Why doesn't Gore?

1. Open a waffle stand like Killington and Okemo?
2. Sell cold drinks and snacks from a cart between 4 and 5 by the bus pickup?
3. Close the pipeline trail at 3:30 instead of 4?
4. Supervise the wild preteens and teens in the basement locker area between 3 and 5 on weekends?
5. Put the ski racers somewhere else than twister?
6. Grill outdoors at the saddle on nice days?

Some of these things would bring in lots of money, others would make a better ski experience.

You do realize you are asking these questions about Gore

Just hoping someone in management is listening.  Another poster reported that the profit from Gore's operations was $450,000 last year.  That's kind of thin and my hope is that they maximize their revenue to keep the skiing healthy.

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As long as we're dreaming, how about a bathroom at the top too?

Andrew Cuomo, who are you on Harvey Road?...we know you're reading and we're just trying to help you run a ski area
Maybe that's who lingerlonger is?

As long as NYS operates it...you can dream all you want
I'm OK with it as is, because it's just...

poindexter wrote

As long as we're dreaming, how about a bathroom at the top too?

Maybe even with running water and a water fountain?!
Naw, that's some futuristic stuff.
But really, they probably don't have the plumbing in place for bathrooms yet, that's why they have outhouses.

How about using the waste oils from the base and saddle lodges and making biodiesel? They could run the front loaders, trucks, groomers, or buses on it.

It doesn't take any modifications to the equipment other than changing fuel filters, and that's just because the biodiesel cleans out the stuff in your lines that regular diesel leaves behind..

It ends up costing about $0.11 a gallon (for the Lye and Methanol to titrate it), much less harmful emissions (good press for the greenies out there), and the exhaust would smell like french fries (more food court customers!).

Or if they actually wanted to spend some money (which would be earned back) they could pull a Jiminy Peak and install a wind turbine.

Jiminy received a renewable energy grant from the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative for $582,000, which was used for all of the design and purchase of the turbine. Jiminy also receives federal tax rebates and Renewable Energy Credits to help afford the project. Payback will take approximately 7-8 years.

It takes 1 gallon of diesel fuel to generate 12 kWh and therefore this turbine permanently eliminates the need for 113,022 gallons of diesel fuel generated power.

Producing 4,600,00kWh annually offsets the emissions of conventional power plants. The Jiminy wind turbine will offset the emissions of:
7,100,000 pounds of CO2 (a greenhouse gas)
33,000 pounds of SOx (a leading contributor to smog and the chief cause of acid rain)
10,000 pounds of NOx (a leading component to smog and a cause of asthma)

More about the turbine

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poindexter wrote

As long as we're dreaming, how about a bathroom at the top too?

if you're at the top in need of bathroom, it'll take you at most 3 minutes to get to saddle.

evergreen wrote

5. Put the ski racers somewhere else than twister?

Twister's pitch and layout make it one of the most useful trails for racing:

Topridge is certified for upper level Slalom.

Echo satisfies the standards for Slalom and Giant Slalom.

Twister is certified for Slalom, Giant Slalom, Super G, and entry level Downhill.

You'd have to widen and modify other trails for them to use them for racing.

evergreen wrote

1. Open a waffle stand like Killington and Okemo?
2. Sell cold drinks and snacks from a cart between 4 and 5 by the bus pickup?
3. Close the pipeline trail at 3:30 instead of 4?
4. Supervise the wild preteens and teens in the basement locker area between 3 and 5 on weekends?
5. Put the ski racers somewhere else than twister?
6. Grill outdoors at the saddle on nice days?

Some of these things would bring in lots of money, others would make a better ski experience.

1. make your waffles at home, they come out much much tastier.
2. Cold drinks? is it not cold enuf? I'd take free coffee though.
3. please elaborate on pipeline.
4. is really a problem? i dont see any money making opportunities here..
5. I used to hate Twister closings, but as long as they are morning-only, I'm fine with that now. Sometimes (kandahar weekend) it's closed for 2 straight days - that sucks. But if it's morning only, you get to ski Blue trail in great condition in the afternoon, think about that as a plus.
6. no thank you, there is plenty of traffic outside Saddle as it is on nice days

Harvey44 wrote

Topridge is certified ...
Echo satisfies the standards ...
Twister is certified ...

I think original poster's point is that one of widest and best conditioned Blue trails is usually closed on Weekends.

With Quicksilver and Showcase going icey by 11am, that really makes for few choices for those who stuck at intermediate level.

Denis.N wrote

if you're at the top in need of bathroom, it'll take you at most 3 minutes to get to saddle.

