If you had to spend 15 million on the mountain, what would u spend it on? And it can't be on buildings the foreigners are spending their money on that!!!

I would personally like to see the heaven's gate triple replaced and extended to the point where Jester comes into lower Downspout just above the Castle rock lift entrance. A high speed lift or Gondola. This would allow better access to the lift off of Bravo.

I would also like to see the area above Inverness developed. Even a surface lift would be good or put the heavens gate triple in over there. No cutting of more than two trails and the rest woods.

I would also improve snow making system with more capacity.

Oh yeah this is just for fun, not argument.

vonski wrote:

If you had to spend 15 million on the mountain, what would u spend it on? And it can't be on buildings the foreigners are spending their money on that!!! I would personally like to see the heaven's gate triple replaced and extended to the point where Jester comes into lower Downspout just above the Castle rock lift entrance. A high speed lift or Gondola. This would allow better access to the lift off of Bravo. I would also like to see the area above Inverness developed. Even a surface lift would be good or put the heavens gate triple in over there. No cutting of more than two trails and the rest woods. I would also improve snow making system with more capacity. Oh yeah this is just for fun, not argument.

Von, you know you are going to get critiqued on most of your post. Right? I would say that your list would cost at least 15MM.

Me, I would like to see the VH lift replaced and brought down to the bottom and the off loading area fixed at the top. Also the snowmaking upgrades are desperately needed.

of course if they want to critque that is fine. This is merely a wish list though. and I have no idea what my 15 million might buy. Just dreaming of hitting powerball.

I hear you. If I hit power ball I would buy the top floor at the Claybrook and convert it into one big unit.

i would buy the white elephant and tie die it. LOLOl!

Putting money aside this is what I would love to see. An inverness pod connecting to Mad River. No new trails only tree skiing.

Don't really care so much about improvements to snow making. It seemed to me last season that the complaints regarding snow making were more about decisions management made rather than physical limitations (failure to make snow on NL while blowing on Steins for days on end). Still don't understand the logic there.

Expanded on mtn food service. This could take various forms such as expanding the size of Alyn's, food in the CR warming hut or the one by the HG lift (expanded, of course), or a new lodge either at the GH/SBX/NL area or at the summit. This would be cool and relieve overcrowding at the gatehouse. Which ties into replacing the Valley house double with a faster triple that extends down to the base (necessitating the removal of the Valley house). Replacing the VH lift is long overdue as it's only a matter of time before someone is seriously injured at the terminus junction mess.

FWIW-we were with friends at Windham last weekend and the mtn has a private club at the base with lockers and concierge. The cost is something like 2k/year per family plus an initiation bond of around 20k. Price seems a little steep for my pocketbook and not sure how I feel about it philosophically. But it would be nice to have a place to change, store gear and not have to fear anything would be stolen.

vonski wrote:

i would buy the white elephant and tie die it. LOLOl!

Im a hippie of sorts so Tie-die is fine. Just not pink.

HowieT2 wrote:

Don't really care so much about improvements to snow making. It seemed to me last season that the complaints regarding snow making were more about decisions management made rather than physical limitations (failure to make snow on NL while blowing on Steins for days on end). Still don't understand the logic there.

That is not true Howie. SB has a very old and quite outdated snowmaking system. (except for the Hi-tech guns) In fact, due to the age and lack of upgrades it continues to spring leaks in the air and water systems that decrease it's capabilities. You only have to look at a couple of places that really blow snow to see the difference. At Sunday River, Killington or Attitash they can blow 3 loops at one time. Picture being able to open Spring Fling-VH Travers-Downspout, Jester-Ripchord and Waterfall-Birch-Sunrise-Pushover all at once at the beginning of the season. How about after a wet weather event and freeze. Recovery would be in 2 to 3 days not weeks. Just sayin......

