# Catamount is the worst in the EAST !!!!



## JBSki (Feb 28, 2011)

Catamount is by far the worst mountain I have ever been to. ( was their 2/26/11)

I have been skiing for over 20 years in the Northeast (and ran many group trips for a ski tour company I worked for after college) so I have seen the best and worst in the east.

I needed rentals for my young children (5 & 7) which took an hour and their was only one little 5 Ft bench for the entire rental shop to put the kids boots on. The change machine was broken for the pay lockers. The shop is old, small and dirty. The only thing they invested in was an electronic inventory system for the rentals which doesn’t work because my sons boot did not fit in the ski and we had to go all the way back to the shop (another ½ hour) to get it corrected.  

My kids are beginners so I took them to the magic carpet. Their was no organization (people cutting the line) and their was no lift attendant at the top all day and the attendant left the bottom of the lift between 2:45 and 4pm. ( which would be great for those who don’t want to buy a lift ticket)

This is a BEGINNER LIFT – with no attendant to put the kids on straight, kids were falling and dragged. Also since their was nobody to space people getting on, this caused a jam at the top of the magic carpet. I would go first in order to help my kids get off at the top, but since they might be a little crooked getting on by themselves, they each fell twice and were dragged until a bystander helped them ( the carpet was never stopped!) After this my kids were upset and we had to leave. ( I told the manager and he asked if my kids have skied before. I said they have, but that should not be an issue since this is a BEGINNER LIFT  / TRAIL where people are supposed to learn how to ski.
He offered me comp passes and I said keep them since I won’t be back. I just wanted it to be known so another child does not get hurt.

I wish I had my flip video camera on me. This place is DANGEROUS for teaching your kids how to ski. (My kids skied at Windham last year and did not have any of these problems)

The other lifts are old, slow, uncomfortable (plywood with a strip of vinyl over it) with no leg rests.  Also, the parking lot is terrible – the attendants cram the cars in which is an invitation to get digs on them.

STAY AWAY from Catamount – go to Windham, Belleayre, Jiminy Peak, ect  where they know how to run a mountain ( and invest their profits to have a clean, updated facility, new equip /lifts and have a proper staff).


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## wa-loaf (Feb 28, 2011)

Wow, nice first post.


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## jrmagic (Feb 28, 2011)

wa-loaf said:


> Wow, nice first post.



+1


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## gmcunni (Feb 28, 2011)

skied there last year and liked it but didn't rent or use the beginner lifts.  i do agree the place is in need of some investment back into the facilities.


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## Grassi21 (Feb 28, 2011)

wa-loaf said:


> Wow, nice first post.





jrmagic said:


> +1



+2


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## deadheadskier (Feb 28, 2011)

lift situation sounds crappy

as for the rentals.  I would not expect to show up Saturday morning of a holiday week and get positive results.  You could've avoided all of that frustration by taking care of the rentals the night prior.


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## dmc (Feb 28, 2011)

Grassi21 said:


> +2




i hate when people come here and pull this shti..  

He needs to go back to Windham...


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## emmaurice2 (Feb 28, 2011)

gmcunni said:


> skied there last year and liked it but didn't rent or use the beginner lifts.  i do agree the place is in need of some investment back into the facilities.



Went there with friends that had to rent, they had no problems.  Their kids got a lesson and skied the beginner area.  They said the lesson was okay, not the best, but in no way did they have the same experience with the beginner area that the OP had.

I've been to Catamount about 9 times total.  Some improvements to the lodge would be welcomed, however I've never spent a significant time in the lodge.  I've only ever ridden the summit triple.  It got me up the hill which is usually all I really require from a lift.

Maybe the OP hit it on a bad day?


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## St. Bear (Feb 28, 2011)

wa-loaf said:


> Wow, nice first post.



I was trying to think of a snarky comment about this not ending well, but you said it much better than I ever could.


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## ctenidae (Feb 28, 2011)

Went there a few weeks ago. Liked it for what it is.


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## JBSki (Feb 28, 2011)

dmc said:


> i hate when people come here and pull this shti..
> 
> He needs to go back to Windham...



Don't mean to ruin your perfect world but Forums are to inform people - to inform them that catamount is dangerous for teaching kids.

With the good comes the bad in forums. I don't like to be negative but I also don't like kids to get hurt - which is why I wrote this. 

The only thing your right about is going back to Windham


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## wa-loaf (Feb 28, 2011)

JBSki said:


> Don't mean to ruin your perfect world but Forums are to inform people - to inform them that catamount is dangerous for teaching kids.
> 
> With the good comes the bad in forums. I don't like to be negative but I also don't like kids to get hurt - which is why I wrote this.
> 
> The only thing your right about is going back to Windham



No, what DMC is talking about is people with no history on the forum coming in and trashing a place. Build up a little bit of a rep before you post this kind of stuff.

Buy some skis for your kids. It's cheaper than renting a couple times.


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## billski (Feb 28, 2011)

JBSki said:


> With the good comes the bad in forums. I don't like to be negative but I also don't like kids to get hurt - which is why I wrote this.


 Agreed.  Reasonable people should be able to have reasonable discussions.  I for one appreciate the information.  Put it in the pot with all the other opinions, stir it up, add salt to taste and make up your own mind.  Nothing worse than a personal attack (and I'm not talking about anyone here); focus on the issues instead.


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## marcski (Feb 28, 2011)

dmc said:


> i hate when people come here and pull this shti..
> 
> He needs to go back to Windham...





JBSki said:


> Don't mean to ruin your perfect world but Forums are to inform people - to inform them that catamount is dangerous for teaching kids.
> 
> With the good comes the bad in forums. I don't like to be negative but I also don't like kids to get hurt - which is why I wrote this.
> 
> The only thing your right about is going back to Windham


In order to be taken serious on a forum you need to have some sort of  history.  You know kind of like the ebay seller's rating.  Coming to a forum like this with no such history, sheds little light on one's opinion of a given subject.


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## gmcunni (Feb 28, 2011)

marcski said:


> In order to be taken serious on a forum you need to have some sort of  history.  You know kind of like the ebay seller's rating.  Coming to a forum like this with no such history, sheds little light on one's opinion of a given subject.



true BUT - could be a long time lurker who finally decided to register & post due to a significant event.   just because it was post #1 doesn't mean it didn't happen.


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## powhunter (Feb 28, 2011)

Presidents week is probably the worst time to ski period.  Throw in beginners, lessons, and rentals, and your in for a long ass day.. 

Steveo


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## ctenidae (Feb 28, 2011)

gmcunni said:


> true BUT - could be a long time lurker who finally decided to register & post due to a significant event.   just because it was post #1 doesn't mean it didn't happen.



Nah, I think he's just a shill for Windham.


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## gmcunni (Feb 28, 2011)

ctenidae said:


> Nah, I think he's just a shill for Windham.


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## powhunter (Feb 28, 2011)

Catapult. and Offstage are some great bump runs.. I love the place

steveo


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## dmc (Feb 28, 2011)

JBSki said:


> Don't mean to ruin your perfect world but Forums are to inform people - to inform them that catamount is dangerous for teaching kids.
> 
> With the good comes the bad in forums. I don't like to be negative but I also don't like kids to get hurt - which is why I wrote this.
> 
> The only thing your right about is going back to Windham



Right...  Don't worry - nothings ruined - my world is far from perfect..  Your just come across badly when you show up at a message board and just bitch...

There's ways to do this so you don't come across as a total ranter...
You need to connect to the audience first..
"Hey - Long time lurker - love the site"
then maybe:
"I just wanted to let the board know about a my day at xxxxxxxxx"  - or maybe do a trip report...

thing is there's no context - and i know i always bitch about this - but there's been a lot of really positive posts about Catamount...   
There's also been some really bad posts about Windham..   

i should tell her to come to Hunter but I already know what she's going to say...


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## dmc (Feb 28, 2011)

powhunter said:


> Presidents week is probably the worst time to ski period.  Throw in beginners, lessons, and rentals, and your in for a long ass day..
> 
> Steveo



Yet - it is continually the time that people judge ski areas on...   And the judging always is negative...


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## severine (Feb 28, 2011)

Have you contacted Catamount and shared your situation with them? That's probably more constructive than making your first post one that blasts a ski area.

Not denying what you say... just that you have no credibility here seeing as this is your first post and you're likely to get an abrasive response because of that. Whereas, if you share your experience with the mountain itself, they can turn it into something constructive and work on the situation. They can't read your mind and they need feedback. Wording it in a manner that is informative rather than abusive will get you further with Catamount's customer service, as well. Check the emotions and just tell it like it is.


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## JBSki (Feb 28, 2011)

BS - I have skied alot in the East & West. I only stated Windham because it is the last place where my kids have skiied and they enjoyed themselves there. I also stated Belyeare and Jiminy in my first posting, so i don't have a "shill" for Windham. Sorry kids saftey is not appropriate for a "first timer"on the forum to discuss.


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## MommaBear (Feb 28, 2011)

JBSki said:


> Sorry kids saftey is not appropriate for a "first timer"on the forum to discuss.



I think the message you meant to convey about the safety of beginners got a bit lost in all the other negative comments about the place (lifts, etc.).

I agree with Severine about contacting the mountain's customer service.  Take a day to let the emotion fade, then tell them the facts.


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## gmcunni (Feb 28, 2011)

i posted a less than positive review of a mountain here once.  a bit of a rant, i was in a foul  mood. i think i was fair and even posted that had i known certain things or was NOT skiing with my kids i would have felt differently.  next day i got private message from the VP of Ops @ that mountain letting me know he read the message and apologized for not meeting my expectations.


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## ctenidae (Feb 28, 2011)

JBSki said:


> BS - I have skied alot in the East & West. I only stated Windham because it is the last place where my kids have skiied and they enjoyed themselves there. I also stated Belyeare and Jiminy in my first posting, so i don't have a "shill" for Windham. Sorry kids saftey is not appropriate for a "first timer"on the forum to discuss.



Your skin- you should thicken it.

Good to know that on the busiest possible weekend Catamount's systems weren't quite up to par. I will certainly take that into consideration the next time it's President's Day weekend and I want to take my kids to  a learner's slope.

/don't have any kids


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## dmc (Feb 28, 2011)

It's always best to go to the source and deal with the issue rather then rant to strangers..

It just comes across as trying to hurt the mountain by smearing it's name..  In reality it may've been just a bad day.  Or someone called in sick.. Or something like that..


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## eatskisleep (Feb 28, 2011)

I enjoyed the post. Don't let the others scare you away. Thanks for keeping us informed. President's week or not, there should be an attendant at a magic carpet.


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## gmcunni (Feb 28, 2011)

JBSki said:


> Catamount is by far the worst mountain I have ever been to. ( *was their 2/26/11)*





ctenidae said:


> Good to know that on the busiest possible weekend Catamount's systems weren't quite up to par. I will certainly take that into consideration the next time it's President's Day weekend and I want to take my kids to  a learner's slope.



wasn't pres weekend, just sayin'

;-)


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## oakapple (Feb 28, 2011)

My son and I skied Catamount on the Sunday of Presidents' Weekend, so our information is relatively current. I strenously disagree with most of the original post. On top of that, even if you've been skiing for 20 years, I doubt that you have sufficient _contemporaneous_ information to actually say which ski area is truly the "worst" in the East.

