New England What's up with Saddleback - 2019 ?

[James]

Cupsuptic t-bar

Really needs a name change.

 

[LiquidFeet]

Here's an article from a local weekly covering the Aug 22 meeting between the prospective buyers Arctaris and members of the community.
The article describes the buyers' five year plan and some audience reactions. https://www.theirregular.com/articles/community-voices-saddleback-mountain/

In the first year, they hope to open the mountain for weekends and holidays, impact the community, and start to supplement the economy by providing some jobs and bringing more people into the area.

In year two, the goal is to reach full capacity on the mountain with all the lifts running. They want to add a welcome center, a spa, swimming pool, juice bar and other infrastructure to gain new visitors.

For years three and four they want to continue running the mountain and gain stability and draw in more skiers and visitors.

Year five is when they envision adding a high-speed detachable quad lift, a mid-mountain or upper-mountain restaurant, and more infrastructure.

Ed Kfoury, founder of the Rangeley Lakes Heritage Trust, wanted to know what would be required in capital for the five-year plan Shepard outlined. Tower addressed that question. The capital plan is for $28 million and includes the acquisition of the property and the improvements.

Condo owner Bonnie McGowen asked the Arctaris reps to address the rumors that the deal may request money from condo owners and community members. Tower said that they are funding the acquisition with money they have already; however, they will need some community support further down the road. How that support comes in, they don’t know yet.

 

[James]

In year two, the goal is to reach full capacity on the mountain with all the lifts running. They want to add a welcome center, a spa, swimming pool, juice bar and other infrastructure to gain new visitors.

The juice bar is like a super magnet pulling me to drive hours past other ski areas.

 

[ScottB]

To answer the question about what's the fuss about the lifts?

There is just one double lift from the main area adjacent to the lodge that takes you up to the top of the mtn. Once there, you can ski down to other lifts that start part way up the mtn and go back to the top ridge. I don't know the mtn that well. The very old double lift from the base gets a long line and is really slow. It really impacts the impression of the mtn if there is a reasonable crowd there. The current owners wanted to replace it with a high speed lift and alleviate the long line and handle more skiers.

If they are starting with just the T bar, I am not even sure where that lift is, so it might be a concession to the condo owners to be able to ski. I think the lift is near the condo's which are on the right side of the base, looking up. I will have to look at the trail map again to be sure.

 

[Nathanvg]

To answer the question about what's the fuss about the lifts?

There is just one double lift from the main area adjacent to the lodge that takes you up to the top of the mtn. Once there, you can ski down to other lifts that start part way up the mtn and go back to the top ridge. I don't know the mtn that well. The very old double lift from the base gets a long line and is really slow. It really impacts the impression of the mtn if there is a reasonable crowd there. The current owners wanted to replace it with a high speed lift and alleviate the long line and handle more skiers.

If they are starting with just the T bar, I am not even sure where that lift is, so it might be a concession to the condo owners to be able to ski. I think the lift is near the condo's which are on the right side of the base, looking up. I will have to look at the trail map again to be sure.

The t bar runs a similar line as the double. The t bar doesn't go quite as high but it gets high enough to access the upper lift. Ideally they'd get the upper quad running too which would open all runs, snow permitting. I assume they will also open the short sandy double lift. If they don't open it, people will have to walk uphill quite a bit to get from parking to the t bar base. (About 200 vertical feet)

 

[Erik Timmerman]

I gotta be honest, it doesn't sound like they have enough money to make a go of this. If they are going to limp for the first couple of years, I think people are going to forget that they exist before they are able to start walking.

 

[ScottB]

You may be correct, but I don't think they expect much the first season (this coming season I assume) other than get the place opened up again and allow the condo owners to start skiing lift serviced terrain again. They don't have many lifts, 5 total I think, and two of them are lower mtn lifts. It sounds like the second year is when the whole mtn opens back up and it really starts to operate again. I don't think a lift replacement is planned for the second year, which is too bad and will limit their skier capacity. I only skied there once, on a Friday right after a small storm, and the place was pretty empty. There were no lift lines at all, but I could see the main area being a bottle neck with a decent crowd there.

