Snowbird expansion proposal

[Rooster]

hmm. my bad. Thought I read a 1400' tram. Quick math. Pretty lame terrain really. I'd still ride the old tram. Anyway, one smart idea in the ten year master plan: "Making Gad II a high-speed detachable lift"

[ectreeskier11]

yeah it's only another 500 vert, don't know where your numbers came from. the thing that pisses me off most is the extension of mineral and lift up onto pagan bowl area, that's my favorite easy access bc, the trees are unbelievably perfect and there's all kinds of fun terrain to play with. since it's permanently open from the bird there, it's easy to make many laps in a day. i would be so sad to see that developed into the resort.

[Johnny Deep]

The Pipeline will be the new Corbet's....

[leroy jenkins]

And you know what, it still won't get their profitability to where Dick Bass wants it because, as someone noted, their facilities are a fucking concrete slag heap. I'm sure he wants the prized big spender vacation skier, but he needs to realize that people with money don't take ski vacations to stay in soviet bunkers, and they really don't give a fuck about acreage. They want amenities, which actually can be given without putting lifts everywhere.

They are never ever ever going to get that market

I'm thinking cost and structural analysis had them put it on the top next to the tramdock. The vertical climb from Gadzoom to the top would be pretty drastic when compared to from the upper tramdock. That would probably require a tower somewhere by the base of, or even next to pipeline, which wouldn't be the most pleasant as for construction, and more importantly to Dick Bass, his wallet.

I dont know a ton about tram building, but I can tell you there are countless places that have steeper trams up gnarlier terrain without any secondary towers. Big sky for one, europe for the next like 100. I think the only trams that need towers are the ones that go up and over rolling terrain like the existing bird tram.



I am actually usually psyched for resort expansions since I like riding lifts, but this one seems silly.

[Lone Star]

The Pipeline will be the new Corbet's....

fuck! that's some traffic!!

[powdork]

i dont think he realizes this. the problem with snowbird is not the terrain/lifts/trails its the shitty and overpriced(for what they are now) hotels and restaurants.

i've been VERY happy every time i've stayed there, which is 4 times in the last 4 years. It's no Deer Valley, but I couldn't give a shit about Deer Valley. Snowbird's lodging is absolutely not overpriced. And 33 cents apiece for some of the best wings i've ever had. ridonculous for a ski resort.
I'll come back to the bird next year, and I won't hit a grocery store on the way up cuz i'll eat Snowbird's food every night. It's cheaper than stocking the fridge.

which is not to say i'm a fan of the expansion. my say doesn't matter anyway as doubt bass will expand across the basin and range to Tahoe in the near future.

[JTrue]

Wait one minute, Mary Ellen is where we go brappppnnnnnn on low danger days.

I do ski at the Bird, but this expansion does seem silly. The main run into Mary Ellen is a wide open south facing shot. Maybe some of the shots on the SE or SW aspect would be fun, but they are all pretty short. Only thing I think it is good for is getting the tourons(morans) away from the goods. Even though it would mean a less crowded resort experience I definitely don't support it.

Fuck a tram, we need an elevator to compliment our escalator.

[skiski]

Couldn't they expand into Mary Ellen without a tram to the top of the twins? From looking at the maps, it looks like they want the tram to the top of west twin, when east twin is really over Mary Ellen, so they would force a traverse (done in true snowbird style with a 2 lane road, a tunnel, and a concrete bunker I am sure) back to the south face of the east twin. It makes no sense, and it would be really offensive to everone else's view. Of course, it's snowbird, and I'm sure their preferred option would be to put a tram to the top of the twins, level the top to a football field sized flat spot, then cut a road zigzagging across the north faces so that beginners can ski from the twins back down to snowbird.

As I mentioned before, I would give them Mary Ellen if it could be assured that they would not expand onto flagstaff and superior, but, I think they should accomplish their expansiion with a couple of lifts over and back from mineral basin. That would be far less unsightly.

[StraightChuter]

Wait one minute, Mary Ellen is where we go brappppnnnnnn on low danger days.

Years ago I was involved in a meeting with the Wasatch Powderbirds, snowmobilers and backcountry skiers to try and figure out a way to all get a long (conclusion = not possible). One of the 'bilers was a Ted Nuggent look-alike who said "Ya know, when me and my buds get into that area (Mary Ellen) we can track the whole thing up wall to wall in less than an hour!" I'd avoided that area so I didn't really care, and even thought it was funny how enthusiastic the guy was, but the WPG'ers were mighty quite until one of them said something like "Well, we hope you don't do that very often."

In that regard, it would be a true multi-use shit-show to allow sledders, resort skiers, heliskier and backcountry skiers all in there just to see what shakes out. If this area does get developed, WPG would lose yet more instantly accessible low angle, short terrain, located within 200 yards of a ski resort which is their bread & butter.

