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BushMogulMaster
02-07-2007, 08:50 PM
Decided to start a new thread. Didn't feel like appending the old one.

Anyways... I've just completed and uploaded a fairly major update to http://www.sugarbushhistory.com . New things to check out include info on the purchase of SB from ASC, more photo galleries, lots more connected LP/ME maps with commentary, some slight layout changes, some random great shots from email submissions, etc.

More to come soon. My next goal is to work on a LP Village section about the construction, etc. with before and after photos and textual info. I'll also be adding more photos to the rest of the site over the coming weeks. And of course... I'll add more as more email submissions come in.

What else would you all like to see on the page? So far, it's basically been what Strat and I have decided to put on it. Give me some suggestions for different page topics, et. al. Just remember... I'll need to be able to find content for it!

I also wanted to make a special note here that the Vermont State Archives has given me permission to use any and all of their photos from the UVM Perkins Landscape Change Library. These have already been added to the site, and are very historically informational.

I may have access (in the near future) to a small archive of historical SB photos (possibly totaling in the hundreds of photos), and will hopefully have permission to use any or all of these on the site. I'll keep everyone posted.

Tin Woodsman
02-07-2007, 09:20 PM
Wow. That all sounds great.

The one thing I'd LOVE to see (and with all the moles we have inthe SB organization, I don't see why we couldn't get it) is any official documentation on the proposed Slide Brook lift and trail network from back in the day. That would be money.

HowieT2
02-07-2007, 09:26 PM
Thanks. It's great.

BushMogulMaster
02-07-2007, 09:30 PM
Wow. That all sounds great.

The one thing I'd LOVE to see (and with all the moles we have inthe SB organization, I don't see why we couldn't get it) is any official documentation on the proposed Slide Brook lift and trail network from back in the day. That would be money.

I'll see what I can come up with on that one!

Mike_451
02-07-2007, 09:47 PM
Great Work!

freeheel_skier
02-07-2007, 10:31 PM
I like the vintage pics :D

kcyanks1
02-08-2007, 09:26 AM
Great work! I've seen it before on Strat's site, but I find it amusing how when they first put in the Castlerock chair, and at least planned (and perhaps did) operate the midstation, they spoke of "novice to expert" terrain below the midstation. "Novice"? I guess Troll Road is easy. But I could never imagine them pushing beginners to go on that lift today, midstation or not :-)

smootharc
02-08-2007, 10:21 AM
for a job well done. Hopefully more info, images, video will come out of the woodwork.

Thanks for the great effort.

02-08-2007, 10:31 AM
Not sure how interested you are in getting listed in the search engines, but I would consider better page titles and file names. It's coming along nicely though! Nice job!

BushMogulMaster
02-08-2007, 12:29 PM
Not sure how interested you are in getting listed in the search engines, but I would consider better page titles and file names. It's coming along nicely though! Nice job!

Page rank is actually fairly high in Google (depending upon search keywords, of course). I'm using a WYSIWYG editor for most of the layout work, and it makes the filenames, etc. automatically. I don't like how it does it at all, but in order to change it, I'd have to edit hundreds of links manually... not gonna happen! :wink:

02-08-2007, 12:42 PM
Not sure how interested you are in getting listed in the search engines, but I would consider better page titles and file names. It's coming along nicely though! Nice job!

Page rank is actually fairly high in Google (depending upon search keywords, of course). I'm using a WYSIWYG editor for most of the layout work, and it makes the filenames, etc. automatically. I don't like how it does it at all, but in order to change it, I'd have to edit hundreds of links manually... not gonna happen! :wink:
Be careful. It'll likely be easier to reorganize file naming now than doing it later when there is significantly more content. Plus, it'll take time for the SEs to reindex any newly created file names if you decide to do it later. Better to get all that out of the way now while the site is still young. Grunt work, I know, but sometimes you gotta suck it up. I've got a neat little application that can update all instances of text to something else within a given directory. Shouldn't be too bad to update links.

Here's an example:

http://www.sugarbushhistory.com/sugarbush_resort_history1024x768_update_020707_(nm )_010.htm

Ugly-ass URL. Doesn't even auto-hyperlink here correctly. Wouldn't something like http://www.sugarbushhistory.com/history/asc.htm be much nicer? It also includes some keywords which helps with SE ranking.

