EAST COAST ROLL CALL #8 14/15 A NEW HOPE

[east or bust]

^FKNA that is awesome!


Had a good weekend upstate at Indian Lake then shot over to VT to see my pup. The early hike didn't happen but it was nice and cool up high on Saturday.




Green Drakes were coming off the lake like crazy on Sunday. By now the trout are in the depths but the smallies were probably going nuts.

[aepeak]

Do we have enough interest on the east coast for a group buy for some Down Skis?

http://www.tetongravity.com/forums/s...-U-S-Group-Buy

I'm in for a pair of YW8s.

[From_the_NEK]

Found this lady in front of the door to the office this morning...


Dobsonfly

[east or bust]

^They're a lot scarier when they're trying to land on you in the river at dark.

[From_the_NEK]

^They're a lot scarier when they're trying to land on you in the river at dark.

I can imagine. June bugs are bad enough

[ex-powderbroker]

Found some August turns for JS pretty close to home:

http://www.powder.com/videos/powder-...YxkRxFaMmQ4.97

[Jonathan S.]

Found some August turns for JS pretty close to home:

http://www.powder.com/videos/powder-...YxkRxFaMmQ4.97

I'll hold out for the ice shavings from the college hockey rink.
(They get dumped onto a little hill!)

[ex-powderbroker]

I'll hold out for the ice shavings from the college hockey rink.
(They get dumped onto a little hill!)

The huck at the end is too big for tech-fittings?

[mtl_ripper]

Spit n sweat arena snow is the shizz for nice cool summer night sesh. Don't knock it till ya try it.

[Jonathan S.]

Nearly 4k' vert continuous skiing of mainly pretty decent snow quality Tuesday on Mount Adams.
But we paid the price of a looooong return hike:






More pictures here:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?...9664838&type=3

[BigDaddy]

Nice JS... way to get after it. It's been said before, but you are an animal.


So does anyone have the inside scoop on this? Saddleback shutting down over a $3M lift? Please say it's not so... my BFF just finished building a house there this summer, but even he's in the dark. I was looking forward to finally skiing there this year...

Seems like a bluff tactic, but I've got no idea?: http://www.powder.com/stories/first-...rRyp2UzhsdC.97

Owners of Saddleback ski area have two weeks to find $3 million for the purchase of a new four-person chairlift or the resort will not open for the winter season.

In a press release sent out this morning, the Berry family, who purchased the Maine resort in 2003, said the much-needed addition will replace the aging 51-year-old Rangeley double chair. One of four lifts on the mountain, it provides the main access from the base lodge to the top of the mountain.

“In order for Saddleback to be sustainable for the long-term, we’ve decided the lift must be replaced,” said owner Mark Berry. “For the last several months, we’ve been actively seeking the necessary financing to replace the chairlift, however time is running out. We only have a few weeks to make this work. In order to open this winter, we need to order the new lift by early August.”

The release stated all 300 employees have been informed of potential changes in winter operations and has guaranteed that all season pass holders will be reimbursed.

Saddleback Mountain is located in the Rangeley Lakes Region of Western Maine, near the Portland and Bangor airports. With 2,000 feet of vertical, the resort includes 220 skiable acres and reports an average annual snowfall of 225 inches. Under the Berry family’s ownership, improvements include a new base lodge, the installation of two new quad chairlifts, the addition of many new trails, expanded snowmaking and glade skiing.

“This is certainly not where we hoped to be given our success in growing this mountain. It is our sincere hope that the funding will come through in time to purchase the new lift and have it operational for this year’s ski season. We are now calling on those who treasure what Saddleback is to the people of Maine to help us find a solution,” the family said.

Saddleback also announced the news on their Facebook page today, adding they are waiting for approval from three different lenders. The post asked for recommendations for obtaining short-order financing to which many commenters suggested using crowd-funding sites like Kickstarter or GoFundMe.