Catamount needs to be evaluated for what it is, namely a local, family mountain that caters mainly to day-trippers. Typical of that kind of mountain, it doesn't have high-speed lifts, and the lodges aren't glitzy. But it's certainly much better than, say, Mount Peter or Thunder Ridge, two others in that category.

Any ski area is going to be pretty crowded over Presidents Week. You're going to wait in a long line for rentals, just about no matter where you go. I do agree that the rental area is cramped by modern standards. That is probably the most valid criticism of Catamount. Unfortunately, skiing has been a zero-to-negative growth industry in the Northeast, and it's difficult for a local mountain to fund expensive upgrades.

We did not ride the magic carpet, so that part of of JBSki's account I can neither confirm nor refute. But he says, "I just wanted it to be known so another child does not get hurt," while not actually indicating that anyone was "hurt" in the first place. I gather that his kids found the unattended carpet lift intimidating, which is understandable, but that doesn't mean they suffered any injury.

Once your kids get past the magic carpet phase, Catamount's terrain has good variety for a small, family mountain.


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## ctenidae (Feb 28, 2011)

gmcunni said:


> wasn't pres weekend, just sayin'
> 
> ;-)



Don't bother me with details and facts. 

:beer:


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## dmc (Feb 28, 2011)

oakapple said:


> Once your kids get past the magic carpet phase, Catamount's terrain has good variety for a small, family mountain.



I've never been on a magic carpet...  Gotta try one some day..


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## SkiDork (Feb 28, 2011)

[GRAMMAR_POLICE]

Learn the difference between THEIR and THERE

[/GRAMMAR_POLICE]


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## wa-loaf (Feb 28, 2011)

JBSki said:


> This is a BEGINNER LIFT – with no attendant to put the kids on straight, kids were falling and dragged. Also since their was nobody to space people getting on, this caused a jam at the top of the magic carpet. I would go first in order to help my kids get off at the top, but since they might be a little crooked getting on by themselves, they each fell twice and were dragged until a bystander helped them ( the carpet was never stopped!) After this my kids were upset and we had to leave.



I ride behind my kids on the Magic Carpet. That way if they do fall or goof around I can see what's going on and can actually help them.


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## andyaxa (Feb 28, 2011)

dmc said:


> I've never been on a magic carpet...  Gotta try one some day..


I fell on one once... WITH a lift attendant.


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## dmc (Feb 28, 2011)

SkiDork said:


> [GRAMMAR_POLICE]
> 
> Learn the difference between THEIR and THERE
> 
> [/GRAMMAR_POLICE]




Wow... that WAS a flagrant misuse of their/there...


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## wa-loaf (Feb 28, 2011)

dmc said:


> I've never been on a magic carpet...  Gotta try one some day..



You're not missing anything.


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## dmc (Feb 28, 2011)

andyaxa said:


> I fell on one once... WITH a lift attendant.



was she hot?


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## ctenidae (Feb 28, 2011)

dmc said:


> I've never been on a magic carpet...  Gotta try one some day..



You don't know what you can see.


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## Jersey Skier (Feb 28, 2011)

JBSki said:


> BS - I have skied alot in the East & West. I only stated Windham because it is the last place where my kids have skiied and they enjoyed themselves there. I also stated Belyeare and Jiminy in my first posting, so i don't have a "shill" for Windham. Sorry kids saftey is not appropriate for a "first timer"on the forum to discuss.



You haven't skied the worst, unless you've been to Mountain Creek.  Try taking your kids there and report back.


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## gmcunni (Feb 28, 2011)

SkiDork said:


> [GRAMMAR_POLICE]
> 
> Learn the difference between THEIR and THERE
> 
> [/GRAMMAR_POLICE]



your not the grammer police!


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## Black Phantom (Feb 28, 2011)

At least she didn't get her skis stolen.


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## dmc (Feb 28, 2011)

gmcunni said:


> your not the grammer police!



You're not the .....


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## thetrailboss (Feb 28, 2011)

wa-loaf said:


> Wow, nice first post.


 
+ 3.


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## legalskier (Feb 28, 2011)

JBSki said:


> their was no lift attendant at the top all day and the attendant left the bottom of the lift between 2:45 and 4pm.



I realize you had your children with you but you could have gone in to management right away and given them an opportunity to address this, instead of putting up with a potentially dangerous situation for over an hour. The squeaky wheel gets oiled, as they say.



JBSki said:


> He offered me comp passes and I said keep them since I won’t be back.



IMHO you should have taken them and returned on a less busy day when things would be different.  It's very tough on parents to haul their little ones around to ski areas, from parking the car safely, signing up & paying for lessons, getting rentals, dressing the kids (_after_ they need to "go"), not to mention feeding them, all at an unfamiliar place. Also, Saturday was probably the busiest day of the season and it sounds like the Cat was stressed to the max.  I have no problem with you blowing off some steam here, as I raised two little skiers myself and know how it can be, but you shouldn't make a judgment based on one day.  I've never been to the Cat but I've heard good things about it; Saturday probably was an aberration. I suggest you contact the ski school and discuss your concerns with them (on a weekday when they have time to talk).
Try to put it behind you. Better luck next time.


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## rtibbs4 (Feb 28, 2011)

I have taken my 4 year old to Nashoba the past 7 Saturdays for his ski lesson. Their magic carpet has an attendant at the bottom and one at the top. I can't imagine the chaos there would be if the attendants we're absent. I certainly would be pissed if my kid or anyone else was being dragged along in a big pile up with no way of stopping the machine. Not that I post here a lot. Just my opinion.


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## JBSki (Feb 28, 2011)

I did inform the manager. Included in my first post was this statement ' ( I told the manager and he asked if my kids have skied before. I said they have, but that should not be an issue since this is a BEGINNER LIFT / TRAIL where people are supposed to learn how to ski.
He offered me comp passes and I said keep them since I won’t be back. I just wanted it to be known so another child does not get hurt.


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## marcski (Feb 28, 2011)

Also, most likely given that it was a holiday weekend, that guy that you say that directed you to park your car so close to the others that it could get a ding...was probably the owner.  You should said something to him right then and there.


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## campgottagopee (Feb 28, 2011)

Kids are pretty resilient, how hurt could they possibly get goin .00008 mph on a carpet.

Like DMC, I've never been on one so that's why I ask.


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## JBSki (Feb 28, 2011)

Being a busy, holiday weekend is even more of a reason that they should have extra staff and at least have someone working  the BEGINNER magic carpet


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## dmc (Feb 28, 2011)

JBSki said:


> He offered me comp passes and I said keep them since I won’t be back. I just wanted it to be known so another child does not get hurt.



So they fix the problem and nobody goes because of your warnings...

Why not take the free ticket?  See if they fix the problem...

Still smells like revenge for a bad day to me..


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## dmc (Feb 28, 2011)

campgottagopee said:


> Kids are pretty resilient, how hurt could they possibly get goin .00008 mph on a carpet.
> 
> Like DMC, I've never been on one so that's why I ask.



U and i weren't raised like a veal...


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## JBSki (Feb 28, 2011)

I did inform the magic carpet operator at the top that they need a lft attendant, he said he would call to the office and notify them. 1 hour later and I left before ever seeing an attendant.


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## dmc (Feb 28, 2011)

In my typical fashion...

I've pinged Catamount and asked them to come give their side of the story..

Hopefully will make for some good internet...


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## campgottagopee (Feb 28, 2011)

dmc said:


> U and i weren't raised like a veal...



Very funny, thanks for that. I needed a good laugh.


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## dmc (Feb 28, 2011)

campgottagopee said:


> Very funny, thanks for that. I needed a good laugh.



i got the scares to prove it...
after a while my mom stopped taking me to the doc for stitches and just butterfly bandaided my wounds..


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## SKidds (Feb 28, 2011)

Well, I appreciate the OP.  And I appreciate the FP's (following poster's) ripping the OP a new one.  And all the posts in between.  That's what a place like this needs.  Put in all the info, shake it up, and people will get to the right opinion.

What I don't appreciate?

1)  No new holes for oakapple for bad mouthing Thunder Ridge!  Where's the justice, you mountain bashing post hypocrits?!  Big Birch Rules!!!!!! (OK, maybe not rules, but 25 years ago it was great for getting me on the snow every day.  I wish my kids school had a race team/ski club).

2)  All the "flip Catamount a break beacuse it was the busiest day of the year" posts.  I submit that is the BEST day to judge a mountain.  Put them to the test, do they pass of fail?  Only as good as your weakest link?  I can find a few more cliches, but they aren't far off.

3)  The "appreciate it for what is is" crowd.  While there is a thin vein of merit here, it's not like they are giving the mountain away.  For $59 bucks a day people should expect a lot, and not chalk it up to......anything.  ($48 for a Junior....just a couple bucks less than Whiteface)  In fact, I might say to the apologists in that crowd that flipping that break does a disservice to the skiing community as a whole.  Some people might have a similar bad experience and not go back to Windham, or anywhere else.  That ain't good for the sport.

My thought, as if anyone cared?

I don't think the OP is a shill for anyone.  He had a bad experience.  He had good right to be upset by unattended lifts (even just a magic carpet, or maybe especially a magic carpet).  He shouldn't have had to go get it fixed himself at the moment.  For his $48/$59 he deserved attended lifts.  Did the pile on the insults?  Maybe.  I guess I will flip a place like Catamount a break on the age of their base lodge.  Did he communicate his thought in the most PC manner?  Maybe not, but we here all have think enough skins that we shouldn't pile on him for that.

Remember guys, for better or worse, I don't think scaring away people is a good thing, even if we don't like how they deliver the message.THINK


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## dmc (Feb 28, 2011)

SKidds said:


> 2)  All the "flip Catamount a break beacuse it was the busiest day of the year" posts.  I submit that is the BEST day to judge a mountain.  Put them to the test, do they pass of fail?  Only as good as your weakest link?  I can find a few more cliches, but they aren't far off:



I hope people don't judge you on your worst day..  We all have them and they do not represent our best...  




SKidds said:


> Remember guys, for better or worse, I don't think scaring away people is a good thing, even if we don't like how they deliver the message.THINK



99% of the people here don't come JUST to blast a mountain... most of these complainer types are more interested in "carpet bombing" the internet with their diatribe...  to punish the mountain..


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## SKidds (Feb 28, 2011)

campgottagopee said:


> Kids are pretty resilient, how hurt could they possibly get goin .00008 mph on a carpet.


The most important thing for young kids to have with their earliest exposure to skiing is fun.  Being dragged up a carpet, even if just at .00008 is not gonna be fun for a 5 year old.  As rediculous as it might sound, it could scar some for life........to skiing at least, and maybe as adults they only have hardwood in their homes, I don't really know.

I will recognize Catamount for the feeder hill that it is, but that don't mean I'm gonna flip em breaks.  Heck, it's that much more important they deliver a pleasant experience, even on the holidays.  Espcially on the holidays.

