Resorts are busy upgrading for ski season
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Work continues Thursday on the new Spruce Peak Art Center at Stowe Mountain Resort. Photo by Jeb Wallace-Brodeur |
Toolbox
By Bruce Edwards
STAFF WRITER - Published: August 8, 2010
It’s the dog days of summer but the state’s ski resorts are already thinking winter, undertaking capital improvement projects, from Jay Peak’s ongoing $140 million expansion in the north to Mount Snow’s pending $25 million project in the south.
“It’s really impressive when you look at the current economic situation, that’s still very challenging for all sectors across Vermont,” Parker Riehle, president of the Vermont Ski Areas Association, said. “It’s incredibly encouraging and shows a great deal of confidence and foresight by the industry to be making those improvements all across the ski Vermont map.”
He said just as important is the level of construction that has a ripple effect on the economy, whether it’s snowmaking improvements, chairlifts or new base lodges.
Jay Peak is in the midst of a multi-year $140 million project. Last month, the resort broke ground on a 170-room hotel and a $20 million, 44,000-square-foot indoor water park with a 60,000-square-foot, four-story, transparent retractable roof.
The northern Vermont ski resort has already completed Phase I of its expansion including the Tram Haus Lodge with its 57 suites, restaurant, spa and shops, a $6 million indoor ice arena, golf clubhouse with restaurant, pro shop and three luxury suites.
“Skiing is incredibly capital intensive and the only way you can really drive the ski business quite honestly is to be not solely dependent on that one four-month long season,” said Jay Peak President Bill Stenger. “So what we’ve done, is we have strategically invested in other amenities that will make Jay Peak popular on a year round basis and those amenities will also drive in a significant way accommodation demand.”
He said the indoor water park (which will open next December) and indoor ice arena give visitors another activity option while also insulating the resort from inclement weather.
Jay Peak is also investing a couple of million dollars in ski area upgrades.
A multi-year capital project is ongoing at Sugarbush Resort in Warren. The ski area has begun construction on Phase II of its Lincoln Peak revitalization project.
Sugarbush spokesman JJ Toland said the resort is spending $9.1 million this year on two new lodges.
The 12,500-square-foot Schoolhouse lodge will house a children’s adventure program and a 14,500-square-foot lodge is designated for skier services, including lockers, ski rentals and repairs, and a cafe.
He said both lodges will be open for the upcoming ski season.
When Sugarbush started the Lincoln Peak project, Toland said the resort also committed itself to improving skier amenities.
He said, “when you ask people to either drive an hour from Burlington or from Rutland or three hours from Boston or five from New York, you’ve got to given them a nice place to hang their hat.”
Sugarbush invested $61 million in Phase I, including the Clay Brook hotel and residences, a new gatehouse lodge, that replaced the one built in 1963, and the 150-seat round barn-style Timbers restaurant.
If Mount Snow receives its permitting and financing, work will begin on $25 million in projects.
The West Dover resort will replace its fixed grip Summit lift with a high-speed “six pack,” and the Sunbrook lift will be replaced with a high-speed quad. Plans also include construction of a 120 million gallon snowmaking pond, Mount Snow spokesman Vinnie Lewis said.
Currently, snowmaking capacity at the resort is limited.
“With that snowmaking pond being built, now we’re going to be able to make snow as much as want, whenever we want,” Lewis said.
Once the approvals and financing is secured, the new lifts would be operational in March. He said the snowmaking pond would be complete by next October at the earliest.
Riehle said resorts continue to invest in their operations in order to remain competitive.
In particular, he said maintaining that competitive edge over other Northeastern resorts is important since those resorts are also within a few hours drive of 40 million to 50 million people.
“That’s an advantage we have over the resorts out West but here in the Northeast in order to really compete for that nearby drive market,” Riehle said, “that’s where we need to really stay ahead of them, whether you’re talking about New York, Maine or New Hampshire, with those kind capital construction improvements.”
For Stenger of Jay Peak, much of the competition is across the border. He said 50 percent of the resort’s customers are Canadians.
“There are 25 million Canadians within a seven-hour drive of Jay Peak,” he said. “Almost all of the population of Quebec and Ontario are within a relatively short drive, and those are huge markets.”
Other resorts around the state are also gearing up for winter with summer renovations.
Okemo Mountain Resort in Ludlow is replacing its last Poma lift with a 180-foot, magic carpet surface lift. The resort is adding a 500-horsepower grooming machine. The resort also invested in a four-season ride called the Mountain Coaster. One or two-person sleds climb 1,600 feet before descending 375 feet along a 3,100 foot stainless steel track that follows the contours of the mountain.
Stratton Mountain is buying two Snow Cat grooming machines and upgrading its snowmaking system with energy efficient guns. Upgrades are also planned for the terrain parks, snow sports school and tubing park with a new warming hut.
Killington Resort is continuing its investment in snowmaking, replacing lines rebuilding pumps and installing a new cooling system at its South Ridge pump house. Two snowmaking fan guns will be installed near the bottom of the Superstar and Snowshed trails.
The resort is also busy regrading trails including the upper Skyewalkser/Bittersweet area that will improve skier and snow boarder traffic flow.
A new control room will be installed for the Superstar Express. Seat cushions are being replaced on a number of lifts with several lifts due for repainting.
bruce.edwards@rutlandherald.com
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