Dream expansion?

[BushMogulMaster]

If you could expand just ONE on-mountain section of Sugarbush, what/where would it be? Be as detailed as possible. Just curious. Besides, we have to do something in these terrible warm months with no snow! :D

[Tin Woodsman]

Define on-mountain.

[BushMogulMaster]

Define on-mountain.

Trails, lifts, glades, snowmaking.... not base expansion, mountain expansion. And you can use more than one of these, but only for one project. I like making the rules. :wink:

[Fourwide]

While you're at it, take a look for this. Not a straight shot down the hill, but instead winds down, then flattening out and joining Jester just up the hill from Allyns. I skied it in a dream recently (maybe I need to work on upgrading my dreams??).

[BushMogulMaster]

While you're at it, take a look for this. Not a straight shot down the hill, but instead winds down, then flattening out and joining Jester just up the hill from Allyns. I skied it in a dream recently (maybe I need to work on upgrading my dreams??).

It's doable. But if you look at the topo, it would more likely have to join with Paradise Extension rather than Jester, due to the direction of the fall line.

Also, that's NFS land. Good luck!

[HowieT2]

The Inverness pod which would entail a new lift or two. More realistically, cutting a trail between North Lynx and castlerock all the way skiers right above the bridge on the castlerock connection. I say this selfishly since I don't want to end up in that creek ever again.

BTW- thanks BMM. things were eerily dead on this board.

[skiladi]

Not sure w/o checking the old maps ( I know the sites,just lazy) but the old gondi ran somewhere up Grinder. I would love a lift all the way to LP where the ob deck is and I
hate the way HG ends and everyone has to scurry up the hill if they are going left. :P
Well , you asked. ; }

[Tin Woodsman]

So Slide Brook is out of the equation?

[BushMogulMaster]

So Slide Brook is out of the equation?

You can certainly dream! It will never happen, though. But go ahead... tell us what you'd do.......

[random_ski_guy]

But go ahead... tell us what you'd do.......

this is a bit misplaced...

i would add televisions for my dream expansion. wire all the glades with flat screens pumping out 1080p hd images. this way nobody has to hang out in the lodge to watch television anymore. maybe a tv every third tree, so figure its going to take 10,000 tvs to get the job done. the programing will very by ski line. to watch a particular program you'll need to ski a strict course. to channel surf, ski indiscriminately.

so my big idea is not really an expansion its just a simple improvement to the ski experience.

:roll:

i don't know what's wrong with me. :P

[Yard Sale]

But go ahead... tell us what you'd do.......

this is a bit misplaced...

i would add televisions for my dream expansion. wire all the glades with flat screens pumping out 1080p hd images. this way nobody has to hang out in the lodge to watch television anymore. maybe a tv every third tree, so figure its going to take 10,000 tvs to get the job done. the programing will very by ski line. to watch a particular program you'll need to ski a strict course. to channel surf, ski indiscriminately.

so my big idea is not really an expansion its just a simple improvement to the ski experience.

:roll:

i don't know what's wrong with me. :P

Perhaps you should consider changing your handle to "The Cable Guy". (See Jim Carey)

I think the idea of cutting trails in between the Rock and North Lynx would be the plan that would improve/add the most for the least. I think it could be done with out adding any additional lifts.

[BushMogulMaster]

I think the idea of cutting trails in between the Rock and North Lynx would be the plan that would improve/add the most for the least. I think it could be done with out adding any additional lifts.

That would be cool.

I think, however, that you'd get the most for least by cutting 3 or 4 trails down from the Glen House in the Lower FIS area, and installing a cheap old double. Completely opens that area up, and gives you a reason to ski Lower FIS. And some of the terrain down from the Glen House is significantly steeper than Black Diamond/FIS, and if those couple of trails were cut right, they'd make everything else on the mountain seem tame.

[kcyanks1]

I think the idea of cutting trails in between the Rock and North Lynx would be the plan that would improve/add the most for the least. I think it could be done with out adding any additional lifts.

That would be cool.

I think, however, that you'd get the most for least by cutting 3 or 4 trails down from the Glen House in the Lower FIS area, and installing a cheap old double. Completely opens that area up, and gives you a reason to ski Lower FIS.

