Regional ski areas tout improvements

Local News

Related Photos

Photo Provided
Photo Provided
Photo Provided

Discussion

PLEASE NOTE: There is a 150 word maximum for comments. All comments greater than 150 words in length will be deleted in their entirety.

ALSO NOTE: Derisive name-calling of an individual or group will result in the entire comment being deleted. This includes the terms "stupid" and "idiot" and similar references.

Welcome to our new online comments feature. Before you can join the discussion, you must first register with Disqus and verify your email address.

Once you do, your comments will post after they have been reviewed by a moderator.

We welcome your thoughts and your opinions, including unpopular ones. We ask only that you keep the conversation civil and clean.

Not all comments are deemed printable. Some are disqualified, at the newspaper’s discretion, for a number of reasons. Here are some typical practices to avoid in trying to get your comment printed:

There is a 150 word maximum for comments. All comments greater than 150 words in length will be deleted in their entirety.

Don’t state as a fact something that is unsubstantiated or that our editors wouldn't know to be true.

Don’t presume someone’s guilt in a case when it hasn't been established by a court.

Don’t assail or impugn an identifiable individual or group. If you have that kind of criticism, sign your name and submit it as a Letter to the Editor. (There is some leeway on this in connection with public officials, but it is not unconditional.)

Don’t use profanity. This includes the term “tea bagger.”

Don’t be incendiary or tasteless. Those qualities are subjective, of course, and our editors will be the arbiters.

Do not identify yourself in the main content area of the article content form. Only by enforcing this rule can the moderators prevent unscrupulous commenters from falsely identifying themselves as someone they are not.

Don't type in all caps. It is considered the Internet equivalent of shouting.

In sports articles, do not criticize officiating.

Remember, moderators are not allowed to edit any article comments. If an article comment fails any of the above criteria, the entire comment will be deleted.

We monitor comments Monday - Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. Approval of comments outside these times may be delayed.

comments powered by Disqus

November 15, 2008

Investments flow into local ski lodges

By DAN HEATH The Press Republican Sat Nov 15, 2008, 11:08 PM EST

Several regional ski areas continue to invest in improvements despite world-wide economic concerns.

KILLINGTON
Killington, in Killington, Vt., has committed $8.4 million to improvements for its 50th season. The resort was open from Nov. 2 through Nov. 6 and was scheduled to reopen earlier last week.

In a press release, Killington President and General Manager Chris Nyberg said, "By reinvesting in our mountain, we're proud to offer a much-improved experience for our guests in the Skye Peak area."

The highlights are a new Skye Peak Express high-speed quadruple chairlift that reduces the ride time from 14 minutes to slightly less than five minutes. It features a lower profile that is expected to make the lift less susceptible to wind delays.

In addition to a number of intermediate trails at Skye Peak, the lift will provide access to The Stash, described as a revolutionary all-natural terrain park designed Jake Burton and Burton team riders. The run includes 34 all-natural features such as rock-wall rides, cliff drops, a Sugar Shack, log rides and other one-of-a-kind obstacles.

A new run, Great Eastern, will provide beginners more than 3 miles of gentle terrain to the Skyeship Base Area. Snowmaking will blanket all of the new trails.

The resort has purchased 124 new Low Energy snowmakers, along with new operating systems for greater efficiency. Ongoing improvements have reduced Killington's diesel consumption more than 30 percent and electricity consumption more than 25 percent during the last 3 years.

Killington Communications Manager Tom Horrocks said falling gas prices are a big positive for the resort. He said demand for Killington Express Cards that offer a $10 to $20 discount on daily lift tickets is up 400 percent from last year.

STOWE
Stowe Mountain Resort in Stowe, Vt. has completed most of its $400 million Spruce Peak at Stowe improvement project. The Spruce Base Camp is scheduled to open in December, and will be the resort's new center for skier and snowboarder services.

A Stowe press release states the Base Camp will include restaurants, a bar, indoor and outdoor fireplaces, rental shops, retail, tickets, a 400-seat performing arts center, event space and public lounge areas. Plans also call for a village green, ice skating rink and community pool.