Hawk wrote:

HowieT2 wrote: Don't really care so much about improvements to snow making. It seemed to me last season that the complaints regarding snow making were more about decisions management made rather than physical limitations (failure to make snow on NL while blowing on Steins for days on end). Still don't understand the logic there. That is not true Howie. SB has a very old and quite outdated snowmaking system. (except for the Hi-tech guns) In fact, due to the age and lack of upgrades it continues to spring leaks in the air and water systems that decrease it's capabilities. You only have to look at a couple of places that really blow snow to see the difference. At Sunday River, Killington or Attitash they can blow 3 loops at one time. Picture being able to open Spring Fling-VH Travers-Downspout, Jester-Ripchord and Waterfall-Birch-Sunrise-Pushover all at once at the beginning of the season. How about after a wet weather event and freeze. Recovery would be in 2 to 3 days not weeks. Just sayin......

I don't disagree with you, but for me the biggest complaint I had last season was NL being closed for so long and my understanding was that they chose not to blow snow there when they could have.

HowieT2 wrote:

Hawk wrote: HowieT2 wrote: Don't really care so much about improvements to snow making. It seemed to me last season that the complaints regarding snow making were more about decisions management made rather than physical limitations (failure to make snow on NL while blowing on Steins for days on end). Still don't understand the logic there. That is not true Howie. SB has a very old and quite outdated snowmaking system. (except for the Hi-tech guns) In fact, due to the age and lack of upgrades it continues to spring leaks in the air and water systems that decrease it's capabilities. You only have to look at a couple of places that really blow snow to see the difference. At Sunday River, Killington or Attitash they can blow 3 loops at one time. Picture being able to open Spring Fling-VH Travers-Downspout, Jester-Ripchord and Waterfall-Birch-Sunrise-Pushover all at once at the beginning of the season. How about after a wet weather event and freeze. Recovery would be in 2 to 3 days not weeks. Just sayin...... I don't disagree with you, but for me the biggest complaint I had last season was NL being closed for so long and my understanding was that they chose not to blow snow there when they could have.

That's the point. They can only blow one trail at a time at SB. If they had more capacity they could blow more trails at the same time. Then the order in which they blew snow on trails would be a non-issue.

when it comes to snow making I think we have been spoiled by the last three years of natural snow. I am more looking at some higher volt electric installed on the hill so some FAN guns could be installed or portable ones moved around to the traffic areas for recovery work and touch up on high traffic areas.

But just pray that Mom nature provides us with Plenty. Can we keep this pattern in place for the winter that we have now. Hopefully it will go away and come back in December. If we keep getting this wet, Mom nature just might decide it needs to be dry to balance things out. So, no more buying margarine and fooling her. LOLOL!!!

Hawk wrote:

HowieT2 wrote: Hawk wrote: HowieT2 wrote: Don't really care so much about improvements to snow making. It seemed to me last season that the complaints regarding snow making were more about decisions management made rather than physical limitations (failure to make snow on NL while blowing on Steins for days on end). Still don't understand the logic there. That is not true Howie. SB has a very old and quite outdated snowmaking system. (except for the Hi-tech guns) In fact, due to the age and lack of upgrades it continues to spring leaks in the air and water systems that decrease it's capabilities. You only have to look at a couple of places that really blow snow to see the difference. At Sunday River, Killington or Attitash they can blow 3 loops at one time. Picture being able to open Spring Fling-VH Travers-Downspout, Jester-Ripchord and Waterfall-Birch-Sunrise-Pushover all at once at the beginning of the season. How about after a wet weather event and freeze. Recovery would be in 2 to 3 days not weeks. Just sayin...... I don't disagree with you, but for me the biggest complaint I had last season was NL being closed for so long and my understanding was that they chose not to blow snow there when they could have. That's the point. They can only blow one trail at a time at SB. If they had more capacity they could blow more trails at the same time. Then the order in which they blew snow on trails would be a non-issue.

But they made snow on Steins for something like a week straight (or more), when they could have gone over to NL for 2 days and gotten that open and then returned to steins. They chose to do it that way given the confines of the system. But for that choice, I personally have little to complain about the snowmaking.