And I'm sure they do that for a lot of people, but maybe in this case they didn't.


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## JBSki (Feb 28, 2011)

True, it does go slow, but their are metal guards on each side with joins / seems all the way up that snag cloths or cut skin / cloths as you are dragged along.


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## SKidds (Feb 28, 2011)

dmc said:


> I hope people don't judge you on your worst day..  We all have them and they do not represent our best...


Yeah, I have some pretty bad days.  But when push comes to shove, and the tough need to get going, when it matters most I hope I not at my worst.  But, point taken. 



dmc said:


> 99% of the people here don't come JUST to blast a mountain... most of these complainer types are more interested in "carpet bombing" the internet with their diatribe...  to punish the mountain..


x2, perhaps.  But, I don't think people should have to live on these forums and develop a post count before they can contribute, for better or worse.  We live in an information age, and people gotta digest what they read.


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## gmcunni (Feb 28, 2011)

appears JBski's problem with the carpet are not unique to him.  from tripadvisor - 





> The mountain itself is great. The real problem is the staff, they are rude & obnoxious. I witnessed them yelling at kids many times usually the kids that were in lessons. If you get a lesson for your child do not leave them with the instuctor unattended. I am incredibly disappointed by how impatient they all were maybe this would have been different if ski school was in it's own area. Only one instructor would help the kids when they fell off the carpet lift THANK YOU,and they people working the booth were not paying attention. Lifts are unreliable, multiple lifts were shut down multiple times through out the day which caused extremely long lines.


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## Black Phantom (Feb 28, 2011)

JBSki said:


> True, it does go slow, but their are metal guards on each side with joins / seems all the way up that snag cloths or cut skin / cloths as you are dragged along.



Skiing is a dangerous sport.


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## JBSki (Feb 28, 2011)

Everyone says not to judge them on busy holiday weekends. I agree that may be true about what i said about parking, etc, but they charge MORE $ for Holiday / weekend passes and should be staffed adequately for the increased lift prices / volume. Being a holiday weekend is even more reason to have the lifts staffed properly.


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## dmc (Feb 28, 2011)

SKidds said:


> x2, perhaps.  But, I don't think people should have to live on these forums and develop a post count before they can contribute, for better or worse.  We live in an information age, and people gotta digest what they read.



You don't need to have posts to come in a bitch about a shop or a ski area...  
You just have to do it without forcing people to think your disingenuous by coming across as in a bad light to an established community..    The information age has created online communities and these communities grow and people become known to each other as friends or foes - whatever...  just like physical communities..  And sometimes we raise an eyebrow when someone comes in and just lets lose without so much as a hello...


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## hammer (Feb 28, 2011)

Hopefully this isn't off topic...

I had to go to Waterville 3 times before I had what I would consider to be a good day.  I still didn't like the crowds too much but the lift lines moved well and I didn't feel crowded in on the trails.  I'd definitely go back again.

My first trip to Loon was over a holiday week and it was crazy busy...not much fun.  I then went on a less busy day and I had a great time.  I've seen a fair share of people put the place down but if you can avoid crowded days Loon has a nice mix of terrain and they did a great job getting trails open early on.

The OP shouldn't make a blanket judgment of a ski area based on one bad day.  I didn't...


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## dmc (Feb 28, 2011)

gmcunni said:


> appears JBski's problem with the carpet are not unique to him.  from tripadvisor -



Tripadvisor is a PERFECT place for her comments...


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## dmc (Feb 28, 2011)

JBSki said:


> Everyone says not to judge them on busy holiday weekends. I agree that may be true about what i said about parking, etc, but they charge MORE $ for Holiday / weekend passes and should be staffed adequately for the increased lift prices / volume. Being a holiday weekend is even more reason to have the lifts staffed properly.



Holiday weekends suck...

You mess with the bull - you'll get the horns...


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## gmcunni (Feb 28, 2011)

JBSki said:


> STAY AWAY from Catamount – go to Windham, Belleayre, Jiminy Peak, ect  where they know how to run a mountain ( and invest their profits to have a clean, updated facility, new equip /lifts and have a proper staff).





dmc said:


> Tripadvisor is a PERFECT place for her comments...



your just mad because JBSki didn't mention Hunter as an alternative.




^^ lets see if the grammer police bust me


----------



## SKidds (Feb 28, 2011)

dmc said:


> You don't need to have posts to come in a bitch about a shop or a ski area...
> You just have to do it without forcing people to think your disingenuous by coming across as in a bad light to an established community..    The information age has created online communities and these communities grow and people become known to each other as friends or foes - whatever...  just like physical communities..  And sometimes we raise an eyebrow when someone comes in and just lets lose without so much as a hello...


Agreed.  JB did come across as an angry young man, and his delivery was perhaps not the most conducive.  More flies with honey, even when complaining.  I hear ya.  But, we don't want to commit the same sin in the response.  Not that everyone has, but calling JB out for his faults in delivery should be done as gently as we think his call out of Catamount shoulda been, no?


----------



## dmc (Feb 28, 2011)

gmcunni said:


> your just mad because JBSki didn't mention Hunter as an alternative.



Actually made me feel good..  If she freaks out on a magic carpet she'll friggin lose it at Hunter... haha..

I'm not mad... just concerned..
I'd rather see a problem get fixed then people avoid a ski area because of a rant...


----------



## SKidds (Feb 28, 2011)

They don't pay me, but I'll shill for Whiteface.  Holiday weekend experiences....many.  Bad days....not a one.


----------



## oakapple (Feb 28, 2011)

SKidds said:


> 1)  No new holes for oakapple for bad mouthing Thunder Ridge!  Where's the justice, you mountain bashing post hypocrits?!  Big Birch Rules!!!!!! (OK, maybe not rules, but 25 years ago it was great for getting me on the snow every day.  I wish my kids school had a race team/ski club).


In the first place, I didn't bad mouth Thunder Ridge; I expressed the opinion that Catamount is much better. Surely you are not suggesting that we cannot make a direct comparison between two ski areas?

The OP's statement that Catamount is the "worst" in the entire Eastern United States is in a very different category, as it's practically impossible for anyone actually to have visited all of them.



> 3)  The "appreciate it for what is is" crowd.  While there is a thin vein of merit here, it's not like they are giving the mountain away.  For $59 bucks a day people should expect a lot


I'm not sure they're giving it away _anywhere_. At the aforementioned Thunder Ridge, for instance, the peak-day adult rack rate is $50—not a huge difference.


----------



## legalskier (Feb 28, 2011)

FYI, here's what Catamount's website says is required of their lift operators:  

_The lift operator shall operate any assigned lift in accordance with written or verbal procedures and policy's, to provide a safe environment for guests to load, ride, and unload on our system of aerial and surface lifts. A lift operator will be in direct charge and held responsible for his or her lift._
http://www.catamountski.com/employment/employment.cfm

I wouldn't want to be the liftie who wandered away....


----------



## marcski (Feb 28, 2011)

JBSki said:


> True, it does go slow, but their are metal guards on each side with joins / seems all the way up that snag cloths or cut skin / cloths as you are dragged along.



Did anything happen to anyone riding the lift that day?


----------



## dmc (Feb 28, 2011)

SKidds said:


> Agreed.  JB did come across as an angry young man, and his delivery was perhaps not the most conducive.  More flies with honey, even when complaining.  I hear ya.  But, we don't want to commit the same sin in the response.  Not that everyone has, but calling JB out for his faults in delivery should be done as gently as we think his call out of Catamount shoulda been, no?



Maybe so - maybe not...  

I stand by my comment that i hate this crap..  And I'll continue to call people out that pull this kind of crap...


----------



## SKidds (Feb 28, 2011)

Don't get me stawted on Hunta!  Talk about your bad days......on multiple occasions.  But, I did go back, and have had great days, and they have great terrain.

(See JB, give em the good with the bad!!)


----------



## SKidds (Feb 28, 2011)

dmc said:


> Maybe so - maybe not...
> 
> I stand by my comment that i hate this crap..  And I'll continue to call people out that pull this kind of crap...


Awww, come on....admit it.  You love a smattering of this crap!!!  Keeps the place lively, eh?

Now I gotta call my friend and ask where it was they had that baaaad ski school experience locally.


----------



## catskillman (Feb 28, 2011)

Operating any lift much less a  beginner lift without attendants is a huge safety issue.  And I am willing to bet there are laws regarding this.

If I were Catamounts insurance provider - I would check this out first hand, but their days would be over if true.

This is just insanity.

It does not matter if it was a busy weekend, small operation, has good terranin etc.........  

Customers / KIDS safety is not taken seriously.


----------



## dmc (Feb 28, 2011)

SKidds said:


> Don't get me stawted on Hunta!  Talk about your bad days......on multiple occasions.  But, I did go back, and have had great days, and they have great terrain.
> 
> (See JB, give em the good with the bad!!)



For me the "best of times" out weighs the "worst of times"... 

I can put up with some crap for good terrain..  This weekend I only waited in 2 lift lines and rode my ass off..  Intermediates on the front had a different experience..


----------



## SKidds (Feb 28, 2011)

oakapple said:


> In the first place, I didn't bad mouth Thunder Ridge; I expressed the opinion that Catamount is much better. Surely you are not suggesting that we cannot make a direct comparison between two ski areas?
> 
> The OP's statement that Catamount is the "worst" in the entire Eastern United States is in a very different category, as it's practically impossible for anyone actually to have visited all of them.
> 
> ...


I was too lazy to throw in the proper smilie, Oak....but I was just screwing with ya!


----------



## dmc (Feb 28, 2011)

SKidds said:


> Awww, come on....admit it.  You love a smattering of this crap!!!  Keeps the place lively, eh?



I'm pretty covered in crap here...


----------



## campgottagopee (Feb 28, 2011)

SKidds said:


> Remember guys, for better or worse, I don't think scaring away people is a good thing, even if we don't like how they deliver the message.THINK



Who's scaring people away??

Just treating him like he did Catamount....no second chances.


----------



## RootDKJ (Feb 28, 2011)

Jersey Skier said:


> You haven't skied the worst, unless you've been to Mountain Creek.  Try taking your kids there and report back.



/thread


----------



## threecy (Feb 28, 2011)

JBSki said:


> My kids are beginners so I took them to the magic carpet. Their was no organization (people cutting the line) and their was no lift attendant at the top all day and the attendant left the bottom.



I believe most Magic Carpets only have one operator.


In regard to kids falling all over the place, where were the parents and/or instructors?


----------



## SKidds (Feb 28, 2011)

I'll prolly get in trouble cause this is off topic, but the problem at Hunter isn't the interemediates on the front side.....it's the beginners/intermediates who think they belong on Westway and 'Purna!!


----------



## dmc (Feb 28, 2011)

SKidds said:


> I'll prolly get in trouble cause this is off topic, but the problem at Hunter isn't the interemediates on the front side.....it's the beginners/intermediates who think they belong on Westway and 'Purna!!



It's late in the year... They've learn to stay away..


