Squamish Gondola

[reidhresko]

There's a chance it will be cool in the summer when they build some bike trails in that zone. There's some potential for some seriously steep and quintessentially 'Squamish' granite heavy steep shit to go down in that area.

Bingo. It is a complete waste of time for skiing for all the reasons already put forth. But, for summer bike access, this could be a major development. Folks are already scheming about the trails to come and there is the potential for a granite Little Moab up there.

It is clearly a stupid tourist trap gimmick, but add this into the mix and Squam's riding scene looks only to get even better, which makes me very happy.

[Deebased]

Perhaps its just the first phase to a real development up there? Anybody have insight to a master plan?

Taking a gondy to 850M then llifts to 2000M doesn't sound like a terrible option.

[filthyfrenchbum]

I believe there are already some biking and trials trails in the area (Disneyland?). Also some climbing around Goat Ridge and Petgill lake, but maybe that's one ridge over.

[powder11]

Taking a gondy to 850M then llifts to 2000M doesn't sound like a terrible option.

Its called Whistler

[xyz]

Its called Whistler

Exactly. What does this Ferris wheel offer that whistler doesn't? Nothing. The only purpose that this thing serves is the lining of the owners pockets. It's a cash grab on the back of our provincial park.

[filthyfrenchbum]

Since there's no Whistler 13/14 thread yet, I'll put this edit from my buddy Matt here:

[xyz]

Since there's no Whistler 13/14 thread yet, I'll put this edit from my buddy Matt here:

This is the 2013/2014 Squamish Gondola Hate Thread

Your sweet TR belongs here:

http://www.tetongravity.com/forums/s...fy-Lake-Thread

[powder11]

Since there's no Whistler 13/14 thread yet, I'll put this edit from my buddy Matt here:

I'm going to have to give him shit for not straightlining that thing

[Clownshoe]

quality early season stoke. Well done fellas

[XXX-er]

Perhaps its just the first phase to a real development up there? Anybody have insight to a master plan?

Taking a gondy to 850M then llifts to 2000M doesn't sound like a terrible option.

back in the day hiked up & I got laid up there ... the 2000m club?

[xyz]

The greedy twit, Jayson Faulkner, behind this scar on our wilderness needs to be stopped. The gondola is on bc park property. Our parks are off fucking limits to commercial projects. His next vulture capital project, the spearheads huts, is another example.

I'm all for job creation and promoting appreciation of our backcountry etc but the development of infrastructure in our parks is a scary, unwelcome trend.

[Shaggy]

Probably marketing morons who don't care they will be creating headaches for SAR by advertising ski access.

FIFY

I think it will open up some climbing. There's got to be a bunch of nice granite up there that will get developed now that the access is there.

$40/pop or even $100/yr won't exactly be a selling feature for that..

The greedy twit, Jayson Faulkner, behind this scar on our wilderness needs to be stopped. The gondola is on bc park property. Our parks are off fucking limits to commercial projects. His next vulture capital project, the spearheads huts, is another example.

I'm all for job creation and promoting appreciation of our backcountry etc but the development of infrastructure in our parks is a scary, unwelcome trend.

Been following what's happening in Banff? Scary indeed. I didn't realize the Spearhead Huts were commercial? I thought it was just the mountain clubs that were involved?

I get that there may be some development within parks from time to time, but outright tacky tourist traps just aren't cool.

[LeeLau]

xyz's just ranting. He's totally wrong there about the commercial nature of the huts. Re the partk, the bit of park that the S2S gondola took out was a crappy little piece that was cutblock 15 years ago about a hectare size up the hill. It got swapped for other land.

[raisingarizona13]

xyz's just ranting. He's totally wrong there about the commercial nature of the huts. Re the partk, the bit of park that the S2S gondola took out was a crappy little piece that was cutblock 15 years ago about a hectare size up the hill. It got swapped for other land.

What about bike trails off of this gondola?

[t.odd]

The greedy twit, Jayson Faulkner, behind this scar on our wilderness needs to be stopped. The gondola is on bc park property. Our parks are off fucking limits to commercial projects. His next vulture capital project, the spearheads huts, is another example.

I'm all for job creation and promoting appreciation of our backcountry etc but the development of infrastructure in our parks is a scary, unwelcome trend.

No, Jayson is just a manager, he's not behind the project. The base area isn't in the park, it's on private property, the top terminal is crown land, not park, the only part in the park is a bit of hiking trail and a portion of the liftline.

[t.odd]

What about bike trails off of this gondola?

the park only goes about half way (maybe even less) to the top terminal, the rest is crown land, that if not for this project would likely, and may still, be clearcut again in the future.

[LeeLau]

What about bike trails off of this gondola?

Some planned. Will post shitty GoPro video preview of it along with gratuitous brown pow skids to Pinkbike when they're completed in May. Gloveless of course

[Clownshoe]

Gloveless of course

No gloves is the new no elbow pads

[xyz]

No, Jayson is just a manager, he's not behind the project. The base area isn't in the park, it's on private property, the top terminal is crown land, not park, the only part in the park is a bit of hiking trail and a portion of the liftline.

