Alterra Mountain Company Announces Transformational Changes at Four Marquee Destinations

[HardDaysNight]

I read the first several paragraphs of the release with mounting alarm. When would Alterra mention their intention to “curate” an unforgettable mountain experience for me? Had curation lost its appeal? Been replaced by a lesser ambition? Then, relief! The changes at Mammoth are intended “to curate a lively new year-round gateway for those who are passionate about mountain adventure”. That’s me. Presumably those less passionate needn’t apply.

 

[fatbob]

I read the first several paragraphs of the release with mounting alarm. When would Alterra mention their intention to “curate” an unforgettable mountain experience for me? Had curation lost its appeal? Been replaced by a lesser ambition? Then, relief! The changes at Mammoth are intended “to curate a lively new year-round gateway for those who are passionate about mountain adventure”. That’s me. Presumably those less passionate needn’t apply.

Careful now. Artisan poets have worn their quills to a nub for weeks to craft that perfect embodiment of aspiration and pretentiousness. Be suitably grateful that they have bestowed their handsome prose upon you.

PS not breaking ground toward that particular "curation" for another 2 years at least. I'm sure they'll tell you again but how will you fill the aching void with your frustrated non-curated passion?

 

[HardDaysNight]

^^^. I ache already.

 

[locknload]

ALTERRA MOUNTAIN COMPANY ANNOUNCES $207 MILLION IN
TRANSFORMATIONAL CHANGES AT FOUR MARQUEE DESTINATIONS​

DENVER, CO, April 12, 2021 – Alterra Mountain Company announces its plans to invest $207 million in capital improvements for the upcoming year, including transformational base area and on-mountain developments at Steamboat, Deer Valley Resort, Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows and Mammoth Mountain.

This year’s $207 million plan includes $111MM in significant resort projects, $31MM in enterprise technology systems, $65MM in resort maintenance and planning to continue to support the company’s commitment to enhance the guest experience.

“This past season has proven that our guests are loyal, passionate and looking forward to the many seasons ahead, and we plan to provide them with a premier guest experience as we focus on the long-term future of our mountain destinations,” said Rusty Gregory, CEO, Alterra Mountain Company. “Alterra Mountain Company has exceeded our initial five-year goal to invest over half a billion dollars into our destinations, in just four years. We continue to be committed to infusing meaningful capital into on-mountain enhancements, base area development, and advanced technology that will elevate the mountain experience for all who visit.”

This year’s capital investments will focus on four major destination developments and a commitment to technology infrastructure and advancement.

Deer Valley Resort, Utah:
Snow ParkThe Snow Park Lodge and base area will see a complete revision to create a premier base area experience for guests arriving at Deer Valley. The new base area will provide additional accommodations and skier services, new contemporary food and beverage and après options, and an additional ski beach and upgraded mountain transportation network.

Snow Park will feature architecture and design inspired by the mountains, allowing the natural setting to flow through the new plaza, offering an array of activities and mountain views. A new expansive ski beach will offer a place for more guests to watch skiers and take in the sunset as they enjoy a quintessential Deer Valley après scene.

A new integrated transportation and mobility hub with multiple access points from new parking facilities will dramatically improve the current guest arrival and mountain access experience.

Pending local government review and approval. Snow Park is projected to break ground in 2022.



Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows, California: Base-to-Base Gondola
The state-of-the-art and highly anticipated Base-to-Base Gondola (B2B) will commence construction this summer. This base-to-base connection will take skiers and riders between the Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows bases in approximately 16 minutes, currently a seven-mile drive. The B2B will be one of the most impactful lifts in North America with 8-passenger cabins and the capacity to move 1,400 people per hour between resort base areas. The B2B will offer access to 6,000 acres of skiing and riding for all skill levels on one smooth ride, with 360-degree iconic views.

The $60MM B2B project includes two main terminals, two mid-stations and additional base area improvements targeted to enhance the guest experience.