----------



## SKidds (Feb 28, 2011)

campgottagopee said:


> Who's scaring people away??
> 
> Just treating him like he did Catamount....no second chances.



Tough luv!!!


----------



## dmc (Feb 28, 2011)

campgottagopee said:


> Who's scaring people away??
> 
> Just treating him like he did Catamount....no second chances.



...likey...


----------



## Sotto (Feb 28, 2011)

In NY state were the said carpet is located you are only required to have an operater at the bottom if they can see the unloading zone.


----------



## Grassi21 (Feb 28, 2011)

Sotto said:


> In NY state were the said carpet is located you are only required to have an operater at the bottom if they can see the unloading zone.



Then this could be a loophole.  Does the magic carpet fall on the MA or NY portion of Catamount? :lol:


----------



## threecy (Feb 28, 2011)

Sotto said:


> In NY state were the said carpet is located you are only required to have an operater at the bottom if they can see the unloading zone.



I thought the carpet was located in Massachusetts?


----------



## SKidds (Feb 28, 2011)

Boooo.....how you gonna teach him (or is JB a her?) how to properly affect change at Catamount if you can't properly teach him (her?) how to post?

Me thinks you should be saying to him (her?)..."JB, I really appreciate the time your've taken to express your opinions, and any objective relating of experiences can only be good for the community, but I will recognize you for the noob (and I mean that in the nicest of way) poster you are and further recognize the fact that you are opining on a busy day and, as such, agree you were destined to have a bad experience....but, to get your point acroos in the most effective manner you should have.........."

Where's the luv, people?  Two wrongs, baby, you know what they don't make.


----------



## 2knees (Feb 28, 2011)

threecy said:


> In regard to kids falling all over the place, where were the parents



This is the first thing that popped into my head when i read this trainwreck.  i take my kids to alot of smaller "retro" type areas that dont even use a carpet.  rope and handle tows.  kids falling everywhere.  parents pick them up, not the lifties.  i expect that kind of thing going in.  maybe the op should also.

although leaving the thing unattended is a bit over the top.


----------



## ctenidae (Feb 28, 2011)

SKidds said:


> Where's the luv, people?  Two wrongs, baby, you know what they don't make.



Same thing as it takes 3 lefts to make?


----------



## campgottagopee (Feb 28, 2011)

SKidds said:


> The most important thing for young kids to have with their earliest exposure to skiing is fun.  Being dragged up a carpet, even if just at .00008 is not gonna be fun for a 5 year old.  As rediculous as it might sound, it could scar some for life........to skiing at least, and maybe as adults they only have hardwood in their homes, I don't really know.
> 
> I will recognize Catamount for the feeder hill that it is, but that don't mean I'm gonna flip em breaks.  Heck, it's that much more important they deliver a pleasant experience, even on the holidays.  Espcially on the holidays.
> 
> And I'm sure they do that for a lot of people, but maybe in this case they didn't.





JBSki said:


> True, it does go slow, but their are metal guards on each side with joins / seems all the way up that snag cloths or cut skin / cloths as you are dragged along.



Makes me wonder how I ever learned to ski.


----------



## legalskier (Feb 28, 2011)

JBSki said:


> My kids are beginners so I took them to the magic carpet. Their was no organization (people cutting the line) and their was no lift attendant at the top all day and the attendant left the bottom of the lift between 2:45 and 4pm. ( which would be great for those who don’t want to buy a lift ticket)
> This is a BEGINNER LIFT – with no attendant to put the kids on straight, kids were falling and dragged. Also since their was nobody to space people getting on, this caused a jam at the top of the magic carpet.



If I'm reading this right, the OP is saying there was _no operator_ for an hour and a quarter.


----------



## marcski (Feb 28, 2011)

I also find it VERY hard to believe that on a holiday weekend, there weren't any lift attendants at the bottom of the Magic Carpet.  There was probably a young kid just sitting back doing nothing.


----------



## gmcunni (Feb 28, 2011)

threecy said:


> I thought the carpet was located in Massachusetts?


yes


----------



## dmc (Feb 28, 2011)

SKidds said:


> Boooo.....how you gonna teach him (or is JB a her?) how to properly affect change at Catamount if you can't properly teach him (her?) how to post?



Why should we teach?   it's not my responsibility..

Maybe you can hold some internet classes at the local Y...


----------



## SKidds (Feb 28, 2011)

Good thing my kids aren't just learning anymore......you shoulda seen me giving them the JB treatment (all ova they azzes!) when they couldn't get their freakin boots on Sunday morning.  That wasn't much fun for any of us....but all is well that ends well.


----------



## gmcunni (Feb 28, 2011)

dmc said:


> Why should we teach?   it's not my responsibility..



but it is your responsibility to notify the offended institution so they can defend themselves?


----------



## SKidds (Feb 28, 2011)

dmc said:


> Why should we teach?   it's not my responsibility..
> 
> Maybe you can hold some internet classes at the local Y...


My bad.  Thought you mighta been giving JB the business in hopes of edumacating him (her?) on how the message coulda been better delivered, but you were really just looking to stay knee deep in tha......


----------



## SKidds (Feb 28, 2011)

gmcunni said:


> but it is your responsibility to notify the offended institution so they can defend themselves?


No, that's just going from knee deep to needing the hip waders!


----------



## dmc (Feb 28, 2011)

gmcunni said:


> but it is your responsibility to notify the offended institution so they can defend themselves?



touche'

But i really do it to support the industry and if they respond it could make for gooooooooood internet..


----------



## SKidds (Feb 28, 2011)

Industry?  My own entertainment?  Industry?  My own entertainment?

My money on the entertainment!!!!


----------



## dmc (Feb 28, 2011)

SKidds said:


> My bad.  Thought you mighta been giving JB the business in hopes of edumacating him (her?) on how the message coulda been better delivered, but you were really just looking to stay knee deep in tha......



http://forums.alpinezone.com/showpost.php?p=603643&postcount=20



> There's ways to do this so you don't come across as a total ranter...
> You need to connect to the audience first..
> "Hey - Long time lurker - love the site"
> then maybe:
> ...


----------



## JBSki (Feb 28, 2011)

Loading was smooth when the attendant was their earlier ( he loaded the kids nicely and spaced everyone so their was no pileup at the top. , Everything changed when he disappeared from from 2:45 to 4:00 (which is when we left.) Operator was at the top shoveling snow as i was screaming for him to stop the carpet. Like i said - I told him they need a loading attendant - no one showed up. 

Holiday weekend / crowded / day /night /etc - Their is no excuse / reason to have a BEGINNER carpet / lift without a loading attendant period. It is dangerous to kids learning how to ski.


----------



## dmc (Feb 28, 2011)

SKidds said:


> Industry?  My own entertainment?  Industry?  My own entertainment?
> 
> My money on the entertainment!!!!



it's either the SKI industry or the adult entertainment industry...


----------



## SKidds (Feb 28, 2011)

dmc said:


> Why should we teach?   it's not my responsibility..
> 
> Maybe you can hold some internet classes at the local Y...


Whew!  I'm glad that YOU have established, by quoting YOURSELF, that you did, at least a few pages back, view the edumacation as your responsibility.  I din't have no time to give to the Y!!!!

PS - please consider my laziness in not inserting the requisite smilies so as not to piss all y'all off.


----------



## ctenidae (Feb 28, 2011)

JBSki said:


> Loading was smooth when the attendant was* their *earlier ( he loaded the kids nicely and spaced everyone so *their* was no pileup at the top. , Everything changed when he disappeared from from 2:45 to 4:00 (which is when we left.) Operator was at the top shoveling snow as i was screaming for him to stop the carpet. Like i said - I told him they need a loading attendant - no one showed up.
> 
> Holiday weekend / crowded / day /night /etc - *Their* is no excuse / reason to have a BEGINNER carpet / lift without a loading attendant period. It is dangerous to kids learning how to ski.



Not to be a grammarian, but seriously. There. There. There.

Subtle but importance difference between there and their. 

What's their excuse for not being there when they're supposed to be? See how that works?


----------



## gmcunni (Feb 28, 2011)

i just checked the catamount web cam and I don't see any attendants on any of the lifts.


----------



## gladerider (Feb 28, 2011)

Jersey Skier said:


> You haven't skied the worst, unless you've been to Mountain Creek.  Try taking your kids there and report back.



lol, this is very true. your chance of getting hurt increases dramatically @mt creek. exponentially if you are a small kid.

i do agree with the OP on the point that an attendant should have been present on the magic carpet.


----------



## SKidds (Feb 28, 2011)

AZ Course Schedule - Spring 2011

dmc - Internet posting etiquette - Monday 3:00 - 5:00
ctenidae - Proper gramattical usage - Monday - 5:00 - 7:00

Any other instructors?

I'm sure we need someone for spelling, and them maybe one for typing, because lots (ahem, pardon me....a lot) of spelling errors are probably due to typos.  See....then!  Bah!!!!


----------



## gmcunni (Feb 28, 2011)

SKidds said:


> AZ Course Schedule - Spring 2011
> 
> dmc - Internet posting etiquette - Monday 3:00 - 5:00
> ctenidae - Proper gramattical usage - Monday - 5:00 - 7:00
> ...



no dinner break between classes?


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## dmc (Feb 28, 2011)

gmcunni said:


> i just checked the catamount web cam and I don't see any attendants on any of the lifts.



OMG!!! THE CHILDREN!!! :razz:


----------



## SKidds (Feb 28, 2011)

Sing it Whitney.........


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## dmc (Feb 28, 2011)

SKidds said:


> AZ Course Schedule - Spring 2011
> 
> dmc - Internet posting etiquette - Monday 3:00 - 5:00
> ctenidae - Proper gramattical usage - Monday - 5:00 - 7:00
> ...



I'm sure a few folks from here wouldn't agree with my teaching posted etiquette..


----------



## ctenidae (Feb 28, 2011)

SKidds said:


> AZ Course Schedule - Spring 2011
> 
> dmc - Internet posting etiquette - Monday 3:00 - 5:00
> ctenidae - Proper gramattical usage - Monday - 5:00 - 7:00
> ...



Certainly need a volunteer for Smiley Useage 201.

JB's "their" problem is particularly grating- it's not a typo- it's either laziness or ignorance. The first I can't abide, the second I'll try to correct.


----------



## SKidds (Feb 28, 2011)

What are you talking about......you are that elective that EVERYBODY wants to take.  Every college has 'em..........and you don't take it for the right reasons, if education is your goal!!!!


----------



## ctenidae (Feb 28, 2011)

gmcunni said:


> no dinner break between classes?



Blueberries after class.


----------



## JBSki (Feb 28, 2011)

You should have used an exclamation mark instead of a question mark on your last statement. 

Pehaps people should start a new thread if they want to talk about Hunter or grammer. 
I apoligize for my grammatic slips, but I am not here (nor hear nor there or their) to be schooled or discuss Hunter. I am a nebie to this forum, but i do stay to the topic in forus which is what you should do.