Also, the page title (in the <TITLE> tags) there is just "asc". I would suggest something a bit more descript like "History of Sugarbush Resort - The ASC Years". SEs use page title keywords a lot to rank you. By doing it right you will get a lot of entry into the site from more embedded internal pages showing up as part of SE results vs. just the home page. Just some thoughs.

MntMan4Bush
02-08-2007, 12:44 PM
There was an article in the NY Times that talked about the Sugarbush and some of it's history like the sugarbush express that ran in the 60's. A greyhound bus from Manhatten to SB. Here's a link. Don't know if it helps or is worth reading for you.

http://travel.nytimes.com/2007/01/12/travel/escapes/12ski.html?em&ex=1168750800&en=d3016746090516a8&ei=5087%0A

By the way your site looks great. Love the vintage pics. Some of them I can almost hear Warren Miller giving some cheesy commentary on. Love it.

BushMogulMaster
02-08-2007, 01:52 PM
Not sure how interested you are in getting listed in the search engines, but I would consider better page titles and file names. It's coming along nicely though! Nice job!

Page rank is actually fairly high in Google (depending upon search keywords, of course). I'm using a WYSIWYG editor for most of the layout work, and it makes the filenames, etc. automatically. I don't like how it does it at all, but in order to change it, I'd have to edit hundreds of links manually... not gonna happen! :wink:
Be careful. It'll likely be easier to reorganize file naming now than doing it later when there is significantly more content. Plus, it'll take time for the SEs to reindex any newly created file names if you decide to do it later. Better to get all that out of the way now while the site is still young. Grunt work, I know, but sometimes you gotta suck it up. I've got a neat little application that can update all instances of text to something else within a given directory. Shouldn't be too bad to update links.

Here's an example:

http://www.sugarbushhistory.com/sugarbush_resort_history1024x768_update_020707_(nm )_010.htm

Ugly-ass URL. Doesn't even auto-hyperlink here correctly. Wouldn't something like http://www.sugarbushhistory.com/history/asc.htm be much nicer? It also includes some keywords which helps with SE ranking.

Also, the page title (in the <TITLE> tags) there is just "asc". I would suggest something a bit more descript like "History of Sugarbush Resort - The ASC Years". SEs use page title keywords a lot to rank you. By doing it right you will get a lot of entry into the site from more embedded internal pages showing up as part of SE results vs. just the home page. Just some thoughs.

I'll definitely get to changing the <title> tags asap... they just look bad in general. We'll see about the filenames. If I was writing all of the code by hand, I would have done it differently. But then... it would have taken 1000x longer by hand, as well.

BushMogulMaster
02-08-2007, 03:29 PM
Fixed all of the <title> tags, and simplified the filenames as much as possible (sugarbushhistory.com/sugarbush_##.htm).

02-08-2007, 07:12 PM
Fixed all of the <title> tags, and simplified the filenames as much as possible (sugarbushhistory.com/sugarbush_##.htm).

Much better! 8)

castlerock
02-08-2007, 08:39 PM
Fixed all of the <title> tags, and simplified the filenames as much as possible (sugarbushhistory.com/sugarbush_##.htm).

I really like it.

There is one link that doesn't appear to be correct. It is for this map
"a composite map of Summit Ventures assets in Warren, Waitsfiled, and Fayston" It appears to link to the thumbnail, not the high res.

http://sugarbushhistory.com/sbland.jpg

BushMogulMaster
02-08-2007, 08:58 PM
Fixed all of the <title> tags, and simplified the filenames as much as possible (sugarbushhistory.com/sugarbush_##.htm).

I really like it.

There is one link that doesn't appear to be correct. It is for this map
"a composite map of Summit Ventures assets in Warren, Waitsfiled, and Fayston" It appears to link to the thumbnail, not the high res.

http://sugarbushhistory.com/sbland.jpg

Oops! I'll try to fix that one tomorrow!

Strat
02-11-2007, 06:12 PM
Seemed the appropriate topic to put this...

Sitting on the painfully slow Inverness Quad today I was thinking about Sugarbush history, but since I was at North, I got to thinking about Glen Ellen history... or lack thereof.

We have almost 0 history on Glen Ellen pre-merger (1978). All we have is a few maps and assorted images. This needs to change.

