Peak Resorts Reports Results

I think it's safe to say that they're on death row now.  Even more debt and losses than last time around.

http://www.newenglandskiindustry.com/viewstory.php?storyid=518

Hmmm - lots of high speed quads and snow making, following the Snoloco plan for ski resort success has really paid off for them.

The picture in the news piece looked more like Mount Lack-of-Snow.  Hey-yo!

Intrawest and Vail seem to be doing the same thing, and they're doing fine.

Big difference is Peak has much lower quality ski areas than Vail and IW.  I bought stock in Vail about 3 months ago and its been up nicely since then.

I thought you said don't invest in airlines and skiing.

Interestingly, they aren't limiting snowmaking like you thought they would, and even I came around to agree with that.  I wonder how they're coming up with the money to still maintain normal snowmaking levels.

The three Intrawest mountains I've skied all need lift investment.  They were hit hard in the 08 recession and sold off half their mountains and no significant improvements have been made since then.  Steamboat is getting a new HSQ this year to replace Elkhead.  However their gondola sucks and is over 30 years old.  The Sundown Express should also be made a 6-pack as it lines up a lot.

Stratton has great lifts, except for the Snow Bowl Quad which is their longest most crowded fixed grip.  Need a high speed lifts there.  The Tamarack lift is an ancient Borvig triple and should be replaced also.

Tremblant was heavily invested in, but happened before Stratton, so instead of 6-packs, they got HSQ's.  The Duncan Express needs to be a 6-pack as it always has crazy lines.  I believe that is on their master plan.  Their oldest detachable La Soleil I believe is also on the replacement list.

snoloco wrote

Steamboat is getting a new HSQ this year to replace Elkhead.  However their gondola sucks and is over 30 years old.  The Sundown Express should also be made a 6-pack as it lines up a lot.

Sundown does not need a six pack. You went during holiday week. I've been there a lot more than you, and it's almost never more than a few minutes wait.

What exactly do you think is wrong with the gondola? I've ridden in a many that are worse.

At least you are staying on message I guess.

It was stopping and starting constantly when I was there, running really slow, and was missing at least 10 cabins, which caused huge lines.  Wasn't wind related as it was pretty much dead calm all 5 days I skied.  No reason a gondola should ever stop and start if it's in good working order.  I avoided it like the plague and used Christie and Thunderhead to access the mountain.

I think it was stopping because they were often transferring the service cars on and off to get to the lodge up top.  Still no excuse to stop it all the time.  Tremblant's gondola serves a lodge at the top and it runs fine.

At Steamboat the morning Gondi line can be huge. I think sno is right in that they use the Gondi cars to haul food up for the lodges.  That six pack right next to the Gondi never has a line and while it takes another ride to get up high it's faster and separates you from the crowds.  The Gondi does need to replaced though and unless you are a lower level skier you never go back to the base all day.

What Steamboat really needs is a massive geological event to give it some actual pitch. My god that mountain is flat.

When I lived there the only way out of the base area that made any sense was the gondola, that six pack didn't exist and the Thunderhead chair was a slow old double. Back then if you went around the gondola connecting the chairlifts to get up high on a powder day there wouldn't be anything left once you were on Storm Peak.

Before 2007, it took 2 beginner lifts to reach the top of Christie Peak, and you still had to take Thunderhead to the top (HSQ after 1997, double before that).  They replaced 3 double chairs with that 6-pack which gets you up there pretty quick in the morning.  It is a beginner lift, so it can stop a lot, but if you take it early, that's a non issue.  It's pretty easy to go Christie to Thunderhead to reach the top of the gondola and can be quicker a lot of the time.

Steamboat uses special cars to bring food up to the lodge.  They apparently need to slow the lift down to below walking speed for 2 minutes every time they transfer one on or off.  Tremblant just sends stuff up in the regular gondola cabins, so they can keep it running at full speed while loading and unloading.

Fast lifts won't fix the geology. :D

If you think Steamboat is too flat then GO SKI SOMEWHERE ELSE!!

Peak Resorts news
https://vtdigger.org/2019/04/18/family-ties-opioid-crisis-takes-majority-control-mount-snow/

snoloco wrote

If you think Steamboat is too flat then GO SKI SOMEWHERE ELSE!!

Oh I did. I was there for two seasons and after leaving in 97 I haven’t been back to ski there again. I visited friends when they were still spring skiing in 98 but didn’t feel a need to go up to ski. I did skin up to Thunderhead one day to get some exercise actually but that was it.

Brownski wrote

Peak Resorts news
https://vtdigger.org/2019/04/18/family-ties-opioid-crisis-takes-majority-control-mount-snow/

How absurd. In a state that is hip deep in the opioid and heroin problem. If I thought Mt. Slow was worth skiing, I'd boycott it.

Benny Profane wrote

Brownski wrote

Peak Resorts news
https://vtdigger.org/2019/04/18/family-ties-opioid-crisis-takes-majority-control-mount-snow/

How absurd. In a state that is hip deep in the opioid and heroin problem. If I thought Mt. Slow was worth skiing, I'd boycott it.

The headline is Mount Snow but it’s actualy a majority stake in Peak. They own Hunter too + a bunch of Midwest, PA and NH hills. I guess I could stand to boycott Hunter, haven’t been there in two years. You think anybody will notice?

So guys who own a bad corporation are buying Peaks? Let's see how they run it. Will they improve the mountains, with environmentally conscious methods, or will they suck money out of the resorts with cheap real estate sales. Maybe just maybe the Sackler family wants to atone. What better way than to run a ski resort the right way. I am glad that they have the money to sink into Hunter and Mount Snow. I thought Peaks did a good job in a bad winter, so if that culture continues fine. Meanwhile we all should recognize that corporations are in it to make money for their stock holders. You want to control bad behavior that has to be done by government, self policing never has and never will work. Vail is always hovering over Hunter and Mount Snow looking to pick up the pieces, whether that's good or bad I leave to the Snow Gods.

JamesP wrote

So guys who own a bad corporation are buying Peaks? Let's see how they run it. Will they improve the mountains, with environmentally conscious methods, or will they suck money out of the resorts with cheap real estate sales. Maybe just maybe the Sackler family wants to atone. What better way than to run a ski resort the right way. I am glad that they have the money to sink into Hunter and Mount Snow. I thought Peaks did a good job in a bad winter, so if that culture continues fine. Meanwhile we all should recognize that corporations are in it to make money for their stock holders. You want to control bad behavior that has to be done by government, self policing never has and never will work. Vail is always hovering over Hunter and Mount Snow looking to pick up the pieces, whether that's good or bad I leave to the Snow Gods.

Really. Atoning for what they did by running a ski hill well? That's the payback? They belong in jail for the rest of their lives.

I didn't really know about the Sacklers and just googled.

They have a sales funnel that shows their oxycontin business feeding their addiction treatment business.

Wow.