Progress on Sugarbush's New Lodges, Snowmaking Lines, etc.

[summitchallenger]

Sorry....the formatting on AZ is such that I can't transfer the entire photos, so here is the link:

http://forums.alpinezone.com/showthread.php?p=563726#post563726

[vonski]

Did they trim Looking good the whole length? If so, that will make it a lot nicer to have one side groomed and coming back onto the trail will be easier too! Nice pictures! Thinking Snow!

[summitchallenger]

Did they trim Looking good the whole length? If so, that will make it a lot nicer to have one side groomed and coming back onto the trail will be easier too! Nice pictures! Thinking Snow!

Pretty much yes.

[Jacksun]

What about the Access Road? Can't believe the work (especially the culverts) is not finished yet. Is it going to be left as is for the winter? I am under the impression that paving can't be done below certain temperatures (not sure if that's true). Can't believe that SV will be too happy if it's left as is all winter, not to mention that it's unsafe now, imagine how bad it will be when there's lots of skier traffic on it!

[noski]

@Jacksun....here is the article from yesterday's paper.
http://www.valleyreporter.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3507&Itemid=38

[Jacksun]

Noski, thanks for the link. I've read the article twice now, and still can not figure out what is going to happen! (It must be my eroding brainpower.)

[noski]

Noski, thanks for the link. I've read the article twice now, and still can not figure out what is going to happen! (It must be my eroding brainpower.) Agreed, but at least we all know nothing together! Maybe someone from up the (snowy!) hill will chime in soon.

[shadyjay]

Read the article too - also completely clueless.

However I do know that they're working on the ME pipeline and I believe paving parts of the Access Road soon. I haven't been on the Access Road in so long so I have no idea - when it got too dangerous to drive it at night, I decided I was going to take German Flats instead. That was back in August and I haven't set tire on the lower access road since then.



But I think we all knew that already!

[win]

Tatro has finished the Lincoln Peak pipeline and they are now patching the road where they had to dig into the asphalt. The town is responsbile for paving the cuts across the road where they replaced the culverts. Hopefully that will be done as soon as Tatro is finished patching along the side.

At some point the entire Access Road needs to be repaved by the town. It has been at least 15 years since this has been done.

Tatro has now begun the pipe replacement at Mount Ellen and they have already completed about 1,600 feet. This is a much simpler project and most of it is on our land. It will be ready by the time we are scheduled to blow.

[Plowboy]

Tatro has now begun the pipe replacement at Mount Ellen and they have already completed about 1,600 feet. This is a much simpler project and most of it is on our land. It will be ready by the time we are scheduled to blow.

GWT is doing an outstanding job here @ ME. Working into the night on a few days. Interesting to see them use the Zap-loc pipe system http://www.gwtatro.com/zap-lok.html .

Thumbs up here @ ME

[summitchallenger]

And what is going on with the Mount Ellen lodge? New deck? Expanded seating areas (please)?

[win]

Repaired the desk and the tables in the Green Mountain Lodge and put in some new carpeting. The big $500,000 project was the new snowmaking pipe from Van Loon Pump house next to the Fayston school which runs to the pump house near the Inverness lift. Tatro is moving fast and it should be done in two weeks give or take a few days is the weather cooperates.

[noski]

I had the pleasure of a Win-guided tour this weekend of the new facilities. I was impressed and intrigued with the obvious thought that went into the flow and layout of services in the two buildings. Everything from a parents' viewing deck (to discretely watch the little ones on the beginner slope), to the "NO PARENTS ALLOWED" section of the kids' areas, to the interior visual elements using local artists. Every nook and cranny has a purpose. Fun-while-learning is top priortiy in the Schoolhouse, and the new ticket/retail/rental space will flow smoothly. Why Win kept bringing up the new SKI SCHOOL and NEVER EVER program with me, I will never know....

[ridelikeme]

Tatro's project management leaves a little to be desired from a commuter/resident standpoint IMO. Fully understanding this is not Sugarbush, but the contractor they hired, this past week has been trying my patience.

First and foremost, the access rd, 12 of the 17 culverts were not paved as of yesterday. I know this because I was turned away from German Flats at the school because the road was closed, (with no warning signage at either end). I had been avoiding the access rd due to the construction and to have both roads in disarray is a real PITA. To close one of these roads entirely, with no signage, at commuting time, and having surly traffic people is POOR MANAGEMENT.

Back to the access rd today for a try. They are now paving the culverts..yay :roll: . But they have one traffic person at the bottom and one at the top and some confusing road conditions going on in between that forced a truck in front of me to back up to go on the correct side of a barrier...no one directing traffic, but we had one surly employee of the paver throwing his shovel around, flipping out on the truck driver, who was understandably confused by the barricades, (once on the correct side, his rig was millimeters from rubbing the guard rail).

In addition, throughout the project, Tatro has been tying up GF Road with slow moving dumptrucks instead of keeping them traveling within the jobsite. Not the biggest deal in the world, but when the access rd is closed or delayed and your trying to get somewhere quickly using GF Road, you end behind a rig from the jobsite.

As I said, I know it's not Sugarbush, but the contractor. Hopefully Sugarbush will relay some concerns to the contractor. More importantly, hopefully this nightmare will be over soon and we'll be hitting the hill.

[Hawk]

You like that word Surly don't you. :wink: I can understand that your quiet world is being interrupted by the construction but I have to laugh at the use of words like nightmare, dissaray and PITA. You have no idea. Try commuting in and out of Boston every day. Now those words definately apply on a daily basis. I guess it's all a mater of perspective. I think you need to slow down and just take it all in stride. It will be over soon. There is nothing Sugarbush can do.

By the way the culverts are the town of Warren's project and has very little to do with the mountain. They just made the decision to complete the work at the same time as the snow making pipe.

[ridelikeme]

Hawk, I am fully aware of bad commutes. In my former life I had to be in Midtown Manhattan at 7 am from upstate NY. One and a half hours on the best day. Going home in the summer on a thurs or friday, 1.5 hrs to get off Manhattan, another 1.5 to 2 to get to my driveway. I take it quite slow, my point is having 2 roads gone to poop is not fun and not good project management...again knowing it is not The Bush but the contractor causing headache.

let's just hope it snows again soon, then this will be a distant memory

[Hawk]

Well that is worse than me. I would loose my mind if I lived in NYC. I guess the other option is West Hill. I guess we will be back to normal in a few weeks.

[HowieT2]

Well that is worse than me. I would loose my mind if I lived in NYC. I guess the other option is West Hill. I guess we will be back to normal in a few weeks.

i used to have a commute like that. It sucked. depends where you are in NYC suburbs. now I have a 45 minute door to door which is fine.