Planned opening days

Frankontour

Frankontour

New member
Tenney - October 1 <BR>Sugarbush - November 26 <BR>Sugarloaf - November 21 (63 days after sept 19) <BR> <BR>more to come...
 
In CO, looks like the competition won't really occur, according to the websites now. <BR> <BR>Loveland : oct 16 <BR>A-basin : late oct. <BR>Copper : nov. 1
 
Tenney is only openning the terrain park on October 1st (see Tenney Oct, 1st story). <BR> <BR>Frank, I am not sure if I dreamed this. Did you mentioned at one point that Mt.Ste.Anne and St.Bruno were planning mid-October? If so, do you have the dates they are aiming for? <BR> <BR>Unfortunately, I won't be skiing October 1st this year.
 
Sainte-Anne : october 13, but we still don't know what will be open ..... Considering the latitude and the climate of MSA, weather depending, I wouldn't be so much surprised to see the whole Grande-Allee opened for the weekend. It opened in october few times in the last decades, why not this year ? We talk here of about 500' high and 3000' long. May be it won't be that neither... I don't know ! <BR> <BR>Mont Saint-Bruno consider to open on mid-october, weather depending, with their new snowmaking system. It would be very profitable for them to open that early. I would like to see their financial statements. They should make money like water. <BR> <BR>I read today on Skivt-l that Sugarbush had less than 200 000 skiers last year ? I don't know if it's possible, but if yes, St-Bruno had quite more, with a 200 times less big mountain !!
 
going off topic a bit here, but the bush' seriously needs to drop their prices and/or change their attitude. <BR> <BR>they have some excellent terrain and are a classic new england mountain, but they are losing a niche i think. i went to the bush once last year and had a very blah experience. the terrain was sweet, but i didn't "feel" good about my day their. i felt like the ski area only cared about my cash; didn't feel like i got what i paid for at all. <BR> <BR>ASC left the new owners a big mess. hopefully the new owners can make the mountain more inclusive as they go forward. it isn't very welcoming right now, imo.
 
Good point, River..... and if they only had 200K visits and that few of them felt the same way than you did, they will understand fastly that they're better to change their attitude ;)
 
More importantly, 200K visits is much below what is used to be under ASC's management. The ASC annual reports show that sugarbush skier visits were: <BR>98-99: 368K <BR>99-00: 325K <BR>00-01: 359K <BR>So, in general, this year's visits would have been more than 40% lower than they used to be when the actual owners bought it... Sugarbush's accountants must be out of red ink after such a poor year. <BR> <BR>I guess that despite all we can say about ASC, their cross-marketing strategy must have been working....
 
Thanks for the numbers, Max. <BR>But anyway... 200 or 350, it's incredible to see those numbers. How could some gigantic ski areas like Sugarbush and Sugarloaf can survive with 15+ lifts and attendance comparable to some little hills ? (and not so much real estate I think ?) <BR> <BR>This is probably the kind of ski areas that will ± die in the future, according to the book "Why the Corporate Ski Industry is Bad for Skiing, Ski Towns, and the Environment", I guess !?
 
Mt.Ste.Anne early skiing: <BR>I have been to MSA close to their opening date in the late 80s (i know, it is a longtime ago to compare with what is possible now). What they had open was some trails on the Northside plus la Familiale easy trail to bring skiier back to the base on the South side. <BR> <BR>Sugarbush: <BR>Always felt that ASC screwed up Sugarbush when the first thing they did was religned the lifts. What a waise of time/money for a result that was worst (in my opinion) than before. <BR>As for the survival of Sugarbush in the long term, it needs to rethink itself. However, I believe that the new owners are in a better position do to due to their links to the community. River is extremely right when he says that ASC left a big mess for the new owners to sort out. <BR> <BR>SKi Book: <BR>BTW: anybody who is interested in the Skiing Business should read the Hal Clifford book: "Downhill Slide: Why the Corporate Ski Industry is Bad for Skiing, etc." There was an article on the book last Fall in the SkiNews section of FTO. <BR> <BR>Skier-visits: <BR>200K for Sugarbush is a big drop (where did you get you numbers Frank, I am interested), I believe that MRG was around 80K last year. Mind you it is hard to compare skier numbers in the areas around Montreal and more remote places. There is no night or hourly skiing. <BR> <BR>Look at these numbers for last Winter (bad winter) in the Canadian Rockies (source: Ski Canada). The first three are within a 2 hour drive from Calgary. <BR> <BR>Sunshine (Banff. AB): 550,000 <BR>Lake Louise (Banff AB): 400,000 <BR>Norquay (Banff AB): 106,000 <BR>Castle Mtn, AB: 42,000 (yes,that is the correct and no, it is not a tiny place) <BR>No numbers given for the other area in the article (Marmot Basin, Fernie, Kimberley and Kicking Horse). <BR> <BR>I remember trying to get the skier-visits numbers for the each Quebec Ski Area in 1987 for a paper at University. It was virtually impossible, these numbers were 'Top Secret' - I just had a clue, but I wasn't able to confirm any of them.
 