You mean a reason to ski Mt. Ellen? Just kidding. :-)

[HowieT2]

But go ahead... tell us what you'd do.......

this is a bit misplaced...

i would add televisions for my dream expansion. wire all the glades with flat screens pumping out 1080p hd images. this way nobody has to hang out in the lodge to watch television anymore. maybe a tv every third tree, so figure its going to take 10,000 tvs to get the job done. the programing will very by ski line. to watch a particular program you'll need to ski a strict course. to channel surf, ski indiscriminately.

so my big idea is not really an expansion its just a simple improvement to the ski experience.

:roll:

i don't know what's wrong with me. :P

very funny....now wifi (wimax) on the mountain might be interesting. We could stick a webcam on Adkinson's helmet....

[skiladi]

I think the idea of cutting trails in between the Rock and North Lynx would be the plan that would improve/add the most for the least. I think it could be done with out adding any additional lifts.

That would be cool.

I think, however, that you'd get the most for least by cutting 3 or 4 trails down from the Glen House in the Lower FIS area, and installing a cheap old double. Completely opens that area up, and gives you a reason to ski Lower FIS. And some of the terrain down from the Glen House is significantly steeper than Black Diamond/FIS, and if those couple of trails were cut right, they'd make everything else on the mountain seem tame.

Uh , I kinda like people NOT having a reason to ski Lower FIS. Call me selfish. ; }

[Yard Sale]

I think the idea of cutting trails in between the Rock and North Lynx would be the plan that would improve/add the most for the least. I think it could be done with out adding any additional lifts.

That would be cool.

I think, however, that you'd get the most for least by cutting 3 or 4 trails down from the Glen House in the Lower FIS area, and installing a cheap old double. Completely opens that area up, and gives you a reason to ski Lower FIS. And some of the terrain down from the Glen House is significantly steeper than Black Diamond/FIS, and if those couple of trails were cut right, they'd make everything else on the mountain seem tame.

Uh , I kinda like people NOT having a reason to ski Lower FIS. Call me selfish. ; }

Alright, you're selfish. But I mean that in the good way. :wink: The beauty of having a trail isolated and somewhat remote is that it is isolated and somewhat remote. However if BMM wants to add more steeps it is hard to argue against that. Of course, I'm sure BMM's plan includes some heavy duty moorings at the top so the new runs can be winched nightly. :P

[BushMogulMaster]

I think the idea of cutting trails in between the Rock and North Lynx would be the plan that would improve/add the most for the least. I think it could be done with out adding any additional lifts.

That would be cool.

I think, however, that you'd get the most for least by cutting 3 or 4 trails down from the Glen House in the Lower FIS area, and installing a cheap old double. Completely opens that area up, and gives you a reason to ski Lower FIS. And some of the terrain down from the Glen House is significantly steeper than Black Diamond/FIS, and if those couple of trails were cut right, they'd make everything else on the mountain seem tame.

Uh , I kinda like people NOT having a reason to ski Lower FIS. Call me selfish. ; }

Alright, you're selfish. But I mean that in the good way. :wink: The beauty of having a trail isolated and somewhat remote is that it is isolated and somewhat remote. However if BMM wants to add more steeps it is hard to argue against that. Of course, I'm sure BMM's plan includes some heavy duty moorings at the top so the new runs can be winched nightly. :P

:evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: NO GROOMING!

Just install a crazy-fast double (you know, load at 550fpm) so that all the beginners won't ride it. Put signs at all the trails about it being serious expert only terrain, such as "If you're not an extremely advanced expert skier, you WILL DIE!" or something to that effect. It will either keep people away, or convince everyone to try it. I'm not sure which. :wink:

[Yard Sale]

I think the idea of cutting trails in between the Rock and North Lynx would be the plan that would improve/add the most for the least. I think it could be done with out adding any additional lifts.

That would be cool.

I think, however, that you'd get the most for least by cutting 3 or 4 trails down from the Glen House in the Lower FIS area, and installing a cheap old double. Completely opens that area up, and gives you a reason to ski Lower FIS. And some of the terrain down from the Glen House is significantly steeper than Black Diamond/FIS, and if those couple of trails were cut right, they'd make everything else on the mountain seem tame.

Uh , I kinda like people NOT having a reason to ski Lower FIS. Call me selfish. ; }

Alright, you're selfish. But I mean that in the good way. :wink: The beauty of having a trail isolated and somewhat remote is that it is isolated and somewhat remote. However if BMM wants to add more steeps it is hard to argue against that. Of course, I'm sure BMM's plan includes some heavy duty moorings at the top so the new runs can be winched nightly. :P

:evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: NO GROOMING!

