$147 Million Proposed for ORDA Upgrades

Johnnyonthespot wrote

Hmmm...

So if you lived in Albany in the 1990s, your only choices were Whiteface and Big Tupper?

Let's review some other 'smaller' choices in a 2.5 hour or less range from Albany:
Butternut, Bousquet, Jiminy, Brodie, Berkshire East, Mt Tom, Catamount, Plattekill, Bobcat, Scotch Valley, Willard, Royal, Oak, McCauley, West, Hickory, Snow Ridge, Song/Togg/Lab, Magic, Haystack, Bromley, West, Middlebury, Suicide Six, Ascutney

Then you have some larger choices:
Gore, Mt Snow, Stratton, Okemo, Pico, Killington, Hunter, Windham, Belleayre

The idea that Whiteface put Big Tupper out of business is ludicrous.

It's the same distance is what I was getting at. Of course you damn near drive past Gore to get to BT. I just think it could work nowadays provided they keep the original vertical open.

Lets hope MC wins that Lottery and invests in Big Tupper, that's most likely the only way it will ever reopen, unless I win the lottery.  The worst thing that ever happened is when the Town of Tupper Lake sold it.  Every local skier will agree on that. Granted, local government is not a good way to run any business but the reality is that it never cost the local taxpayer much if anything. I have seen all the budget figures etc for the many years the town owned it. Overall the town pretty much broke even, some years in the red (minor) and some in the black(minor).
IMO they should have kept it and just operated the same(As McCauley does). It did help the town overall economically in the winter. At this point though there  doesn't appear to be much hope.

It was never going to be a major destination or anything but the sport needs these smaller feeder hills. The hill itself was a good place for families with kids, you could set them off and not have to worry too much. It isn't in the snow belt, true but it faces N/NE and does often get remnants of LE off Ontario. And it holds the snow it does get, not blown off like WF. Although no sustained pitches it did have some short semi steep trails, and there was a lot that could have been gladed out and was to a small extent before closing.

ORDA won't be stepping in but it's just a bit frustrating to see NYS pouring $$$$s into LP all the time, or even worse, into Frontier Town. Enough Rant, just sad to see Big Tupper sitting there getting overgrown.

Frontier Town? The one with non-horse friendly horse only campsites? I wonder what happened with that.

Harvey wrote

So you are promising not to move out west or you will manage it remotely?

Will we be allowed to poach with impunity?

I'll spend a few of years modernizing it and running it as a passion project, then maybe donate it back to the Town with a generous endowment to keep it running for the next 20 years.

All of the regulars on here get complimentary season passes as long as they post TRs & boost the place.

Could I be a janitor or patroller? Seems like the two always get the low down on ski areas.

Johnnyonthespot wrote

Frontier Town? The one with non-horse friendly horse only campsites? I wonder what happened with that.

Wasn't that something

I hope you win MC

I'll plow the parking lots early AM

Johnnyonthespot wrote

Could I be a janitor or patroller? Seems like the two always get the low down on ski areas.

Janitor sounds perfect for you

campgottagopee wrote

I hope you win MC

I'll plow the parking lots early AM

Writing you down for: plow guy/sidecountry snowmobile shuttler

MC2 5678F589 wrote

Johnnyonthespot wrote

Could I be a janitor or patroller? Seems like the two always get the low down on ski areas.

Janitor sounds perfect for you

Ok cool. So next question: what kind of bidets you putting in bro?

Johnnyonthespot wrote

It's the same distance is what I was getting at. Of course you damn near drive past Gore to get to BT. I just think it could work nowadays provided they keep the original vertical open.

Why? Why would someone drive beyond West, and then Gore, to get there?

I mean, look at North Creek. All that state money spent, and yet, no private money to speak of on most levels. Hardly any condos, hardly and hotel/motel beds, hardly any place to eat. That's what you need besides a good operating ski hill to attract families when the look at a map and say, where will we ski this winter? Sure, a lot of people here dont care about that stuff,  but a lot of people do. So, after all the zillions of taxpayer money that goes into Gore (including the money spent making sure 28 is plowed all the time), and that's all you got in NC, how in the world can anybody think that Tupper could succeed in any way? Nobody lives up there. We all live south of there. First, Albany and burbs, and then stretching south to tri state hell, but, tri state money.

I was hoping some sort of civilization west of Tupper. Watertown, Ogdensburg, etc.? Guess there's not much there.

Actually Tupper had a pretty big following coming down from Potsdam, Canton, Massena and Southern Ontario. The lot always had a good # of Canadian plates in it.  Problem is now those skiers have all gone to other areas and have come accustomed to them. Even had a fair # of skiers from the Utica area although McCauley is much easier for them to get to.

Was it the plattekill of the ADK?

MC2 5678F589 wrote

I'll spend a few of years modernizing it and running it as a passion project, then maybe donate it back to the Town with a generous endowment to keep it running for the next 20 years.

All of the regulars on here get complimentary season passes as long as they post TRs & boost the place.

I'm 1000% in.

Johnnyonthespot wrote

Was it the plattekill of the ADK?

good comparison.

Johnnyonthespot wrote

Was it the plattekill of the ADK?

No.

BT is a fine family feeder hill. If you lived in the area, it was an affordable, local place to ski and you enjoy it for what it was. If it was closer to the population centers, it would see more traffic and might had a better chance to survive. As Endoftheline mentioned, if Tupper Lake owned the place, it would still be open.

Plattekill is worth driving by Belleayre/Hunter/Windham because of the terrain, snow, and lack of crowds. I would say it is hard to justify driving by Snow Ridge, McCauley, Oak, or Gore and WF to get to BT.

How do you make a small fortune running Big Tupper - start with a large one

Senior year at Potsdam "spring" semester a few us scheduled no classes on Thursday so we went to Big Tupper.
I remember there were some really cold days and good times skiing there.