Toggenburg Mountain Sold

[Ripitz]

Save Togg! Save Lab! Save CNY Skiing! Petition

This is a petition to Peter Harris who has just purchased Toggenburg Mountain from John Meier owner of Greek Peak. We do not know the full intention of Peter, but we have heard rumors that he plans to close Toggenburg Mountain to centralize his operations to Labrador and Song mountain. This...

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[tirolski]

Some older Togg u-tubes made by SU’s Newhouse School students.

https://www.youtube.com/user/CNY32/playlists

 

[Campgottagopee]

So Meier justified selling Togg to focus on the wedding pavilion, campground, and expanded mountain biking, all of which are well under construction. The campground was originally planned to open early this summer, but has now been pushed back to next summer. In terms of the steakhouse, it’s been open for months.

lt would have been nice to hear him mention some improvements to the lift system, most of which are well beyond their useful lives. The old reliable chair 4 and their newest lift (after Visions) chair 5 have been debacles the last few ski seasons. I’m waiting for chair 3 to actually implode one of these days. Heck, the lifts haven’t even been painted since before the bankruptcy.

I don't think a person has to justify the selling of something that isn't making him money.

 

[Campgottagopee]

The word "covenant" was used in regard to the sale and the prohibition from operating as a ski area.

I believe that legally there will never be a ski area on that land again.

Think about it. If Peter can turn around and sell it to someone who puts a ski area on it, what good is the agreement?

Agreements are made and broken everyday. Money talks.

 

[Emily]

I don't think a person has to justify the selling of something that isn't making him money.

I totally agree. Private businesses don’t need to justify anything to anyone, other than to garner Goodwill.

What is interesting is that Wes Kryger said in the spring that both Toggenburg and Greek Peak had banner years. Granted, Toggenburg may have lost money for them the prior years. Who knows.

The whole thing is just odd. If it’s true that Toggenburg was losing money, and neither businessman felt that they could turn the ski area around, why are both parties so concerned that nobody reopens Toggenburg in the future?

 

[Campgottagopee]

The whole thing is just odd. If it’s true that Toggenburg was losing money, and neither businessman felt that they could turn the ski area around, why are both parties so concerned that nobody reopens Toggenburg in the future?

I've only read where Peter has said that. Again, there's a number that would change his mind.

 

[jamesdeluxe]

Some older Togg u-tubes made by SU’s Newhouse School students.

https://www.youtube.com/user/CNY32/playlists

Wow, lots of well-done videos to document a now-lost ski area that was ignored here. Thanks for the link.

 

[Emily]

I've only read where Peter has said that. Again, there's a number that would change his mind.

Absolutely, and it's going to cost him a good chunk of change to maintain a vacant ski area until he can dispose of all of the assets. It could take years.

 

[Campgottagopee]

Absolutely, and it's going to cost him a good chunk of change to maintain a vacant ski area until he can dispose of all of the assets. It could take years.

At $750K for 200 acres ( i think that's what it is) that's not too far off the going rate of $2000/acre for land. Looking at it that way he only needs to recoup 350K, which may not take as long as we think. Scrap is way up, timber is way up, and lifts, snowmaking, and machinery all have value.

 

[Harvey]

A (new) groomer can run 300k. That seems like a pretty good price for what he got. Which is why I can see the covenant as a part of it. It doesn't make sense to sell that stuff for cheap and give a big boost to a competitor.

FWIW, to Emily's point, IMO John and Christine could have been more straightforward in that FB post.

"NY has lost dozens of ski areas in the last 70 years. It's an extremely tough business to survive in. We're going to do whatever it takes to keep Greek Peak alive. "

Maybe that's not the best way to say it, but I think there is some truth there.