Exaggerated Snowfall Totals. Cool or Uncool?

Yeah, it sounds like a tough balancing act between keeping the cool vibe at Plattekill as it is and making some more $. I think it could be done and if it were my business I wouldn't want to be in it if it didn't make me money. Being tied to something that isn't profitable could burn someone out pretty fast I imagine.

If Plattekill made more money, expanded a little and even put snowmaking on the major trails like Freefall they could probably justify spending a little more on clearing glades and maintaining some steep natural stuff as well. Either way it could be really cool if it was done right. I would just want to see it kept as the anti-Hunter that it's always been to me.

raisingarizona wrote

 snowmaking on the major trails like Freefall

That's probably going to happen sooner than later anyhow. I think Freefall should stay natural as much as possible, but some snowmaking on the skiers right would help to fix the double fall line problem, and stacking some base on the headwall would be nice too.

What's the problem with double fall line? It can't be groomed? A lot of people like that sort of skiing experience/challenge. You don't want to ruin that for a large population of your customers.

If I were managing the area I would want to make it as functional as possible and maintain the overall character of the place. I would be careful how much "upgrading" you do since the reputation of the area is based on what the loyal following enjoys and says about it. There is something special there that is marketable. Don't gentrify everything. People can go to Windham if they are after a McSki experience. Heck, if it became busier I wouldn't cry about a HS quad (maybe a fixed grip is more appropriate?) either if I were a regular there. More laps, better maintenance on glades, reliable coverage on all major runs and maybe a new natural steep trail? That would be rad to me if I were still in that area.  

raisingarizona wrote

 Heck, if it became busier I wouldn't cry about a HS quad (maybe a fixed grip is more appropriate?) either if I were a regular there. More laps, better maintenance on glades, reliable coverage on all major runs and maybe a new natural steep trail? That would be rad to me if I were still in that area.

Am I hearing you correctly? You're 100% correct.  I was actually thinking a fixed grip quad would be fine. Also add a new lodge with about twice the square footage constructed either by traditional rustic post and beam, or log construction with a stone fireplace, and a larger deck that wraps around the natural embankment below the two lifts. Yes, there is currently a road there to access the parking lot, but I would build the lodge right on the road where it is currently, and re-route the road to access the upper parking lots, which could also be made bigger, from the other end. The road would start from the lowest parking lot and travel just below the snowmaking pond (which will eventually be eliminated and made in to parking) and wrap around the hillside which is currently forested to access the primary upper lots.

raisingarizona wrote

What's the problem with double fall line? It can't be groomed? A lot of people like that sort of skiing experience/challenge. You don't want to ruin that for a large population of your customers.

I personally don't have as much fun skiing them, but that's just me. I guess I just find it challenging, but I should probably try to overcome my fear of double fall lines.  Snowmaking will not necessarily have to eliminate the double fall line. I don't think that trail needs to be groomed as long as enough snow is piled at the top to sustain the headwall for the season.

Actually, I am planning out a new trail at Woodstream which is going to have a short and very steep section which will follow a double fall line. LOL. We recently purchases another 6 acres adjacent to us, and it's got a really gnarly section it it. It's going to require just a little hiking to get to the very top, and then will lead back to the rope tow at the bottom before connecting together all the best fall lines on the property. It will somewhat resemble a trail like Chattiemac at Gore, or Hoyts at WF only much smaller.

Is Belleayre for sale?

x10003q wrote

Is Belleayre for sale?

No but the idea seems to come up repeatedly. They won't sell it of course.

Imaginary scenarios for study breaks/boredom therapy

raisingarizona wrote

Imaginary scenarios for study breaks/boredom therapy

LOL. JUST FINISHING UP A 10 HOUR DAY IN FRONT OF A SCREEN THE ENTIRE TIME. THIS WEBSITE PROVIDES A LIGHTHEARTED DISTRACTION FOR ME WHILE NOT HAVING TO LOOK ACTUALLY GET OUT OF MY SEAT. BUT I STILL THINK BELLEAYRE COULD B FOR SALE ONE OF THESE DAYS. EVERYTHING WE TYPE UP IN THE CADD OFFICE IS IN CAPS, AND I JUST REALIZED THIS IS ALL IN CAPS. TOO LAZY AT THIS POINT TO TURN OFF CAPS LOCK, SORRY.

