Greek Peak Summer 2021

[jamesdeluxe]

Hockey is not a cheap sport either.

Correct, but less expensive than skiing back then and even if it wasn't actually the case, that was the widespread perception. When I moved to Boulder in the early 80s and friends would go on weekend or holiday ski trips, I naturally assumed that it was beyond my pay grade and never considered going along.

 

[Tony Crocker]

When I moved to Boulder in the early 80s and friends would go on weekend or holiday ski trips, I naturally assumed that it was beyond my pay grade and never considered going along.

That reference also mentioned that in the 1970's 44% of skier visits were in the Northeast (now it's under 25%). What that tells me is that skiing was much more a local daytrip/weekend sport then. I know that was true when I started out because the financial commitment as a beginner to try skiing back then was quite modest if you weren't traveling and paying for hotels and restaurants. In those late 1970's seasons the proportion of my skiing that was local SoCal daytrip was 48% and the rest was at Mammoth aside from a couple of days at Tahoe. By contrast the SoCal proportion of my skiing from 2011-2019 was 3%. So no I don't think learning to ski living in Boulder in the early 80's was an expensive proposition. That's where and when Liz first skied while taking a year off during college.

 

[EMSC]

Hey, guess where I am again this week? And where I'll be spending Thanksgiving?

 

[jamesdeluxe]

You should post that pic on NY Ski Forum given the GP/Trax contingent there. Did you get a nonstop to Syracuse this time?

 

[EMSC]

You should post that pic on NY Ski Forum given the GP/Trax contingent there

Possible, but realistically there was very, very few in Trax that night. They did have a wedding reception and some other 2nd large party going on so overall a busy night for Greek Peak.

Did you get a nonstop to Syracuse this time?

Both ways this time for my first combined out and back flight this year that was without any issues to deal with. I even got promoted to first class for the first time in a very long while given the fewer people that travel this time of year. Unfortunately in a couple weeks only the TO direction is on the direct flight...

 

[EMSC]

Totally have to keep this thread going despite it no longer being summer.

Instead I can show how to NOT make early season snowmaking decisions!!

I spent Thanksgiving week back east and Greek Peak could totally have been opened by Friday or at least Saturday except that it's Greek Peak. The new-ish owner has spent quite a bit of money over recent years getting the snowmaking system out of the dark ages, but still either not quite there yet or far more likely operational incompetence (there is someone with the last name of Kryger still running things).

I showed up to 50F rain and this on the hill. Apparently a test run of the system a couple of days earlier on one random not-quite-really-cold night. Totally fine operationally speaking.

Once upon a time GP was barely able to make snow on one top to bottom trail plus the bunny hill at the same time and even that was kinda iffy. However I watched them make snow pretty close to top to bottom on 3 trails + the bunny hill all at the same time while there this year. Except....

On every trail they left a couple of large gaps. Many snow piles were plenty high enough to be groomed out and open their own section of the trail, but not enough to be pushed around to cover the missing 100 foot gaps.

So instead of concentrating the firepower on ONE trail they have three almost, but definitively not ready trails. It's hard to make money when you are NOT open. And while people will complain about not enough being open, they will secretly be super happy that you are at least open. It almost felt like they had pre-set Dec 3 as the target opening months ago and they just weren't interested in even trying to beat that date. Kind of just dawdling with the effort since they had pre-set ideas of not opening. Instead they totally could have been one of only a couple ski areas in the entire state of NY that was open. And would have been the only one in Central or Western NY.

So much for buying 20 some odd new-to-them used snowguns from Killington this summer... Gear is important, but so is operations.

(BTW that is a snowmaking created fog at the base of the hill)

End Rant.

 

[jamesdeluxe]

I cross-posted EMSC's latest rant on NY Ski Forum -- let's see what the GP faithful have to say.

 

[ChrisC]

It's sad Greek Peak cannot get it together.

 

[EMSC]

I debated a new thread, but it seemed appropriate to add to this one.

Greek Peak has now paid a 195K fine for an illegal no poaching agreement with Lab/Song. The owners of the latter resorts being sued by the Attorney General... NY AG lawsuit

On the good side Greek Peak has just erected the towers on thier "new" begginer triple lift (relocated from Windham).

They are also finally replacing all the decking and balconies on the Hotel finally. Lots of metal instead of wood this time.

 

[jamesdeluxe]

Greek Peak has now paid a 195K fine for an illegal no poaching agreement with Lab/Song

Harv's crew has been discussing it. I didn't understand at the time why GP owners went through such an effort to shut down Toggenburg. How much revenue could it have possibly generated?

