Summer

Frankontour · Jun 21, 2003

Hey, we're now in summer ! So next season, we're going to ski ! (lol) It's funny this year to think that a New England ski area will open in 7 days... and reopen for its 2003-04 season in 102 days. What Killington is going to do ? Last year, it lost the first opening to the little Woodbury. They still claim to be the first to open in the last 40+ years, as Woodbury is just a little hill. But if Tenney opens a 3000' long trail on oct 1, before Killington's opening, it will break their historic mark. I don't think they already opened before oct 1, but I wouldn't be really surprised to see them try to open that soon, or at least to open as soon as possible, cause now, there is competition and it's 100% sure that it's better for our sport. For the effects of non-competition, look at the Russian's Lada cars. lol ... or look at the fact that the Killington seasons are quite less long since Sunday River doesn't compete with them. I hope you all won't have too much pain to support the warm summertime and try to have fun, even without snow... (or just fly New Zealand, Australia or Chile, the snow season is just started, there !). PS : If someone here wants to build the anti-summer group, I enter in the group right now ! lol.

Max · Jun 24, 2003

If the anti-summer group is changed for a anti-periodoftheyearwedon'tski group, I'm in! Cause I don't find summer that bad, actually: you just have to bike a little at dawn or dusk in the warm air to like this season... or spend a day in a pool... or at a terrasse... or at a lake... or hiking ... or walking in the festive montreal... Basically there's just tons of things we don't get to do the rest of the year that can be done in the Summer. It's a good excuse for not skiing. Of course, like a lot of people here, i sometimes find myself wanting to pack everything, fly to South America and esqui sobre la blanca nieve de las Andes... I'll certainly do that at some point in my life. And also, I sometimes go to my favorite Online Ski Magazine (that's here), and find an awesome new movie that just makes me want to be on my skis skis NOW. Of course, I then wonder if this was shown to me out of pure cruelty, or just to remind me that there's plenty to dream about out there - snow, views, friends, mountains, adventure. For my mental sanity's sake, I choose to dream, and this only adds to my excitement in anticipation of the next ski season. But summer is also about building up that antipation, those dreams and these plans. In fact, I think the only seasons that do not deserve to exist are those in between the ski season and summer, and vice-versa. The rain, the snow that doesn't stick to the ground and the "always neither cold nor warm" temperature really bring down. You basically can't do anything in that weather, except wait. Anyway, I'll enjoy the summer for now. Bonne St-Jean-Baptiste à tous les Québécois participants (Patrick & Frank) ou lecteurs de ce site! [Happy Quebec National Holiday to all Québécois participants and readers of this site!]

Frankontour · Jun 24, 2003

Merci beaucoup Maxime !! Bonne St-Jean à toi-aussi !!!!!! <IMG SRC="http://www.firsttracksonline.com/discus2/clipart/happy.gif" ALT="

"> (coudon, kossé que je fais levé à 8h le jour de la St-Jean moi... maudite session d'été...) back to english hehe, I like the "anti-periodoftheyearwedon'tski group" expression ! We should build that group with Dan Egan

Yo pienso tambien de ir esquiar en Chile, pero esta muy diferente de aqui, pues mas pienso ir esquiar en Nueva Zelanda. (oh my god, the spanish is really too much far, 6 years after my little course). About summer, effectively, there is tons of activities we can do, particularly in Montreal with all the festivals, but at often above 90F, it's just too warm to really enjoy the activities. What I like of spring and fall is just the possible skiing. Even though the spring skiing is much more better than the fall one, I think I prefer the fall in general, cause it's really tough for me to see the snow melt, in spring <IMG SRC="http://www.firsttracksonline.com/discus2/clipart/sad.gif" ALT="

"> About the videos, I agree with you, it helps me to dream of white paradise. For the maniac skiers, I think the sport that give the most similar feeling is the rock hiking. Other persons would say Mtn bike or water skiing, but to hike with some nice cliffs (that don't need some ropes), it gives a feeling not so far of doing a £³£³£³ trail. (hmm, sad that we don't have some real black diamonds here) If some of you know where to find some lill cliffs like that, let me know ! Here, the Orford's Super is really the best. There is dozens of cliffs to hike and it's not so much dangerous, except the top part with the 70 degrees zone (steeper than in winter, cause no snow), but it's optional anyway. Gettin' closer of july, only 3 months remaining before the big opening for Tenney !

Patrick · Jun 24, 2003

Merci Max, mais je reside en Ontario maintenant. Sometimes I wished to be back in Montreal, actually right now I would prefer Queenstown NZ. I hate to hear the radio in morning talking how today is going to be a beautiful day. It's going to be 34c!!! The reason why people don't like winter is that we are brainwashed by the media on how terrible it is when it cold and great it is when it hot. Now many Canadians hate winter and are afraid to go out and play in the snow because the wind chill is -10000c. I try never to used the word 'bad' when I speak about the weather with my 5yr old daughter. The weather is not good or bad, it just how you perceive it. Now: how I would like to have that old SWIX sticker: SUMMER STINKS THINK SNOW!!! Just the bug the hell out of people.

