46er looks sweet

46er is mostly covered in grass.  Snow will soon be sticking to it.   I can't wait to hit it this year.    
Front Street signed over some rights and leases to Gore Mountain this past week.   They (Front Street) also have completed 4 homes (2 duplexes) and cut 3 new cul-de-sacs for more.     Some of their green ski in/out trails may be cut, I did not have time to check them out this go round, but hope it will be dry enough to ride my mtn bike around there next trip up in Oct.  

Also with the new snow guns being placed near the bottom (some number, I am not sure) they will (surely?) have more snow to push around for late season.     Gore--make stock piles and push it when/where needed.    I will keep repeating this until I die or they do it.    

With Front Street "signing over rights", does this mean that we'll be able to ski 46er from top to bottom??

Jess and I poked around NC after fishing the East Branch last week.  Lots of stuff getting built, it's pretty exciting to see some progress being made.  The new condos are pretty sweet, and have nice views of the Mtn.

I know some people are not big on condos and progress, but if we're going to keep this park alive it's vital.  As long as we can build sustainable, friendly buildings I'm all for it!  If I had some cash I'd be investing as much as I could up there

The reason that 46er wasn't really skiable top to bottom last year was lack of snowmaking.  The headwall is just too steep to be skied with only natural snow. The land swap will help in that you'll be able to go around the headwall in the trees on either side of the trail.

I:) ... last year the headwall was very bouldery. Does it look they did some fill and/or seeding on it?

I don't know this for a fact, but my guess is that 46er will have snowmaking by the 2012/13 season.  Gore owns the pipe, it's just the time needed for the (reduced) labor force to install it.  This summer it's been a sprint to do the maintenance, finish the lodge renovation, and after Columbus Day, install all those new snowguns.

Chris wrote

Jess and I poked around NC after fishing the East Branch last week.

Chris - how's the East Branch fishing?

We did more poking around than anything else.  Used a few different pheobes with no luck.  I have never been good with trout, and its very hard for me to just put a worm on a hook and throw it out..  this damn ego of mine!

Is it usually good fishing?

:::another thread going way off topic:::

Yea, yea, yo suckers is drift fishin......
What land rights did FS sign over? Would that be to the trails skier's left of 46er?

Where adkskier ? He's our man on the spot.  

Post Star reports the RR added their dome car.

Snowballs wrote

Yea, yea, yo suckers is drift fishin......
What land rights did FS sign over? Would that be to the trails skier's left of 46er?

It's on skiers left, but it's not the trail system. I think it was 26 acres(?) It's right next to the 46er headwall on skiers left.  If you look at the existing map, I think you'll see that the property line does a funky thing there.  I think it was a swap that really didn't affect Front Street much, and makes it easier for Gore to manage the trail.  Would also like to get confirmo from adkskier.

Chris - did you come in from the Rt 8 or 13th Lake?  It's been a long time since I fished the East Branch, but in spots, if the water was cool the fishing was fun. Never caught anything big for sure but they were feisty. I'm a mepps/daredevil guy.

FS completed a 2nd Duplex, have they sold anything yet? Do they have all the neccessary permits etc? Anyone have any info on that?

Front Street is finally permitted for phase one which is 11 units total (4 duplexes, one triplex) The cannot start marketing them until they finish their sewage system which is being built right now. Progress has been slow but they are finally getting things done.
The area to skiers left of 46er is the area that the town has leased and the skiing in there is awesome! Wide spaced hardwoods with great vert!

Less than 60 days kiddies!

Darkside Shaman wrote

Less than 60 days kiddies!

Hehehe. Thanks Dad!

CONTENTS DELETED

We had plenty of snow last year late in the season in the arena area.  With the new lower mountain guns we may even have more on the lower main mountain late in the season.

As for the ski bowl and the Front Street "ski in/out" trails, I agree that that low elevation lends itself to early melt.  There were times last year that the main mountain (and even the lower mountain) had decent snow while the ski bowl area was well beyond mashed potatoes.  I wish the ski bowl village a prosperous future without a doubt.  I think that any housing development will benefit the mountain.  However, I'm curious as to how they expect this to be a season long ski in/out community.  

CMR wrote

However, I'm curious as to how they expect this to be a season long ski in/out community.

I've been thinking about this.  By rule Gore can't groom or operate in any way on the trails that are planned on the north side (skiers left) of 46er.  If that doesn't change Front Street is going to have to be in the ski business - snow guns, groomers etc.

I'll be surprised if FS can't make some kind of deal for water. IMO Gore could afford to part with some water if FS pays for it.

So you're (theoretically) going to have a village of taxpayin, upscale, vacationin' ski families — and a relatively small amount of low elevation terrain. I'll bet a donut that that terrain will get buried deep enough to keep it open pretty late in the season.  If I could afford to invest big money in slopeside, I'd probably pay the extra association fees to get that terrain open early and keep it open late.

Frontstreet can make all the snow they want but if the hudson chair or pipeline/BR isn't open it won't really be ski in/out. It's hard to imagine having real ski in/out capability for the Christmas holiday week or mid week. Sure, it will be real nice on weekends in Feb and March but the rest of the time I think they will have to drive to lodge like everyone else.

tom

Harvey44 wrote

If I could afford to invest big money in slopeside, I'd probably pay the extra association fees to get that terrain open early and keep it open late.

Those home owners association fees would be astronomical, wouldn't they?  I can't imagine their HOA paying for snowmaking and grooming.  Is this standard practice at other ski areas where there are ski in/out properties located on the fringe of mountain maintained runs?

For early and late season I guess the FS home owners could just drive to the main mountain. The parking experience at the main lodge has been greatly improved with the increased number of shuttle buses.   Many of them would probably take advantage of the priority parking as well.  

Agree. The notion of ski in/ski out at the Ski Bowl Village will be EXTREMELY limited.....

FYI, for those who didn't know, to solve this issue, there is a transportation lift bantered about (and on the FS maps) that would run from the bottom of the Ski Bowl to the bottom of the ADK Express. Since it starts AND ends at the bottom of the hills, you can't ski off it. It's lift 14, fixed grip and would be a 30ish minute ride ONE WAY.

Look for it as soon as you see soaring swine.

Soaring Swine....love it

Good point about the to/from TomCat.  While the route from the Ski Bowl to Burnt Ridge (Eagles Nest) could getting plumbing at some point in my lifetime (?), Cedars is likely to be extremely far down on the list. I'd like to push Mike on the "what is next on your wish list" thing, but I should probably wait until he's got those new guns installed.

CMR wrote

Those home owners association fees would be astronomical, wouldn't they?  I can't imagine their HOA paying for snowmaking and grooming.  Is this standard practice at other ski areas where there are ski in/out properties located on the fringe of mountain maintained runs?

I don't know what will happen with this, but currently ORDA is only permitted to operate on state land  and on Town of Johnsburg land.  I think that may have had something to do with the recent 26 acre land swap.

You're getting warmer Harv...

Snowballs wrote

FYI, for those who didn't know, to solve this issue, there is a transportation lift bantered about (and on the FS maps) that would run from the bottom of the Ski Bowl to the bottom of the ADK Express. Since it starts AND ends at the bottom of the hills, you can't ski off it. It's lift 14, fixed grip and would be a 30ish minute ride ONE WAY.

FYI...that lift was removed from the UMP and maps  about 6 years ago. The original concept was a gondola.