Ethan Snow wrote

raisingarizona wrote

Imaginary scenarios for study breaks/boredom therapy

LOL. JUST FINISHING UP A 10 HOUR DAY IN FRONT OF A SCREEN THE ENTIRE TIME. THIS WEBSITE PROVIDES A LIGHTHEARTED DISTRACTION FOR ME WHILE NOT HAVING TO LOOK ACTUALLY GET OUT OF MY SEAT. BUT I STILL THINK BELLEAYRE COULD B FOR SALE ONE OF THESE DAYS. EVERYTHING WE TYPE UP IN THE CADD OFFICE IS IN CAPS, AND I JUST REALIZED THIS IS ALL IN CAPS. TOO LAZY AT THIS POINT TO TURN OFF CAPS LOCK, SORRY.

Ha! That's kid of funny. HR tells us caps in an email is the same as shouting

Ok fine but please, STOP YELLING AT ME!!!!

Ethan Snow wrote

 BUT I STILL THINK BELLEAYRE COULD B FOR SALE ONE OF THESE DAYS.

Delusional. This will never happen.

raisingarizona wrote

Yeah, it sounds like a tough balancing act between keeping the cool vibe at Plattekill as it is and making some more $. I think it could be done and if it were my business I wouldn't want to be in it if it didn't make me money. Being tied to something that isn't profitable could burn someone out pretty fast I imagine.

If Plattekill made more money, expanded a little and even put snowmaking on the major trails like Freefall they could probably justify spending a little more on clearing glades and maintaining some steep natural stuff as well. Either way it could be really cool if it was done right. I would just want to see it kept as the anti-Hunter that it's always been to me.

Again this comes up.  The guy who doesn't even live on the east coast has all the ideas.  If you were more familiar with what you are talking about you would know about Plattekill's ability to "justify spending a little more on clearing glades" is nothing but nonsense.  The glades at Plattekill are made by volunteers.  The owner feeds them some ziti and 1 lift ticket in exchange for a full day of work.  So I guess Laz could justify more than a couple pans of ziti to clean out his whole mountain.  

As for Belle.  Some may find it boring but, it serves it's market and purpose.  They definitely have no trouble bringing in customers.  It's just like every other state run organization.  It's not run efficiently and is a big waste of taxpayer money.  It's also used for political purposes such as the new gondola from our Governor.  I doubt you will ever see it sold.  I also doubt it will ever be run efficiently.  It's a big drain on the taxpayers just like MC is with his job funded by the taxpayers, yet all his time is spent on this forum posting liberal nonsense during work hours.  

One thing I can agree with you on is that if Belleayre were ever to come up for sale, Plattekill should definitely not try to buy it.  With the amount of lifts and infrastructure as well as new improvements coming, you can bet it will be out of Laz's reach financially.  Now don't you have some weed to toke or a cliff to huck somewhere?

Why are you so mad Ace? In your posts you sure sound like a D-head.

Ace wrote

As for Belle.  Some may find it boring but, it serves it's market and purpose.  They definitely have no trouble bringing in customers.  It's just like every other state run organization.  It's not run efficiently and is a big waste of taxpayer money.  It's also used for political purposes such as the new gondola from our Governor.  I doubt you will ever see it sold.  I also doubt it will ever be run efficiently.  It's a big drain on the taxpayers just like MC is with his job funded by the taxpayers, yet all his time is spent on this forum posting liberal nonsense during work hours.

If you think Belleayre is a big drain on taxpayers, what do you think of the 1192 NYS Authorities that do a boatload of the NYS borrowing? These are run by unelected managers. They bypass NYS Constitutional provisions for borrowing. NYS now has $267billion in debt from these "Authorities".

You need to up your worrying - Belleayre is pocket change if you are worried about drain on the public.

https://www.osc.state.ny.us/press/releases/jan17/011217.htm


"Public authorities in New York have accumulated $267 billion in debt, the equivalent of $13,487 for every resident in the state, according to a report issued today by New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli. The amount of debt reported by state and local authorities is now posted on DiNapoli’s transparency website, OpenBookNewYork.com.