----------



## SKidds (Feb 28, 2011)

Kudos on the JB smack down for off topic posts.  Point taken!!!   ahem....noob, and/or newbie.....ahem


----------



## Breeze (Feb 28, 2011)

JBSki said:


> Loading was smooth when the attendant was their earlier ( he loaded the kids nicely and spaced everyone so their was no pileup at the top. , Everything changed when he disappeared from from 2:45 to 4:00 (which is when we left.) Operator was at the top shoveling snow as i was screaming for him to stop the carpet. Like i said - I told him they need a loading attendant - no one showed up.
> 
> Holiday weekend / crowded / day /night /etc - Their is no excuse / reason to have a BEGINNER carpet / lift without a loading attendant period. It is dangerous to kids learning how to ski.



Was  anyone really  injured?  Or  are you   just cranking up a siren here? 

We know you are   pissed.  OK?? We know  you are  royally pissed. 

 We don't  know if the  lift attendant's own child was  injured   elsewhere on the  mountain, we don't  know  whether s/ he was  called to another lift to assist  in an urgent situation, we don't know whether  the  lift attendant  had  gotten to 63 hours in the  work week and was told to punch out so s/he wouldn't  qualify  for Overtime  Pay.   We don't  know  whether  the lift  attendant's  car got  smacked in  the parking  lot (  was  s/he needed to identify  his  car and   damages) , and we  don't  know  that his/her   wife/mother/father/ other  close relative   wasn't headed to the hospital by  WHAAAAAMbulance . 

All we know is that   YOU  are  screaming bloody murder  that  your day was wrecked and you paid  good  money  and you told  Catamount  to stuff their  offer  to  make it  good for you and  your kids. 

Breeze


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## dmc (Feb 28, 2011)

JBSki said:


> You should have used an exclamation mark instead of a question mark on your last statement.
> 
> Pehaps people should start a new thread if they want to talk about Hunter or grammer.
> I apoligize for my grammatic slips, but I am not here (nor hear nor there or their) to be schooled or discuss Hunter. I am a nebie to this forum, but i do stay to the topic in forus which is what you should do.



Tell it to the moderators...

I think we can do whatever we please and take this thread where we chose unless otherwise told..


----------



## SKidds (Feb 28, 2011)

Breeze said:


> All we know is that   YOU  are  screaming bloody murder  that  your day was wrecked and you paid  good  money  and you told  Catamount  to stuff their  offer  to  make it  good for you and  your kids.
> Breeze


Zowie....@#$%.....BIFF.......*&^%#@.......Kapow!!!!!!  Holy mother of all smack downs, Batman!!


----------



## wa-loaf (Feb 28, 2011)

It's not AlpineZone if a thread doesn't go off topic. Glad you are sticking to your guns, but the grammar thing is kind of annoying ...


----------



## gmcunni (Feb 28, 2011)

dmc said:


> Tell it to the moderators...
> 
> I think we can do whatever we please and take this thread where we chose unless otherwise told..



so if a mod told you to stop you would?

JBSki, don't sweat it.. all this chatter keeps your thread title "Catamount is the worst in the EAST" on the top of the list for all to see. your message is getting out there.

as said before, i skied catamount last year and had a fun time. place is a bit run down and i don't find the story you told to be shocking (as in far fetched). if i felt the safety of my kids was put in jeopardy i'd make sure others heard it too.


----------



## ctenidae (Feb 28, 2011)

JBSki said:


> You should have used an exclamation mark instead of a question mark on your last statement.
> 
> Pehaps people should start a new thread if they want to talk about Hunter or grammer.
> I apoligize for my grammatic slips, but I am not here (nor hear nor there or their) to be schooled or discuss Hunter. I am a nebie to this forum, but i do stay to the topic in forus which is what you should do.



No, I shouldn't have. It was a question.
Threads go off topic, particularly after they've lived out their natural lives. There's not much else we can talk about regarding Catamount's lifties, so now we're on to classes about the intarwebby and your familiarity with the English language.

We don't like beating dead horses, so we keep an eye out for ones that are only mostly dead.


----------



## dmc (Feb 28, 2011)

gmcunni said:


> so if a mod told you to stop you would?



Yes - I respect Greg, JimG and DHS... and will generally abide..

the other one I could care less about...


----------



## SKidds (Feb 28, 2011)

EDIT WARNING.......EDIT WARNING



gmcunni said:


> EDIT WARNING........skied catamount last year and......place is a bit run down.....and....i felt the safety of my kids was put in jeopardy......EDIT WARNING


Troll!

PS - this quote has been edited for your adult entertainment enjoyment!!!!


----------



## ERJ-145CA (Feb 28, 2011)

I skied there last season and enjoyed it.


----------



## gmcunni (Feb 28, 2011)

dmc said:


> Yes - I respect Greg, JimG and DHS... and will generally abide..
> 
> the other one I could care less about...



grammer check - couldN'T care less about .. could care less about implies there is still room for caring.


----------



## dmc (Feb 28, 2011)

gmcunni said:


> grammer check - couldN'T care less about .. could care less about implies there is still room for caring.



There is still room for caring..


----------



## SKidds (Feb 28, 2011)

From Whitney to The Lion King.........


----------



## bvibert (Feb 28, 2011)

JBSki said:


> Loading was smooth when the attendant was their earlier ( he loaded the kids nicely and spaced everyone so their was no pileup at the top. , Everything changed when he disappeared from from 2:45 to 4:00 (which is when we left.) Operator was at the top shoveling snow as i was screaming for him to stop the carpet. Like i said - I told him they need a loading attendant - no one showed up.
> 
> Holiday weekend / crowded / day /night /etc - Their is no excuse / reason to have a BEGINNER carpet / lift without a loading attendant period. It is dangerous to kids learning how to ski.



I'm confused?  There was or was not an attendant at the top?  In your original post you said there wasn't, and that the bottom guy took off at 2:45, leaving us to believe that NO ONE was working the carpet at all.



JBSki said:


> *and their was no lift attendant at the top all day* and the attendant left the bottom of the lift between 2:45 and 4pm. ( which would be great for those who don’t want to buy a lift ticket)



No one running the lift at all would be very bad.  However twice now you've stated that there was indeed someone at the top, which isn't bad.

At our local mountain we have a short conveyor lift that is normally only manned by one guy at the top.  He (or she) can see the entire length and take care of any problems along the way.  Sometimes there's someone at the bottom helping space out the kids on busy days, but no usually.  It's nice to have, but totally not necessary.  My 3 year old has no problems getting on it by himself.  Sometimes he gets too close to the person in front of him, which can cause some pile ups at the top.  It's not rocket science to get the kids sorted out though.

If there was an operator on top and they failed to stop the lift at all when someone fell then that's a pretty big problem.


----------



## JBSki (Feb 28, 2011)

bvibert said:


> I'm confused?  There was or was not an attendant at the top?  In your original post you said there wasn't, and that the bottom guy took off at 2:45, leaving us to believe that NO ONE was working the carpet at all.
> 
> 
> 
> ...




The operator was in a booth - at the top of the hill. No loading or unloading attendant. One time when my son fell the Operator who should have been in the booth was shoveling snow with his back turned to us ( old guy who looked like santa) . As i was coming up with my son dragging behind, i yelled at him to stop the lift. before he had a chance to run in and stop it a skier neer the lift scooped up my son and staightened him up - the carpet never stopped.


----------



## ctenidae (Feb 28, 2011)

So, what have we learned here today?

1) Catamount's magic carpet operations leave some (considerable, even) room for improvement
B) It's good form to introduce yourself to the community before posting harshly negative things, no matter how true or important they may be to you
Third, grammar counts
Finally, DMC (and this is the shocker of all ) respects the mods. Some of them, anyway.
4) I can't count.

Good class today. For homework, please read chapters 15 to 34 in your texts, and prepare a 3-5 page essay on the history of the Roman Catholic Church. Be brief, but complete. Tomorrow, we're going to disect a dead rhino. It'll be fun.


----------



## gmcunni (Feb 28, 2011)

ctenidae said:


> Finally, DMC (and this is the shocker of all ) respects the mods. Some of them, anyway.



+1


----------



## Puck it (Feb 28, 2011)

Crap. I leave to go to the Ski Haus and get some core shots filled. And I miss all of the fun. Damn, I wanted some fun today.


----------



## JBSki (Feb 28, 2011)

dmc said:


> Yes - I respect Greg, JimG and DHS... and will generally abide..
> 
> the other one I could care less about...



Also, that people that talk trash behind a keyboard are usually whips in person that play the skin flute better than the drums and ski down Powder Puff instead of Crossover at Hunter.


----------



## dmc (Feb 28, 2011)

JBSki said:


> Also, that people that talk trash behind a keyboard are usually whips in person that play the skin flute better than the drums and ski down Powder Puff instead of Crossover at Hunter.



I'm a mediocre drummer at best...


----------



## ctenidae (Feb 28, 2011)

dmc said:


> I'm a mediocre drummer at best...



But you rip up Powder Puff.


----------



## legalskier (Feb 28, 2011)

ctenidae said:


> For homework, please read chapters 15 to 34 in your texts, and prepare a 3-5 page essay on the history of the Roman Catholic Church. Be brief, but complete.



I've been watching _The Tudors_ so I'll do the part about Henry VIII.


----------



## dmc (Feb 28, 2011)

ctenidae said:


> But you rip up Powder Puff.



I don't ski at areas that name trails "Powder Puff"...  I find it degrading...


----------



## dmc (Feb 28, 2011)

Puck it said:


> Crap. I leave to go to the Ski Haus and get some core shots filled. And I miss all of the fun. Damn, I wanted some fun today.



SkiHause!?!?!?!  They suck... haha... kidding...


----------



## Puck it (Feb 28, 2011)

dmc said:


> SkiHause!?!?!?!  They suck... haha... kidding...



I think you have a new friend. You better check to see if he friended you on FB.


----------



## threecy (Feb 28, 2011)

JBSki said:


> their was no lift attendant at the top all day and the attendant left the bottom of the lift between 2:45 and 4pm.





JBSki said:


> The operator was in a booth - at the top of the hill. No loading or unloading attendant.



The original post was very misleading...it made it sound like the lift was abandoned for 1.25 hours.  Instead, we now hear that there were two lift ops on it for most of the day, with the exception of 1.25 hours in which there was only one.



Bottom line, though...lift operators are lift operators - they are not ski instructors.  They are not there to teach people how to ski, how to ride a lift, or to pick people up on a constant basis.


----------



## carbonXshell (Feb 28, 2011)

gmcunni said:


> true BUT - could be a long time lurker who finally decided to register



Exactly, right now there's 729 guests reading the forums :roll:


----------



## neil (Feb 28, 2011)

Wow...what a noob, everyone knows Killington is the worst in the east!


----------



## wa-loaf (Feb 28, 2011)

carbonXshell said:


> Exactly, right now there's 729 guests reading the forums :roll:



728 bots ..


----------



## mlctvt (Feb 28, 2011)

carbonXshell said:


> Exactly, right now there's 729 guests reading the forums :roll:



How many will want to join and post anything now?  :smile:


----------



## gmcunni (Feb 28, 2011)

wa-loaf said:


> 728 bots ..



be nice, bots are people too ya know.


