Rant here about proposed mountain “improvements”

[toast2266]

Whoa there. Pretty sure this thread is for stokeless bitching.

[skaredshtles]

Attachment 449102

I laffed at the Full Shocker by the dude in the middle.

[raisingarizona13]

I laffed at the Full Shocker by the dude in the middle.

Haha! that's the one and only Mr. Tierney. He used to ski some stuff I hear.

[Jax]

No.

Leave Morningside lift as a tourist trap.

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

Agreed on the hiking, takes less than a song (unless it's punk). Double-edged sword as even I have been caught back there coming from sunnyside and they didn't have the 'busy' warning signs up. My fault.

I still feed the birds, fuck alterra.

[gtid]

I didn't ski lifts for 30 elitist years. Now that I'm old, feable, and like skiing lifts with my kids I propose the following blatant hypocrisy.

1. A lift up Mt. Moran and Buck Mtn, and Teewinot, because those are fun to ski.
2. Interconnect in the Wasatch and a lift up Timpanogos, or a few lifts up Timp.
3. I lift up the Big Belts so I don't have to buy a sled.

Lifts? Come on think bigger, gondolas


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[Jax]

Great shots 'Zona. Truly the good old days of the 'boat. Wish I scaped out earlier in life for that.

[waxman]

Fernie has expended massively since the early 90's.

That's the spirit.

[raisingarizona13]

Great shots 'Zona. Truly the good old days of the 'boat. Wish I scaped out earlier in life for that.

Thanks! I thinking of you when choosing to post the Tuna pic. I saw your post in the local line names thread. I'm sure you've seen my post before about this so forgive men for sounding like a broken record but I moved there on the New Years Eve of the BIG January of 96. It was nuts! That's some crazy luck, it started snowing on our drive up the 70 after landing in the DIA and it didn't really stop until February 1st.

[skaredshtles]

Thanks! I thinking of you when choosing to post the Tuna pic. I saw your post in the local line names thread. I'm sure you've seen my post before about this so forgive men for sounding like a broken record but I moved there on the New Years Eve of the BIG January of 96. It was nuts! That's some crazy luck, it started snowing on our drive up the 70 after landing in the DIA and it didn't really stop until February 1st.

Fuckin' 'ell - your timing was impeccable. That was such a monster January. I remember calling the snow-line and they were like, "It's January 15th, get up here... if you can. We got *another* 15" overnight." I think they may have just changed the date in the message for about 3 weeks.

Rabbit Ears was closed more than it was open that month, I'd wager.

[waxman]

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.

for any 2 days of any season Castle is okay, if you don't care about your skis

[raisingarizona13]

Fuckin' 'ell - your timing was impeccable. That was such a monster January. I remember calling the snow-line and they were like, "It's January 15th, get up here... if you can. We got *another* 15" overnight." I think they may have just changed the date in the message for about 3 weeks.

Rabbit Ears was closed more than it was open that month, I'd wager.

It was a ridiculous month of skiing. The best one on their records.

[Goodabouthood]

So many examples come to mind.
"Hey we built a new lift to enhance the customer experience..."
Meanwhile the stash is blown out and prices/crowds go up to pay for the $$$ lift.

Excellent memories of Kachina at Taos, the Beavers at Abasin etc. etc. before the 'improvements'

As an ex-Boat resident losing the Canyon/Golf Course would be the nail in the coffin to buying a season pass imho.

[SnakeMagnet]

for any 2 days of any season Castle is okay, if you don't care about your skis

Someone needs to know the difference between leeward and windward.

I've hit less shit (basically nothing) this season overall than one average day in Banff.

[raisingarizona13]

So many examples come to mind.
"Hey we built a new lift to enhance the customer experience..."
Meanwhile the stash is blown out and prices/crowds go up to pay for the $$$ lift.

Excellent memories of Kachina at Taos, the Beavers at Abasin etc. etc. before the 'improvements'

As an ex-Boat resident losing the Canyon/Golf Course would be the nail in the coffin to buying a season pass imho.

And not to argue but to simply point out that a lot of this is about personal perspective and opinions, I'd love to see Fish Creek have lifts in it. The long traverse and 3 or 4 lift rides to get back for another was too much for such short segments of skiing. After two years I was really ready to go elsewhere. Having some legit lift served free ski terrain that can be hot lapped will change that place for the better imo.

The Kachina lift is dope af btw. There's a ton of back country outside of the ski area if one is so inclined and from what I understand they generally open Kachina as hiking only for the first few days for the faithful before firing up the lift.

[skaredshtles]

<snip>
The Kachina lift is dope af btw.

Agreed - tons of fun to be had off that lift.

from what I understand they generally open Kachina as hiking only for the first few days for the faithful before firing up the lift.

This is how it went last Friday after the big storm. Fuck that is a long hike up there.

[Goodabouthood]

Never needed a lift to get there... So it's an improvement for those unwilling to hike?

It like when Texans ask why you have to hike to reach West Basin or Highline.

I will always take quality over quantity when fresh tracks are the commodity.

