Mystery Ski Areas in Equinox (Manchester VT) ad

NELSAP

This ad appeared on my Facebook feed today, which was for the Equinox Resort in Manchester, VT. The ad talked about how close they were to skiing at Stratton and Bromley.

Both photos are definitely not from Stratton or Bromley. One shows what looks like abandoned trails-and I think it is from Big Squaw, Maine. The other is of a Doppelmayr Quad but Stratton doesn't have any fixed grips lift near the summit (as this looks like a summit shot) and definitely not Bromley.

Let's figure this out - see if I'm right about Squaw, and what the chair is from. And if so, why in the world would the Equinox use a video of a lost portion of a ski resort in Maine?

lotsoskiing

Very cool top pic. No idea on the lift one.

The abandoned trails look to be on a substantial mountain...a head scratcher.

Maybe Big Squaw for the upper one? Top of Penobscot on left, then moose River winding down across old lift line?

riverc0il

Kinda looks a bit like lookers right at the Balsams Wilderness.

Chairlift pic is of a narrow line, upper mountain. Pretty unusual, so shouldn't be too hard. Maybe Saddleback Kennebago Quad? Though, I don't remember blue seat backs for that lift.

Definitely odd picture choices! Not just due to incorrect locations, but just not very good pictures to promote nearby resorts.

NewEnglandSkier13

I can confirm that the top one is Big Squaw. No idea about the bottom one, but I don't think it's in New England. Something about it makes me want to Quebec though. It's an older model Doppelmayr quad.

TomWhite

Stratton's North American double was replaced/converted to a quad. It ran for a few years before Ursa went in. But I don't remember blue chairs (either). There are many pine trees at the summit, but I don't recall it looking like that. Kidderbrook was a FGQ but more open than the photo. And if the top photo is Big Squaw, Equinox didn't try to only use photos from Stratton and Bromley. That's my two cents.

newpylong

Definitely not New England on the quad.

abubob

They advertise skiing close by at Bromley, Stratton or Magic. There’s no trails whatsoever on Equinox. I’m gonna guess the trail photo they show is Stratton although I can’t guess which trails.

joshua_segal

https://www.newenglandskihistory.com/cancelledskiareas/Vermont/mtequinox.php

rocket21's site shows a proposed area on Mt. Equinox. Sometimes proposed areas used doctored photos. That one looks a lot like Upper Ravine at Cannon Mtn.

NewEnglandSkier13

abubob;c-57500 wroteThey advertise skiing close by at Bromley, Stratton or Magic. There’s no trails whatsoever on Equinox. I’m gonna guess the trail photo they show is Stratton although I can’t guess which trails.

The trail photo is Big Squaw.

ADKskier

Its big squaw mountain

ADKskier

https://unofficialnetworks.com/2021/01/21/big-squaw-renovation-proposed/

ADKskier

Tried using google lens but no dice on the ski lift.

NewEnglandSkier13

ADKskier;c-57515 wroteTried using google lens but no dice on the ski lift.

I did the same thing. All of the similar lifts it brings up are European.

z1000307470

TomWhite;c-57497 wroteStratton's North American double was replaced/converted to a quad. It ran for a few years before Ursa went in. But I don't remember blue chairs (either). There are many pine trees at the summit, but I don't recall it looking like that. Kidderbrook was a FGQ but more open than the photo. And if the top photo is Big Squaw, Equinox didn't try to only use photos from Stratton and Bromley. That's my two cents.

I think you are right - the lift looks like the top of the North American FGQ. You can just make out the trail that crosses under the lift to get to Tamarack. It is not Kidderbrook.

NewEnglandSkier13

z1000307470;c-57531 wrote
TomWhite;c-57497 wroteStratton's North American double was replaced/converted to a quad. It ran for a few years before Ursa went in. But I don't remember blue chairs (either). There are many pine trees at the summit, but I don't recall it looking like that. Kidderbrook was a FGQ but more open than the photo. And if the top photo is Big Squaw, Equinox didn't try to only use photos from Stratton and Bromley. That's my two cents.
I think you are right - the lift looks like the top of the North American FGQ. You can just make out the trail that crosses under the lift to get to Tamarack. It is not Kidderbrook.

Not possible. The North American Quad was a Poma.

rickbolger

It looks to me like a stock photo, lift sort of looks like this one with some blue something on the chairs

Stock footage from Bukovel in Ukraine looks a lot like it

https://www.shutterstock.com/video/clip-1067470697-bukovel-ukraine---february-1-2021-people

Edit: Here's another stock image from Bukovel, lots of things line up on the landscape but I'm not a lift expert

Peter

Definitely Europe for the lift. Rick I think you are spot on.

lotsoskiing

rickbolger;c-57539 wroteIt looks to me like a stock photo, lift sort of looks like this one with some blue something on the chairs

Stock footage from Bukovel in Ukraine looks a lot like it

https://www.shutterstock.com/video/clip-1067470697-bukovel-ukraine---february-1-2021-people

Edit: Here's another stock image from Bukovel, lots of things line up on the landscape but I'm not a lift expert

That is the craziest sleuthing on one of these I have ever seen. Impressive!

ADKskier

I think you guys may be on to something here. The backs of the chairs do have advertisements on them too.

z1000307470

Kudos to rickbolger for the impressive detective work.