I mean I've heard a few names of owners tossed around, Walt Elliott was the founder (Walt's Trail's namesake), we've all heard of him (with the phantom lift cut), and apparently there were some people named Van Loon at some point, but that's really all I know. When did it open? How many owners were there? When did the village developments happen? We know so little... all of the Sugarbush history, from Sugarbush.com and other sources, is focused on Lincoln Peak and its expansion out... but what about Glen Ellen?

So that was more aimed at BMM than anyone else, but it's a general observation as well...

Oh, fun little fact I found out today, the Slide Brook chairs are numbered from North to South... just a random observation...

BushMogulMaster
02-11-2007, 06:22 PM
Seemed the appropriate topic to put this...

Sitting on the painfully slow Inverness Quad today I was thinking about Sugarbush history, but since I was at North, I got to thinking about Glen Ellen history... or lack thereof.

We have almost 0 history on Glen Ellen pre-merger (1978). All we have is a few maps and assorted images. This needs to change.

I mean I've heard a few names of owners tossed around, Walt Elliott was the founder (Walt's Trail's namesake), we've all heard of him (with the phantom lift cut), and apparently there were some people named Van Loon at some point, but that's really all I know. When did it open? How many owners were there? When did the village developments happen? We know so little... all of the Sugarbush history, from Sugarbush.com and other sources, is focused on Lincoln Peak and its expansion out... but what about Glen Ellen?

So that was more aimed at BMM than anyone else, but it's a general observation as well...

Oh, fun little fact I found out today, the Slide Brook chairs are numbered from North to South... just a random observation...

Good point. Let's try to put together some GE history.

As for the Slide Brook chairs... that's because the drive terminal is at ME.

random_ski_guy
02-11-2007, 06:47 PM
I thought ME was created by divine intervention one dark and stormy night. :)

BushMogulMaster
02-11-2007, 07:17 PM
I thought ME was created by divine intervention one dark and stormy night. :)

Uh oh... now we're going to have to write a book. I'll start:

It was a dark and stormy night...

:lol:

MntMan4Bush
02-12-2007, 10:19 AM
On eBay I found a 1975-1976 Mt. Ellen ski brochure\map for sale

http://cgi.ebay.com/1975-1976-Ski-Brochure-Mt-Ellen-Waitsfield-VT_W0QQitemZ180083120576QQcmdZViewItem

A bit pricey at $10 for a ski map, but didn't know if you had the interest.

Strat
02-12-2007, 04:48 PM
Appears to be just a brochure + painting, not actually the trail map... nice find though... from the same seller, http://cgi.ebay.com/Winter-1986-45-pg-Ski-Brochure-SUGARBUSH-Warren-VT_W0QQitemZ180083129555QQihZ008QQcategoryZ125QQcm dZViewItem 45 page brochure... also 10 bucks, that might be worth it just for the historical value... and 45 pages!

BushMogulMaster
02-13-2007, 10:55 PM
Strat has begun a discussion with Walt Elliot's (Glen Ellen founder) daughter. I'm also beginning to email her, and will probably call or get together with here at some point. I'll keep you all apprised as to what becomes of this.

I meant to bid on those maps and brochures, but forgot about it until it was too late :cry: . I'll keep my eyes open to see if any more show up!

02-27-2007, 03:37 PM
Is the site down?

Strat
02-27-2007, 03:45 PM
It appears that way... very odd...

BushMogulMaster
02-27-2007, 06:35 PM
It appears that way... very odd...

It's up now. I was at Burke today, so just found this message. Doesn't seem to be a problem now!

sugarboarder
02-27-2007, 08:47 PM
It appears that way... very odd...

It's up now. I was at Burke today, so just found this message. Doesn't seem to be a problem now!

How was Burke? I grew up skiing there 1970-1976...haven't been back since about 1989.

BushMogulMaster
02-27-2007, 08:59 PM
It appears that way... very odd...

It's up now. I was at Burke today, so just found this message. Doesn't seem to be a problem now!

How was Burke? I grew up skiing there 1970-1976...haven't been back since about 1989.

It's a cool hill. Seems small after skiing the Bush everyday, but I managed to find some really fun terrain up there. And nothing quite beats the fun of getting a foot of air off the Poma F-12!

The Tamarack Grill at the base lodge was really neat. Good selection, manageable menu, and well furnished/decorated/etc.

Overall, great experience. I'll definitely go back.