MSA have opened few seasons the Grande-Allee at the late october / early november, since it exists (back in mid-80s). Other seasons, they open the north side first with downloading on the gondola. <BR> <BR>About the 200K for the Bush, Hmm, where did I read that... on Skivt-l, but I'm not sure if I kept the e-mail. I think it was from Skip King, but not sure. This is an information to check cause may be he was wrong... ? <BR> <BR>About day/night skiing, Patrick, it's enough comparable, Patrick. I explain me. There is some fixed costs and some variable costs. The chairlift + base lodge running into evenings are some variable costs for the ski areas like St-Bruno or Bromont or so. On this point, they don't have any advantage to light the trails (and there is also the fact that it costs some power to light the trails). But there is some huge fixed costs, like the taxes on the big terrains of the mountains and the indirect salaries. Having more skiers pass also faster the cost of equipment like chairlifts + groomers, buildings, etc. <BR> <BR>So this is the end of the Cost accounting course :-p <BR> <BR>For last year, I know that Bromont got 585K ski-days and Gleason 56K ski-days, but I don't know for the other ones unfortunately.
 
I agree that the cost would be higher for night skiing, however I was just stating that it permits ski area like Bromont, St.Bruno or those around St.Sauveur to get more skier-days. Could you imagine 585k ski-days at Bromont if it didn't have night skiing? It would be pretty crowded.
 
Lol, it is already pretty crowded ! <BR>25 minutes of waiting on mid-week... imagine <BR> <BR>Of course, it helps to raise the ski-visits in a year, to have night skiing and it could be a great $$$$$$$ maker for the big ski areas close to the major cities. <BR> <BR>There was more night skiers at Bromont than day skiers, last year... can you imagine this ? incredible !
 
In my opinion, Bromont is the best night skiing in Quebec. However, I would prefer skiing elsewhere during the day.
 
Did you try Stoneham ? I think they were comparable... although I didn't skied Stoneham. With all the lighted trails at Bromont now, I admit that they now surely beat Stoneham. <BR> <BR>One of the interesting thing I've seen this year is the fact the "Warden" is now lighted. It is just a very short trail, but a major steepness... over 40 degrees I guess. They miss a lighted moguls trail. They should light the Waterloo T2B (Warden was the upper Waterloo, until 2001-02) it would be cool. <BR> <BR>Personnaly, my #1 night skiing area is Mt Avila in the Laurentians. My 1st night skiing evening there is the day that I began to love skiing and the mountain have so much off-pistes between the trails that night off-piste skiing is incredible on the hill !
 
Last time I skied Stoneham was at night, however there was open on trail open (Dec 5 1993). I was there to see a WorldCup race and there was literaly 2 runs open plus the one closed for the race. <BR> <BR>Stoneham is interesting, but doesn't beat Bromont for night skiing in my opinion. Another great place for night skiing is Ste.Anne, however the terrain is very limited. <BR> <BR>Stowe would be another (Gondola side - I presume they still have night skiing). Like Ste.Anne the vertical offered is great, but is fairly limited. However, I have never skiied those two at night. <BR> <BR>Sorry I was never a big fan of Avila.
 