Frankontour · Jun 24, 2003

(mais Patrick, québécois un jour, québécois toujours !!) One of the main reason why I never listen to radio during spring is that they don't stop to say : "yeahhhhhh the snow will melt FINALLLLLLLLLLLLY !!!!!!!!" I hate this so much that I would like to call them and tell them online to go su** I think that 80% of the persons who just don't practice winter activities hate winter... and 80% of the ones who practice winter activities like winter... not complicated. About the windchill, that can be useful, but now, it's so much used that it doesn't serve to anything. Anyway, what it gives is the temperature sensation if we were nude... and do we often go naked outside in winter ? At least, there is an interesting thing about windchill... it's that below -25c (-15F), there is almost never crowds and much more powder for us !

Frankontour · Jun 26, 2003

Last day in the 90s for few days... oufffff finally, cause the number of forest fires increases really fastly here. With all that heat, I don't know how will look the Chic-Choc in early july... Anyway, as I didn't find a single skier to go there with me, I'm beginning to forget that... it's sad. But I keep Tenney in my mind at least. Hey Joe... just 12 days before the big departure...

Kevin · Jun 26, 2003

Well summer is FINALLY here on Long Island, but the jump upward in temperature from 64F on Sunday to 82F on Monday and 91F on tuesday and yesterday is a little hard to handle but it is much better than the last six weeks of rain and cold weather. I can start working on a suntan as I am white as a sheet due to the lack of any real sunshine until now. I agree that Summer is a nice diversion from skiing as I like to garden and go white water kayaking with the warm weather. Most sea-shore business here is down by 50% or more due to the awfull weather in may and half of June, so the summer weather is just as important as good snowfall and cold conditions are to ski areas in the winter. Speaking of snowfall, has anyone had the chance to see the snow that fell in Utah on tuesday. More than a foot fell in some spots with The Canyons resort picking up 9" above 9000ft. Chack out the RSN cam archive for this resort and you will see the green aspen trees covered with heavy snow, that does a little help torwards cooling one of this time of year.

Frankontour · Jun 26, 2003

Thanx for the advice for RSN, Kevin ! You're lucky to have rain, you. Here, it's really dry since june 2002 and there is huge problems because of that. Last summer was super dry, heat almost no rain. Last winter, we didn't got a lot of snow and the spring was cloudy, but not enough rainy. So the great lakes really miss water and the rivers here too, cause they depend of the great lakes. I think the St-Lawrence River never had less water since they take measures of it... So the summer will be tough and the number of forestfires double each day, here. Nothing near the cities, but in the great north, this is a real problem now.

Kevin · Jun 26, 2003

Frank: We have had 10.22 inches of rain since June 1st, about 26cm. This is the same weather pattern as during last winter when most of the heavy snow fell near the coast of southern New England (150cm) in my town. Now with the high heat, 30C+ the humidity is very high. Last year we had a drought from May-Sept and now we have to much rain. The weather pattern has shifted to hot and dry, but I have heard that the weather here will be very variable. New York City broke a rainfall record for the month of June from 1903!!!, so if you want some rain I would be more than happy to send it your way. The Tenney Mtn website does not as of now list an opening day for there summer snow activities, so maybe it is just to warm right now. If you look at the active RSN cams for the east today, you will see pictures of some skiing on Mt Washington from yesterday.

Kevin · Jun 26, 2003

Snow activities at Tenney have now been pushed back to July 4th according to the operator at the resort.

Kevin · Jun 26, 2003

Is there interest in Killington Skiing pictures from opening day on October 1st 1993 & June 1st 1994? If so I will post them later.

Frankontour · Jun 26, 2003

Hmm, that's not a big surprise, for Tenney... I was almost sure they would do that, cause it's surely well over 60 degrees actually, during nights. Of course, there is some interest, for your K pics of october and june <IMG SRC="http://www.firsttracksonline.com/discus2/clipart/happy.gif" ALT="

"> ! About the weather, we got 6.7 cm of rain in june (2.5 inch), so yes, If you'd like to send us some showers, they're welcome !!!!! Here, almost nobody seem to care about the no-rain periods, even when the forestfires pass near some towns. It looks like the heat freeze their brain and they just don't realize that the heat is killing the forests, the environment and even some people. It's sad to see that... but what do you want, they like summer like we love winter !

