Your opinion about the new Sugarbush

[greenmtnboy]

Monday's Burlington Free Press asks about your opinion regarding the new Sugarbush and Clay Brook:

http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070212/OPINION/702120318/1006

They will publish your opinion in a later edition.

Mine is simple: In contrast, the entire building was somewhat overwhelming at first. It does take away from the scenic view of the trails. The overall concept works very well. Since opening, the owners have struggled with dilemas caused by 1) construction issues, 2) scheduling, 3) concept designs, 4) staffing, and 5) our complaints and know it all recommendations.

Whats missing is:
1) Seeing my good friend every morning greeting guests in the parking lot (Adam Greshin who reminds me of our buddy Bill Stenger as he met guests at Jay Peak). What a nice touch making this a friendly mountain resort.

2) Having such a friendly and resourceful staff to greet all of the customers ((including the pass holders) they need a little people work, but it's getting there))

3) the touch pad computer software in the lodge and pub!!!!! it's junk!!! Get a different systems thats quicker. Everyone blames the staff, but based on my observation, the computer system is definitely slowing things down.

Well, everything else has been fixed, and Win, you have taken your blows from many critical individuals including me (maybe we can talk sometime), so listen folks, it's time we give the mountain a break. Great job to the outstanding staff for putting up with the complaints, the mountain men for making the best snow on this mountain, the lift attendants patiences for dealing with our plastic pass contraptions, these poor guys and gals deserve better because the don't deserve the treatment they get for passes not being scanned properly (cut a little hole in the plastic so the scanner reads your pass). WOW, when the scanner reads it, the line goes faster

But seriously, I am 6th generation Vermonter and have skied at most of the mountains in Vermont all my life. I have watched the mountains in Vermont grow. This is the type of development we want to see in this state. Well thought out, evironmentally safe and user friendly.

Win, Adam and the other owner (Bob Ackland who???) sorry Bob, we don't see you much. As much aggrevation as you get from your customers, the pass holders, the wanna be's, and the employees, ,the resort is coming into it. Great job.

[Tin Woodsman]

Kudos for sure go to the Summit Ventures team. They've embarked on what may be the most ambitious reshaping of Sugarbush in its history. There are some great things about the new base, and some "areas of improvement" or "challenges", as the hot euphemism goes today in corporate America. The LP base area is clearly a work in progress, so overall I give them an incomplete, pending the delivery of the Guest Services Lodge and the next phase(s) of residential. That said, it's hard not to trust these guys to do it well and do it right. They get the MRV and Vermont, and they understand what a special mountain they've bought. Just to see an owner of a major VT ski area wax poetic about the need to balance uphill and downhill capacity - man, it's obvious that Win "gets it".

I made a point to tell Hardy on Sunday in the VH lodge that the mountain was in fantastic shape. Seriously - they just cracked the 100" mark with over half the season gone and the mountain is skiing better than it has in 2-3 years. They continue to bury various trails with high quality man-made. What's not to like? Hopefully, with some good construction weather and decent early season snow, we can roll right into next year with a head of steam, and all the "unpleasantness" of the first half of this winter will be but a distant memory.

[TimKeogh]

Being the local that I am, Clay Brook is just a building I must walk by to get to my destination - the lift.
I can't see myself ever staying there, so if it helps the owners make a profit and keep the lifts turning - great....

[MntMan4Bush]

I also was very hesitant at first because of the size of Claybrook. I liked the old mountain small lodge that we had. It really seemed rustic and I hope that North always stays that way so we have a mountain like that as an option and retain some of the hsitory. I also recognize though that for SB to offer the great service we all expect and stay open changes had to take place and after a little while it's grown on me. Granted there are some size constraint issues with CR Pub and the changing locker room area that I think we'd all like to see changed, but overall I think that they did a great job and I look forward to the changes to come. They've certainly shown that they can adapt and no place opens with such large scale changes to infrastructure without there being some kinks to work out. I feel confident that our concerns will all be addressed with time and SB will continue to impress us. I don't think I can grade it as an A+, but I can probably give it a solid B for now because I know it is an unfinished product and the Guest Services building is yet to come. Of course SB as a whole gets an A plus without question, I'm just grading the changes.

[Tin Woodsman]

Couldn't agree more. The CR Pub and small size of the changing area are definite missteps. I will be interested to see how they resolve them in the future. That said, they've shown a willingness and an ability to switch course mid-stream and think creatively to find solutions to problems. The changes at Timbers, opening of the VH lodge, and modifications upstairs in Gate House lodge are examples of this. But I have to stay witht he incomplete grade pending more complete build-out and resolution of the apres and boot changing situations.

Speaking of the latter, whatever that employee only room is in between the Guest Services desk and the boot changing room - it should have a half life not unlike a rare isotope of Plutonium and be folded into the bag/boot changing area.

[sugarboarder]

I was racing at Ragged Sunday and man, if we could have copied the lodge there we'd REALLY have something - nicest one in the northeast IMO. It's HUGE for any area, but especially for such a small (and now being sold at auction) area.