'14/'15 Magic Shitshow aka Everybody's an Expert thread

[HankScorpio]

no battle there, they lost their money

Well some didn't loose their money. My family bought a few shares and when we got the option to get the money refunded, it took almost 18 months of unanswered phone calls and e-mails to get the $ back.

I really want to support Magic, but after that, I gave up.

[DBdude]

I would disagree. If the LLCs that have been running the place turned a profit, there wouldn't be any issues. The last 5 years have had some decent winters - say 3 out of 5 - maybe - that is about as good as it gets out here

[DBdude]

Well some didn't loose their money. My family bought a few shares and when we got the option to get the money refunded, it took almost 18 months of unanswered phone calls and e-mails to get the $ back.

I really want to support Magic, but after that, I gave up.

that's great - seriously

[hatchgreenchile]

. Simply because someone has committed time (or money) to the mountain doesn't mean they have some special right to comment on things.

…and it certainly doesn’t put your name on the front of the check.

Now returning to quiet creeping. The Magic shitshow is interesting to watch for an outsider

[Dexter Rutecki]

I would disagree. If the LLCs that have been running the place turned a profit, there wouldn't be any issues. The last 5 years have had some decent winters - say 3 out of 5 - maybe - that is about as good as it gets out here

I understand your point, but I was careful to say 'headed in the right direction' and not 'wildly profitable.' Keep in mind how debt works--and I would guess the loans that Jim felt forced to take out (to keep the place open) were probably not issued at a very favorable rate. So digging out from those even with several profitable years, while also doing what was required to keep the momentum going (capital expenditures, mainly), could have been tough. Like I said, I've never seen any raw numbers on this (and wouldn't necessarily believe the books to be completely accurate/reflective), but my guess is that simply being marginally in the black for a few years wouldn't do much in the face of bad debt and previous years of losses. And that's pretty close to the story I've heard from Jim and others, FWIW.

Regardless, I do believe that as DW (and others) have said things will be as normal as they get at Magic and the lifts will be turning before long.

[DBdude]

I do to actually, or hope so. The work over the summer points to an open this year. I think once they have an idea of how they are going to run the mountain this winter the passes will go on sale. by this I mean sale, MMM running it, etc.

[RustyGroomer]

The mountain will open & it will limp through another year. They will run the mountain on the "pray for snow, people always come when it snows" plan. The old figured crossed strategy.

[DoWork]

Lol. Look, if you want to work yourselves up go ahead. Waste that energy. Let me know where it gets you.

[DoWork]

I do to actually, or hope so. The work over the summer points to an open this year. I think once they have an idea of how they are going to run the mountain this winter the passes will go on sale. by this I mean sale, MMM running it, etc.

Holy shit, a logical post?



It can't be. I must be seeing things.

[Aldo]

I fail to see why any of this information regarding owners, plans, deals etc needs to be aired here. just stoking drama.

Can we get the new thread started?

Thinking 165's may be too long also.

[Dexter Rutecki]

I fail to see why any of this information regarding owners, plans, deals etc needs to be aired here. just stoking drama.

It wouldn't (and some of it doesn't need to be anyway) if whoever is actually in charge (crazy that that's a real question) would figure out how to communicate. If there is actually someone in charge they're as responsible for all the drama as anyone--one clearly written paragraph (and no more games implying things to the contrary) would end it all.

[RustyGroomer]

