Belleayre Conditions

[Bandit]

They sold some of the chairs but don’t think it was all of them.

Not sure what was done with the rest of the lift. But, it was damaged on the last day it ran. A friend had just loaded and the ebrake came on (that’s the clank clank clank) and they kept trying to run it with the ebrake on until something broke. They had to do a rope evac but luckily there were only a few people on it.

 

[Harvey]

Belleayre Releases Masterplan Update: Lift 7 Line Confirmed, Will Eliminate Upper Cathedral Brook Trail

The New York State-owned ski area also shuffles trails on planned expansions

www.stormskiing.com

 

[raisingarizona]

So Bell nearly doubled their skier visits after installing the gondola to nowhere. It seems that gondola has definitely taken Bell successfully somewhere.

 

[Harvey]

So Bell nearly doubled their skier visits after installing the gondola to nowhere. It seems that gondola has definitely taken Bell successfully somewhere.

This year (235,000) was a huge jump historically:

The last two years before that were in line with some other years - 2007-2011.

There were some unique factors this year. For one, Belle spent a huge amount blowing snow. There was 2x the total snow made if I had to guess.

ORDA Skier Visits: Whiteface, Gore, Belleayre

NYSkiBlog's update of ORDA skier visits and revenue for NY's state-owned ski areas, Whiteface, Gore Mountain and Belleayre Ski Center.

nyskiblog.com

 

[raisingarizona]

This year (235,000) was a huge jump historically:

View attachment 20554

The last two years before that were in line with some other years - 2007-2011.

There were some unique factors this year. For one, Belle spent a huge amount blowing snow. There was 2x the total snow made if I had to guess.

Interesting. So it's not likely that the gondola has been the key to this past years success but I might argue that it's part of that success. It's part of the package that is getting people to take notice or to discover Bell. People like shiny new things. It's much more attractive than rundown and neglected.

 

[gorgonzola]

This year (235,000) was a huge jump historically:

View attachment 20554

The last two years before that were in line with some other years - 2007-2011.

There were some unique factors this year. For one, Belle spent a huge amount blowing snow. There was 2x the total snow made if I had to guess.

I remember them (and blue) absolutely crushing in the short early season snowmaking window last season which gave them a leg up on the other areas that missed it. I wonder if the ski3 discount card helped them the last few years as well. We always went early and late season but even more so with card

 

[Brownski]

I think Vail ruining Hunter helped. People maybe took a few years to figure that out and are now looking around. Belle probably benefitted from that. Are Windham’s numbers up also?

 

[Harvey]

Interesting. So it's not likely that the gondola has been the key to this past years success but I might argue that it's part of that success. It's part of the package that is getting people to take notice or to discover Bell. People like shiny new things. It's much more attractive than rundown and neglected.

I'm not saying that the gondi had no impact on visits. I'm sure it did, but how many, I wouldn't guess.

The snowmaking has to be part of it too. I remember looking at Belle and Gore terrain one day in the first half of the season. Belle was 79% open and Gore was 49%. If you know/care nothing about snowmaking that number still speaks to you.

NYC skier: "I could drive 3 1/2 hours to Gore or 2 1/2 to Belle. Belle is cheaper and has way more open." (Gore is bigger so not really WAY more, but percentage wise yes).

Also one thing about Belle's simple layout, you can get a lot of black terrain open quickly. There is much more "required connector" at Gore.

Plus, some may have skied Belle on days when the WUG games were on. I know I did. Be interesting to see Gore and WF visit numbers this year. I wonder if Ski3 usage would show more Gore/WF skiers at Belle.

 

[TheGreatAbyss]

Belle might have the best snow making on the East Coast right now, if not in total then almost certainly per acre of terrain.

 

[TheGreatAbyss]

Be interesting to see Gore and WF visit numbers this year. I wonder if Ski3 usage would show more Gore/WF skiers at Belle.

I'm certainly one of those who did a lot more Belle then Gore/WF this year. Part of it was fam life, but part of it was that it takes Gore so long to get the upper mountain open, that it just didn't make sense to drive past Belle to ski Sleeping Bear.

And by the time they did get Hawkeye, Chatty and TR open Platty had a few runs off the double so I just went there instead for 2 hours less driving.