Gore Mountain Conditions

[Harvey]

Open please

Who's here?

 

[Harvey]

Like Hickory yesterday there is some good but challenging.

Forever wild is sweet.

 

[Dmoss]

The wind was tough on AE2 this morning. But the conditions were fabulous, and the sun was a nice sight after yesterday. Left my teenage son home to sleep in and got some good turns in early and home having a warm cup of tea now. Had an amazing ride down Top Ridge. They groomed down the whales.

Yesterday was a lot of fun despite the cold, first Lower Steilhang in years. Probably wasn't worth it, but my son got to check off that box. 46er was fun. We did a 4.5mile run, 2500 vert from top of cloud down to ski bowl base via wood out and pipeline. Echo was the run of the day yesterday.

 

[Dmoss]

Interesting that they put the work into 46er this week instead of sagamore? Maybe the longterm goal of making the ski bowl less of what I love?

When I saw how much snow was being made on the top half of sagamore last Sunday I was sure it would be open this weekend. They have made a ton more but haven’t touched the whales which look more like the Himalayas - there is a lot of snow to push before they can open it.

But looking forward to 46er later today - patrol was putting up lollipops and the rope on Hudson trail on it when I was there earlier.

Skiing around the Ski Bowl and seeing how many low energy snow guns they've put in kind of baffles me. I mean I love the ski bowl but putting all that money into it seems odd, including the new lodge. But they have their reasons I guess. The base on 46er looked like they were hoping to ski it up until the end.

 

[DomB]

Skiing around the Ski Bowl and seeing how many low energy snow guns they've put in kind of baffles me. I mean I love the ski bowl but putting all that money into it seems odd, including the new lodge. But they have their reasons I guess. The base on 46er looked like they were hoping to ski it up until the end.

I think the basic issue is they get the money for CapEx and have to use it (there are a lot of posts about the inefficiency of the state mountains).
So they may want (or not) to spend on employees but I think if it is in the capital expenditure line they have to buy equipment or lose it.
Random point I did not think about when I was telling someone I thought gore closed too much on weekdays (and Belle has not been ramping down trail count mid week) - Gore might just not have the human capital/ employe base/ market to hire more ppl in during the weekdays.
Cork what say you on that point since you seem local and in the know?

 

[Milo Maltbie]

- Gore might just not have the human capital/ employe base/ market to hire more ppl in during the weekdays.

I think that's right. It was especially noticeable when the gondola was broken. It took them an hour to open the upper mountain even when there were crazy lines at the base. I assume that was because there were too few patrollers. I never saw snowmaking on more than two trails last week even with the cold weather. For all they talk about snowmaking improvements it seems like maybe labor may be the real capacity limitation.
They should convert some of the low elevation capex into payroll for patrol and snowmakers. Do they really need a new lodge at Ski Bowl if they can't open the interconnection before mid-January?

mm

 

[Capdistski]

Skiing around the Ski Bowl and seeing how many low energy snow guns they've put in kind of baffles me.

I had the exact same thought as I tucked on Peaceful Valley to get back to the car at the end of the day yesterday. There is no commercial resort which would put that much snowmaking on a trail like that. I guess I am selfishly glad it’s there if it gets the interconnect open in a low snow year like this, but it’s pretty nuts.

 

[Alfredeneumann]

I think the basic issue is they get the money for CapEx and have to use it (there are a lot of posts about the inefficiency of the state mountains).
So they may want (or not) to spend on employees but I think if it is in the capital expenditure line they have to buy equipment or lose it.
Random point I did not think about when I was telling someone I thought gore closed too much on weekdays (and Belle has not been ramping down trail count mid week) - Gore might just not have the human capital/ employe base/ market to hire more ppl in during the weekdays.
Cork what say you on that point since you seem local and in the know?

I doubt that it’s unwillingness to spend on payroll. With unemployment at near record low, it’s more likely they can’t hire enough. Snowmakers, groomers, lifties, mechanics and ski patrol are all semi skilled to highly skilled positions, you can’t just hire someone off the street and train them in a short time.
Monday has long been the reduced staff/close a couple of pods day at Gore. I assume it’s to give staff who worked the busy weekend a day off.

 

[Alfredeneumann]

I think that's right. It was especially noticeable when the gondola was broken. It took them an hour to open the upper mountain even when there were crazy lines at the base. I assume that was because there were too few patrollers. I never saw snowmaking on more than two trails last week even with the cold weather. For all they talk about snowmaking improvements it seems like maybe labor may be the real capacity limitation.
They should convert some of the low elevation capex into payroll for patrol and snowmakers. Do they really need a new lodge at Ski Bowl if they can't open the interconnection before mid-January?

mm

ORDA’s intent for that lodge is for multi use for various activities. Hyping it as another base and alternative parking area with improved lifts/trails/snowmaking is their token effort at selling it to the alpine skiers.

 

[tirolski]

I doubt that it’s unwillingness to spend on payroll. With unemployment at near record low, it’s more likely they can’t hire enough. Snowmakers, groomers, lifties, mechanics and ski patrol are all semi skilled to highly skilled positions, you can’t just hire someone off the street and train them in a short time.

Hickory was askin for patrollers & lifties for today, their second day of “lift" served.