Belleayre Gondola Discussion Thread

Belleayre in now officially the smallest mountain in North America with a gondola. This is nothing to be proud of. In fact, it's quite embarrassing. Do they really assume we Belleayre skiers need to be pampered, coddled and protected from the elements? Apparently, yes. The new Belleayre (post gondola & beyond) with its dumbing down of terrain, emphasis on affectations and a convenience culture is fast becoming the nation's newest  "dandy" mountain. Real skiers need not apply.    

snoloco wrote

 
It makes zero sense to walk up there when you can ski down and take the HSQ.

To me it makes zero sense to ski down to the super chief not knowing what the line looks like when 7 is right there.

I always get there early so I never worry about it.  I also do lunch early so it usually isn't busy when I go back out.

Mountain Creek has a cabriolet that could've just as easily been a gondola and is smaller than Belleayre.  It's cool that Belleayre is the smallest resort with an actual gondola.

Just posted on the website, they have poured 10 of the 16 tower footings as well as the top terminal.  Project is right on schedule.

Hey, sorry for the thread jack, I just read through this.  It's been a while since I've been on the forum. Busy with summer stuff I guess and having so much fun I nearly forgot snow existed. Just finished un-burrying my trails form 8' golden rod today, and got snow on my mind.

Here is my question. Does Belleayre need increased uphill capacity from what it already has. That is assuming all the lifts are in working order and operating, is there a need for another lift, and if so, where would the logical place be to put it.

By the way, just noticed the new website and mobile site are now in full swing. Congratulations Senior Harvey!

Belleayre's current lifts (without the gondola) got the job done just fine.  The only bottleneck was the Superchief which was the only way to the upper mountain, and the main starting point for Overlook Lodge customers.

I always thought they needed a second route to the upper mountain from the lower, and the gondola will achieve that.  It will get many of the Discovery Lodge customers off the Superchief and provide better access to the west side of the ridge.

snoloco wrote

I always get there early so I never worry about it.  I also do lunch early so it usually isn't busy when I go back out.Mountain Creek has a cabriolet that could've just as easily been a gondola and is smaller than Belleayre.  It's cool that Belleayre is the smallest resort with an actual gondola.

If Bell gets the classy downstate crowd they will turn the gondola cabins into suspended porta potties

If Bell gets the classy downstate crowd they will turn the gondola cabins into suspended porta potties

And only the politicians will be permitted to ride the gondola while the voters ski below.

Where's the line between down and upstate?

Thanks Ethan. A very big job remains, moving the forum. I hope we can get it done soon.

Harvey wrote

Where's the line between down and upstate?

Holy crap, Harv.  That one could be its own thread. The debate is endless. The ADK crowd would probably say Albany but some city people and strong-islanders think Westchester is upstate and don't even know where Rockland county is.

My comment was facetious. Still, curious about the answer.

Harvey wrote

Where's the line between down and upstate?

Where did you say you lived?

Q.E.D.

NYS Thruway
I've always felt that was the line for "upstate"

All bust' n of chops aside My rule of thumb has been, draw a line from the PA boarder to the MA boarder, and that's the difference. As Camp said, a lot of people would use 90 as the divider, but really? Cortland, Ithica and half of Syracuse is downstate?

No, Cortland, Ithaca, Cuse is CNY,  or the Fingerlakes Region.

Well that begs the question, where is the CNY/upstate/downstate lines and where the hell is Buffalo? I didn't move here until about 20 years ago and I am still confussed.

I live in CNY and everyone here has always said once you cross the Tappan-Zee bridge you're downstate. I mostly agree with this sentiment. If you're an ADKer I can see why they may think the line starts in Albany, but I don't think you can simply draw a line all the way across the state. In fact the Hudson valley is really a whole separate statistical region starting  as early as Lake George. Everything west of the region between Albany and Kingston is really very rural. The Catskills and lots of CNY farm land occupy that area.

So maybe the line from the PA boarder to the southern MA boarder is the ass hole and Long Island and NJ are the turds

LOL I can break this out if it has legs, I was really just testing a theory.