Rant here about proposed mountain “improvements”

[DanoT]

The LL expansion that's ongoing is a mixed bag but they sure as shit have their priorities a bit messed. Yeah WestBowl was an easy sell to open first as all the infrastructure is already there and I appreciate patrol keeping idiots from slabbing the bowl before its ready to go, but they've overdone it with the trimming. Far too nicely manicured trees; in its "oly" zone especially, when all that really needed doing was clearing all the bushes that clog the lanes of travel. With the aspect and elevation clearing that much cover turns the snow to shit much faster. And kills the 'lift-accessed bc' vibe it had in its pre-open/1st year; it really felt like you were exploring trying to pick a line through the bottom half of outback eg.

Maybe the upper juniper lift will fix the glaring problem of the base-bottlenecking, but that's been a problem ever since oly and giant got ripped out and that lift's about 20 years late to the party. Does nothing to fix the awkward traverse to get to the former eagle chair zone either. Probably going to delay that for a bunch of mediocre angle south-facing shit on the ridge first too.

And they got rid of elevator shaft to get the land rights. I get it, 40 minute hike, hardly used. But damn sucks to lose any inbounds terrain specially in a season like this.

--

And meanwhile i'm just waiting for anything to get started at Fortress or Castle..

Castle is owned by a group of 125 associates, (including the guy who plows the parking lot, last time I was there) and they have no plans for big development and would rather keep things the way they are---Castle the anti-Whistler. That was a while ago, so things could have changed but still, I like to tell people that Castle is the greatest mountain in North America that you have never heard of.

[Core Shot]

Yeah but, hold on! So would they close Spacewalk and ZeroG? That would be an fn travesty!

Wow. Yep. Have to.

It’ll be like Alta zero. Saw patrol opening that on the ride up a few years ago. Grabbed two laps before they shut it down.

[Shredhead]

Aspen’s putting in a lift, up the most popular slack country. It’s the most snow sure area on the hill and will help early/ low snow seasons.

I’m ok with the expansion, even though I won’t be able to keep my snowmobile there anymore.


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[beer30]

I want to rant about my mountains only investment in infrastructure in the last 10 years. They replaced a „problem“ rope tow with a magic carpet. Massive concrete tunnel built for said conveyor belt. 2 million later and it’s quicker to just take off your skis and walk 3 minutes and avoid the carpet…. Not to mention the rope tow was unmanned and the new tunnel takes some poor sap to sit in the bunker and man it!!

[SnakeMagnet]

Castle is owned by a group of 125 associates, (including the guy who plows the parking lot, last time I was there) and they have no plans for big development and would rather keep things the way they are---Castle the anti-Whistler. That was a while ago, so things could have changed but still, I like to tell people that Castle is the greatest mountain in North America that you have never heard of.

There's the alpine tbar, north bowl chair, lift-access haig ridge that have been master planned for a while now..

Just things that would greatly improve the 'oops too windy 70% of the resort is closed' problem.

[thebirdhunter]

This is why they don’t build new ski areas, too many fucking cry babies.
Core Shot is the Skidog of JH.

[MagnificentUnicorn]

This is why they don’t build new ski areas, too many fucking cry babies.
Core Shot is the Skidog of JH.

This is the funniest and truest thing that you’ve ever posted.




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[Bunion 2020]

Until now I had no idea CS even skied let alone was a JH local.

[jackstraw]

And you're still doing trail work for fun? That's rad and we are definitely in the same weirdo trail nerd club!

I agree tho, different world and yeah, it does suck! Human breeding has been a little out of control.

If the climate science is right we ain't seen nuthin yet though unfortunately.

Oh, I completely phucked in the head. Using leverage to move boulders is addictive. I stay awake at night thinking about how to make the line.

Core- I never saw alta 0 open. Plake showed up in '89 and poached it. Horrible tracks!...and he was given all kinds of shit about it, but safe...why he's still around. He is calculated in unknown territory, like all great skiers.

[snapt]

I chatted briefly about this type of stuff with our District Ranger a year or so ago and he said that the feds have directed the FS to be friendly to expansion within reason in order to promote growth within existing ski resorts/permitted areas rather than promote new areas trying to establish. The devil you know vs the devil you don't kind of thing I guess.

[raisingarizona13]

Wow. Yep. Have to.

It’ll be like Alta zero. Saw patrol opening that on the ride up a few years ago. Grabbed two laps before they shut it down.

I'm not completely sure about that. It could be done but it probably wouldn't be top priority.

I've skid Alta Zero probably 3 or 4 dozen times and it being roped off as closed was one of it's finest attributes imo.

When it was officially opened it skied like shit anyways after one or two people sideslipped up to the Waterfall drop and around it.

So leave em closed, the right people will still ski them and patrol will throw a bomb in there every now and then and most will look the other way. Win win really.

[raisingarizona13]

The biggest gripe I have is that every time my local mountain (whitefish) installs a new lift, they put it *slightly* in the wrong spot. Over the last decade, they've installed / moved 5 lifts. 4 out of 5 of them require uphill skating at either the top or the bottom (or both). And that'd be excusable if the terrain dictated the lift placement, but in every case it doesn't. And in 1 case, the dumb lift placement actually creates a super dangerous intersection completely unnecessarily. If the lift was one tower shorter, there'd be no uphill skating off the exit ramp, there'd be no dangerous intersection, and there'd be no diminishment of access from the lift.