[skaredshtles]

Never needed a lift to get there... So it's an improvement for those unwilling to hike?

It like when Texans ask why you have to hike to reach West Basin or Highline.

I will always take quality over quantity when fresh tracks are the commodity.

I fear that "modern" ski resorts may not be for you.

[raisingarizona13]

Never needed a lift to get there... So it's an improvement for those unwilling to hike?

It like when Texans ask why you have to hike to reach West Basin or Highline.

I will always take quality over quantity when fresh tracks are the commodity.

From the perspective of someone that might drop in for two or three day visits as a tourist skier buying day tickets (probably half off though) I don't want to spend my limited time doing long hikes. So yup. I hike and tour a shit ton too but when I'm "in area" I like doing hot laps and hot laps on Kachina are fucking siiiick. It's massive highlight for visitors. That lift in part is what makes me so hungry to get back. So again, it's a matter of perspective and for ski area management it often doesn't make a ton of sense to maintain hike to terrain that isn't accessible for 99% of their paying customers. Again, you and I aren't the key demographic they are after.

And.....you don't need a lift to get anywhere! So why ride them ever.....I guess. *I'm rolling my eyes

[skaredshtles]

From the perspective of someone that might drop in for two or three day visits as a tourist skier buying day tickets (probably half off though) I don't want to spend my limited time doing long hikes. So yup. I hike and tour a shit ton too but when I'm at in area I like doing hot laps and hot laps on Kachina are fucking siiiick. That lift in part is what makes me so hungry to get back. So again, it's a matter of perspective and for ski area management it often doesn't make a ton of sense to maintain hike to terrain that isn't accessible for 99% of their paying customers. Again, you and I aren't the key demographic they are after.

Yep - they're catering to all the beaters flailing their way down Main Street.

NTTAWWT.

[Goodabouthood]

Would you put a lift up Highlands bowl?
Open the patrol lift to public up the Ridge at Bridger?


I came to rant about "proposed mountain improvements".
Losing RS at JHMR to inbounds skiing would be gutting to locals in example.

[raisingarizona13]

Would you put a lift up Highlands bowl?
Open the patrol lift to public up the Ridge at Bridger?


I came to rant about "proposed mountain improvements".
Losing RS at JHMR to inbounds skiing would be gutting to locals in example.

I'm not putting lifts up anywhere. I'm a broke af middle aged ski bum trail builder. But I don't care if they do.

Meh, I get ski area management from a business perspective and I think whiny entitled mountain town sports bro elitism is fucking annoying. So many mountain town people think the fucking world revolves around them but that's not reality and they ain't that special. So maybe I'm at home sick and feel like fucking with you guys a little. Things change, that's life. Try not to be a pussy and ski some bumps. hahahaha *Heckling Plake laughter

[Bunion 2020]

^^^ reality, its a bitch.

And for a really long time I was one of those annoying mountain town people.

Would you put a lift up Highlands bowl?

Maybe

Open the patrol lift to public up the Ridge at Bridger?

Nope, its not really doable, at all with that lift. Would You put a lift up the Ramp? If BB was not a Non-profit community owned area it would already be there.

I came to rant about "proposed mountain improvements".
Losing RS at JHMR to inbounds skiing would be gutting to locals in example.

Drama much, is there nothing to the south of RS? Seriously? I would really like to hear some opinions from the regular JHMR skiers that for some reason are not saying much.

Back to the topic: My (for now) home mountain is built out. They can add some lifts here and there but there is nowhere to go to add additional terrain that is worth a shit. The billionaires club to the south has plenty of land to expand on to but
A. Who cares unless you have a B?

And B. They have now sold out of lots and stopped taking members so even if you did hit the Powerball, too late.

Like a lot of others posting here- 70s to 00s, we were in the sweet spot for skiing in our lifetimes and if we can remember those days when you moved to a really cool ski town, winters when it snowed 50% above average. Years when it was just you and your friends and the tourists only showed up at the holidays and then they left.

Well that's something great to hold on to for when you are waiting for the nurse who doesn't speak English to bring you dinner.

[raisingarizona13]

^^^ reality, its a bitch.

And for a really long time I was one of those annoying mountain town people.

I totally was! I think that's what irritates me the most. I hear myself and want to smack me.

[skiracer88_00]

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 skied whitefish for the first time this year and couldn’t stop thinking about how stupid the lift layout is……like comically bad. You simply can't get anywhere from anywhere else. Lifts start just above where they should and top terminals are invariably downhill of where they should be. I thought I must have been crazy and it must all make sense for someone who actually skis there regularly, but I guess my initial impression was correct.

[Djongo Unchained]

Just letting it flesh out a wee bit.

Some interesting points made so far.

For me it's very complicated, and the perspectives here may help me weed thru this.

My initial observation is this: If JHMR can fuck something up right outta the gates, it's an easy money bet that they will.

As much as I don't wanna look back too soon, Bunion is correct for me in that I have had a stellar ski life during what I consider to be the Golden age of NorAm skiing.