Frankontour · Jun 26, 2003

Now that I think to that : next wednesday is the summer monthly FTO chat ! (at 9PM east time) This is gonna be my first "real" post-ski-season chat... don't know how much we're going to be. Hey, I was curious of the "bad" financial situation of ASC. Curiously, they didn't put on their website the annual report of 2002 (really don't know why, after a bad snow year). But seeing the 2001 one, I've been really surprised ! In QC, that was a fabulous and very lucrative year. I think it was the same thing in New England. (ok it was a little bit less good on the west coast. In 2000-01, they finished their year with $144 000 000 of losses. They had a "profit" negative of $4,72 per share. If the 2002 year have been as poor financially than snowy, I'm almost surprised to see them still exist today (the company, not the resort). You know, when you have 225 000 000$ accumulated deficit, with a debt rate of 16,76 in 2001 (debt / equity), more current liabilities than current assets (and I don't talk of cash-cash equivalents / current liabilities), may be the banks and the investors don't really enjoy to see Killington snowgunning millions of $ into Superstar. This was just for 2000-01. It was a good year in the east. The 2002 was horrible... I wonder what were those datas after that year. I also wonder if they had to sell Sugarbush just to find some liquid cash or if it was planned and profitable ? Leslie Otten left his CEO job on march 28, 2001... why ?............ Sure thing, I don't know how was their 2002-03 year, but I hope that it was good, cause if not, they will have *very big* problems soon. Other little things I found weird : the skier visits in places like The Canyons. They got 303 000 skiers in 2000-01. This is twice less than Bromont this year. They have tons of lifts and the ski area is certainly 25times bigger than Bromont (even with the entire new side they complete this summer). They surely had horrible losses with that resort, especially after all the investments they did in it, after Wolf Mountain. Also, I've seen that since their beginning in 1996-97, they never got some profits. 6 and 7 millions short the 2 first years weren't so bad. But the 32M, 51M and 144M on the following season = ouchhhhhh The stock price is also freefalling. Hmm, I really should try to see the financial report of 2001-02 and same thing for 2002-03, when it will exit... I imagine in late september or early oct.

Frankontour · Jun 26, 2003

Hmm, I just found something like the 2001-02 report. Hmm, 236 sheets... they had many things to explain (ouch). They finished with $206 000 000 in the hole, for the 2001-02 season. I can't believe there is some investors or banks that still have confidence in them. (except if they have some interests like 40% of course) Hmm, even with that, the CEO of ASC got a bonus of $435 000 in 2002. Do you find that normal to have a bonus when you're sinking the boat ? I think NO. $433 000 000 of accumulated deficit and a negative equity. Hmm, I wouldn't invest there......

Frankontour · Jun 26, 2003

According to the 3rd trimestrial report of this year, the situation is a little bit better than last year. I don't exactly understand why they had just 83M of loss after 3/4 of the year, last year and finished at 206... but anyway, this year, up to now, it's 43M of losses, so it's less worst, but it's still far from the breakeven point and if the expenses are about the same than last year and that they have a 120M decifit, it will remain 160M of losses this year... what could they do with that... it will never bring money. They would be better to sell some mountains and fastly before to lose all, IMO... but I'm just an accountant student, not a financial expert, so I could be wrong and I just looked ½ hour the reports, not 5 years of experience in the industry.

Kevin · Jun 27, 2003

Here are some pictures of my second (and sucessfull) attempt at an opening day at Killington. Having missed out on skiing on October 1st in 1992, I made it on October 1st in 1993. I drove up with a my skiing partner not knowing if there was going to be any snow to ski on, luckly there was. Unlike 1992 snow was not made from the top of the Killington double chair, so as not to interfere with mountain biking. So you had to walk down to the snow past were the old Killington Gondola was. After skiing for the day we went mountain biking to enjoy the great fall foliage. <IMG SRC="http://www.firsttracksonline.com/discus2/messages/8/2565.jpg" ALT="Walking to the snow"> <IMG SRC="http://www.firsttracksonline.com/discus2/messages/8/2566.jpg" ALT="Upper Cascade"> <IMG SRC="http://www.firsttracksonline.com/discus2/messages/8/2567.jpg" ALT="Killington Double mid-station"> <IMG SRC="http://www.firsttracksonline.com/discus2/messages/8/2568.jpg" ALT="Kevin Mountain biking on the ski trail">

Frankontour · Jun 27, 2003

Hmm, it doesn't work, Kevin (but as usually, I'm sure that with writing this message, it will works just after)....... This system is a little bit weird sometimes <IMG SRC="http://www.firsttracksonline.com/discus2/clipart/happy.gif" ALT="

">

Frankontour · Jun 27, 2003

hahaha, exactly... I knew it would work !! nothing to do before, refreshing the page or going back into it by the links wasn't working, but just writing a msg and now it works !! Thanx for the pics ! It looked enough thin for conditions, but who cares !!! Skiing on october 1 !!!!! Unfortunately, it's not with ASC that we're going to see that again, I think. nearly 500 000 000 of accumulated deficit since the company exists. In 2001-02, each $ they generated cost them almost 2$. (and I even don't talk of the factor "time") Thanks again... I particularly like the 2nd pic !! Really great view and nice snow !

Kevin · Jun 27, 2003

Here are some pics from June 1st 1994, my last day of the season and my first June ski day at killington. October 1st 1993 - June 1st 1994 Not Bad? <IMG SRC="http://www.firsttracksonline.com/discus2/clipart/your_image.gif" ALT="Killington June 1st 1994"> <IMG SRC="http://www.firsttracksonline.com/discus2/clipart/your_image.gif" ALT="Superstar June 1st 1994"> <IMG SRC="http://www.firsttracksonline.com/discus2/clipart/your_image.gif" ALT="My first June day at Killington">

Kevin · Jun 27, 2003

For some reason I got Disconnected just as I was posting these images so here they are again.

Summer

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