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  1. #1
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    Zincton.... BC's newest ski area???

    Anyone hear anything about this? I know some of the guys involved but just wondering if Kootenay locals have heard anything?

    https://zincton.com/

    Will be out towards Retallack from New Denver. From the site:

    London Ridge Statistics
    Chairlift to open 2020/2021
    2300ft. lift serviced, 1000 acres.
    Combined vertical 4,500ft.
    7km long with an area totalling 7,000 acres
    www.skevikskis.com Check em out!

  2. #2
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    May 2004
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    give'er eh!
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    My buddy sent that to me the other day. He lives out in Town X for the last 5 years full time and it’s the1st he’s heard of it.

  3. #3
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    I haven’t found the govt paperwork yet so no idea on the crown land status. I toured London Ridge often in the late 90’s, beautiful terrain.

  4. #4
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    Mar 2008
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    northern BC
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    I have been hearing about something along these lines since last year, the word on the street is a local is looking to move there, not gona say anything else
    Lee Lau - xxx-er is the laziest Asian canuck I know

  5. #5
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    Sep 2006
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    Rossland BC
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    Nothing but rumours, and not many of those. It’s apparently on private land, so hasn’t required a public process. Lots of great sled accessed touring close by and Cat skiing across the road, but from what I know (I haven’t seen a plan, but have toured extensively in that zone) their ski terrain would be South facing and limited in the well spaced mature trees that make for good storm skiing. Retallack have had operating rights to London Ridge (not sure of their current status) and almost never bother.

  6. #6
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    Looks like some south with some west facing. Different concept, will be cool to see how it shakes out.
    Click image for larger version. 

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    www.skevikskis.com Check em out!

  7. #7
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    Feb 2005
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    North Vancouver/Whistler
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    They have some prospectus-type materials. I've asked for a copy

  8. #8
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    Feb 2005
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    Vancouver BC
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    Interesting. Have been to Retallack once many years ago and it was awesome steep tree skiing and alpine access... but it's also pretty far from any major centres and airports. Curious how this is economically viable from an ops and real estate perspective. At least they aren't contemplating a stupidly huge scale like Jumbo.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Aug 2008
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    Fucker stole my idea - oh well - at least someone's doing it! I think these micro resorts with limited lifts and no grooming are going to be the only way to ski if you don't want to be at a mega resort - almost NZ Club Fields plus (or La Grave, minus...)

  10. #10
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    Dec 2009
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    Paradise
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    I'm a huge fan of the minimalist approach to ski area development.

    One thing about S-W-E facing aspects is that they can provide better stability early to mid winter when the north faces are developing deep faceted snow.
    dirtbag, not a dentist

  11. #11
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    Sep 2010
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    Shuswap Highlands
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    DL810 is huge, but mostly extends to the south, up into Sandon. Haven’t looked closely enough to see if it has already been subdivided. The ski Area2 is outside of the property, so there will have to be some recreation/resort application made in the future. Or perhaps some kind of subdivision of (Crown)DL819, but that would be huge and be interesting under our new 1st Nation’s lens. It will be interesting to see how this development proceeds.

  12. #12
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    Apr 2004
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    off your knees Louie

  13. #13
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    Nov 2005
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    Making the Bowl Great Again
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    Quote Originally Posted by el hefe View Post
    2300ft. lift serviced
    Combined vertical 4,500ft.s
    What does combined vertical mean? You can skin an additional 2200?

  14. #14
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    Dec 2006
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    bestcoast
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    Quote Originally Posted by knowsam View Post
    Fucker stole my idea - oh well - at least someone's doing it! I think these micro resorts with limited lifts and no grooming are going to be the only way to ski if you don't want to be at a mega resort - almost NZ Club Fields plus (or La Grave, minus...)
    I've been arguing around here (Sea to Sky) we need more smaller ski areas and get away from the mega resort paradigm...but what do I know

  15. #15
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    Sep 2014
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    Quote Originally Posted by t.odd View Post
    I've been arguing around here (Sea to Sky) we need more smaller ski areas and get away from the mega resort paradigm...but what do I know
    IMO, the future is (somewhat) portable back country tow systems....not any kind of development at all...well maybe a bit to clear a few trees here and there to optimize alignments. Would be more of a complement to than replacement of developed ski areas large and small, but, considering the incremental drift of a good portion of the skiing population to interest in natural snow skiing or downhill sliding in whatever form they choose, the crystal ball i bought at the dollar store sez that's where things are going.
    Master of mediocrity.

  16. #16
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    Sep 2007
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    ^^ did you ever see the video of the guys who had the home made rope tow on Vancouver Island? Had it set up in a nice little alpine bowl. Pretty cool.
    www.skevikskis.com Check em out!

