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Vail Resorts to acquire Seven Springs, Laurel Mountain, and Hidden Valley resorts in Pennsylvania for '22-'23 season

Laurel Hill Crazie

AKA Rob Davis
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Seven Springs will prosper. New this season is 750 vertical of lift-served terrain park features starting with easy freestyle features across the summit spine down to their most popular advanced park, The Alley, with 37 or more ever-changing features. This is a real draw for the park set. It will be interesting to see if Vail continues this younger crowd pleaser. Early season add 750 vertical of advanced North Face with a HS 4 or 6, then you have a more diverse product that will compete with Timberline and Snowshoe for interior Mid-A and Southern market. Nutting spent a lot to get terrain park and pipe cred. It will be interesting to see how this goes. Will Laurel and Hidden Valley be a part of the plan? Do they add or subtract value?
 

Roundturns

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Good points regarding the terrain park expansions under Nutting. Because I don’t participate , I over looked that. The snow making resources supporting the half pipe are substantial. Of course I’d prefer that same snow spread over Stowe, Tyrol, and Avalanche.
But likely more money is made providing different skiing experiences. That being said, when I leave after lunch, I look over at the half pipe and usually can count on one hand the number of people riding the half pipe.

Time will tell what Vail brings to the Springs. Maybe I’m naive but I expect to see a High Speed on North Face and an increase in snow making horse power.

Good point about snow making economic returns, “ why make enough snow to have great coverage in April when people stop coming in March”.
 

James

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I don't think I've heard any complaints about snow-making at any of the mid-A or NE resorts Vail has bought. (Though I could just not remember hearing them...)
Give it time. This is the year too, with serious staffing issues. The prob could be you end up with, “we didn’t need to make all that snow” as the new norm.
 

zag

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The snow making resources supporting the half pipe are substantial. Of course I’d prefer that same snow spread over Stowe, Tyrol, and Avalanche.
But likely more money is made providing different skiing experiences. That being said, when I leave after lunch, I look over at the half pipe and usually can count on one hand the number of people riding the half pipe.
I'm unsure of what amount but the a significant contribution to the halfpipe comes from US skiing as support for grassroots skiing and for youth competition hosting.

Being it's the only one south of VT it's an important contribution for local skiers.

Yes many people are scared of the pipe, not knowing that for most people (anyone who doesn't air out of the pipe), it's safer than a big jump.
 

James

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Yes many people are scared of the pipe, not knowing that for most people (anyone who doesn't air out of the pipe), it's safer than a big jump.
Half pipes are pretty self limiting features for people. For some reason people think that just by going in they’ll be Simon Dumont with massive air above the lip, but that’s not going to happen. Danger at low levels comes mostly from doing things like jumping the line and wandering in at the wrong time.

When you start to get significantly out above the rim the danger changes. That’s one reason low wall pipes with pitch can be dangerous because it’s too easy to get out unexpectedly.
 

Moose32

Attacking the Fall Line
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You are the "shiny new toy" only until they buy the next resort.
At Wilmot, the new lifts were old lifts being replaced at one of their CO resorts.
VR's first steps are:
1) "monetization of the asset"
2) get the acquired resort on centralized procurement/systems
3) appoint VR employee (with local roots ideally) to run the acquired hill in the VR way
4) convert workers at the hill to VR employees
 
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Wendy

Resurrecting the Oxford comma
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I’ve skied out at Seven Springs since 1980. Not a “ Bottom Line “ Bob Nutting fan.
I expect Vail to put a High Speed lift on North Face and convert the interminable 12 minute lift ride to a very desirable ride to the top in less than half that time.
The snow making system which can gravity flow so much water from the summit Lake Tahoe Lake badly needs more air compressor capacity to blow more of the mountain at one time.
Herman Dupre practically invented snow making and would lease additional diesel compressors for the ski season to maximize the snow making “windows”.
Under Nutting ownership, snow making was badly compromised. Nutting didn’t want to emit diesel emissions. Great if you are an environmentalist but here in the banana belt you need to be able to blow like crazy when weather conditions cooperate.
Sure Nutting expanded beverage and food concessions at the resort, but ski conditions IMHO deteriorated.
I believe the skiing product under Vail ownership will be significantly improved.
Ha. VR bought Jack Frost. I used to have a season pass there. Last year, I skied a day there after a yearlong absence. I figured that VR would at least have put in some minor improvements to deal with Covid - such as firepits or outdoor heat lamps so that people could eat outdoors in relative comfort, since that was prohibited in the lodge. Nah. Snowmaking was meh. Not one firepit, not one additional seating area (there are about 6 original picnic tables outside), and the ski rack area and the lodge entrance area was so full of ice it was dangerous to walk. The outdoor benches were covered in ice. I bought my hot lunch (I was freezing cold) and sat at a small table that had never been dug out of the snow and froze my ass off. Except for the great company, it was the coldest I’ve ever been there. And that area is on the north side of the lodge, out of the sun, since the lodge sits at the top of the mountain. So extra cold. Not. One. Improvement.

