Windham Mountain Going Private?

[MarzNC]

In general, the new website is a placeholder. They have taken most of the old website's webpages offline. However, if you click on Ski on the new website, there is a link to a Windham Shop webpage for Season Passes. That has the old look. From there, there are Shop Now link for Season Passes and Seasonal Lockers. That's how I found the prices for the passes being offered for 2023-24. There is also a blurb about the Ikon Base pass, which is included in the $2147 Ultra Pass.

I noted that the senior rates start at age 65. The standard unlimited pass called Double Diamond is $649 for 75+.

 

[MarzNC]

In the mid-Atlantic, I can't think of any ski resort that hasn't said day tickets would be limited on busy days, including all Saturdays when regular season rates are in effect. I know Massanutten sells out at times on non-holiday weekends, even for the Saturday night session. Same for Ikon resorts, even if a resort isn't requiring Ikon reservations. Indy Pass locations have the option of making all weekends blackout dates.

The marketing push for Alterra resorts for people who don't have Ikon or a 1-location season pass (mostly Ikon Partners) is to buy tickets online well in advance. The discount can be up to about 30% for tickets bought more than a few weeks in advance.

I've been taking a teen for a spring break trip the last couple seasons, so have had a reason to look at the least expensive way to get a day ticket around SLC. Last season opted to have hime start his ski trip at Bridger Bowl in Bozeman, MT. His day ticket price was $45 (13-18) and the Senior 70-79 ticket was $40 for my ski buddy and North Country School schoolmate. My ticket was $70.

 

[Benny Profane]

In the mid-Atlantic, I can't think of any ski resort that hasn't said day tickets would be limited on busy days, including all Saturdays when regular season rates are in effect. I know Massanutten sells out at times on non-holiday weekends, even for the Saturday night session. Same for Ikon resorts, even if a resort isn't requiring Ikon reservations. Indy Pass locations have the option of making all weekends blackout dates.

The marketing push for Alterra resorts for people who don't have Ikon or a 1-location season pass (mostly Ikon Partners) is to buy tickets online well in advance. The discount can be up to about 30% for tickets bought more than a few weeks in advance.

I've been taking a teen for a spring break trip the last couple seasons, so have had a reason to look at the least expensive way to get a day ticket around SLC. Last season opted to have hime start his ski trip at Bridger Bowl in Bozeman, MT. His day ticket price was $45 (13-18) and the Senior 70-79 ticket was $40 for my ski buddy and North Country School schoolmate. My ticket was $70.

Just dont forget your transciever.

NSFW LANGUAGE - Man Freaks Out At Bridger Bowl Because He Doesn't Have A Transceiver To Ski Schlasmans Lift

This guy blew a fuse over not being able to access Schlasmans at Bridger Bowl and his meltdown was caught on tape.

unofficialnetworks.com

 

[Benny Profane]

Could the real estate purchases at Windham be more about the other three season than the ski season? Maybe the slopeside skiing is just a bonus to the investors there. The skiing may not always be that great but it’s a beautiful place and a short drive that feels worlds away from NYC.

True. That is a really nice spot in the Catskills, with a nice golf course. I'll bet the foliage season right now is awesome. And you dont have to drive through Tannersville to get there.

 

[Jim]

Windham is pretty close for me and I used to go down a couple times a year on cheap weekday industry rate tickets (I think it was still $15 or $20 not too many years ago, though at the time more places would be a comp). That was up to $65 last season but I never made it there. I doubt even that fits into the new vision for the place.

When I saw their announcement, I definitely read it as "we don't want you here anymore unless you're going to pay a premium to ski and even more on a fancy meal". Hope I'm wrong, that it was just horrible messaging, and I haven't skied Windham for the last time. It's not a favorite by any means but was nice for something different.

Fortunately I have plenty of other options if they don't want me there.

 

[Ripitz]

The past is the future.

 

[x10003q]

If I was rich rich I'd definitely shop for a place at Yellowstone. Mainly because its attached to Big Sky. Greg Lemond has an awesome Adirondack camp like setup there I saw on some sort of Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous show. Nice. That was a weird bankruptcy that only rich people gathered into a club can pull off. Moonlight went under because it was essentially a Lehman owned venture, and we all know what happened to Lehman.

To add some detail -
Yellowstone went bankrupt due to the developers Tim and Edra Blixseth borrowing $375 million in 2006 from Credit Suisse (it was questionable why Credit Suisse did the loan as they did zero due diligence) using the Yellowstone Club as collateral and keeping $209 million as a dividend for themselves. This directly led to the bankruptcy. The current owner of the Yellowstone Club is Cross Harbor Partners (which includes members of the Yellowstone Club). Yellowstone Club as been operating ever since it was purchased by Cross Harbor.

Spanish Peaks went under due to the financial mess that started in 2008. Spanish Peaks was bought by Cross Harbor and Boyne Resorts and integrated into Big Sky.

Moonlight Basin's primary lender was Lehman and when Lehmen went under so did Moonlight Basin. Cross Harbor and Boyne also bought Moonlight Basin and integrated it into Big Sky.

At The Hermitage in Vermont (former Haystack Ski area), Jim Barnes bought then named Haystack Club in 2011. He then went on a borrowing and building spree that included construction that lacked permits. He could not make the payments and was foreclosed on by the bank, VT came after him for non-payment of taxes and he faced lawsuits for fraud after taking $2 million for townhouses that were never built.

Members of The Hermitage bought out the assets and are now operating the club.

The one common thread is that the first three examples were all started from scratch. Another common thread is the shady behavior by the developers. Also, in this time frame, is the mess from the 2008 financial crisis.

Windham is a completely whole, successfully operating ski area. The current owners had access to all the financial numbers, not made up numbers based on projections. It would be very easy to financially make the decision to convert Windham to a public/private club and make it profitable. There are at least 2 decent size ski area examples of a pubic/private set-up in NYS: Holimont Ski Club right next to Holiday Valley and Hunt Hollow Ski Club in Naples, NY.

 

[Brownski]

Windham is a completely whole, successfully operating ski area. The current owners had access to all the financial numbers, not made up numbers based on projections. It would be very easy to financially make the decision to convert Windham to a public/private club and make it profitable.

Good point. This is a key difference

 

[Andy_ROC]

Sounds like another example of very rich people buying up everything nice for themselves and ruining it for everyone else.

 

[Ripitz]

Or you can save yourself a boatload of money and get an annual membership for the whole family at the Mount Greylock Ski Club for $150. They usually have a pot of chili bubbling away on the wood stove and beers stuffed in the snowbank.