This man does NOT work for the mountain. FB update

"There have been some questions about the status of Magic and more specifically the Black Lift and the potential sale that didn't materialize. That said, the ownership that has owned Magic for over the last 10 years is still in place. I have done a bit of research and have done a lot of walking around and up to the top of Magic. I think the mountain is in as good shape for this time of year as it's been. All the beginner and intermediate trails (all that a mower can cut) and parts of some expert trails have already been cut. The pipe at the top of the chute on Wizard that was cracked last year has been replaced. There is a new rock work road up the mountain that was put in for the wireless towers but benefits the winter operations. The full operations crew has been working all summer.
Regarding the lift question, I am told that the State of Vermont checks all lifts continuously to assure absolute safe operations of the lifts. Magic’s operations crew works well with the inspector and recognizes that he brings lots of experience in maintaining lifts to the mountain. The lift inspector does not just show up for inspection day, he is at the mountain several times a month and any time something significant is being done.
Both chairs have passed NDT tests (something that tests the integrity of the grips) in which 20% of the chairs are inspected each year. Operators tell me a specialist will be in next week to fix a seal on the Red Chair that has a small leak. The Red chair is in the inspection process and it looks like it will be ready for completion in the middle of October when the power for the lifts it turned back on. Currently, a significant effort is underway to repair deficiencies in the Black Chair that resulted from the conversion from a double to a triple about 1990. There were some broken cotter pins which allowed some chairs to slip and was responsible for shutting down the lift about 3 years ago. The problem was found to be caused by the rub rail on the base drive station. When the chair was converted, nobody adjusted the rub rail for wider chairs. That was fixed and the motion of the chairs stopped pulling on the cotter pins. Two years ago the lift inspector observed that some chairs were not swinging freely. A study revealed that when the chairs were converted to triples, they replaced bronze bearings in the head with polyimide greaseless bearings and removed the grease fitting. With greaseless bearings no lubrication was being supplied to the chair head to grip flats as the polyimide became less “slippery”. The solution, which has been discussed at length with the Professional Engineer supervising the repair, the lift inspector and Magic operations, is to replace the polyimide bushing with sintered bushings and to install new grease fittings in all the chairs. Magic’s operation crew is now well along in replacing the polyimide bushings with metal. As this work is being done, the state inspector is overlooking the repair.
It looks like the mountain will be ready to open as usual with both the Red and Black chairs running."

[RustyGroomer]

Did the intelligence of this post confuse people? Everyone was firing replies until something made some sense.

[Aldo]

ha

[Dexter Rutecki]

All the bitching worked?

[Dexter Rutecki]

I've been saying this for years:

The solution, which has been discussed at length with the Professional Engineer supervising the repair, the lift inspector and Magic operations, is to replace the polyimide bushing with sintered bushings and to install new grease fittings in all the chairs.

They forgot the part about the blue bubbles to make it competitive with Stratton's Ejaculator Express, but it's a start.

[RustyGroomer]

ha

That's it?

You have 2 maybe 3 votes to run the place FYI. You're way out in front.

[Dexter Rutecki]

President Aldo?

[Benny Profane]

To me it's not clear that Magic is a 'failing' area (as Benny said) or falling flat on its face. I've never seen anything beyond some informal numbers (who knows, maybe that's all Magic has anyway), but my belief is that everything has been headed in the right direction for a number of years now. There are/were legacy debt issues that were never properly addressed, but looking at things now and going forward I think Magic could be viable (with something like the current business model--again, insofar as Magic has a structured business model).

In a word, demographics, Dex. The Boomers who were the Northeast ski market for decades now are dying, and not enough are replacing them. Most, dare I use the word, millennials, cannot afford the sport. Add to that cheap air fare to the west, and it's pissing in the wind. Game over. Sad to watch, but, at least, don't get financially involved.

[Aldo]

Honestly I think the flamingo toss would be the first thing on the chopping block for me. Then maybe add sliced bread to the bloody bar.

[Dexter Rutecki]

All the kids love the flamingo toss. I think if they had to choose between eliminating that and eliminating the big air they'd keep the toss.

[prsboogie]

Hey Benny, were you at the Whiskey tasting in RI? There was a boisterous individual bragging about his 50 days at Kmart to the Mad River Distillery guy!

[Benny Profane]

No, I'm into the many Colorado whiskeys being bottled these days. There are more than a few. Add the edibles, and, well, bye bye.

[MyNameIsAugustWest]

Keep your interwebz on alert for pass sales to start. Maybe even today? My info say they will offer early season pricing as promised.

[DoWork]

Another day another sick tree run that didn't exist last season.





The next two weekends are official work days too. Really hoping people come out to help, There's a lot of projects lined up that will need all the people we can get! This mountain is going to be looking so sick going into the season, I can't wait to ski all these new trees!!