  17. #17
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    Quote Originally Posted by el hefe View Post
    ^^ did you ever see the video of the guys who had the home made rope tow on Vancouver Island? Had it set up in a nice little alpine bowl. Pretty cool.
    Nice, i'll have to google that. I have seen vid of one set up close to Bella Coola, looked great and iirc, charged up some pretty steep terrain!

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    Master of mediocrity.

  18. #18
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    Quote Originally Posted by swissiphic View Post
    IMO, the future is (somewhat) portable back country tow systems....not any kind of development at all...well maybe a bit to clear a few trees here and there to optimize alignments. Would be more of a complement to than replacement of developed ski areas large and small, but, considering the incremental drift of a good portion of the skiing population to interest in natural snow skiing or downhill sliding in whatever form they choose, the crystal ball i bought at the dollar store sez that's where things are going.
    yeah, and I think forestry/community forests should look more at less clear cut logging and how they can log proactively to improve/create rec ops...more selective, create gladed opportunities, etc. Tough paradigm to shift though.

  19. #19
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    Quote Originally Posted by t.odd View Post
    yeah, and I think forestry/community forests should look more at less clear cut logging and how they can log proactively to improve/create rec ops...more selective, create gladed opportunities, etc. Tough paradigm to shift though.
    Tough is an understatement. Even harvesting to only break even with the costs will likely not achieve the results you desire on the vast majority of the sites you might deem suitable for ski recreation. So that means harvesting is subsidized by the recreational user. What opportunity costs are those users willing to bear, over what period of time, to have the hillside manicured to their desires?
    For comparison, average log prices/m3 for the past 3 months on the cost (delivered to the mill) is $137.20/m3 (cedar at $258 at the high end, and hemlock at $72 at the low end). In the interior, the average price is $96/m3 (cedar at $155 and hemlock/balsam at $85). Interior log truck with short log config holds approx 50m3. Harvesting costs are highly variable but at current rates eat up about $60/m3 for ground based harvesting; cable harvest systems or helicopter go from $80 to $100+/m3 (where the skiing is desired). Average non-pulp volume per ha (v. rough) is 500m3 and 250m3 on the coast and the interior respectively.
    Add in long term ‘sustained yield’ considerations on a piece of land vs recreation - who makes a better living wage, the logger/mill worker/tree planter, or the server/shop rat/patrol/ski instructor? Add in climate change, especially at the lower elevations that make timber harvesting viable. Add in other competing values like water, wildlife, and issues like terrain stability and long term access provisions. Ad nauseam. Believe me, community forests in several BC jurisdictions have tried to make the bulk of their revenue come from non-timber resource values within their area-based forests, and every one has returned to a primary timber model.

    However, I wholeheartedly agree that land use determination and designation very much needs to be reopened to discuss those areas where recreation, timber, wildlife, etc. values have changed and are no longer aligned with the previous assumption on multiple use. But it won’t get politicians elected, so I won’t hold my breath.

  20. #20
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    Quote Originally Posted by el hefe View Post
    Looks like some south with some west facing. Different concept, will be cool to see how it shakes out.
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    That’s quite a ways down the valley from where I imagined it’d be.

  21. #21
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    Quote Originally Posted by kootenayskier View Post
    That’s quite a ways down the valley from where I imagined it’d be.
    yea I was thinking up by the lake because that was where I skied. Looks like they have some build able land for the real estate end. Wonder what a sky cabin is.
    off your knees Louie

  22. #22
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    Mar 2014
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    Quote Originally Posted by BFD View Post
    I Wonder what a sky cabin is.
    It's when you hotbox a cabin with some high quality cannabis.

  23. #23
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    Quote Originally Posted by el hefe View Post
    Looks like some south with some west facing. Different concept, will be cool to see how it shakes out.
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    Southerly exposure and a base elevation 2,200 feet lower than Whitewater’s doesn’t sound too promising.

  24. #24
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    Quote Originally Posted by Shredhead View Post
    Southerly exposure and a base elevation 2,200 feet lower than Whitewater’s doesn’t sound too promising.
    Agreed. I checked out the landsat historical imagery...limited archive but shows that the village area terrain seems to melt out by early/mid april, but then again they do have the second chair rough google earth guess has a base elevation of about 3900 feet and tops out at about 5900 feet. Looks like a good launchpad for ski touring the terrain further up the ridge and looks to have terrain a bit more protected from solar induced meltdown and could hold cold snow longer, later.
    Master of mediocrity.

  25. #25
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    Quote Originally Posted by el hefe View Post
    Anyone hear anything about this? I know some of the guys involved but just wondering if Kootenay locals have heard anything?
    It sounds like the principals of the project have already been contacting the kinds of individuals/businesses they want to have setting up in " zincton " which is probably the only way you might have heard of it
    Lee Lau - xxx-er is the laziest Asian canuck I know

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