Max : MSA october 13 is for the colors fest. It's not for the continuous season. But if they just open for the season on nov 15, I guess they won't cover the whole Grande-Allee <IMG SRC="http://www.firsttracksonline.com/discus2/clipart/sad.gif" ALT=":("> <BR> <BR>Pat : Stowe just has the Upper Perry Merrill / Gondolier lighted, no ? Just 1 trail is not sufficient for me ;) A little bit like Tremblant. All they have lighted is the upper Curé Deslauriers, with the Promenade/Mid Flying Mile + Johannsen/St-Bernard + Roy Scott (+ Équilibre ?). This is just 1 trail, in fact... <BR> <BR>Anyway... Tremblant just opens for night skiing few weeks by year, but with the 2nd village, I guess it could become profitable to open more often. Bromont proves it <IMG SRC="http://www.firsttracksonline.com/discus2/clipart/happy.gif" ALT=":)"> <BR> <BR>Avila : you can't love Mt Avila if you stick to the trails... except the very nice "Sous-bois" that wasn't existing last time you skied the mountain, I guess. (opened in 1993). There is some <B>incredible</B> lines between the J/R and Laurentides, there is some nice glades with little canyon skiing between the Laurentides and G/O. There is few lines between the Express O. and Pronto, there is a great glade between the Pronto and the "67" and there is some very fun backcountry skiing between the Sous-bois and the Dévaleuse, on the St-Sauveur side. Ok, it's just 635' high, but this is the #2 for off-trail skiing in the Laurentians, right after Alta (and FAR before Tremblant).
 
Say it ain't so about MSA not openning in October. Actually this makes seem, I was surprise that they would open in October, especially when tthey have a set closure for the first weekend of May, regardless of snow conditions. <BR> <BR>Stowe: for night skiing, that run is great. It close to 2000ft vertical. <BR> <BR>Tremblant: it probably has the best off-trail skiing, but you have to the willing to cross the ski area boundary and hike/walk alot. No, I never did it.
 
Sorry, but I don't understand your 1st sentence. (english ...) Anyway, I have a press release saying that on October 13, we must bring our skis cause there will be some SKIING. (see below...) <BR> <BR>Stowe : what is the interest of 2000' vertical of boring intermediate skiing ? I hugely prefer 600' of interesting night skiing. <BR> <BR>Tremblant : LOL. I would like to see that. Anyway, there is 25000 patrollers to cut your ticket as soon as you try to exit of one trail. Out of bounds, there is nothing northern of the area, except if you're enough crazy to walk a mile to the parben/johanssen slope, but it's more like cross country skiing. Inbound, there is almost nothing great and you have 50% chance to see your lift ticket cut. Between the north/south, the Soleil Side have been skied, in the past, but now that it's a developped side..... So there is still between the CBC and the Soleil side, if you like to walk some miles to get back to a chairlift. (I can tell you, I took twice in summer the "Grand Nord" hiking trail and it's about 7 miles long between Soleil and North.) <BR> <BR>Ok, may be I'm just too bored of the development of this mountain, but I don't see the advantage to lose my money there while there is some 10000x greater terrain in the little hills 5x less expensive 3x closer from here. (this is 150 000 times better !!) <BR> <BR> <BR>Hmm... after this great comment on the quality of skiing at the marvelous Mt Tremblant (hmm) ... now the press release of Sainte-Anne !! <BR> <BR><I>PRESS RELEASE <BR>FOR IMMEDIATE DISTRIBUTION <BR> <BR>Exclusive <BR> <BR>THE GREAT COLOUR ADVENTURE AT MONT-SAINTE-ANNE ! <BR> <BR>Beaupré, August 28, 2003 ­ Each weekend, from September 20 to October 13, Mont-Sainte-Anne will be showing its true colours as it presents the all-new "Great Colour Adventure" festival, four weekends jam-packed with exclusive activities for all the family. </I> <BR> <BR>(I cut a long part not interesting) <BR> <BR><B>Guaranteed snow ! <BR> <BR>It's time to dust off your skis and boards and sharpen those edges! For the grand finale of the Great Colour Adventure, Mont-Sainte-Anne will be offering visitors an exclusive chance to get the very first tracks of the season on a trail specially covered in snow for the occasion.</B> <BR> <BR>For more information on the activities on offer during the Great Colour Adventure, our opening hours and shuttle services to Mont-Sainte-Anne, visit our website at http://www.mont-sainte-anne.com or call us at (418) 827-4561. For information on lodging, please dial 1-877-827-8356.
 
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