Mammoth Mountain, California:
Main Lodge RedevelopmentThe new vision for Mammoth Mountain Main Lodge area builds upon the Mammoth legacy, rooted in the history and setting of the mountain, the town, and surrounding Eastern Sierra to curate a lively new year-round gateway for those who are passionate about mountain adventure.

The Main Lodge redevelopment multi-year plan will create the “Base Camp to the Eastern Sierra,” providing the world’s best ski beach, state-of-the-art services, Adventure Concierge Center, an array of boutique dining and retail experiences, luxury lodging and a variety of residential ownership options, complete with unparalleled club amenities and programming.

This ambitious plan is in the permitting phase and scheduled to begin construction in spring 2023.



Steamboat, Colorado: Gondola Square Redesign & Pioneer Ridge Terrain Expansion
Steamboat will embark on a three-year, $135MM base area redevelopment and on-mountain terrain expansion to reinvent a premier guest experience to match the destination's long recognized industry excellence.

Steamboat’s Gondola Square will be transformed into a multi-use, amenity-rich plaza creating an easy-to-navigate destination core, complete with additional dining and après, retail, entertainment and welcoming gathering places for guests to enjoy year-round. A reimagined guest arrival experience will eliminate cumbersome stairs and provide direct and easy access to the mountain. Guests will now be able to fully experience the fun, family atmosphere and be fully immersed in Steamboat’s western hospitality.

Phase I of the redeveloped plaza is expected to break ground following the destination’s close of the 20/21 winter season. This phase will bring immediate improvements to the guest arrival and circulation and will clear the way for guest enhancement amenities expected to be completed by the start of the 22/23 winter season.

On-mountain improvements slated for the 21/22 season, (pending additional approvals), include 650 new acres of advanced/expert skiable terrain in Pioneer Ridge. The new area will also include a world-class teaching area and the first leg of the new Big Blue gondola, providing gondola access to the newly re-developed Bashor teaching area. Steamboat’s trail map will expand by nearly 20 percent for a total of 3,620 acres, making Steamboat the second largest ski area in Colorado.



Enterprise Technology Systems
Alterra Mountain Company will invest $31MM to bolster the delivery of personalized experiences, simplify transaction processes and alleviate wait times. Priorities include Ikon Pass mobile app enhancements, expansion of mobile food ordering, upgraded destination apps and a new single sign-on that will make it easier for guests to interact with Alterra Mountain Company across all digital touchpoints.

Alterra Mountain Company’s multi-destination season pass product, the Ikon Pass, is currently on sale for the 21/22 winter season, offering skiers and riders access to 44 global mountain destinations across the Americas, Europe, Australia, New Zealand and Japan. The Ikon Pass can be purchased at www.ikonpass.com.

Let's see...I found the following words in this press announcement so they must be paying their PR marketing people bigly:
Iconic
Curate
Ammenity-rich
Premiere Experience
Reimagined
Boutique
Unparalleled

Did I miss anything?

 

[locknload]

Ski resorts need to be commercially viable and increase revenue to fund all the resort improvements and return profit to their owners/shareholders. The difficulty to achieve this is compounded since skiing is a declining sports activity. Alterra also has a very formidable competitor in Vail. So they are looking to fund and improve their base lodges and associated infrastructure to improve the resort experience and increase their revenue simultaneously. While I wouldn't phrase it the way that @Philpug did, he has a very good point that the local skiers don't tend to be valuable to Alterra from a revenue perspective yet they come across as very entitled. Ski resorts are a business. The most valuable customers to a business are the ones that generate the most revenue. At ski resorts, the people who provide the most revenue are almost definitely not the locals. So, for the people who are not getting the on-mountain improvements they are seeking, they can vote with their wallets and ski elsewhere or just live with the fact that ski resorts are going to make the improvements that make the most impact to Alterra's revenue potential. We live in a country that enshrines first amendment rights so it is also the case that highlighting the desire for on-mountain improvements and complaining that Alterra isn't investing enough around its lift infrastructure and ski acreage is certainly ones right and we shouldn't be overly critical of those who are exercising their right to critique.