I got a skinning set up last season and with limited use really enjoyed it. I could see using it at Saddleback this season after riding the t bar and skinning up/over to their gladed area, or up to the peak which has a ridge that runs across the entire ski area. It may be an opportunity to ski some fresh deep powder that lasts all day long due to the limited accessibility. In the past, skinny skis and skier ability limited access to side country powder terrain, now its lift limitations at Saddleback. Take advantage while you can. The one day I was there and all the lifts were in operation, I picked a trail at random and my first three runs put the first three tracks on the same trail. It was really empty that morning till later in the day. I did make it over to their Casablanca Glade area which was outstanding and really fun.

 

[James]

I don’t understand this. They’re opening only a t bar for this year? That would mean the chair is in such bad shape it can’t be opened.

Sounds line if this place had any hope they need at least one new chair.

Ascutney of the North...

 

[Tony S]

I gotta be honest, it doesn't sound like they have enough money to make a go of this. If they are going to limp for the first couple of years, I think people are going to forget that they exist before they are able to start walking.

I don't think they could possibly do anything but limp along for this season, given the small amount of time and good weather left and the amount of work that needs to be done. LIfts, lodge, mowing, staffing and stocking all the departments, planning, financing ... It's already September.

I agree that NEXT year they need to have a new lift in place instead of the Rangeley double. The whole idea of getting to the Kennebago lift (upper chair) via the Sandy + Cupsuptic lifts is a desperate measure, as anyone who has ever done this on a busy day can tell you. That's three lift lines for something like 1,800 vertical. It only takes about 100 people to clog up those lower two lifts, with their tiny capacity.

And @James , we love our regional names. Don't dis them.

 

[James]

And @James , we love our regional names. Don't dis them.

https://books.google.com/books?id=5XfxzCm1qa4C&pg=PA129&lpg=PA129&dq
Aka, septic tank.
A new lift? Bad luck.

If they make it to the third year, expect Saddleback to be in Liftopia’s top 4 resorts in North America.

 

[dbostedo]

If they make it to the third year, expect Saddleback to be in Liftopia’s top 4 resorts in North America.

 

[Tony S]

View attachment 79531
https://books.google.com/books?id=5XfxzCm1qa4C&pg=PA129&lpg=PA129&dq
Aka, septic tank.
A new lift? Bad luck.

If they make it to the third year, expect Saddleback to be in Liftopia’s top 4 resorts in North America.

Wow. Rough crowd.

 

[MarkP]

View attachment 79531
https://books.google.com/books?id=5XfxzCm1qa4C&pg=PA129&lpg=PA129&dq
Aka, septic tank.
A new lift? Bad luck.

If they make it to the third year, expect Saddleback to be in Liftopia’s top 4 resorts in North America.

Always with the negavtive waves...

 

[Tony S]

Well, it's James. In person he's only mildly negative when you put him in a chair with Eeyore and Josh.

 

[James]

I didn't name it. Trying to get some positivity for Saddleback. It's gonna take more than a juice bar.

 

[Tony S]

Looking like really bad news tonight.

 

[dbostedo]

So Arctaris is upset with the current owner that they're courting other buyers, and takes a shot ("We are skeptical of the other suitor's ability...") at other potential buyers without naming them?

Seems like it could be a ploy to get the family to close and get some public pressure to that end. It doesn't read like a "this is over, sorry to get your hopes up" message.

You'll notice they don't anywhere say that they are backing away, beyond saying the current discussions have halted. Instead they say they stand behind the offer and terms they were working to close on. Crappy treatment by the Berry family, but if someone else came in with a better offer, I suppose all's fair in business (within the terms of the agreement signed with Arctaris, of course).

 

[Tony S]

@dbostedo , your analysis is entirely sensible. From the buyer's position I'm sure you've nailed it.

From the sellers' position it may be wrong precisely because it's sensible. For some reason they continue to act like they hold all the high cards, while not recognizing that no one wants to play.

 

[x10003q]

The Berrys continue to meet their own standards of cluelessness. Maybe they were disappointed that Arctaris did not include a section on massage parlors in the plan.

 

[Tony S]

But wait. There's more.