They also just installed a brand new, 10 million dollar 6 pack, which no one uses because it stops about 100 feet short of where it needs to go. And since it stops short, it accesses about 40% of the hill instead of 80%. Although I have mixed feelings about that one since I don't mind hiking the last 100 feet, and there's never a lift line at that lift, so that's nice. But that new chair breaks down so often that even the tourists have started calling it "The Gambler."

I lived up there for the winter of 94-95 so I kind of keep up with the ski areas expansions and new lift installments and yeah, they sure seem like strange decisions. They are all just a little off from where they'd actually make sense.

[toast2266]

I lived up there for the winter of 94-95 so I kind of keep up with the ski areas expansions and new lift installments and yeah, they sure seem like strange decisions. They are all just a little off from where they'd actually make sense.

They seem to have a "why do it right when we can do it wrong for 80% of the price" kind of attitude.

[waxman]

Luckily I live in Fernie, ski every day and I don't have to worry about "expansion" and/or "improvements" because they will never happen.

[kathleenturneroverdrive]

Not sure I track any of the outrage over this lift or any confusion over mid-winter boundaries. In the article, this is the plan:

The southern lift proposed in Cody Bowl, a handle tow that would ascend Powder Eights, would be operational only in the spring, when the rest of the resort closes. It would be used for spring ski and snowboard camps in the high elevations where snow persists longer.

If that sticks, do people really think JH is going to light money on fire trying to control this whole zone all winter? I'd guess they'll likely find a way to just keep the bc boundaries as they are now, and only deal Cody once they want to get the lift spinning. In the spring. When, I would also guess, CS won't be skiing there anyways.

[raisingarizona13]

They seem to have a "why do it right when we can do it wrong for 80% of the price" kind of attitude.

It's really weird.

[Jax]

Lots of locals here are pissed about the boundary expansion into golf course and part of Fish Creek, and ski patrol seems to be more than a bit concerned. Alterra will market the shit out of it, because once it opens next year, Steamboat will now be the second largest resort in CO next to Vail.

The golf course is already getting bumped out from folks following tracks, they have no idea where they are going once they get to the choke, don't understand the double-fall line. I think it will be chaos the first season or two once officially open. Lots of folk speculating that rescues will be even more commonplace in the canyon as the new boundary line will be even closer to consequential terrain. Even by increasing avalanche mitigation, the cliffs and boulder field will remain. People gonna get suckered.

I have no control over what will happen at the resort, the last shred of it's soul flew the coop about 5 years ago once Ikon came to the scene, so no sense in getting mad at something one cannot control. It could, in theory, spread the people out even more. I like to think more of the inbounds goods will be more preserved as people flock to Pioneer side. Wishful thinking I guess.

I will be bummed about losing the yurt at the top of Pony, though. A new patrol shack and bathrooms will take it's place.

Thunderhead and Morningside lifts both need to be 6-packs and I'm all for that if they get around to it. Thunderhead lift got punked thanks to the new beginner gondy. The gapes all filter down to T-head now and it stops all the time. Harder to get front-side laps now when rest of mountain is on wind-hold.

[raisingarizona13]

Luckily I live in Fernie, ski every day and I don't have to worry about "expansion" and/or "improvements" because they will never happen.

Fernie has expended massively since the early 90's.

[raisingarizona13]

Not sure I track any of the outrage over this lift or any confusion over mid-winter boundaries. In the article, this is the plan:

The southern lift proposed in Cody Bowl, a handle tow that would ascend Powder Eights, would be operational only in the spring, when the rest of the resort closes. It would be used for spring ski and snowboard camps in the high elevations where snow persists longer.

If that sticks, do people really think JH is going to light money on fire trying to control this whole zone all winter? I'd guess they'll likely find a way to just keep the bc boundaries as they are now, and only deal Cody once they want to get the lift spinning. In the spring. When, I would also guess, CS won't be skiing there anyways.

That surface lift on the 8's is just the tip of the iceberg. I'm guessing that they left out the big plans for the RS/GR areas to hopefully simmer the local uproar. They aren't going to shove it straight in without at least spitting on it ya know.

[skaredshtles]

<snip>
Morningside lifts both need to be 6-packs

No.

Leave Morningside lift as a tourist trap.

Quicker to just hike to the weather station... but apparently nobody knows this any more.

[Bunion 2020]

I understand all the hand wringing but these are ski areas and are in business to provide a product, as soulless as that sounds it is reality.

If you choose to ride lifts to access side country/back country and your area expands into that terrain you can vote with your wallet or your feet.

[kathleenturneroverdrive]

That surface lift on the 8's is just the tip of the iceberg. I'm guessing that they left out the big plans for the RS/GR areas to hopefully simmer the local uproar. They aren't going to shove it straight in without at least spitting on it ya know.

Well, now you're reeeeaaaaally getting into Coreshot conspiracy theory territory

[raisingarizona13]

No.

Leave Morningside lift as a tourist trap.

Quicker to just hike to the weather station... but apparently nobody knows this any more.

I member.

[skaredshtles]

I member.

I mean... it's actually kind of nice that nobody knows it's quicker, 'cause this way I'm not getting in anyone's way, except for the beaters that take Morningside then come down back down the ridge to Buddy's.

My kids and my buddies that don't 'member have now been indoctrinated.

[raisingarizona13]

The hike. From L to R, Ray V, Chris V, Myself, Mike Tierney., Kate, and Joe Vasta.

Vasta jumps into Fish Creek Canyon.

Bush Rock, Gate D.

Chris, Joe and Mike in the old gondola.

Johnny Fro on Thunderhead.

Bush Rock, Gate D.

Mr. Lotz gets stinky in Rancid Tuna.