But then you have to skate to get back to the double!

Very true point.

they should serve burgers outside at the saddle lodge prolly be a really good gig for someone

fujative wrote

But then you have to skate to get back to the double!

once you're relieved the skate is a pleasure

Denis.N wrote

Harvey44 wrote

Topridge is certified ...
Echo satisfies the standards ...
Twister is certified ...

I think original poster's point is that one of widest and best conditioned Blue trails is usually closed on Weekends.

My point was that Twister is currently the only trail that can handle certain types of races. If you move races to Echo, it will still restrict access to BR and SB.

Racing is good for ski mountains.  Gore has a great program, and it's an important source of revenue for the mountain and the town. And the impact of racing on surface quality on the hill is minimal.

EDIT: With regard to food service ... I've pressed Mike on this more than once.  It has usually been in the context of taking food service internal vs contracting with Centerplate. My feeling is that a local entrepreneur could turn that part of Gore into a real economic engine for the area. Put some incentives into place and CRANK OUT the grub.  For example, I think it would be way cool if the chocolate chip cookies that are for sale came from Sarah's Cafe or a local source.

Gore's cut of food revenue is 10-15% (I think) and personally as a passholder, I'd like my hamburger money to go to Gore.  He's pretty insistent about not wanting to be in the food business.  I think he feels that it would be a diversion from what's most important.  My guess: I don't think that is going to change.

Twister is a great race hill. I hated when they closed it for racing, but racing brings a lot of people to the hill. With the addition of Echo and Sag the impact of closing Twister is lessened..

I understand the closing of Twister on weekends for racing but I still hate to see it.  Not just because I think Twister is a great trail, but because it makes getting over to Burnt Ridge so much easier.  

It is a tough position to be in with the food service.  If the mountain takes it over you also take over a ton of additional employees and all that goes along with that.  I don't think the food service is great but it also isn't terrible either and the prices for a ski resort are not completely ridiculous (no $20 burgers).  It would be nice to see more local food venues represented.

Not sure why you would close pipeline early.  What about the people who park (or walk) to the ski bowl?  They need to be able to get home at the end of the day.  I guess you could take the shuttle, but that kinda defeats the purpose.  Should they make it more apparent that you are stuck going to the bowl after 3:30?  Maybe.

Since Gov Cuomo is lurking I'll add a few more that people have brought up in the past:

1. Add webcams
2. Update the snow report in a timely (and useful) fashion (ie not at 4pm on the day before) base on a crystal ball).
3. Add a rope tow at the top of the straightbrook quad to take people to the true "top" of the Gore Summit.  You could maybe just run it on weekends.  Portable, doesn't cost much to run and would open up many more trails up top to snowboarders.  When I am knuckledragging I tend to stick to hawkeye and chatty.  I will maybe do one or two trips around the old gondi building and unbuckle and hike, but generally it isn't worth the effort.  I would spend more time on the other trails up there if they were more easily accessed.

ORDA has expressed a very serious interest in taking food service in house. It was discussed at board meetings last year during contract renewals with Center Plate. I think that ORDA should stay with what they do as well as they can now. If they take the food service in house it will be mediocre, inconsistent and more expensive. Local goods sounds fine, but is not Economically realistic. Center Plate is one of the largest concessionaires in the east. Their prices are very competitive with the prices at other ski areas. Same as Stratton ANC a little less than Killington, but better quality.
To the guy who wants indoor plumbing at the Summit. Great idea....nothing wrong with a little bit of civilization. The old gondola building could be renovated to use a small part of it to house composting or incinerating toilets.

Danzilla wrote

Since Gov Cuomo is lurking I'll add a few more that people have brought up in the past:

1. Add webcams
2. Update the snow report in a timely (and useful) fashion (ie not at 4pm on the day before) base on a crystal ball).
3. Add a rope tow at the top of the straightbrook quad to take people to the true "top" of the Gore Summit.  You could maybe just run it on weekends.  Portable, doesn't cost much to run and would open up many more trails up top to snowboarders.  When I am knuckledragging I tend to stick to hawkeye and chatty.  I will maybe do one or two trips around the old gondi building and unbuckle and hike, but generally it isn't worth the effort.  I would spend more time on the other trails up there if they were more easily accessed.

The only trail worth lapping that is hard to access is Rumor, unless you're going to Open pit, Headwaters, or some of the unmarked trees over there (Ok, maybe there are a few places). But really, all the good stuff is easy access from the Darkside Double.

How about a Poma that brings you up Cirque just enough to actually ski to the base of BRQ easier?