It is located next to the Over Easy transfer gondola that connects the family friendly slopes at Spruce Peak with the wide variety of steeps and cruisers found on Mt. Mansfield.

Stowe Mountain Lodge opened in June. It features 139 guest rooms, 34 fractional-ownership units (the Front Four Private Residences), a 21,000-squre-foot spa and Cooper Wellness Center.

There will be 38 four- and five-bedroom Mountain Cabins on the east side of the development. The 3,000-square-foot homes feature sturdy timbers, wood floors and granite stone.

Another 20 homesites are also available, about one-third of an acre each. Owners can retain their own builders and architects for construction, once approved by the community review board.

Only 35 acres of more than 2,000 acres available at Spruce Peak wiull be developed. Spruce Peak received Audubon International's Green Community Award in 2007.

On Spruce Peak, there is a new high-speed summit quad, Sensation, that will reduce the ride time from about 20 miunutes to less than seven. There is also some new, fully automated snowmaking eqwuipment ready to go for the upcoming season.

WHITEFACE
At Whiteface in Wilmington, Lookout Mountain is scheduled to open this winter. Olympic Regional Development Authority spokesperson Stephanie Ryan said the new terrain reclaims parts of Cloudsplitter trails that were used in the 1950s. Lookout Mountain will initially feature The Wilmington Trail, a 2.5-mile intermediate run that Ryan said offers gorgeous views of the Town of Wilmington and the Wilmington Wilderness Forest.

The new triple chairlift will also provide access to two expert runs, the Lookout Below and Hoyt's High, named after veteran Whiteface Ski Patroller Jim Hoyt Sr., who has been employed at Whiteface for more than 50 years. The lift will also allow Whiteface skiers and riders to reach Sugar Valley Glades, more than 63 acres of hardwood forest. Porcupine Lodge, which was built in 1949, will be refurbished and used as a warming hut near the top of the lift.

By e-mail, Ryan said ORDA staff realize everyone is concerned about the world's financial situation.

"We understand everyone is being financially responsible as this time due to the current situation of the economy, but we are confident that we offer such a quality ski and ride experience that visitors will continue to visit Whiteface and the Lake Placid area," she said.

Whiteface expects to start making snow Nov. 15 and to open on Nov. 28, the day after Thanksgiving.

GORE
ORDA is also set to open new terrain at Gore Mountain in North Creek.

In a press release, Gore Mountain Marketing Manager Emily Stanton said Burnt Ridge Mountain is set to open this season. It is the fourth peak developed at the ski area and increases the total vertical to 2,300 feet, eighth longest in the east.

It features a 20-tower high-speed quad chairlift and six new trails, including two gladed areas. One expert run and one intermediate run from the top of the lift to the loading area, one trail that provides access from the main base area and another to connecto to other parts of the ski area.

Plans call for Pipeline Trail to be open more often. It runs to the North Creek Ski Bowl, which has a new triple chairlift that serves family friendly Village Slope and a half-pipe in Ski Bowl Park.

There is also a lift-serviced snow tubing area and separate lodge.

The former gondola building has been transformed into the Northwoods Lodge, renovated in partnership with Lincoln Logs. It is the new location of the Kids' Club childrens program, Snow Sports School, day care and rental operation.

MOUNT SNOW
Crews were busy at Mount Snow in West Dover, Vt. this summer as they installed another 150 new technology fan snowmaking guns at a cost of $5 million. By e-mail, Mount Snow Communications Manager Luke Stafford said the resort now has 251 of the low-energy, high-quality snowmakers, more than any resort in North America.

"These efficient snowmaking machines produce high-quality snow with about one-third the energy of traditional air/water guns. Fan guns make the difference when it comes to opening the mountain early in the season and closing late," he said.

The guns run on electricity and feature on-board air compressors. They allowed Mount Snow to decommission 16 diesel compressors, a move that will save about 200,000 gallons of diesel fuel a year.