Yes AND chasing only shareholder returns and new customers at the expense of some of your longtime and most loyal customers is a great way to diminish your brand over time. A strong business recognizes that your longtime customers help recruit new ones and form the backbone of your revenue base and will put up with a lot...even stuff they don't prefer. Longtime customers generate a lot more revenue over time then a customer that patronizes your business for 2 years and goes away. Folks who live in and around some of these mountains that they've patronized for years may not simply be able to "go elsewhere". Cost, logistics, vacation allotments and many other things factor into people's ability to opt out.

 

[David Chaus]

OK, all marketing complaints aside (BS or genuine news), given the choice between how Alterra is managing their ski resorts and their partner resort relationships on one hand, and VR on the other hand, I have a strong preference for Alterra.

It'd be nice if there were more hands to choose from, but these are the hands we are dealt and we have to play our cards in a way that works for us individually.

 

[Marathoner]

OK, all marketing complaints aside (BS or genuine news), given the choice between how Alterra is managing their ski resorts and their partner resort relationships on one hand, and VR on the other hand, I have a strong preference for Alterra.

It'd be nice if there were more hands to choose from, but these are the hands we are dealt and we have to play our cards in a way that works for us individually.

To be honest with you, I prefer VR. VR has revolutionalized the ski pass model so that annual passes are cheap and day passes are expensive. By doing this, they've greatly contained or reduced the prices of annual passes while increasing walk-up ski passes at all ski resorts. This has taught skiers to lock in savings before the season starts, which enables ski resorts to somewhat offset the weather dependency of their lift pass sales.

Going into the new season, VR has reduced their annual lift pass prices for 21-22 while Alterra has not. I'm actually quite thankful to VR for their competitive pricing strategy, capital investment into their resorts, and not focusing on real estate sales. This has lifted the bar that other ski resorts and Alterra need to meet, and they are generally following Vail's lead

fyi - I buy both the Epic pass and Snowbird season pass annually. Snowbird's 21-22 season pass will go on sale later this week and they've already announced the next years annual lift pass prices - and its decreasing a fair amount compared to this past season. I think we can thank VR for their aggressive pricing scheme in influencing Snowbird's lift pass pricing for next year.

And with the lift pass savings, I intend to purchase the occasional burger lunches and après-ski drinks at the mountain restaurants because of both the convenience and entertainment factor - as VR probably expected/hoped I would

 

[Tony S]

And with the lift pass savings, I intend to purchase the occasional burger lunches and après-ski drinks at the mountain restaurants because of both the convenience and entertainment factor - as VR probably expected/hoped I would

[Takes off loquacious crank hat and puts on genuine curiosity hat.]
Do you sincerely think you wouldn't have spent that burger money if the price of the VR pass had not gone down? Or was that rhetorical? Not giving you a hard time; truly interested.

 

[Wasatchman]

OK, all marketing complaints aside (BS or genuine news), given the choice between how Alterra is managing their ski resorts and their partner resort relationships on one hand, and VR on the other hand, I have a strong preference for Alterra.

What does Alterra do as far as managing their resorts that is superior to Vail in your view? I don't have a dog in this fight as far as who is better, just curious why you think that?

 

[Tony S]

OK, all marketing complaints aside (BS or genuine news), given the choice between how Alterra is managing their ski resorts and their partner resort relationships on one hand, and VR on the other hand, I have a strong preference for Alterra.

It'd be nice if there were more hands to choose from, but these are the hands we are dealt and we have to play our cards in a way that works for us individually.

For sure.

 

[Tony S]

What does Alterra do as far as managing their resorts that is superior to Vail in your view? I don't have a dog in this fight as far as who is better, just curious why you think that?

Not David, obviously. And my response is not about Alterra-owned resorts, but rather about the Ikon Pass. Ikon allows me to ski independent areas that have not been spiritually assimilated by the Borg. Taos, Alta, etc.

 

[David Chaus]

Let's just say my experience of how VR has been operating Stevens Pass the past few years in contrast to my experience at Crystal (which is an Alterra -owned resort) has informed my view. Much more responsive to issues with lift lines, parking, reservations and in general in keeping terrain open and lifts running, and in general communicating what they are thinking and doing.