Oh, so, as the general manger he doesn't stand to gain financially? And i don't care if its 1 sq meter where the park shitter is - Park land should not be up for negotiation, ever, period. The rest of the province is fair game for everything else.

xyz's just ranting. He's totally wrong there about the commercial nature of the huts. Re the park, the bit of park that the S2S gondola took out was a crappy little piece that was cutblock 15 years ago about a hectare size up the hill. It got swapped for other land.

The local guiding community is rubbing their hands at the thought of the huts. They are going to be using these huts to promote their services and increase business. In that context, they are commercial. and guess what? Jayson is a part owner of Whistler Guides. No surprise there.

I don't get why you guys are condoning this. Where will we be in 10, 20 years if this keeps up? One of the arguments for the Spearhead huts is that the Spearhead isn't wilderness anymore so we might as well just build in it. Who made Jayson in charge of what's wilderness and what's not?? In ten years, when they want to expand their business again the Mcbride will be up for sale.

The only case for the huts, IMO, is to centralize the human waste. Then why not just Spearhead shitters...because there is no money in it.

[Clownshoe]

XYZ, I can see that you're pretty fired up about this subject. I'm not trying to flame you here.

There is definitely the argument that we need to dial back these types of projects. Personally, I think that the point of this valley becoming a "circus" has long since past. The shark has been jumped, the horses are out of the barn.

At the risk of repeating an oft repeated refrain, do you make any money from the tourism business in this valley? Don't you see the benefit of adding more draws? In my opinion, the Squamish Gondy and the Spearhead Huts are just a couple more roller coaster in the amusement park that is the Sea to Sky. Once there are 30 high speed chairlifts and 2 million visitors a year, a couple more lifts, or a couple more huts are a pretty small change. Even if these two projects didn't happen, this valley is still a full three ring circus. I think that "we" in this valley are committed to this course. There's no going back to Whistler/Squamish/Pemby being a quiet locals community.

I love riding lifts, and I also love skiing the backcountry. I think there are still a million places to go where there are no lifts, no people, and more untracked peaks and powder than I could ever ski in 10 lifetimes.

I draw my paycheck from the fact that millions of people come here to ski and ride, so my opinion is clearly biased as well.

[LeeLau]

Oh, so, as the general manger he doesn't stand to gain financially? And i don't care if its 1 sq meter where the park shitter is - Park land should not be up for negotiation, ever, period. The rest of the province is fair game for everything else.



The local guiding community is rubbing their hands at the thought of the huts. They are going to be using these huts to promote their services and increase business. In that context, they are commercial. and guess what? Jayson is a part owner of Whistler Guides. No surprise there.

I don't get why you guys are condoning this. Where will we be in 10, 20 years if this keeps up? One of the arguments for the Spearhead huts is that the Spearhead isn't wilderness anymore so we might as well just build in it. Who made Jayson in charge of what's wilderness and what's not?? In ten years, when they want to expand their business again the Mcbride will be up for sale.

The only case for the huts, IMO, is to centralize the human waste. Then why not just Spearhead shitters...because there is no money in it.

There's a lot of deluded Whistler Pemberton locals that think that SeatoSky is wilderness. The whole Zanskar bullshit. It isn't. Don't tell me you're buying into that crap.

It stopped being wilderness a long time ago. When you've got every Joe Jane bro brah with a sled, the Renegade heli tomahawk suicide club etc etc you're on crack if you think that a place like the Spearhead/Fitz Range it isn't anything more than a place for the cubicle monkey weekend flourescent light tanned cube wannabes that infest places like these forums to get their beater rocks off.

Spearhead, the backcountry close to the S2S gondola, Cerise, Rohr, Marriot all of that is a place for the monkeys to congregate. Let them infest those places. Come on. You've got enough range to get to those places Clownshoe's talking about; ie where people aren;t. WTF do you care if Club Tele Tips moguls the N Face of Fitzsimmons. Don't start with the preservation of wilderness bullshit - that was surrendered a long time ago.

[Hugh Conway]

Who's the market for this shit? Spearhead huts*, gondola, hell the peak-to-peak, who buys that shit/will buy that shit?

It's a nice halfassed bastardized euro-hybrid of awesome mountains, overrun with people, but without much infrastructure and since it's the 21st century, all of the stuff added is folderol bullshit.

*guess TGR is supporting those. What's with the numbers? Only 35-40 people? Is that $20-30/night number at all credible? That's cheap, but the capacity is tiny, what's the point?

[LeeLau]

Who's the market for this shit? Spearhead huts, gondola, hell the peak-to-peak, who buys that shit/will buy that shit?

It's a nice halfassed bastardized euro-hybrid of awesome mountains, overrun with people, but without much infrastructure and since it's the 21st century, all of the stuff added is folderol bullshit.

Wireless access thru the whole range HC. Instagram potential on a 4 day alpine traverse. Tons of people buy that shit. It'd be a rounding error in terms of pure top line revenue but it'd be more marketing fluff to draw in the aspirational look-at-me I can do something cool too crowd

[Clownshoe]

Who's the market for this shit? what's the point?

Keeps me employed..

[Hugh Conway]

Keeps me employed..

While that's the window-dressing, I doubt that's high on the list of reasons. If it is the reason... congrats on becoming China aka build stupid shit to keep people employed

weird inversion. much of the euro shit was built when there was nothing; canada backfillls. Why not a 100-150 person hut? It's not uncommon in ze Alps; it'd fill on weekends and really give "the people" access. As a tiny pissant hut it's retahded.