Mount Snow has converted the entire Carinthia section of the mountain into a 100-acre terrain park system. Nearly 5 miles of terrain will feature a variety of rails, jumps and halfpipes, about 125 features in 12 separate terrain parks.

That area's separate base lodge has been renovated with lounge areas, an extended deck, free wireless Internet, flat screen televisions and outdoor fire pits. The lodge is surrounded by a snowskate playground, hikeable terrain park, learning park and skate ramp.

The change calls for Mount Snow's tubing park to be moved to the Mixing Bowl area of the main mountain.

Mount Snow opened Nov. 8. . Stafford said the resort has seen a reverse effect in the down economy.

"Our season pass sales are up considerably over last year, and it seems like easterners are keeping their ski tips closer to home this year as opposed to flying out west or to Europe," he said. "As Vermont's closest big mountain resort, we're just a few hours away from the major metropolitan areas and we think we'll be seeing just as much, if not more business this season," he said.

OKEMO
Okemo Mountain Resort in Ludlow, Vt. has targeted Nov. 15 as its opening date for the 2008-2009 season, which will see the debut of the final two trails of the original Jackson Gore expansion layout.

In a press release, Okemo Mountain resort Vice President of Operations Barry Tucker said the two new trails, to the skiers left from the chairlift, are not typical Okemo trails.

"Offering some of the steepest pitch at Jackson Gore, they will have lots of character with natural outcroppings and contours to enhance the way these trails will ski," he said.

Tucker said they are expected to be rated double-black diamond. One will be about 1,000 feet long and the other about 2,600, with about a 850-foot vertical drop on the latter.

Okemo has added 80 new snowmaking guns to its arsenal this year. The resort's focus this year is on energy-efficient, early season snowmaking.

The use of HDK SV-10 and Genesis tower guns last year allowed the resort to make snow more efficiently, at temperatures closer to 32 degrees. It made the same amount of snow as previous years with less energy and a $140,000 fuel savings.

The resort will also introduce a mechanized carpet to help beginning skiers and riders load and unload more safely. It will be installed at the top and bottom of one of the South Ridge Quad chairlifts at the base area.

The carpet is actually a conveyor belt with marked lanes that move in time with the chairlift. The loading carpet is the first of its kind in the east and the unloading carpet is the first in the United States.

Okemo Vice President of Marketing Scott Clarkson said pre-season sales figures point to a good season, as early season reduced-cost season pass sales are up 12 percent.

"Pass sales are up in all categories," he said. "Maybe people have decided to invest in themselves instead of the stock market right now."

Okemo Lodging Director Michael Normyle said lodging reservations are down slightly compared to last year, but starting to pick up in recent weeks.

SMUGGLERS NOTCH

Smugglers Notch in Jefforsonville, Vt. will introduce a new glade, Attitude. The steep pitch runs through balsam firs on the left side of Lower Drifter just above the Madonna 1 summit chairlift mid-station to Lower Rumrunner on Sterling Mountain, with access to either Sterling or Madonna lifts.

With the new glade, 22 percent of the mountains terrain is in the woods. Most has been trimmed for the coming season.

Also, the Hibernator Trail at Morse Highlands has been extended to run top to bottom near the Morse Highlands chairlift. The Log Jam, Birch run and The Zone terrain parks will have fresh jumps, banks, rails and fun boxes this season.

Barbara Thomke of the Smugglers Notch Public Relations Office said the resort plans to open Nov. 28, the day after Thanksgiving.

Special vacation packages include the Club Smugglers' Advantage Package. Prices per person range from $115 to $229 per night ($99 to $229 for youths 3-17), and include mountainside accommodations, lift tickets, ski and snowboard camp for children 3-5, daily lessons for age 6-17, daily lessons for adult beginners and unlimited use of the resort's cross-country trails, FunZone Family Entertainment Center, pool, hot tub and teen centers, snow tubing and more.

E-mail Dan Heath at: dheath@pressrepublican.com