Mt. Snow Message Board

[ss20]

It seems like there's a lot of people on this forum that are passholders for Mount Snow. I understand there's a season passholder only forum for them. I also understand there was a Q&A with the QM over there, once again, only for passholders. Anything new you guys can tell the people who aren't "in the loop". Sunbrook? West Lake? 900 condos? Atomic bombs? :smile:

 

[mlctvt]

I wasn't at the meeting but here's a summary someone posted on the Mount Snow pass holders forum

three year plan is a new snowmaking pond and re-build of Carinithia lodge. I believe the total cost is about $51M. Plan is to raise money for first year and then two years for construction. They are using the EB-5 plan that Jay Peak did to raise money and hire workers (http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/31/us/31vermont.html?pagewanted=all&...)
No plans to upgrade lifts at this time.
Season pass pricing staying similar to this year. Adult NorEaster passes going up by $35, kid pricing staying same. New pass replacing higher ed that encompasses everyone 18-26 (in college or not) for $300ish. Intro of another new pass (Gold) for $3,000 that is fully transferable (would target business owners and realtors).
Summer - no immediate plans but they are always looking at ideas. Summer concerts in past were not profitable
Request for more music at base area
Request for better markings of thin cover
Kudos to the management team for their accessibility (especially via this board)
Q re: some sort of club (as previously discussed on this board) - it is definitely not in the three year plan, but could be part of when the base area is updated in future.
They had a poster up that shows current snowmaking and there was some discussion re: grooming (schedule etc).
One person asked if a trail at Carinithia could be strictly skiing, no features
Suggestion to poll Devo families re: new ideas
Request to consider "family" pricing scaling the cost of passes and/or lessons as the number of children increases.

 

[ss20]

Thank you. Is this the complete Carinthia re-build with condos, or just the base lodge? With this new pond, will more trails be added to the snowmaking lineup?
I like the Carinthia ski trail idea. Put it on a rotating schedule so non-freestylers can enjoy a "new" trail every year.

 

[drjeff]

Thank you. Is this the complete Carinthia re-build with condos, or just the base lodge? With this new pond, will more trails be added to the snowmaking lineup?
I like the Carinthia ski trail idea. Put it on a rotating schedule so non-freestylers can enjoy a "new" trail every year.

From what I understand, Carinthia will be EVENTUALLY a rebuild/redevelopment of BOTH the base lodge (1st to happen) and then condos/townhomes - I know that the condo association of Glenn Run (the condo's located just below the Carinthia Base lodge next to the Grommet beginner terrain park) have already been informed of future redevelopment plans for their property.

The plan all along for the snowmaking pond (West Lake Project) once its built, is to then expand the snowmaking coverage to essentially 100%.

Carinthia featureless trail? Technically with most of the fools gold trail, they already have that. The reality is that I just can't see them taking say Nitro, or Gulch or Inferno out of rotation for a year. Carinthia is just way too large of a ticket sale draw to mess with its success. Plus, the reality is before they build out Inferno, usually in mid/late January, that folks have Inferno to ski/ride on in a featureless form for typically 4 to 6 weeks.

 

[Euler]

Agree with Jeff. No way Mt Snow will dilute the amazing park scene they've built up at Carinthia. The $$ that come in from the freestyle types who view Carinthia as an East Coast go to place for skiing and riding are important to the mountain as a whole. Plus, there are three other pods to choose from for the non-park crowd...plenty of options as it is.

 

[steamboat1]

$51M? I have a hard time believing that.

 

[Glenn]

The Park has helped with congestion...from the sense of really good skiers mixing with beginers, not so good skiers. Yes, a few trails were "lost" (depending how you look at things) but overall, I feel it was a good move for the mountain.

 

[mlctvt]

$51M? I have a hard time believing that.

Doesn't surprise me, even Haystack is spending $25M-26M on their small by today's standard base lodge. Add some condo units above and it'll hit that easily.
My wife works for an Architecture firm and I'm amazed at the cost of new buildings they build today.

the $51M number may also include the entire "village" that I saw in their master plan. It's actually 4 or 5 buildings.

From the 2009/2010 master plan, Linesync Architects. I'm not sure this is the newest plan but I understand that this is the one they received Act250 approval for.
http://www.linesync.com/mountsnow.html

 

[ss20]

I'm guessing that blue tube on Ski Baba is a covered magic carpet. Seems like they're planning on replacing Heavy Metal.

 

[mlctvt]

I'm guessing that blue tube on Ski Baba is a covered magic carpet. Seems like they're planning on replacing Heavy Metal.

Correct on the covered magic carpet but no new lifts are planned for at least 3 years now. Remember that these drawings were done before even the Bluebird 6-pack was built, plus the Heayy Metal is positioned in an area that the drawings don't show. My guess is they'll probably keep the Heavy Metal for at least 5 more years.

 

[drjeff]

$51M? I have a hard time believing that.

I'd say that a solid 15 to maybe 20+ million of that 51 million will be for the snowmaking pond, new pumps to push the water to the hill, current snowmaking system reconfiguration and expansion to currently non covered terrain, and then the "return to its natural state" of the stream and Snow Lake as is called for as part of environemental "concessions" to build the new West Lake snowmaking water storrage area.

It's not going to be a $51 million dollar new Carinthia Base Lodge and associated area building redevelopment as I understand

 

[drjeff]

Correct on the covered magic carpet but no new lifts are planned for at least 3 years now. Remember that these drawings were done before even the Bluebird 6-pack was built. My guess is they'll probably keep the Heavy Metal for at least 5 more years.

I hope they keep Heavy Metal for another decade minimum! With a son who loves the parks, that lift when it's running is my saving grace to get me out of the general Carinthia base area quickly, and usually with much less breeze in my face than Nitro Quad!

 

[ss20]

I'd say that a solid 15 to maybe 20+ million of that 51 million will be for the snowmaking pond, new pumps to push the water to the hill, current snowmaking system reconfiguration and expansion to currently non covered terrain, and then the "return to its natural state" of the stream and Snow Lake as is called for as part of environemental "concessions" to build the new West Lake snowmaking water storrage area.

Wait, this new pond is West Lake???
I think the Sunbrook Quad should be moved to Heavy Metal. With the new lodge I don't think Carinthia will be able to handle the crowds with a HSQ and a double.

 

[drjeff]

Wait, this new pond is West Lake???
I think the Sunbrook Quad should be moved to Heavy Metal. With the new lodge I don't think Carinthia will be able to handle the crowds with a HSQ and a double.

Yup, the new pond is/will be West Lake.

As for a new lodge and Carinthia crowds, frankly I don't see that many more people using it, as they won't be adding any new park trails there. It's just that the lodge in its current size (built decades ago when Carinthia was still it's own seperate, small ski area that wasn't a part of Mount Snow) is far too small to handle the volume of people that ski/ride there in the parks. Knowing the way many Mount Snow skiers/riders "use" the mountain, the folks that currently start/finish at the Main Base area will likley still do so, and vice versa. Realistically for table space, food and beverage space, bag storrage space and bathroom needs, about the only thing that is adequate size wise at the Carinthia Lodge right now IMHO is its deck space