When I've travelled, I've been happier with the resorts using the Ikon pass the past year or two, more so than when I've used an Epic Pass at VR resorts. Yes, I've had both passes the same year.

 

[Marathoner]

[Takes off loquacious crank hat and puts on genuine curiosity hat.]
Do you sincerely think you wouldn't have spent that burger money if the price of the VR pass had not gone down? Or was that rhetorical? Not giving you a hard time; truly interested.

Mostly said to reinforce a point. That said, when a company creates value by reducing prices but delivering a high quality experience, it makes me more inclined to make impulsive purchases - such as burgers - with that company.

 

[Wasatchman]

Not David, obviously. And my response is not about Alterra-owned resorts, but rather about the Ikon Pass. Ikon allows me to ski independent areas that have not been spiritually assimilated by the Borg. Taos, Alta, etc.

I'm just hoping those resorts stay independent and hoping they one day actually decide to get off of Ikon. We will see.

 

[DanoT]

As a very sporadic visitor, I think it is cool too. But I think one worry for the regulars who prefer Alpine is that it turns it into a satellite parking facility.

^^^Not exactly. From the press release:
"The $60MM B2B project includes two main terminals, two mid-stations and additional base area improvements targeted to enhance the guest experience."
Reading between the lines, the 2 mid stations could only be for one purpose and that is parking lots.

For Squaw to expand their village base area they need to infringe on the already stressed to capacity base parking lot. Building 2 gondola accessed parking lots means a shorter walk to a lift for guests, especially those who arrive late.

If they are smart, they will build washrooms and ski locker room/change room for locals. It doesn't hurt having locals park outside the Village Base as they are less likely to do much shopping anyways. I pay $400/year for a ski locker in the basement lockerroom in the Sun Peaks Village Day Lodge. It is all Kamloops locals and SP upper management that have lockers. I was on the waiting list for 7 years before I got mine.

I think I lack creativity and spatial intelligence because for the life of me, I do not see enough space at Squaw for the base and mid-station of the B2B lift.

I don't know what the terrain is like between Alpine Meadows and Squaw but having worked at some open pit mines, I can confirm that they can literally move mountains. Or they can just build a multi level parking garage and have even less walking to the gondi for their guests.

 

[Tony S]

I don't know what the terrain is like between Alpine Meadows and Squaw but having worked at some open pit mines, I can confirm that they can literally move mountains.

Well THERE'S an image that no one is going to run with! "The new base area resembles an open pit mine."

 

[DanoT]

Well THERE'S an image that no one is going to run with! "The new base area resembles an open pit mine."

I once worked at a coal mine in northern Alberta where they literally took the top off a mountain, turned it into a high plateau, planted 3 types of grass including Kentucky Bluegrass, creating one fine moose pasture.

Of course, they can go the other way with a man made mountain (never mind man made snow)
From Wikpedia:
"Blackstrap Ski Hill

Blackstrap Ski Hill, (also known as "Mount Blackstrap") is a man-made skiing and snowboarding hill located approximately 51 km (32 mi) south of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada east of Highway 11, the Louis Riel Trail. It is one of only a few man-made mountains in the world. It is a unique feature on Saskatchewan's prairie landscape.[5] It is now a feature of the park along with Blackstrap Lake. It rises 45 metres above the surrounding land.[6]"

It is a reverse land fill aka, a mountain of garbage; no need to recycle.

 

[Marathoner]

I think I lack creativity and spatial intelligence because for the life of me, I do not see enough space at Squaw for the base and mid-station of the B2B lift.

From liftblog.com

 

[Pat AKA mustski]

I’m not gonna lie... I wish they would build a long talked about Gondi between Bear Mountain and Summit. I’m not a fan of shuttles so I choose one mountain for the day. I would enjoy the option to hit both.

 

[Paul Frede]

Mammoth Mountains Main Lodge overhaul is definitely needed.