I mentioned it at the time but having grown up with the name Toggenburg meaning "tiny local ski hill south of Syracuse" to me, it was shocking to go to the original in Switzerland and see how big it was.

 

[EMSC]

it was shocking to go to the original in Switzerland and see how big it was.

I'm still waiting for the first funicular in CNY, lol!

I get the sense it's far more headache for the owner of GP than the $ were probably ever worth. Seems his attorney didn't give very good advise on signing that contract. I doubt very many if any lifties, or janitors or etc... were ever going to shift south to work for GP anyway. I also seriously doubt that anyone will ever re-open Tog either. Upstate NY is an economic backwater on a a good day for the most part anymore. I suspect Micron for example will rue the day they ever choose north of Syracuse for their new chip plant. And for example if those are high paying jobs in the area, I suspect they will look north to ski vs driving south all the way though the city and beyond to ski much anyway, etc... Much can be said about the lawsuit and legal/illegal, but it still won't change the real basic economic facts of the CNY area.

 

[Harvey]

Harv's crew has been discussing it. I didn't understand at the time why GP owners went through such an effort to shut down Toggenburg. How much revenue could it have possibly generated?

Just s guess based on some facts:

Harris wanted to shut Tog, not Meier.

GP wanted to hold Tog.

When Stemmerman left the ownership of GP, the decision changed.

Maybe Meier felt without another owner it was too much either operationally or financially?

 

[EMSC]

Thought I'd add this onto this long running thread. Four posts above you'll see the install of a used triple for the beginner hill at Greek Peak. My brother bought one of the old double chairs that got removed. It's been a long process to stage it in Horseheads (1.5hrs away), then down to his place south of Pittsburg (another 5+ hrs) and then refurbish. Nearly completed.

 

[jamesdeluxe]

Nearly completed.

It won't be complete until an automated grease-dripping dispenser is installed at the top.

 

[ChrisC]

Thought I'd add this onto this long running thread. Four posts above you'll see the install of a used triple for the beginner hill at Greek Peak. My brother bought one of the old double chairs that got removed. It's been a long process to stage it in Horseheads (1.5hrs away), then down to his place south of Pittsburg (another 5+ hrs) and then refurbish.

Watch out for splinters!

 

[EMSC]

Watch out for splinters!

I hope not. All boards for the seat/back have been removed and sanded, etc...

It won't be complete until an automated grease-dripping dispenser is installed at the top.

I can feel it hitting the shoulder of my most expensive jacket just based on that description! (shudder)


BTW, for completeness this was officially Chair #40 (comfort bar removed). Though that lift never felt long enough to even have 40 chairs!

 

[jamesdeluxe]

Is this the chair: installed in 1969, dismantled in 2022? 53 years of service, wow.

Always astounding to see how extensive this website, Remontées Mécaniques, is.

 

[EMSC]

Is this the chair: installed in 1969, dismantled in 2022

That's the one.

I feel like Thomas (founder of remontees-mecaniques) needs to meet up with Peter Landsman, the founder of Lift Blog another great resource for skiing and ski lifts especially.

The Lift Blog entry for the old chair #3: is here Ancient beast of a lift...

Ironically replaced with a VonRoll triple that began life at Windham in... 1983! So the 'new' lift is only 14 years younger than the old one! Crazy.

 

[jamesdeluxe]

@EMSC, don't forget to cross-post on the NY Ski Blog thread. GPers will be filled with pride to see one of their Hall chairs so expertly repurposed.

 

[ChrisC]

Think that was the first chair lift I ever rode.

Greek Peak did have 'rope tows,' but they were not automated / did not move. There was a bunch of knots on the rope, and you pulled yourself up. I don't think they charged for their use.

A lot of the lifts look rough.

I remember in the 1980s, they would get big ski groups from Philly, Baltimore, and WasDC (not so much NYC) who would create lines on Chairs 1, 2, and 3, often approaching 10-20 minutes. There would even be some lines on Saturday night.

Interesting seeing the expansion sat on trail maps for so many years:

Some other observations:

• Looks like the Taverna is now gone. It had some great big fireplaces to warm up.
• Also looks like Ronnie's Run is long gone. A little rude because I thought it honored a Patroller or Instructor killed in an avalanche in South America.
• They really filled in the mountain with runs. Do they really need to spend the money on snowmaking to make them skiable?