“New York’s public authorities play an increasingly influential role in government yet they operate outside the traditional checks and balances that apply to state agencies,” DiNapoli said. “Some of these entities are repeatedly used in a way that circumvents borrowing limits and oversight. As a result, New York is shouldering a huge debt load issued by public entities operating in the shadows that voters never approved.”

As of September 2016, there were 1,192 public authorities in New York, including 324 state-level authorities and subsidiaries, 860 local authorities and eight interstate or international authorities, according to DiNapoli’s report.

Public authorities generally are not subject to many of the oversight and transparency requirements that apply to other government agencies, or the same types of controls over their contracting practices and day-to-day operations.

 New York is relying more and more on public authorities to undertake most borrowing on its behalf, bypassing a Constitutional provision that restricts the issuance of general obligation debt without voter approval.

Public authority debt reported in the Public Authorities Reporting Information System (PARIS) as issued for state purposes, better known as “backdoor borrowing,” totaled $58.6 billion, representing 22 percent of total public authority debt. Of the total, $51.1 billion was reported being issued by state authorities and $7.5 billion by local authorities in the latest reported fiscal year. "

You must have realized you were a dickhead to before you edited your post and cut out this: "I bet token a little and hucking off of 40+ footers is something you will never experience. Sucks for you.  For the record, a 40 footer was a "cute" warm up air for me back in my 20's."

I didn't know pointing out common sense things that people who ski at Plattekill know was considered being a dickhead.  I just can't help myself when I see someone who has no clue what they are talking about pretending they do.  I'm sure you know alot about something but, the operations and vibe of a place across the country from you that you haven't visited in forever is not one of them.  Also geography and layout of Gore is another.  From what I recall, that is when you first came across as a dickhead to me.  When I posted:
    Ace wrote
    I'm not sure a handle tow works well without snow.  Maybe I am wrong.
Followed by your response:
Right, especially at a ski area with a few hundred snow guns and a grooming fleet. A couple hundred feet of north facing tow line at the upper elevations might be too difficult to keeps snow on.

And this time, just like last time when you posted about Gore, you moved right along and cried someone was being a dick to you.  Rather than come to the conclusion that you really had no idea what you were talking about.  Even if a satellite map is available to you from your fingertips.  Proving there was no such slope which you were referring to that they make such a handle tow.

As for X.  I agree that NY is run terribly.  I never said Belle was the biggest single drain on the taxpayer.  I guess just one of the many.  What do I think about the 1192 NYS Authorities that do a boatload of the NYS borrowing?  I think it sucks big time.  As a NYS taxpayer, how could I not?  It's no wonder people have been leaving this state in droves for some time now.

Actually Ace I reread it and I didn't want to sound like a braggart, the post was written with the intent to push your buttons but I decided you weren't worth it.

So what?

Nobody is crying, you just being a dick.

I think some points on my previous posts have somehow flown directly over your head, I can't help you with your stupid. Good luck with that.

Ace wrote

I didn't know pointing out common sense things that people who ski at Plattekill know was considered being a dickhead.  

    I'm not sure a handle tow works well without snow.  Maybe I am wrong.
Followed by your response:
Right, especially at a ski area with a few hundred snow guns and a grooming fleet. A couple hundred feet of north facing tow line at the upper elevations might be too difficult to keeps snow on.

And this time, just like last time when you posted about Gore, you moved right along and cried someone was being a dick to you.  Rather than come to the conclusion that you really had no idea what you were talking about.  Even if a satellite map is available to you from your fingertips.  Proving there was no such slope which you were referring to that they make such a handle tow.

Dude, if you can't figure out how to put a gun on a short tow line when there are pipes, hoses and guns a plenty or farm snow using a cat you might be semi retarded. I didn't pull up a google earth image because your insults were so dumb I didn't care to.

I'm fully aware of the tree cleaning days at Plattekill. My thoughts were though, if I were running a ski area I would like to clear out glades a little more and have some on my map. Glades that had zero underbrush, stumps or logs. Maybe even remove larger trees so some lines skied bigger and faster. It was just an idea about imaginary situations. Boredom therapy. you're an ass.

So what is the verdict on exaggerated snowfall totals?

Harvey wrote

So what is the verdict on exaggerated snowfall totals?

One vote for cool. Exaggerated snow totals are rad.