Read more at http://www.powder.com/stories/first-...jq7Q0mIMeRI.99

[cat in january]

Seems they are trying to use the press to leverage this. Assuming they don't get a loan (and hard to see a bank backing it) a bit of a cheeky game. If they don't open then the value starts to go down hill rapidly. If they do open and there is a lift accident, then they are wide open.

Resort has been for sale for 3 years. Maybe the Barry family has grown tired of bleeding money.

Checked their website the other day and they have suspended season ticket sales.

[BigDaddy]

Thanks Cat... on the block for three years could get old. It's too bad, because last year was so good and people tend to book/buy based on the previous years snow. Could have been a great year to recover some money and look more appealing to buyers.

Running a small business is not easy, especially a ski resort. Good luck to them.

[cat in january]

Checked Saddleback's Facebook page and they claim it is an economic issue and not a safety issue. Would have thought by now they had learned you don't spend money on a ski mountain to make money.

[Peruvian]

It sounds like SB is looking for investors outside of banking at this point. I'm surprised there isn't a kickstarter campaign.😏

Anyone going to see OCMC at Shelburne this Saturday? Mrs Peruvian and I will be there.

[cat in january]

Facebook page has talk of that. I have a hard time seeing it happening. The time frame is much too short. Black Mountain in Maine had a fund raising goal of 50,000 and that took a long time to reach (I think they met it). What Black had going for it that SB does not is that it was a community owned mountain and local businesses became involved as part of their philanthropy. Additionally it was tax deductible for individuals. Seems like last desperate efforts by the owners who have grown weary of bleeding money every year.

[Vt-Freeheel]

Getting a new $3 mil lift here this summer. Pouring some concrete yesterday.



Been a busy summer so far, working 6 days a week and riding 4 or 5 times after work and on Sunday. Loving the new Ibis, rolls like butter.
Other than the snow Mt Adams looks bleak.

[Gepeto]

Getting a new $3 mil lift here this summer. Pouring some concrete yesterday.



Been a busy summer so far, working 6 days a week and riding 4 or 5 times after work and on Sunday. Loving the new Ibis, rolls like butter.
Other than the snow Mt Adams looks bleak.

douche your box jedi

[Vt-Freeheel]

douche your box jedi

OWWW, the vinegar stings!

[MMP]

Anyone headed to Jay Peak this weekend?

How are conditions?

We're headed up.

[Vt-Freeheel]

Anyone headed to Jay Peak this weekend?

How are conditions?

We're headed up.

64% Canucks on holiday, 34% Deadheads holding onto life through SDO, 2% Drunk Locals leering in the waterpark windows. Fresh crop of mosquitoes with a side of deerflies for all.

Have Fun! [said sincerely]

[Jonathan S.]

Nice JS... way to get after it. It's been said before, but you are an animal.

I hope you mean a Dynafit Snow Leopard!

Other than the snow Mt Adams looks bleak.

Hood looked even worse these past two days:




Fortunately though about a thousand vert skied okay up above the Palmer on an inactive shoulder of the White River Glacier, so combined with the groomed Palmer = laps of up to 2,450' vert on Wednesday afternoon, followed by dawn patrol yesterday for a cumulative 18.4' vert ascended during a 24-hr period to close out the season before flying home in the early afternoon.

A few more pics here:

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?...9664838&type=3

... including overnight grooming finishing up just as I was transitioning from trail runners to skinning:

[Peruvian]

Unbelievable how dry the PNW is. No wonder it's all aflame.

[Vt-Freeheel]

Nice and lush around here this summer[after the driest May]. Climbed[4.97% pushed] to the top-o-bravo last evening, good reward was 1600' of bermy thrill ride downhill.



Some of the trails were freshly raked of all pebbles and very smooth, some not so much..

[Binky]

Lame non-skiing question:

The family and I will be escaping the beach traffic and nonsense surrounding us tomorrow to travel north. Where would I stand the best chance to pick up some decent beers between the Mad River Valley and Stowe ? JONG me all you want. I just don't want to leave empty handed, and, yes, I realize that Sunday sucks because most places have been pillaged.