[rideit]

fuck! that's some traffic!!

You should see the ten Jews on one snowboard hit it!

[DeeAre]

Of course, it's snowbird, and I'm sure their preferred option would be to put a tram to the top of the twins, level the top to a football field sized flat spot, then cut a road zigzagging across the north faces so that beginners can ski from the twins back down to snowbird.

haha
and then every knuckledragger at the bird can ignore the orange ovals and dodge turistas as they punt airs off of the road. sounds like a worthy plan to me.

[TeleThor]

I'm against resort expansion in general. And expansion into Mary Ellen seems silly to me. A tram to the twins seems twice as silly. But as others have said, I'll take it over any expansion on Flagstaff/Superior.

[derekmarkovic]

I really hope Snowbird gets the OK and is allowed to expand and build a second tram. Does anyone know any new info on this? Does anyone know how or even if things are coming along?

[sfotex]

I really hope Snowbird gets the OK and is allowed to expand and build a second tram. Does anyone know any new info on this? Does anyone know how or even if things are coming along?

Construction finished this summer. Pipeline was pretty boney yesterday, but it was opening day, so it'll just get better. You need to get up there and check it out.

[beaterdit]

Word.

I initially had mixed feelings about this expansion but now, after skiing it, it's really pretty cool. That extra 500' of elevation made for a lot more snow up top and once things fill in even more it's gonna be sick.

Anyone know what flight for life was doing down at the bottom of pipeline though? Just training I'm sure.

[skiski]

I really hope Snowbird gets the OK and is allowed to expand and build a second tram. Does anyone know any new info on this? Does anyone know how or even if things are coming along?

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[Benny Profane]

Whatever, but, only in SLC. Where people are born with the Tea Party in rule (from your link):

http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/news/50...ciety.html.csp

[beaterdit]

Ummm Benny, that link is five months old.

[Benny Profane]

"Published Nov 13, 2010 10:18PM"

Anyway, more like sixty years.

[yabyum]

The old basshole has always wanted white pine, and he always will.

[beaterdit]

"Published Nov 13, 2010 10:18PM"

Anyway, more like sixty years.

Yeah, what I mean is that wasn't the article originally linked, which was about the expansion.

[Dendritic]

Couldn't find the original article but found this on SOC.

It says the district ranger would decide to accept or reject the proposal by late summer or early fall. Anyone know what the verdict was?

I've never skied Marry Ellen so I'm not sure the true value of the trade. It sure would be nice to have Superior and Fagstaff preserved for future generations. How far east would the land swap extend from Flagstaff? Emma? Davenport?

There had better not be any permission to move forward without Superior and Flagstaff changing ownership!

[Endlessseason]

I'd be curious on the new boundary lines and if these new lines are on private (Snowbird-owned) or NFS land.
If there are new boundary lines on NFS land, does that mean there will be open boundaries in Mary Ellen and Twins? Because the constant closed boundaries they currently have, except for the one at the bottom of Mineral drives me crazy. Correct me if I'm wrong, but Snowbird can currently close their boundaries because they are on private land owned by them...
So potentially, with a lot of variables included, we could could get open boundaries from the top of Twins/Mary Ellen. And maybe Pipeline and other cool lines dropping into LCC would be open regularly. (It also pains me Pipeline and that entire ridgeline is never open.)
So potentially this could be a great thing for 'expert' skiers. Or am I way off?

Say what you will about Mr. Bass, but, currently, four generations of our family thank his vision, tenacity, business acumen, pure love of the mountains, and his willingness to listen to Ted Johnson and buy, improve, and share some of the world's choicest ski real estate with the world.

Considering that this transplanted texan had the foresight during the past 40 years to end up buying and/or controlling 17,000 acres of the Wasatch Range is mind boggling. And, when you realize that only 2,500 acres of that 17,000 acres is currently lift-served, you kinda get a small glimpse of what he envisions as Utah's Ski Future for the next few decades.

Personal wealth and greed do not drive multi-millionaire octogenarians like Mr. Bass. However, creating an environmentally sensitive, 'ski mecca' legacy, obviously does.

[skifishbum]

Yo endless there is still a bit of Bass jizz on your chin bro
Next you'll be telling me he has a vision for the chuitna and he's not just gonna be strip mining for shitty coal to sell to China
Well thankfully SOC and a lot of others have visions of wilderness may not be big in your generations but it is to others

[nbt]

it would be a lot cooler if they put a tram up to the top of superior-- until i can interconnect solitude and snowbird with one lift pass and only take off my skis on the tram deck, i think all this expansion shit to the south and west is nonsense.

AND a lift up USA Bowl from Brighton to the PC Ridge. Just Euro that shit.