----------



## gmcunni (Feb 28, 2011)

mlctvt said:


> How many will want to join and post anything now?  :smile:



you put the smiley but very true statement.


----------



## ctenidae (Feb 28, 2011)

gmcunni said:


> you put the smiley but very true statement.



Self selection isn't always a bad thing.

Besides, we all joined, didn't we? And all of us in spite of people like us.


----------



## gmcunni (Feb 28, 2011)

ctenidae said:


> Self selection isn't always a bad thing.
> 
> Besides, we all joined, didn't we? And all of us in spite of people like us.



it was a kinder gentler AZ back then


----------



## dmc (Feb 28, 2011)

gmcunni said:


> it was a kinder gentler AZ back then



HAHA.... Things were a LOT worse back in the day..  Like 2001ish...


----------



## gmcunni (Feb 28, 2011)

dmc said:


> HAHA.... Things were a LOT worse back in the day..  Like 2001ish...



before my time old man  ;-)


----------



## Grassi21 (Feb 28, 2011)

dmc said:


> Tell it to the moderators...
> 
> I think we can do whatever we please and take this thread where we chose unless otherwise told..



:smile:


----------



## Grassi21 (Feb 28, 2011)

ctenidae said:


> So, what have we learned here today?
> 
> 1) Catamount's magic carpet operations leave some (considerable, even) room for improvement
> B) It's good form to introduce yourself to the community before posting harshly negative things, no matter how true or important they may be to you
> ...



:lol: this is good stuff.


----------



## marcski (Feb 28, 2011)

gmcunni said:


> it was a kinder gentler AZ back then




Tell that to GSS.


----------



## wa-loaf (Feb 28, 2011)

marcski said:


> Tell that to GSS.



Isn't Catamount your local hill marcski?


----------



## marcski (Mar 1, 2011)

wa-loaf said:


> Isn't Catamount your local hill marcski?



It is, we have passes.  Weren't there the past 2 weekends.  I've also never seen an unmanned lift there, but we don't take the Magic Carpet.  I lift my girls and put them on the chairlift with me.  We also do the seasonal lease thing, so I've never been inside the rental shop.   
Also, how does one fall off of a Magic Carpet?  I mean...all you're doing is standing still??

I re-read the OP.  O.k. he says since there was no lift attendant to put the kids on, they were not standing straight so they're skis were crooked and they hit the edges of the carpet and fell off.  But, the OP also said he took them to the Magic Carpet and that his kids are beginners. So, isn't he the one that should have been picking up his kids if they fell?


----------



## severine (Mar 1, 2011)

marcski said:


> It is, we have passes.  Weren't there the past 2 weekends.  I've also never seen an unmanned lift there, but we don't take the Magic Carpet.  I lift my girls and put them on the chairlift with me.  We also do the seasonal lease thing, so I've never been inside the rental shop.
> Also, how does one fall off of a Magic Carpet?  I mean...all you're doing is standing still??


My son thinks it's funny to throw himself down on the magic carpet--I've had to talk with him about that before. 

Some kids lose balance when they're first getting onto the conveyor belt. Or if they start moving around and catch a ski on the edge of the belt. It happens. I've run the carpet before... not rocket science. And I didn't not have anyone loading the bottom of the belt while I was at the top--it wasn't standard procedure. If someone falls, you stop the belt, help them out if necessary, then restart. 

There's a certain element of _learning_ involved, too. When do you intervene and when do you not in trying to teach someone how to use the equipment. If you always pick them up, when will they learn how to do it themselves? And if someone is a stark beginner, where is the parent or instructor then?

I have never been to the carpet area at Catamount but I have skied there before, albeit 6 years ago. Yes, it was pretty basic as far as the lodge and amenities go (though not as basic as Southington, IMHO). I didn't deal with rentals as it's cheaper in the long-run to own your own equipment. I have no complaints and would go back. 

To the OP, I know you said you spoke with someone while you were there, but you should consider sitting down and putting your experience into writing to the mountain itself. Again, it gives them a chance to consider the situation and improve upon it. Then you can be sure that the information gets into the hands of the right person as well, as there are no guarantees that whomever you spoke with passed the word along to the right person/people. There is some confusion in what you have stated regarding whether or not the carpet was manned at all--lack of an attendant loading is not all that unusual in my experience, and the operator is responsible for ensuring the exit ramp is in good shape, but it's no excuse for blatant disregard. It's not grounds for being the "worst in the EAST", but it is certainly something to pause and consider. If it's an isolated event, then it is. If it's more chronic, then letting management know of it will allow them to rectify the matter. Much more effective in the long run. Good luck!


----------



## SkiDork (Mar 2, 2011)

this thread:


----------



## gmcunni (Mar 2, 2011)

dmc said:


> In my typical fashion...
> 
> I've pinged Catamount and asked them to come give their side of the story..
> 
> Hopefully will make for some good internet...



Their* silence is deafening.  No denial from MGT = claims must be true. 


* please note the proper use of "their"


----------



## billski (Mar 2, 2011)

It must be raining again. :-x:angry::-x


----------



## Greg (Mar 2, 2011)

JBSki - how far did you travel to take your kids skiing at Catamount? Are there closer options? Just curious.

I have a 5 and 8 year old, and when I take them skiing, I consider _myself _the *primary *person responsible for their safety. I also wouldn't dream of skiing with them simultaneously before both were relatively capable. It was one at a time for a while with my kids. Two young kids flopping around is just too much for anyone's enjoyment.

My kids also have their own gear. You can easily find used gear for cheap if you plan ahead. Or season rentals are a good option to see if they like it. Getting set up for day rentals is a drag no matter where you go. You have to make a ski day as efficient as possible for your kids' maximum enjoyment so also stay close to home; they don't need much to learn.

Finally, set your expectations accordingly. I suspect based on your initial rant, you were stressed out overall, and all these relatively minor issues built up. As mentioned before teaching your kids to ski is A LOT of work so you better be prepared for it.

So....sorry about your bad experience, but I think you could have been better prepared for it. Sounds like you took on too much.....


----------



## legalskier (Mar 2, 2011)

gmcunni said:


> Their* silence is deafening.  No denial from MGT = claims must be true."



Or this:
_Adoptive admission means an act or declaration by a party indicating the approval of statement made by the other. Adoptive admission infers the acceptance of the truth of the act or declaration made by the other party.
In order to constitute an adoptive admission the following conditions must be satisfied:
(1)that statement was made to the defendant or made in his/ her presence;
(2)that the defendant heard and understood the statement;
(3)that the he defendant would, under all the circumstances, naturally have denied the statement if he/she thought it was not true; and
(4)that the defendant could have denied it but did not.
In People v. Zavala, 168 Cal. App. 4th 772 [Cal. Ct. App. 2008] the court observed that “for the adoptive admission exception to the hearsay rule to apply, direct accusation in so many words is not essential. To warrant admissibility, it is sufficient that the evidence supports a reasonable inference that an accusatory statement was made under circumstances affording a fair opportunity to deny the accusation; whether the defendant's conduct actually constituted an adoptive admission becomes a question for the jury to decide”._
http://definitions.uslegal.com/a/adoptive-admission/


----------



## gmcunni (Mar 2, 2011)

legalskier said:


> Or this:
> _Adoptive admission means an act or declaration by a party indicating the approval of statement made by the other. Adoptive admission infers the acceptance of the truth of the act or declaration made by the other party.
> In order to constitute an adoptive admission the following conditions must be satisfied:
> (1)that statement was made to the defendant or made in his/ her presence;
> ...



1) JBSkier reported the issue to the lift attendant and the Manager
2) lift attendant said he would call it in, manager apologized for JB's problems
3) MGR offered hush money in the form of free vouchers
4) see #3

i declare a mistrial! take the defendant into custody, off with his head.


----------



## legalskier (Mar 2, 2011)

gmcunni said:


> take the defendant into custody, off with his head.








_*Sentence now, trial later!!*_


----------



## threecy (Mar 2, 2011)

gmcunni said:


> 1) JBSkier reported the issue to the lift attendant and the Manager
> 2) lift attendant said he would call it in, manager apologized for JB's problems
> 3) MGR offered hush money in the form of free vouchers



Correction...an anonymous person on the internet alleged this to have happened.  We already saw that the original story appeared to be misleading...how knows how much else of it is as it appears.


----------



## Puck it (Mar 2, 2011)

threecy said:


> Correction...an anonymous person on the internet alleged this to have happened.  We already saw that the original story appeared to be misleading...how knows how much else of it is as it appears.



We all are though in one way or another.


----------



## gmcunni (Mar 2, 2011)

threecy said:


> Correction...an anonymous person on the internet alleged this to have happened.  We already saw that the original story appeared to be misleading...how knows how much else of it is as it appears.



don't correct me. you're*  an anonymous person on the intent, why should we believe you.

* proper usage, again!


----------



## ctenidae (Mar 2, 2011)

gmcunni said:


> don't correct me. you're*  an anonymous person on the intent, why should we believe you*.*
> * proper usage, again!



You should use a question mark to end an interrogative sentence, though.


----------



## gmcunni (Mar 2, 2011)

ctenidae said:


> you should use a question mark to end an interrogative sentence, though.



doh !


----------



## skizilla (Mar 2, 2011)

*Catamount Awesome but getting old*

I personally love catamount.  Tied with B erkshire East for best mountain in Massachusetts in my mind.  I would throw Jimminy in but it is a little to same same for me and they killed brodie and took away riptide glades so I am mad and biased
Plus for me catamount has great terrain variety.  Steeps, some moguls, a beginner area, close neet terrain parks and banked turn features.

Negatives, infrastructure getting old, base area kind of ramshackle looking. grooming so, so.

For kids I don't know Butternut would probably be better.  But it does have a distinct beginner area and lots of terrain park features for when they get older.  I also don't know about their ski school.

Worst in the East I don't think so.  But be specific about what you don't like and again stop acting like a troll.  Whoops I just fed the troll.


----------



## hrstrat57 (Mar 2, 2011)

Free lift tickets?

Free?  That is the ultimate olive branch for a ski area no?

My .02, I really just wanted to post in this very important thread.

I will get to Catamount next season....that $27 midweek liftee is pretty tempting.....and what I saw on "The Mountain Report" looked pretty nice.


----------



## gmcunni (Mar 2, 2011)

skizilla said:


> Worst in the East I don't think so.  But be specific about what you don't like and again stop acting like a troll.  Whoops I just fed the troll.



personally, i don't think JB was trolling but you make a good point. how good a place is really depends what you need as an individual or family.

Catamount was in the Snow East Magazine top 10 last season so obviously it isn't just you (and me) who have enjoyed skiing there.

http://www.snoweastmagazine.com/articles/Reader Survey 2010/SE ReaderSurveyOverallWinners2010.pdf


----------



## Greg (Mar 2, 2011)

skizilla said:


> I personally love catamount.  Tied with B erkshire East for best mountain in Massachusetts in my mind.  I would throw Jimminy in but it is a little to same same for me and they killed brodie and took away riptide glades so I am mad and biased
> Plus for me catamount has great terrain variety.  Steeps, some moguls, a beginner area, close neet terrain parks and banked turn features.
> 
> Negatives, infrastructure getting old, base area kind of ramshackle looking. grooming so, so.
> ...