Club racing and group ski events there are also eliminated, per the locals.

I’m done with VR.
 

James

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I figured that VR would at least have put in some minor improvements to deal with Covid - such as firepits or outdoor heat lamps so that people could eat outdoors in relative comfort, since that was prohibited in the lodge. Nah.
Lol. Outdoor tent? Maybe some ventilation in the lodge? Box fans with HEPA filters are pretty cheap. Nope.

I went by Magic Mt last year late season. Low and behold they have a big outdoor tent! So the place with no money out does Vail with the endless corporate meetings.
 

Wendy

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Lol. Outdoor tent? Maybe some ventilation in the lodge? Box fans with HEPA filters are pretty cheap. Nope.

I went by Magic Mt last year late season. Low and behold they have a big outdoor tent! So the place with no money out does Vail with the endless corporate meetings.
same could be said for independently-owned, humble Montage. They outdid everybody in that department. Creativity and freedom to do things equals accomplishing some neat stuff. (This year they are not only keeping their tents and huge firepits and shipping crate concession stands, but now adding a moving beer shack towed by the groomer). ogsmile

I wish now that I had taken pics of the situation at Jack Frost last year. Shameful. I think “soulless” may be a better word.
 
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Wendy

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Lol. Outdoor tent? Maybe some ventilation in the lodge? Box fans with HEPA filters are pretty cheap. Nope.

I went by Magic Mt last year late season. Low and behold they have a big outdoor tent! So the place with no money out does Vail with the endless corporate meetings.
@Olesya C went to Jack Frost last weekend, and reported this: Now one can boot up at the lodge. But….they cannot leave their bootbags in the lodge; they must be toted back to their car. LOL. So put boots on, then walk to car in ski boots to deposit bag. WHAT???? One must cross a road to get from the parking lots to the lodge. And the nearest lots fill up quickly, so it can be a long hike.

There used to be a bag check area there manned by this awesome lady. Seriously, this woman was so nice and helpful that I always gave her a nice tip. She was like the cue to the beginning of a great ski day. Now, it’s not only unmanned, but the bag check area (tons of cubbies for bags) is roped off so no one can use it.

There also used to be a slopeside parking area that cost $10, first come first served. It was great for getting right on the snow, and lots of people tailgated there at lunch. Fun! That’s also roped off.
 

SKIBUM 6

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I have ho hum feelings of the sale. That being said, Bob Nutting, in Pittsburghease, is a JAGOFF!
Always has been, always will be. He is a dick with a capital “D”! First he fired the groomers. Because he could hire anyone for lower pay! Not that they were making six figures. Grooming went to shit. Patrollers used to get season passes. Under Nutting they got free skiing on days they were working!
Season pass holders got a free night in the hotel if used before December 1st. Nutting canceled that free night then raised passes 3 years in a row! FBN! Good Riddaneds , JAGOFF!
 

SKIBUM 6

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same could be said for independently-owned, humble Montage. They outdid everybody in that department. Creativity and freedom to do things equals accomplishing some neat stuff. (This year they are not only keeping their tents and huge firepits and shipping crate concession stands, but now adding a moving beer shack towed by the groomer). ogsmile

I wish now that I had taken pics of the situation at Jack Frost last year. Shameful. I think “soulless” may be a better word.
“Beer cat towed shed”!. That would be a Game Changer!. Fabulous innovation!
 

x10003q

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That is hilarious!. Nutting has made the Pirates into a farm team for the rest of professional baseball ⚾️.
Too bad they cannot be relegated down to AAA. The lockout had created the potential for a minimum salary total for MLB teams. I am sure Nutting is fighting that tooth and nail.
 

James

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The Pirates are the new Mets?
Hopefully you at least get the ridiculous soap opera part that makes for entertaining sports radio.
 

Johnfmh

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This year is exactly why Vail purchased a Mid-Atlantic resort west of the Allegheny Front—no chance of Whitetail, Liberty, or Roundtop opening by Christmas. 7S gives these Epic Pass people a place to go when mother nature is not cooperating east of the front. Also, owning so many resorts in a single state simplifies regulatory issues, HR matters, and lobbying at the state level. I see very little chance of VR ever buying Timberline but you never know. As these east of the front resorts become less and less viable, they may need another west of the front resort to keep selling passes. We’ll see.
 

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