TUPPER LAKE — Managers at Big Tupper Ski Area are gearing up to turn on a second chairlift.
Plans are in the works to restore Chair 3, the newest of the three chairlifts at the ski center.
Jim LaValley, proponent of the community-based effort that brought skiing back to Big Tupper last winter, said they met recently with people involved with Big Tupper.
"I spoke with Don Dew, Bill Mozdzier, Cliff Levers, our lift manager, and several others from the Ski Patrol and trail crew. They've already begun assessing what to do next.
"Chair 3 accesses one trail, down to the top of Chair 1, which is essentially the whole mountain. It would add some higher-level skiing, as well as some additional beginner skiing."
STEPS TO TAKE
LaValley said he has put the process into motion to seek permits from the Adirondack Park Agency to restore the second chairlift.
The APA approved Big Tupper's effort to reclaim existing infrastructure at the center, which had been dormant for a decade until this year. The permit is subject to renewal this year.
Reconditioning Chair 3 requires taking down the chairs and sending equipment out for testing. Trails will have to be cleared of overgrowth. And, the Department of Labor has to conduct non-destructive testing on the wires, load testing on the chairs and all of the same inspections done on Chair 2 last year.
GOOD SEASON
Big Tupper closed out the 2009-10 ski season with a few dollars left in the bank.
"The ski business is an expensive business, but we came out OK," LaValley said.
With prices at $15 a ticket, numerous fundraisers, an almost all-volunteer work crew, operations cost $130,000 last season.
The community non-profit, working under the auspices of Adirondack Residents Intent on Saving their Economy, raised almost $75,000 in donations, plus another $80,000 in ticket sales, LaValley said.
"That's substantial when you're looking at a $15 ticket. It's really key that we get the kids back skiing. It was so nice to see the kids up there last year.
"We're still going to be reliant on Mother Nature, with no snow-making operations."
INCREASE EXPECTED
Don Dew Jr., who manages the administrative end of the ski center, said last season was amazing.
"My sense is we are going to have a 25-percent increase in skiers just by word of mouth. Opening Chair 3 will give us another option and another part of the mountain for people to get to.
"We have more time now. We have the rest of the summer."
Restoring a fundamental part of Tupper Lake's history has been incredible, he said.
"Every day last year, somebody came into the base lodge with a financial donation, a sponsorship or an offer to help. You can't really explain it how it evolved, and it's continuing."
Dew recounted the odd moments of serendipity that fell into place as skiers returned to the mountain.
"There is a little club in Piercefield, a group of people who used to own parking lots in Atlantic City; they just showed up one day and offered to help out. So we had parking attendants with experience. You can't explain that kind of thing."
TICKET PRICE
The ticket price this season is going to remain at $15. And volunteers are welcome to help out whatever way they can.
"Do what you feel you want to do for the community," LaValley said. "We will need people to help get chairs off the line. Ultimately, we're going to need more volunteers to handle Chair 3 now."
Crews will begin to take chairs off the cable ahead of work bees to be scheduled in the coming weeks.
The plan is to run the ski center from Friday through Sunday as soon as there is enough snow.
DISCOUNT CARD
Fundraising has a Tupper Lake community bonus this year.
"We have started another fundraising effort, incentivizing it this year — if people give again, they'll also get the ARISE-Big Tupper preferred business card, with discounts starting at 10 percent in area stores," LaValley said.
Information about upcoming fundraisers and work parties will be updated online at www.skibigtupper.org.
E-mail Kim Smith Dedam at: kdedam@pressrepublican.com
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