Development at Gore Mtn.

skimore wrote

x10003q wrote

 Just an average increase of 500 skiers over 100 days will bring in millions of additional dollars in revenue.

 Just?

Gore could easily handle 500 extra skiers per day. It could probably handle a lot more without actually becoming crowded. When I skied Gore in January it was basically ski right on the lift all weekend. This is with only about half the terrain open and cars parked down the access road below the last lot.

DZ--where is that shirt from?

x10003q wrote

skimore wrote

x10003q wrote

 Just an average increase of 500 skiers over 100 days will bring in millions of additional dollars in revenue.

 Just?

Gore could easily handle 500 extra skiers per day. It could probably handle a lot more without actually becoming crowded. When I skied Gore in January it was basically ski right on the lift all weekend. This is with only about half the terrain open and cars parked down the access road below the last lot.

 I was implying that getting 500 more per day is asking a bit much

In the off season, NC has a very large hurdle to overcome. There is already sooooooooo much to do up here that one doesn't need to go to NC to have a rollicking great time. Any NC restaurant has to compete against an absolute plethora of restaurants that are much, much closer to the populace. Extremely tough odds no matter how you slice it.

I would wager the vast majority of people here have no clue about NC businesses and many wouldn't even know where NC is.

Snowballs wrote

In the off season, NC has a very large hurdle to overcome. There is already sooooooooo much to do up here that one doesn't need to go to NC to have a rollicking great time. Any NC restaurant has to compete against an absolute plethora of restaurants that are much, much closer to the populace. Tough odds no matter how you slice it.

Actually this is not the case.  I think if you ask most of the business owners in town they will tell you that summer is the busiest season (as it is in all of the Dacks).  Rafters are a mostly captive audience (overnight guests) whereas many skiers are day trippers who don't go into town.  When people come up and stay at house on loon lake or indian lake or blue mountain lake there aren't many options to go out and grab a bite to eat or have a beer.  NC is a draw believe it or not.  NC also attracts all of the summer camp parents that come to visit little johnny.  Head up to NC one night this summer on a Thursday (night of the farmers market and car cruise) and you will be floored by how many people there are in town.  We had to wait 30 minutes to get a seat at a table to eat.  Spring is also good with the rafters.  The toughest stretch is from the harvest festival until the 2nd or third week in December (when the Copperfield traditionally shuts down).


SIAWOL - my wife got me the shirt this summer from The Vault next to Bar Vino.  A local guy carved a wood stamp of the old gondi and then stamped the shirt.  Not sure if they still have them in stock.

Danzilla wrote

my wife got me the shirt this summer from The Vault next to Bar Vino.  A local guy carved a wood stamp of the old gondi and then stamped the shirt.  Not sure if they still have them in stock.

Danzo, I bet 70s Gore Kid would give you a thousand bucks for that shirt!  Very cool, I gotta get one too.

skimore wrote

x10003q wrote

skimore wrote

x10003q wrote

 Just an average increase of 500 skiers over 100 days will bring in millions of additional dollars in revenue.

 Just?

Gore could easily handle 500 extra skiers per day. It could probably handle a lot more without actually becoming crowded. When I skied Gore in January it was basically ski right on the lift all weekend. This is with only about half the terrain open and cars parked down the access road below the last lot.

 I was implying that getting 500 more per day is asking a bit much

If Front St never happens I agree. If Front St is completed a 500 increase could happen. Adding 154 townhouses and single homes plus 5 hotels slopeside might do the trick.

500 skiers/day x 100 days = 50,000 skier visits = 25% increase in skier visits for Gore.  X's point that Gore's lifts & trails can comfortably accomodate that level of increase is correct, IMO.  25% is hefty, but could be achievable through the cumulative impact of multiple initiatives over several years:  Front Street and other real estate projects, continued revitalization of downtown NC, increased marketing to downstate, ski train, etc.  A winter with actual snow that fell from the sky wouldn't hurt either.

I guess the idea of a Tyrolean village would not work in Northcreek.   I think a good example of the type of housing with downstairs retail they could be built in NC that would be good for NC is what the Apline Lodge has done  http://www.adkbyowner.com/listings/VR5819.html    I think the Eagles Nest is a really nice spread, I would be very content owing a unit like that in a cool town even it did not have ski on ski off, but offered a good vibe as far as aprex ski and a good good family enviro.  Of course I think this is all just an excersise but one day this could all happen__nothing stays the same for ever.  One thing I do know is that whatever is done you have to live with it for a long time so it is best to get it right the first time when it comes to urban planning.