Vonski-don't jinx us

HowieT2 wrote:

Hawk wrote: HowieT2 wrote: Hawk wrote: HowieT2 wrote: Don't really care so much about improvements to snow making. It seemed to me last season that the complaints regarding snow making were more about decisions management made rather than physical limitations (failure to make snow on NL while blowing on Steins for days on end). Still don't understand the logic there. That is not true Howie. SB has a very old and quite outdated snowmaking system. (except for the Hi-tech guns) In fact, due to the age and lack of upgrades it continues to spring leaks in the air and water systems that decrease it's capabilities. You only have to look at a couple of places that really blow snow to see the difference. At Sunday River, Killington or Attitash they can blow 3 loops at one time. Picture being able to open Spring Fling-VH Travers-Downspout, Jester-Ripchord and Waterfall-Birch-Sunrise-Pushover all at once at the beginning of the season. How about after a wet weather event and freeze. Recovery would be in 2 to 3 days not weeks. Just sayin...... I don't disagree with you, but for me the biggest complaint I had last season was NL being closed for so long and my understanding was that they chose not to blow snow there when they could have. That's the point. They can only blow one trail at a time at SB. If they had more capacity they could blow more trails at the same time. Then the order in which they blew snow on trails would be a non-issue. But they made snow on Steins for something like a week straight (or more), when they could have gone over to NL for 2 days and gotten that open and then returned to steins. They chose to do it that way given the confines of the system. But for that choice, I personally have little to complain about the snowmaking. Vonski-don't jinx us

I guess the problem is that you guys have not skied for a prolonged time at a ski area that has Kick a$$ snow making. If you had you would know the difference. I have. Don't get me wrong there is no substitute for the stuff from the sky and I love SB and would never leave. But if they could blow all kinds of snow all over the place at the same time then why not? Because of the limited amount of snow they can make, they had to choose. If they had more capacity then they wouldn't have to choose. Just think about recovering from NCP in just a couple of days! Hell last year I skied for two weeks on sub par icy slopes after that thaw. I went to visit friends at another resort and the difference was mind blowing. So why not at SB is all I am saying?

Hawk wrote:

HowieT2 wrote: Hawk wrote: HowieT2 wrote: Hawk wrote: HowieT2 wrote: Don't really care so much about improvements to snow making. It seemed to me last season that the complaints regarding snow making were more about decisions management made rather than physical limitations (failure to make snow on NL while blowing on Steins for days on end). Still don't understand the logic there. That is not true Howie. SB has a very old and quite outdated snowmaking system. (except for the Hi-tech guns) In fact, due to the age and lack of upgrades it continues to spring leaks in the air and water systems that decrease it's capabilities. You only have to look at a couple of places that really blow snow to see the difference. At Sunday River, Killington or Attitash they can blow 3 loops at one time. Picture being able to open Spring Fling-VH Travers-Downspout, Jester-Ripchord and Waterfall-Birch-Sunrise-Pushover all at once at the beginning of the season. How about after a wet weather event and freeze. Recovery would be in 2 to 3 days not weeks. Just sayin...... I don't disagree with you, but for me the biggest complaint I had last season was NL being closed for so long and my understanding was that they chose not to blow snow there when they could have. That's the point. They can only blow one trail at a time at SB. If they had more capacity they could blow more trails at the same time. Then the order in which they blew snow on trails would be a non-issue. But they made snow on Steins for something like a week straight (or more), when they could have gone over to NL for 2 days and gotten that open and then returned to steins. They chose to do it that way given the confines of the system. But for that choice, I personally have little to complain about the snowmaking. Vonski-don't jinx us I guess the problem is that you guys have not skied for a prolonged time at a ski area that has Kick a$$ snow making. If you had you would know the difference. I have. Don't get me wrong there is no substitute for the stuff from the sky and I love SB and would never leave. But if they could blow all kinds of snow all over the place at the same time then why not? Because of the limited amount of snow they can make, they had to choose. If they had more capacity then they wouldn't have to choose. Just think about recovering from NCP in just a couple of days! Hell last year I skied for two weeks on sub par icy slopes after that thaw. I went to visit friends at another resort and the difference was mind blowing. So why not at SB is all I am saying?

Correct. Other than a day or two early in the season I haven't skied any other place in the east in awhile.

Howie,

I had my toes crossed eyes crossed, legs crossed and was knocking on wood. hope your having a good summer.