of-white-plains-station.html
> 
> $135 million renovation. I don't commute so I'll never benefit from it. Compared to this the Gondi at Belle is a small drop in the bucket.



Except the $135M is for the entire project covering multiple stations based on what I'm reading. A better equivalent comparison for Belleayre would be the entire cost of ALL the planned expansion/upgrades at Belleayre (or perhaps even ORDA in general).

I'm not familiar at all with Metro North's stations so can't say whether any parts of that project are wasteful or not. Belleayre on the other hand I have personal knowledge of, so feel I can have an opinion on that one (whether you agree with my opinion or not is fine as people are allowed to have differing opinions and debate them).


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## benski (Apr 4, 2018)

180 said:


> Not sure what WP Train station has to do with Bell, but as a 25 year commuter on that line, this is long overdue. Of course my monthly will undoubtedly rise again which is not a good thing.



I have never been to the White Plains Metro north station but it can't be as bad as many dilapidated non ADA compliant subway station they could repair.


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## JimG. (Apr 4, 2018)

cdskier said:


> Except the $135M is for the entire project covering multiple stations based on what I'm reading. A better equivalent comparison for Belleayre would be the entire cost of ALL the planned expansion/upgrades at Belleayre (or perhaps even ORDA in general).



I would agree with 180's comment that the White Plains station renovation is long overdue. My bad using the $135M figure, I believe the portion I saw on the news last night specific to WP was $92M. Still a lot of money. And still needed.

Regarding ORDA, in my view both Gore and Whiteface have received more in the way of upgrades over the years than Belle which seems like ORDA's lost child. So my feeling is that the investments there are also long overdue. 

Which brings us back to the fact that we disagree that the Gondola is wasteful. As Belle is now, it is a waste if the redevelopment ends there. I don't think that will be the case, I certainly hope not in any case. 

If part of your viewpoint is that the project is screwed from the start because NYS government runs it, I won't argue with you on that front.


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## cdskier (Apr 4, 2018)

JimG. said:


> I would agree with 180's comment that the White Plains station renovation is long overdue. My bad using the $135M figure, I believe the portion I saw on the news last night specific to WP was $92M. Still a lot of money. And still needed.
> 
> Regarding ORDA, in my view both Gore and Whiteface have received more in the way of upgrades over the years than Belle which seems like ORDA's lost child. So my feeling is that the investments there are also long overdue.



To be fair, Belleayre has only been under ORDA control for a few years. Prior to that it was the DEC that ran it and could more-so be blamed for being neglected for quite a while (although it may have also been harder for the DEC to secure budget for improvements than it is for ORDA).



> Which brings us back to the fact that we disagree that the Gondola is wasteful. As Belle is now, it is a waste if the redevelopment ends there. I don't think that will be the case, I certainly hope not in any case.



I certainly hope that is not the case as well. The terrain expansion in particular would be huge for Belle (especially as it would in a sense offer a direct connection to that new resort that's supposed to be built).



> If part of your viewpoint is that the project is screwed from the start because NYS government runs it, I won't argue with you on that front.



That is certainly a factor.


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## 180 (Apr 4, 2018)

ALmost everyone I know says the Gondola is a game changer for Bell, even those that didnt want it.


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## abc (Apr 4, 2018)

180 said:


> ALmost everyone I know says the Gondola is a game changer for Bell, even those that didnt want it.


I used it for the first time last week, when the Tomahawk was on mechanical hold. Can’t say I care for it. It’s redundant when the Tomahawk runs


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## JimG. (Apr 5, 2018)

abc said:


> I used it for the first time last week, when the Tomahawk was on mechanical hold. Can’t say I care for it. It’s redundant when the Tomahawk runs



Tomahawk breaks down constantly. Slow when it runs.


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