Just install a crazy-fast double (you know, load at 550fpm) so that all the beginners won't ride it. Put signs at all the trails about it being serious expert only terrain, such as "If you're not an extremely advanced expert skier, you WILL DIE!" or something to that effect. It will either keep people away, or convince everyone to try it. I'm not sure which. :wink:

Alright, alright. I didn't mean to open any can o' worms. :oops: It's agreed then, we will not pretend to groom the new make believe trail system. :lol:

[Tin Woodsman]

Hard to pick just one scenario. FWIW, I don't think the idea of cutting trails between CR and NL is optimal given that this area literally faces due South.

My real dream scenario (dream = will never happen) would be a low capacity lift from roughly where the bridge over the cat track over Slide Brook is, going up to a summit terminal close to the NL lift summit. Cut a few trails down that face and then maybe 1-2 backcountry glades/runs down from the top of the CR pod/LT area.

The dream expansion in the realm of possibility would be Upper Inverness. It's on private land, as far as I know. It would be the one expansion that could make take ME into another league. I think ME suffers from the fact that it seems to ski so narrow. Once you've done 3-4 runs (as a typical skier - not someone who knows the place inside and out), you sort of feel like you've seen most of what there is to see. The current Inverness is a pain in the rear to do laps on b/c the lift takes so damn long, so ME doesn't ski "wide" at all, like LP does. Adding the upper Inverness pod and then converting the current Inverness lift into a HSQ would do wonders to spread out traffic while adding a high-elevation skiing pod that gets nice late-day sun. Most of the terrain is for upper to middle ability cruising, with some nice low-level expert terrain possibilities out to the south from the summit and down into the ravine to skiers' left of Brambles. It would change the game at ME and, IMHO, bring a lot of interest to the mountain.

I like the lift up to Glen House from Lower FIS too, but it's not like that area isn't skied already. It would just make it alot easier to get back out. What would better than a lift up to Glen House is some sort of poma or t-bar to help you get back into the main lift system and to avoid the flats.

[Strat]

I can't see a lot of downside for the resort to the above Inverness expansion (besides money and Act 250 whatnotness). Raise publicity, interest, what could be better for marketing purposes than new trails? It's not like they'll be charging $400+ a run :wink:

[BushMogulMaster]

What would better than a lift up to Glen House is some sort of poma or t-bar to help you get back into the main lift system and to avoid the flats.

This occurred to me as well. I'm thinking high speed Poma F-12. That'd be a fun ride!

I know that the terrain is already skied, but the runout is so awful, and there's so much for skiing to be done in there! A Poma and 2 or 3 narrow/gladed runs would be a great solution.

[BushMogulMaster]

Alright, alright. I didn't mean to open any can o' worms. :oops: It's agreed then, we will not pretend to groom the new make believe trail system. :lol:

That's better! :wink: :lol:

[Tin Woodsman]

I can't see a lot of downside for the resort to the above Inverness expansion (besides money and Act 250 whatnotness). Raise publicity, interest, what could be better for marketing purposes than new trails? It's not like they'll be charging $400+ a run :wink:

I tend to agree. To be certain, once you calculate the cost of the necessary approvals, designing and cutting, moving the Inverness quad to the new pod and installing it (that would almost surely be the solution me thinks), upgrading the snowmaking infrastructure to that side of the mountain, installing snowmaking on some of the new trails, and buying the replacement HSQ for Inverness, you're probably looking at a good $10MM, no? That's not chump change. If I had to guess, SB will focus in the next 4-5 years on building out the LP base. Once all the housing is up (oops, I mean the bed base is re-established), then they can turn their attention to the base of North, as they will be running out of room quickly at LP unless they want to remove the parking lot.

I think ME really is a diamond in the rough. Mostly on private land, so they can do all sorts of fun stuff in the little used parking lots below or down towards the base of Sunny D. My guess is the upper Inverness pod only happens if SB ever gets around to developing real estate at North. That would provide the justification/pretext to meaingfully expand the terrain there - got to create that buzz! Boy would it ever.

[Mike_451]

I think ME really is a diamond in the rough.

How about "Black Diamond in the rough" you know more ski like :wink:

For some reason I always associate the phrase Diamond in the rough with the butchering of a ski area :?

As many possibilities there are for terrain expansion the key in my book is Quality not Quantity. Adding trails just to up the trail count would put SB in the same category as K-Mart. However I think that there is terrain out there that cold be devoloped with great character and with respect for the environment.