Whitewolf here we come! Alpine + Squaw. Dreams can come true.

[nickwm21]

Bump for the Troy interview on Snowbrains

[raisingarizona13]

Gated community ski area? That sounds kind of sucky.

[old goat]

Gated community ski area? That sounds kind of sucky.

I don't think he has much choice--Placer County will only give him a permit for a "friends and family" ski area. He probably doesn't have the resources to hire the consultants and lawyers it would take to get a permit for a real ski area. So if the area is going to have that limited of a clientele he has to figure out how to get the money it will take to build and run it out of a very few people.

As far as the interconnect goes, either he's shining us on, or, much more likely, KSL is shining him on. No way an interconnect via white wolf makes economic sense, given KSL's business model--any interconnect needs to be low intermediate friendly.

[raisingarizona13]

I don't think he has much choice--Placer County will only give him a permit for a "friends and family" ski area. He probably doesn't have the resources to hire the consultants and lawyers it would take to get a permit for a real ski area. So if the area is going to have that limited of a clientele he has to figure out how to get the money it will take to build and run it out of a very few people.

As far as the interconnect goes, either he's shining us on, or, much more likely, KSL is shining him on. No way an interconnect via white wolf makes economic sense, given KSL's business model--any interconnect needs to be low intermediate friendly.

A lift that loads in both directions?

[TahoeJ]

He mentions the possibility of a connector gondola - which probably makes sense because it could be used all season long regardless of snow cover or stability, and service all skier levels.

I thought his explanation for going private vs. public made a lot of sense.

[raisingarizona13]

He mentions the possibility of a connector gondola - which probably makes sense because it could be used all season long regardless of snow cover or stability, and service all skier levels.

I thought his explanation for going private vs. public made a lot of sense.

As in it would be the most profit for him?

[Hugh Conway]

As in it would be the most profit for him?

It's not like KSL is some hippie-dippie non-profit doing it for the community, he's entitled to whatever he can get.

[AdironRider]

As in it would be the most profit for him?

So if you were him you'd just open it up for free?

[TahoeJ]

As in it would be the most profit for him?

No, not dealing with all of the hassle of getting public use permits. It's a major PITA and would probably take twice as long or more. When I first heard "private" I thought that was extremely lame but that reasoning makes a lot more sense IMO. So while not ideal, I get it.

[raisingarizona13]

No, not dealing with all of the hassle of getting public use permits. It's a major PITA and would probably take twice as long or more. When I first heard "private" I thought that was extremely lame but that reasoning makes a lot more sense IMO. So while not ideal, I get it.

Ok, this makes sense. That was the answer I was digging for I guess.

[old goat]

A lift that loads in both directions?

Are there chairs that download comfortabl9?. People do download chairs of course, even Red Dog (beginners get up there and decide to download with patrol) but I don't think the ordinary chair whether fixed or detachable would be very popular. A gondola of course could do it but would be very expensive. An interconnect is certainly possible; I'm just questioning whether it will make economic sense to KSL--in fact I wonder if we'll see any lift upgrades while they're spending big bucks on the village for the next few decades. An interconnect would mainly be of use to people staying in the village, especially those without cars. The rest of us decide where to ski for the day and go there. There's enough at either area to keep anyone busy for a day. I've ridden Peak to Peak at Whistler Blackcomb a couple of times--once out of curiosity and once to see if the fog was any better over yonder (it wasn't); I can't say it added anything to the experience.

[The Dad]

Are there chairs that download comfortabl9?.

There's one at Val D'Isere. But it feels a lot higher going down than up.

Gondola remains the most likely.

Regardless, this is a marketing question - both to ticket/pass purchasers and to potential purchasers of the resort.

[Hugh Conway]

I've ridden Peak to Peak at Whistler Blackcomb a couple of times--once out of curiosity and once to see if the fog was any better over yonder (it wasn't); I can't say it added anything to the experience.

err - you can ski W or B staying in the main base village easily riding lifts; P2P just means you don't have to ski to the base to get to the other side. You can't ski Alpine and Squaw without getting in a shuttle bus (or a car, or whatever). So if you want to market a "great big area" you need a "great big area". Surely this is actually obvious if you think about it? There's a whole realm of lifts beyond the little shitlets and whatever. Oh well, now back to the usual local/2ndhomeownerswhopretendtheyarelocals/bayareadouches

[raisingarizona13]

Well I'm sure KSL will work out the kinks. I just think it's a bummer that White Wolf will be a private closed zone for only the wealthy sort of like the Yellow Stone Club. Sounds fucking lame to me but whatever.

[old goat]

err - you can ski W or B staying in the main base village easily riding lifts; P2P just means you don't have to ski to the base to get to the other side. You can't ski Alpine and Squaw without getting in a shuttle bus (or a car, or whatever). So if you want to market a "great big area" you need a "great big area". Surely this is actually obvious if you think about it? There's a whole realm of lifts beyond the little shitlets and whatever. Oh well, now back to the usual local/2ndhomeownerswhopretendtheyarelocals/bayareadouches

It is obvious--they have to market one big area, they don't have to actually build it. Remember, they're not marketing to skiers, they're marketing to real estate investors. All they have to do is keep talking about an interconnect. How many real estate developments in this country promised parks, community centers, tennis courts, pools, and golf courses that were never built?

A local is someone who goes to Maui in March and leaves town for the fourth of july.

[Hugh Conway]

they are interested in bringing the $ per visitor up. for that they need more destination tourists, staying in the valley, eating in the valley, taking expensive ski lessons. a shuttle bus won't cut it. The competition is W/B and the like; they've been rather successful at raking in more $ and generating cash. P2P was useful for this (as well as bringing in summer business I believe). Kirkwood soaked up all the saps who wanted pie in the sky sierra bullshit. < shrug > now back to the usual california schizophrenia

[old goat]

Maybe what KSL needs is a Zip Line from the top of red dog to AM base, and a chair lift from AM base to the top of Red Dog.

[Hugh Conway]

Dig a tunnel through to the Alpine side? Build parking garages, shopping mall, discotheques?

[plugboots]

I almost care about this, so I watched the video, and all I got out of it was this:

[TahoeJ]

they are interested in bringing the $ per visitor up. for that they need more destination tourists, staying in the valley, eating in the valley, taking expensive ski lessons. a shuttle bus won't cut it. The competition is W/B and the like; they've been rather successful at raking in more $ and generating cash. P2P was useful for this (as well as bringing in summer business I believe).

This. Riding a gondola from one mountain to the other is sexy / cool - riding a shuttle bus is decidedly not. I do think they'll actually build it... unless the whole village expansion falls through, then not a chance in hell.

[nickwm21]

What should KSL spend their money on?
Can the interests of KSL/tourist/weekendwarroirs/residents/employees/Troy be aligned?

I think that answer lies more in Whitewolf than in waterslides & bowling alleys at the Village.

[LightRanger]

This. Riding a gondola from one mountain to the other is sexy / cool - riding a shuttle bus is decidedly not. I do think they'll actually build it... unless the whole village expansion falls through, then not a chance in hell.

Yep.

BTW, OG and The Dad, Heavenly downloads Gunbarrel all the time. It doesn't traverse any heavy terrain, but it's a regular download nonetheless.

[SnowHot]

A lift that loads in both directions?

There's one at Val D'Isere. But it feels a lot higher going down than up.

Gondola remains the most likely.

Regardless, this is a marketing question - both to ticket/pass purchasers and to potential purchasers of the resort.

Or a Chondla??

Maybe what KSL needs is a Zip Line from the top of red dog to AM base, and a chair lift from AM base to the top of Red Dog.

Then they could charge for the Zip Line as an added attraction.

[Vets]

Then they could charge for the Zip Line as an added attraction.

...or only open it occasionally like the Silverado lift.

[fomofo]

The journey of the Caldwells is an epic Tahoe tale 50 years in the making

https://tahoequarterly.com/features/mountain-dreamers