Danzilla wrote

Snowballs wrote

In the off season, NC has a very large hurdle to overcome. There is already sooooooooo much to do up here that one doesn't need to go to NC to have a rollicking great time. Any NC restaurant has to compete against an absolute plethora of restaurants that are much, much closer to the populace. Tough odds no matter how you slice it.

Actually this is not the case.  I think if you ask most of the business owners in town they will tell you that summer is the busiest season (as it is in all of the Dacks).  Rafters are a mostly captive audience (overnight guests) whereas many skiers are day trippers who don't go into town.  When people come up and stay at house on loon lake or indian lake or blue mountain lake there aren't many options to go out and grab a bite to eat or have a beer.  NC is a draw believe it or not.  NC also attracts all of the summer camp parents that come to visit little johnny.  Head up to NC one night this summer on a Thursday (night of the farmers market and car cruise) and you will be floored by how many people there are in town.  We had to wait 30 minutes to get a seat at a table to eat.  Spring is also good with the rafters.  The toughest stretch is from the harvest festival until the 2nd or third week in December (when the Copperfield traditionally shuts down).


SIAWOL - my wife got me the shirt this summer from The Vault next to Bar Vino.  A local guy carved a wood stamp of the old gondi and then stamped the shirt.  Not sure if they still have them in stock.

Don't forget about Barton Mines either. I'm not 100% sure (don't feel like looking it up either), but I believe Barton is the second biggest garnet mine in the world....I would think that draws people too.

Skied today and picked up two of the Gondi tees at the Vault.  

they had sold out and the owner had him make up a new batch!  

Looked like she had a dozen or two of the shirts in stock.  

Ask if you're up, as they are in the back room with the cat curing as they were just made!

everyone knows that instead of NC or LP Gondi's from Town - orda is now instead planning a lift connecting Bell to a thruway rest area since Bell is so close to the thruway  ohh i must have confused Bell with the other ski areas in the Cats that actually make money.

none of this stuff is going to happen in the current budget climate unless someone else like the town is going to fund it

Aus we badly need SNOW so you can write about conditions and trip reports and less negativily of our public snow park

ausable skier wrote

everyone knows that instead of NC or LP Gondi's from Town - orda is now instead planning a lift connecting Bell to a thruway rest area since Bell is so close to the thruway  ohh i must have confused Bell with the other ski areas in the Cats that actually make money.

none of this stuff is going to happen in the current budget climate unless someone else like the town is going to fund it

I thought all that was on hold until they completely excavate and then dredge out the Tugg Hill plateau to bring the lake effect snow to the dacks.

Snowballs wrote

I thought all that was on hold until they completely excavate and then dredge out the Tugg Hill plateau to bring the lake effect snow to the dacks.

that is funny

I think they should do a better job promoting the shuttle. It's the next best thing to ski in ski out. If dad wants to take a few extra late day turns (or have a beer in tannery) mom and kids can drive back and dad can shuttle back. Not that bad.

Tom

gebbyfish wrote

Skied today and picked up two of the Gondi tees at the Vault.  

they had sold out and the owner had him make up a new batch!  

Looked like she had a dozen or two of the shirts in stock.  

Ask if you're up, as they are in the back room with the cat curing as they were just made!

That's awesome.  Glad they had some more made up.  They have some good stuff for the ladies in there - homemade soaps, clothing, etc.

+1 on the shuttle.  Wish they would run it a little later - maybe till 7.  That way you could have some beers in the tannery and wouldn't have to drive back.  I guess they are trying to get people back into town though rather than have them stay up at the mountain.  They are now running it on Fridays too which is not reflected on the website.  I called the last time we were up and they told me it was running.  It was raining so it didn't really matter.

Lots of great comments and info!  I truly believe NC is gonna come back big!!  People w/ local connections need to steer these developers towards Global Foundries in Ballston Spa.  Coming online in July 2012, this chip fab factory is projected to have 3,000 new jobs when at full operation w/ average salary of 100K!  If I owned TopRidge or FrontStreet I'd get marketing materials to these people now be4 VT does.

Here's some interesting good news from this morning's Times Union regarding the former Mountain & Boardertown location in downtown North Creek:

"The company that brought passenger rail service back to North Creek is now working to boost its downtown, seeking to reopen a long dormant former sporting goods store to offer a space for area artists and craftspeople to sell their wares, and supplement existing shops downtown... "

http://blog.timesunion.com/business/mountain-and-boardertown-to-become-village-shops-at-north-creek/52868/

Great catch Jeff. And holy snike. What a great effort by Iowa RR ! They are really putting forward a top notch effort to make this Choo - Choo successful.

They seem to be in it for the long haul, too as they're going forward with even more investment despite this year's bad ski season.

I'm impressed.