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.