Agree with you about the quality of the terrain at Catamount. Good pitch and bumps, jsut not a lot of terrain overall. And Butternut would've been way better for beginner kids, but the OP would have surly found Butternut way too busy. Place is an absolutely zoo on the Sunday of a holiday weekend.


----------



## gladerider (Mar 2, 2011)

the mountain is what it is. the people who run it make the difference sometimes. JB is pointing out issues with management not the mountain. he is pointing out some correctable issues, that's all.

some people defending the mountain here look like blind kiss a$$es to me. everyone's entitled to his/her opinion, i guess. i'm with you JB. i have kids and i would be pissed if that happened to me.


----------



## Greg (Mar 2, 2011)

gladerider said:


> some people defending the mountain here look like blind kiss a$$es to me. everyone's entitled to his/her opinion, i guess. i'm with you JB. i have kids and i would be pissed if that happened to me.



I have kids too, and I simply pointed out some things that the OP could've done different which would have resulted in a better experience....not blindly kissing ass as you say. Can't blame the mountain entirely for some poor planning.


----------



## twinplanx (Mar 2, 2011)

marcski said:


> Tell that to GSS.



Seriously. What Happened here. AZ used to be like Cheers:beer: now it's like a crotchety old mans VFW hall type of place:argue::-(


Can't we all just Ski along?


----------



## oakapple (Mar 3, 2011)

gladerider said:


> some people defending the mountain here look like blind kiss a$$es to me. everyone's entitled to his/her opinion, i guess. i'm with you JB. i have kids and i would be pissed if that happened to me.


I don't think folks are blind a$$es, just because they disagree with JB.

I also think that folks took issue with "worst in the east," which besides being probably untrue, JB was not in a position to say.


----------



## ctenidae (Mar 3, 2011)

twinplanx said:


> Seriously. What Happened here. AZ used to be like Cheers:beer: now it's like a crotchety old mans VFW hall type of place:argue::-(
> 
> 
> Can't we all just Ski along?



Get off my lawn.

It's still like Cheers- Sam, Cliff, and the gang would have put the smackdown on anyone who strolled into the bar and started badmouthing the Celtics right off the bat.


----------



## gmcunni (Mar 3, 2011)

ctenidae said:


> Get off my lawn.
> 
> It's still like Cheers- Sam, Cliff, and the gang would have put the smackdown on anyone who strolled into the bar and started badmouthing the Celtics right off the bat.



Magic, sugarbush and sundown are the celtics, catamont is some unknown division 2 college team. ;-)


----------



## o3jeff (Mar 3, 2011)

gmcunni said:


> Magic, sugarbush and sundown are the celtics, catamont is some unknown division 2 college team. ;-)



Shouldn't the first letters of places be capitalized?


----------



## Greg (Mar 3, 2011)

o3jeff said:


> Shouldn't the first letters of places be capitalized?



You question should have been phrased as:

"Shouldn't the first letter of places be capitalized?"

:dunce:


----------



## buellski (Mar 3, 2011)

Greg said:


> You question should have been phrased as:



It's "Your question", not "You question". :razz:


----------



## dmc (Mar 3, 2011)

Saw a girl with a Catamount jacket in the Denver airport..
I yelled - "Catamount magic carpet ride attendants SUCK!!!"


----------



## ctenidae (Mar 3, 2011)

dmc said:


> Saw a girl with a Catamount jacket in the Denver airport..
> I yelled - "Catamount magic carpet ride attendants SUCK!!!"



Yur teh funnay!


----------



## dmc (Mar 3, 2011)

ctenidae said:


> Yur teh funnay!



She had it coming...   Friggin feeder ski area skier...


----------



## SkiDork (Mar 3, 2011)

dmc said:


> She had it coming...   Friggin feeder ski area skier...


----------



## campgottagopee (Mar 3, 2011)

dmc said:


> Saw a girl with a Catamount jacket in the Denver airport..
> I yelled - "Catamount magic carpet ride attendants SUCK!!!"



Classic


----------



## twinplanx (Mar 3, 2011)

ctenidae said:


> Get off my lawn.
> 
> It's still like Cheers- Sam, Cliff, and the gang would have put the smackdown on anyone who strolled into the bar and started badmouthing the Celtics right off the bat.



Yeah but you guys are less like Sam & Cliff... more like Carla


----------



## WakeboardMom (Mar 3, 2011)

gmcunni said:


> grammer check - couldN'T care less about .. could care less about implies there is still room for caring.



Hold on...!!  Shouldn't it be "grammar?"  Just askin'...!  ; )


----------



## ctenidae (Mar 3, 2011)

WakeboardMom said:


> Hold on...!!  Shouldn't it be "grammar?"  Just askin'...!  ; )



Now, that's just getting nitpicky!


----------



## legalskier (Mar 3, 2011)

WakeboardMom said:


> Hold on...!!  Shouldn't it be "grammar?"  Just askin'...!  ; )



...um, no, that's right.


----------



## gmcunni (Mar 4, 2011)

JBSkier, have you heard anything further from Catamount management? Wondering if DMC's reachout or the noise here has gotten their attention.


----------



## marcski (Mar 4, 2011)

Didn't he say, they already offered him free vouchers. I assume they also apologized along with those vouchers.  What else could they really do?  I heard mgt's first born died in a freak magic carpet accident anyway.


----------



## gmcunni (Mar 4, 2011)

marcski said:


> Didn't he say, they already offered him free vouchers. I assume they also apologized along with those vouchers.  What else could they really do?  I heard mgt's first born died in a freak magic carpet accident anyway.



DMC had invited MGT to the conversation but i hadn't seen anything public so i was just curious if there was further dialog between the parties.


----------



## dmc (Mar 9, 2011)

Saw this at ABasin...

AN UNATTENDED MAGIC CARPET!!!!
i did not see bodies piling up...


----------



## neil (Mar 9, 2011)

Snow looks awesome there


----------



## ctenidae (Mar 9, 2011)

neil said:


> Snow looks awesome there



Crowds seem pretty bad, too


----------



## dmc (Mar 9, 2011)

ctenidae said:


> Crowds seem pretty bad, too



Sunday there were some people there... Parking lot filled up..
Monday the place was a ghost town..


----------



## gmcunni (Mar 9, 2011)

the friday i was there that whole line of cars up against the snow were set up for tailgating at lunch time.  very cool vibe @ abasin.


----------



## dmc (Mar 9, 2011)

gmcunni said:


> the friday i was there that whole line of cars up against the snow were set up for tailgating at lunch time.  very cool vibe @ abasin.



thats called the beach..
You can reserve spots close up to tailgate...  We backed right up to the edge by the Pali lift..  Very nice...


----------



## marcski (Mar 9, 2011)

The Beach and A-Basin is the epitomy of Spring skiing.


----------



## dmc (Mar 9, 2011)

marcski said:


> The Beach and A-Basin is the epitomy pf Spring skiing.



they should put a magic carpet lift from the Palli chair to the beach..


----------



## gorgonzola (Mar 9, 2011)

i read a few these posts before slipping into a semi coma, never could find out how the actual SKIING was, which after all should probably be at least a small determining factor to be classified as THE WORST ski area or whatever it was on a SKIING forum.... never mind, back to fartbags and daddyday cares


----------



## legalskier (Mar 10, 2011)

dmc said:


> Saw this at ABasin...
> 
> AN UNATTENDED MAGIC CARPET!!!!
> i did not see bodies piling up...]



Too funny!
Come to think of it, so are those moving walkways...





(Note the guy cleaning the glass by standing still.)

...and escalators.




(Note the geniuses.)


----------



## emmaurice2 (Mar 10, 2011)

legalskier said:


> Too funny!
> Come to think of it, so are those moving walkways...
> 
> 
> ...



Ha! Nice comparison 
Although, I've been through O'Hare during peak hours and they had airport employees monitoring the sections between the moving walkways to keep traffic flowing...people were actually stop between the walkways... :angry:
Meanwhile I had 20 minutes to get from one end of the airport to the other to get a connecting flight...I didn't make it.  
Wow...this has really gone off-topic.  Guess I'm just bored, weather making me antsy...


----------



## ERJ-145CA (Mar 10, 2011)

legalskier said:


> Too funny!
> Come to think of it, so are those moving walkways...
> 
> 
> ...



The escalator picture is photoshopped right?  What lazy asses would use escalators to get to a fitness center.:lol:


----------



## gmcunni (Mar 10, 2011)

ERJ-145CA said:


> The escalator picture is photoshopped right?  What lazy asses would use escalators to get to a fitness center.:lol:



maybe they are into weight training and don't like cardio


----------



## Black Phantom (Apr 7, 2011)

The Cat has closed for the season.

Anybody hike it? Or attempt the Magic Carpet?:razz:


----------



## planb420 (Apr 8, 2011)

BEWARE UNATTENDED CARPETS!!!:dunce:


----------



## gmcunni (Dec 22, 2011)

i wonder if things will improve this season.


----------



## Hawkshot99 (Dec 22, 2011)

The last time I tried to go to Catamount, I pulled into the lot the evening of a day they had received 12"+ of snow.  I pulled in the lot only to be told by the man driving the excavator that they received to much snow and did not open that day...


----------



## emmaurice2 (Dec 22, 2011)

Wow, how did this monster resurface?

I plan on skiing Catamount this season.  Slow lifts and unattended magic carpets be damned.


----------



## Bene288 (Dec 22, 2011)

Catamount is good for a nice, slow paced cheap day of skiing. Nothing wrong with that. For $28 a day mid week or whatever they're charging this season, how much can you complain?


----------



## Bacon (Dec 23, 2011)

Hawkshot99 said:


> The last time I tried to go to Catamount, I pulled into the lot the evening of a day they had received 12"+ of snow.  I pulled in the lot only to be told by the man driving the excavator that they received to much snow and did not open that day...



When was that?


----------



## powhunter (Dec 23, 2011)

Does the cat get crowded on holiday weeks..Midweek??

Steveo


----------



## gmcunni (Dec 23, 2011)

i'm going to try a revisit this season.


----------



## Bacon (Dec 23, 2011)

powhunter said:


> Does the cat get crowded on holiday weeks..Midweek??
> 
> Steveo



Some holiday weekends it can get crowded. Much better since the quad was installed a few years back. Midweek is great...


----------



## SteveInCT (Dec 23, 2011)

I am probably going to head up there on Christmas day.


----------



## steamboat1 (Dec 23, 2011)

I haven't skied Catamount since I was a kid. All I know is that the Chief Martindale diner which is right off the exit on the Taconic for Catamount has the best fried codfish diner on weekends, very reasonably priced. Long live Chief Martindale diner.


----------



## Hawkshot99 (Dec 23, 2011)

Bacon said:


> When was that?



