Ideas for Ski Area Improvements

snoloco wrote

No one responded.

Get used to that

Came up with these ideas for Windham.

Replace the F-Lift triple (long slow one next to the HSQ) with a 6-pack bubble chair with heated seats.  

Increase night skiing to full acreage.  It's close enough to NYC and Albany areas for this to work, plus my ideas below will bring in even more people.

Install cabriolet lift from the parking lot across the street to the lodge.  Add escalators where the stairs are that go from the lower to upper levels of the lodge.  Allow all parking to be moved to the other side of the street to make room for what I'm listing below.

Develop what used to be the parking lot into a fabricated village to increase the bed base (making full night skiing more worthwhile).  I also think that Windham would be a good fit for an indoor waterpark.  They're already a bit of an upscale resort that caters to families, and they're close to a large population center.  They also seem to be trying to expand non-skiing activities already.  Why not go all in and build one of the largest out there.  Overshadow the ones that Jay Peak and Camelback added.  The largest in the world is 710,000 square feet, which I don't think they have the space for.  Camelback's is 125,000 and the largest one in North America is 225,000.  I'd say 250,000 to 300,000 sounds about right.  Trying to figure out what the exact dimensions would be on Google Earth.

I've got to think the prevailing  Windham crowd would consider a water park to be gauche.  The thing that prevents me from going to Windham more often is that their pricing doesn't match their value in my mind. Can ski equal or better terrain in the 3 other Cats  areas for a fraction of the cost. If I want to eat good sushi, I'll just stay in my 'hood.  

I like your brainstorming though, it reminds me of watching my son when he used to play the ski resort computer game as a kid.  I dig your enthusiasm for the sport.

snoloco wrote

Came up with these ideas for Windham.

Replace the F-Lift tripe (long slow one next to the HSQ) with a 6-pack bubble chair with heated seats.  

Increase night skiing to full acreage.  It's close enough to NYC and Albany areas for this to work, plus my ideas below will bring in even more people.

Install cabriolet lift from the parking lot across the street to the lodge.  Add escalators where the stairs are that go from the lower to upper levels of the lodge.  Allow all parking to be moved to the other side of the street to make room for what I'm listing below.

Develop what used to be the parking lot into a fabricated village to increase the bed base (making full night skiing more worthwhile).  I also think that Windham would be a good fit for an indoor waterpark.  They're already a bit of an upscale resort that caters to families, and they're close to a large population center.  They also seem to be trying to expand non-skiing activities already.  Why not go all in and build one of the largest out there.  Overshadow the ones that Jay Peak and Camelback added.  The largest in the world is 710,000 square feet, which I don't think they have the space for.  Camelback's is 125,000 and the largest one in North America is 225,000.  I'd say 250,000 to 300,000 sounds about right.  Trying to figure out what the exact dimensions would be on Google Earth.

Can the foot rest be made of solid gold? gold plated? Can that be heated as well?

Why don't we encapsulate the whole mountain and refrigerate it. Install an overhead snow making system and we can ski 24-7 365 days a year.

No thanks, I like the view off the top of the mountain and being outside.  My idea for the waterpark allows for an activity that will bring in money year round.  Personally, I'd rather be skiing than visit an indoor waterpark.  As many of Windham's current customers are families, an indoor waterpark would be perfect.  The footrests on the new bubble chair would not be heated or solid gold.  A heated bubble chair is already luxurious enough.  One of their biggest problems is the distance of the parking lot from the lifts and a Cabriolet would solve all these problems and make parking access one of the best in the east.

snoloco wrote

The footrests on the new bubble chair would not be heated or solid gold.

Well that's a relief.

You seem to want to homogenize all ski areas.  That doesn't mean make them gay friendly, which would be a lot better than your ideas.

billyymc wrote

  That doesn't mean make them gay friendly, which would be a lot better than your ideas.

What does that have to do with upgrading lifts, lodging and diversifying activities?  Let's not bring politics into this.  As far as I know, anyone is welcome to visit any ski area, buy a lift ticket, ride the lifts, and ski the terrain.

snoloco wrote

billyymc wrote

  That doesn't mean make them gay friendly, which would be a lot better than your ideas.

What does that have to do with upgrading lifts, lodging and diversifying activities?  Let's not bring politics into this.  As far as I know, anyone is welcome to visit any ski area, buy a lift ticket, ride the lifts, and ski the terrain.

Why does every resort need to be improved in exactly the same way? For what competitive advantage?

snoloco wrote

a Cabriolet

You left out everyone's own mtn host who actually skis down the hill for you while you stay warm in the lodge

snoloco wrote

a Cabriolet

Also, for the record, I have never been able to walk to the end of a row without being offered a ride by a Windham bus driver. Those guys do a great job.

<quote author="ml242">

snoloco wrote

a Cabriolet

I had never heard of these or noticed one at a ski area until snoloco posted about them (over and over) and I have skied my entire life. (I have been to Tremblant, but never noticed theirs).

If you can ski, you can walk a little. Total waste of funds. Plus after driving to a mountain, it's nice to stretch your legs out a little before hopping on the lift.

YUKON CORNELIUS wrote

I had never heard of these or noticed one at a ski area until snoloco posted about them (over and over) and I have skied my entire life. (I have been to Tremblant, but never noticed theirs).

If you can ski, you can walk a little. Total waste of funds. Plus after driving to a mountain, it's nice to stretch your legs out a little before hopping on the lift.

I obviously agree and am having trouble not making jokes about Snoloco.

Someone buy this kid a Led Zeppelin album before it's too late!

The thing is when walking is required there is the danger of exercise unmasked by adrenaline.

Harvey wrote

The thing is when walking is required there is the danger of exercise unmasked by adrenaline.

I'm always pumped to ski and fully-caffeinated in the morning so the walk in works well. It's the walk back at the end of the day that stings a little...

Please don't suggest a mid trail waffle kiosk at Hickory...

Mont Tremblant, Park City, and Winter Park use cabriolets to move day trippers from the parking lot to the lodge.  Stowe uses an acutal gondola for a similar purpose, but it also connects Spruce and Mansfield.  It allows for more base development without having to bus everyone in, which isn't easy to do at peak times.  I skied Mont Tremblant this past weekend and things seemed to work pretty well there.  There was never a significant line to get back to the parking lot in the afternoon.  

JohnIrvingwrestles wrote

Please don't suggest a mid trail waffle kiosk at Hickory...

What Hickory needs is a monorail to get customers from the lot to the Poma.

ml242 wrote

YUKON CORNELIUS wrote

I had never heard of these or noticed one at a ski area until snoloco posted about them (over and over) and I have skied my entire life. (I have been to Tremblant, but never noticed theirs).

If you can ski, you can walk a little. Total waste of funds. Plus after driving to a mountain, it's nice to stretch your legs out a little before hopping on the lift.

I obviously agree and am having trouble not making jokes about Snoloco.

Someone buy this kid a Led Zeppelin album before it's too late!

Snoloco is the Paul Anka to the rest of this board's Led Zeppelin. If you know what I'm sayin'...

I, for one, would like to see this cabriolet at a ski area parking lot:

hossbiz.blogspot.com wrote

Cabriolet, according to Francis T Underhill: The cabriolet requires a single horse of great size and beauty, with extraordinary action, especially in his slow paces.  The groom, who stands behind, is so small as to be of little use save for effect.

Or even, perhaps, the more modern version of the cabriolet. Chauffeur-driven, of course: