Saddleback aims to open

joshua_segal

sugarloaf;c-38997 wroteIf this deal falls through, I wonder what the Berry's will do.

Three possibilities:
1. The Berry's will liquidate the ski area for its scrap value.
2. The Berry's will finally start to deal directly with SMF.
3. The "greater fool theory" will apply and someone else will ignore the financial data and give it a go. I've met and spoken with the last three owners. The first lost about $1M; the second lost $8M and as it shakes out, the Berry's are probably at about $40M. Not a great business model!

rickbolger

It's starting to sound like the Aussies but without prostitutes

sugarloaf

4. The Berry's continue to wait for a buyer that works best for Saddleback.

Remski

Rest In Peace SADDLEBACK. That’s my most optimistic view.

sugarloaf

Saddleback probably has the best if not one of the best snow retention locations in New England

ski_it

Remski;c-39030 wroteRest In Peace SADDLEBACK. That’s my most optimistic view.

The same was said of Magic.

sugarloaf

ski_it;c-39043 wrote
Remski;c-39030 wroteRest In Peace SADDLEBACK. That’s my most optimistic view.
The same was said of Magic.

Magics location allows for easy day trip access from Boston/Albany/Hartford and Springfield. Saddleback is a haul from Portland and Boston. It's a 3 hour drive from Portland and 5 hours away from Boston.

It's like Sugarloaf, it's location is both a blessing and a curse. But Sugarloaf has a village and vast bedspace, Saddleback doesn't. Sugarloaf can attract an extended staying person.

joshua_segal

sugarloaf;c-39031 wroteSaddleback probably has the best if not one of the best snow retention locations in New England

And a nearly infinite supply of water from Saddleback Lake.

BTW: The current lift system is not designed for the wind problems that Saddleback has. I don't have the exact numbers, but they are closed more days per season due to winds than any other are that I know of. Years ago, I was on a vacation there with my kids. When they failed to open one day of that vacation, there was absolutely nothing to do.

Once that happened, it is unlikely that I would have booked a vacation there again. (Well after that [for those of you who know that I've skied there a lot,] a close friend of mine bought a condo there and the Director of Snowsports always comped me with a letter of introduction from my Snowsports Director. So I had no "financial investment" in the trip.)

rickbolger

sugarloaf;c-39047 wrote
Magic's location

+1

Magic actually has people driving past it to get other places, so that helps. Saddleback? Not so much

sugarloaf

rickbolger;c-39062 wrote
sugarloaf;c-39047 wrote
Magic's location

+1

Magic actually has people driving past it to get other places, so that helps. Saddleback? Not so much

Saddleback is a destination that requires determination. It's isolated and the roads leading there can be a hazerdous mix of suicidal moose and logging trucks driving mach 1. At least at Magic you can go to Bromley or Stratton if the snow is bad.

ski_it

Remski;c-39030 wroteRest In Peace SADDLEBACK. That’s my most optimistic view.

ok...The same was said of The Balsams. (Ok, the biggest similarities are they both have a website and neither is on NELSAP...yet. Can't say that about Haystack.)

I knew you people would say that. I just meant the RIP part... guess I can't use Powder Ridge either...

conrad

I haven't been to any meetings, but I would be most worried that "the investors" are a total hoax and that when the two million dollars are raised, someone will take the money and run. Hard to believe that would happen in this day and age, but that's just what it all sounds like to me. Doesn't help when you see some conflicting information in news reports, short rushed time frame, and all the vagueness surrounding the exact details, especially the investors. I would guess only 1 or 2 or maybe 3 people would actually be in on the scheme, the rest of the people working on the deal might genuinely believe in the project.
*note I doubt this is the case, but it still seems like a valid concern. What happens if the deal falls through, does the money go back to the donors? etc. etc. etc. Seems crazy that they expect people to throw their money at them with nothing, not even 10 year pass or even a season pass in return.

pagamony

Saddleback is a haul but I did not think it was as bad as Sugarloaf penned. Just keep driving man, eventually you get either there or a border crossing.

To me, this picture says skiing: I know it could have been taken a dozen places, but still, this is cool.

z1000307470

pagamony;c-39082 wroteSaddleback is a haul but I did not think it was as bad as Sugarloaf penned. Just keep driving man, eventually you get either there or a border crossing.

It is that bad. We went up the summer after they closed for good. The roads were a nightmare of frost heaves, pot holes, and missing pavement on the sides of the roads. The Rangeley area is beautiful, once you get there. We rented a cabin for a week in Hunter Cove. It was a great vacation.

ski_it

pagamony;c-39082 wroteSaddleback is a haul but I did not think it was as bad as Sugarloaf penned. Just keep driving man, eventually you get either there or a border crossing.

To me, this picture says skiing: I know it could have been taken a dozen places, but still, this is cool.

Thanks, that’s the nicest comment on a pic of mine I can recall (sorry Cisco/SJers.you know I can’t recall much..) I think Sugarloaf posted almost the same view. Not exceptional gnarly, but gave some people a pause (pass). I watched people this weekend skip thru tougher stretches (shorter)in awe. I do recall that day that down below there, skiers left IIRC, there was great snow & runs in the woods between trails.

I took the ride several times. It’s only 5 hours. I drove 9 hours in total last weekend. In later years we’d stay in Farmington, where you can easily reach several ski areas. 1:15 to SB 55 to SL

joshua_segal

Saddleback is almost exactly the same distance from I-95. Right to Kingfield take you to the Loaf. Straight to Rangeley takes you to SB. I am told that the 2-peaks are 5-miles apart as the crow flies, but about 30 miles as the car drives.

That being said, I don't think that the area can support 2 destination resorts of that caliber and Sugarloaf has a huge head-start on infrastructure (and reputation) beyond the basic ski area.

lotsoskiing

joshua_segal;c-39088 wrote I am told that the 2-peaks are 5-miles apart as the crow flies, but about 30 miles as the car drives.

Maine in a nutshell

conrad

joshua_segal;c-39088 wroteI am told that the 2-peaks are 5-miles apart as the crow flies, but about 30 miles as the car drives.

A bit of research on Google Earth reveals that the peaks are only 11.5 miles apart as the crow flies and 36.5 miles apart by car. That's still over 3x the distance!

rickbolger

The distance is not the primary factor. I've made the drive from Sugarloaf to Saddleback a few times, it's at least an hour in reality, and passengers think we're in Siberia. One time a passenger said "there's a horse in the road...that's a strange looking horse"

The point I was trying to make about Magic v Saddleback is that people drive past Magic to get other places, so it has some natural traffic that has slowly but surely funneled Okemo and other skiers off to pay an occasional visit. Then many of them enjoy it, so they add it in to future trips. It's ten minutes off Route 100.

There aren't nearly as many people who would say "next trip to Eustis, let's give Saddleback a try"

lotsoskiing

rickbolger;c-39099 wroteThe distance is not the primary factor. I've made the drive from Sugarloaf to Saddleback a few times, it's at least an hour in reality, and passengers think we're in Siberia. One time a passenger said "there's a horse in the road...that's a strange looking horse"

The point I was trying to make about Magic v Saddleback is that people drive past Magic to get other places, so it has some natural traffic that has slowly but surely funneled Okemo and other skiers off to pay an occasional visit. Then many of them enjoy it, so they add it in to future trips. It's ten minutes off Route 100.

There aren't nearly as many people who would say "next trip to Eustis, let's give Saddleback a try"

Call it the "Big Tupper Effect".

The difference, though, is that SB with a bed base is a better resort than BT would be, even if there were beds.

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