4 or 5 years ago.  I ended up driving North till I found Bosquet in Pittsfield and skied there.


----------



## gmcunni (Dec 29, 2013)

my son said he's going to catamount this week, i'll have him check out the magic carpet for us.


----------



## emmaurice2 (Dec 29, 2013)

gmcunni said:


> my son said he's going to catamount this week, i'll have him check out the magic carpet for us.



I'll be curious to hear what he has to say.  I have a free ticket to use, but I won't go if the magic carpet is still unattended.


----------



## ss20 (Dec 29, 2013)

I'm going to the Cat New Year's Eve.  Lot's of variety.  They don't groom everything.  The Quad always has short lines.  The Triple and Double get swamped though, so it's not the best place for a beginner on a weekend.  Long trails for MA.


----------



## emmaurice2 (Dec 29, 2013)

ss20 said:


> I'm going to the Cat New Year's Eve.  Lot's of variety.  They don't groom everything.  The Quad always has short lines.  The Triple and Double get swamped though, so it's not the best place for a beginner on a weekend.  Long trails for MA.



I was being facetious, I ski there frequently.:grin:  The OP had a very bad experience and complained that the magic carpet was unattended, which isn't good of course, but she really blew things out of proportion imho.  This thread gets bumped for laughs from time to time.


----------



## ss20 (Dec 30, 2013)

emmaurice2 said:


> I was being facetious, I ski there frequently.:grin:  The OP had a very bad experience and complained that the magic carpet was unattended, which isn't good of course, but she really blew things out of proportion imho.  This thread gets bumped for laughs from time to time.



Yeah, management is a bit "laid back" from what I've perceived from going their the last 6 or 7 years.  Nice though, family run business atmosphere.


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## Snowlover (Dec 30, 2013)

What's so dangerous about leaving a magic carpet unattended?(I ddint' read all 24 pages) It's not a lift, which would be extremely dangerous to leave unattended for obvious reasons.


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## emmaurice2 (Dec 30, 2013)

Snowlover said:


> What's so dangerous about leaving a magic carpet unattended?(I ddint' read all 24 pages) It's not a lift, which would be extremely dangerous to leave unattended for obvious reasons.



If one kid falls over, it's like dominoes if the carpet keeps moving.


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## Rowsdower (Dec 30, 2013)

Snowlover said:


> What's so dangerous about leaving a magic carpet unattended?(I ddint' read all 24 pages) It's not a lift, which would be extremely dangerous to leave unattended for obvious reasons.



Somebody could get sucked under, like an escalator.


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## Snowlover (Dec 30, 2013)

Rowsdower said:


> Somebody could get sucked under, like an escalator.



So how come we don't have escalator attendents?  And I'd be a little more worried about the metal of an escalator. lol


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## Snowlover (Dec 30, 2013)

emmaurice2 said:


> If one kid falls over, it's like dominoes if the carpet keeps moving.



That's actually kind of funny. lol Sorry.


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## Snowlover (Dec 30, 2013)

The carpet was my best friend when I learned to snowboard. Boy was that chairlift scary. Now I ski. Learning the chairlift is cake in ski's. Of course I'm a much better skier than snowboard anyway.


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## Rowsdower (Dec 30, 2013)

Snowlover said:


> So how come we don't have escalator attendents?  And I'd be a little more worried about the metal of an escalator. lol



Don't worry, I was being sarcastic.


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## KD7000 (Dec 30, 2013)

Man, I forgot all about this thread.  I think if I make a Berkshires trip this winter, I'll hit up the worst mountain in the East.


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## Abominable (Jan 2, 2014)

Skied the Big Cat yesterday for the first time in many years.  Forgot what a nice place it was.  Reasonable day trip from NYC.

Conditions were surprisingly good early - groomers were fast but you could carve 'em pretty good.  Run of the day was Glade to On Stage.  There was no one there, the sun was out, the views were good and it was a nice day.  Maybe about 11 a few folks showed up and it got pretty icy / skied off in spots by the afternoon.

Interestingly, the entire middle of the mountain of the mountain is woods with one switchback trail.  Wonder what that looks like with two feet of fresh snow.  Looked very tight and grown in from the lift.  I'm sure someone knows a few lines in there though.

Looks like things are gonna change over the next few years: 

"The first building, covering 120,000 square feet, will contain 63 one-, two- and three-bedroom suites ranging from 500 to 1,500 square feet each. The units will have “fractional ownership” and be sold as “fifth shares,” said Mr. Freeman, explaining that the units will be vacation homes where the owners spend time every fifth weekend.
When not in use by the owners, the suites will be available for occupancy by hotel guests, he said.
The suites will be comparable to those in four-to-five star hotels, with high-end features such as gas fireplaces and granite countertops.
The first phase will also include a restaurant and lounge, fitness center, an indoor/outdoor swimming pool, Jacuzzis, fire pits, meeting facilities, a spa, locker rooms and “club space.”
With the hotel situated at the base of the mountain and about 30 feet away from a ski lift, visitors will be able to ski on and off the mountain from their suites.
Mr. Freeman said he hopes to start selling and taking orders in late spring 2014 with an eye toward breaking ground in late summer 2014 or the spring of 2015.
The second building phase includes building a new Catamount Ski Lodge, banquet facilities, 20 more residential units and support retail space.
In the third phase, 70 residential units will be constructed along with more retail space and owner amenities.
“The goal is to change the experience,” said Mr. Freeman..."

http://www.columbiapaper.com/index.php/the-news/3888-by-diane-valden


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## C-Rex (Jan 2, 2014)

Abominable said:


> Skied the Big Cat yesterday for the first time in many years. Forgot what a nice place it was. Reasonable day trip from NYC.
> 
> Conditions were surprisingly good early - groomers were fast but you could carve 'em pretty good. Run of the day was Glade to On Stage. There was no one there, the sun was out, the views were good and it was a nice day. Maybe about 11 a few folks showed up and it got pretty icy / skied off in spots by the afternoon.
> 
> ...



I was there Dec 31st. It was pretty nice as well.  It's a great little mountain with some fun trails, and if the snow is deep enough, you can hit some of the old mountain bike trails in the woods.  Some of the kickers and ladder drops are still there, too!!  I hope they plan to add a faster lift to that list of upgrades.  all they need is one detachable quad and they are good to go.


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## twinplanx (Jan 2, 2014)

I haven't skied the Cat' since I suffered a concussion there back in High School.  That was over twenty years ago and I was probably pushing it to much skiing in the rain :-( 
The bus ride home remains the worst ever, and I have had some brutal bus rides since then... With all the negativity of the magic carpet thread I had not considered skiing there. Nice to see some positivity here, with the right deal I may consider redeeming myself ;-) 

Sent from my SCH-S735C using Tapatalk


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## ss20 (Jan 2, 2014)

I was there New Year's Eve as well.  We need a Catamount Club to combat the Mount Snow Homers, Killington Fanboys, the Sundowners, and Watchusetts Night and Weekend Club 

I had heard about the condo project a few years ago in an article I found online.  Couldn't find anymore information on it so I thought it had died.  It seems like its more of a pipe dream for the owners than an actual, feasible project.  The parking lot is rutted, the "new" lifts purchased (quad and triple) were used, and there hasn't been any snowmaking structure improvements that I know of.  

My point- the owners put in a minimal amount of money into the mountain, yet they've got enough money to build an 80 million, 153 unit condo complex at the base?  Seems quite unlikely...


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## Abominable (Jan 2, 2014)

ss20 said:


> I was there New Year's Eve as well.  We need a Catamount Club to combat the Mount Snow Homers, Killington Fanboys, the Sundowners, and Watchusetts Night and Weekend Club
> 
> I had heard about the condo project a few years ago in an article I found online.  Couldn't find anymore information on it so I thought it had died.  It seems like its more of a pipe dream for the owners than an actual, feasible project.  The parking lot is rutted, the "new" lifts purchased (quad and triple) were used, and there hasn't been any snowmaking structure improvements that I know of.
> 
> My point- the owners put in a minimal amount of money into the mountain, yet they've got enough money to build an 80 million, 153 unit condo complex at the base?  Seems quite unlikely...



Well now I think it's a done deal.  As I understand it (from talking to a ski patrol guy) the mountain is leasing land to the developers to build the condos, and as part of that deal the developer is building them a new lodge.  Although the linked article states that they still need zoning approval, I can't imagine that's a big hurdle as 1. it was approved awhile back, which approval then expired and 2. the state pledge 1.2 million towards the project, and I can't see the state doing that unless local approval was a forgone conclusion.

So get your cheap turns in while you can.


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## ScottySkis (Jan 2, 2014)

I like this hill. I don't know how they will attract enough people to stay in the hotel but wish them luck with that.


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## C-Rex (Jan 2, 2014)

Unfortunately, the owners don't seem to understand the importance of offering a quality product.  I think the lifts and snowmaking equipment need an upgrade before people would be willing to shell out good money for a nice condo on a vacation.  

A number of people tried to introduce a summer mountain biking program a couple years ago but the owners did next to nothing to back it.  The trail builders did the work on their own time, with their own equipment, and materials.  They did an amazing job simply out of their love for the sport, and the only thing the owners did to support them was hire a couple lifties.  They did not advertise at all and kept wondering why no one was showing up.  I asked around at CT bike shops and none of the people knew Catamount even had biking trails, let alone a lift serviced park.  When they couldn't sell more than a handful of tickets each weekend after a couple years in operation, they shut it down.  It's really too bad because they had a good thing going.  Bike parks are really starting to take off on the east coast.  The only good ones are Highland in NH and Mountain Creek in NJ, both of which are 3.5 hours from Hartford.  Catamount would have made a fantastic, and much closer option.

I really hope the owners pull their heads from their rear ends and invest in their product.  The mountain has a lot of potential.


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## Snowlover (Jan 2, 2014)

Abominable said:


> Well now I think it's a done deal.  As I understand it (from talking to a ski patrol guy) the mountain is leasing land to the developers to build the condos, and as part of that deal the developer is building them a new lodge.  Although the linked article states that they still need zoning approval, I can't imagine that's a big hurdle as 1. it was approved awhile back, which approval then expired and 2. the state pledge 1.2 million towards the project, and I can't see the state doing that unless local approval was a forgone conclusion.
> 
> So get your cheap turns in while you can.



Well this totally sucks. We don't need another "Resort" in the area. We've lost enough small affordable local type ski hills already.


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## ScottySkis (Jan 2, 2014)

My favorite hill with natural snow is more known for their mountains biking then the skiing snowboarding. I was their this summer but was dumb and tried using a 200$ bike. It was interesting to say but I Will go biking again but this time rental of a good Down hill bike is a must.


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## Hawkshot99 (Jan 2, 2014)

I used to ski Cat a decent amount as a kid and in college. 
Nice small hill, but if that hotel lodge setup goes though I feel it will bankrup them.
When the well off look to buy a condo they want it to be at a decent ski area. Not a single high speed lift and marginal snowmaking.
They will spend a ton for a hotel that will not payoff. Unless they also invest in the actual mtn. But the mtn needs to be updated before realestate, not the other way around.

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