Breaking - Killington sale announced

[Clutch]

I think the only thing you really learn on that trail is how to walk on skis. It is basically flat. It is real bad when there are snowmaking whales on it.

I had the misfortune of taking that trail this weekend. I thought the bumps were intentional to give the noobs little mini hills to practice on. I always thought snowshed was flat enough for beginers, my one time on skis I got sick of the tow rope at snowshed pretty quickly.

[Bubba]

The land below the compressor road, down to Snowshed, was in the plans to be turned into parking if the Centex village plan went through. I think they were then going to move the learn to ski area in that space over to the Rams Head side.

I'm talking about that patch of snow maybe 300 yards below the Superstar quad where they have ski lessons of some sort. ...or am I hallucinating?

No, I think you're correct, that area was set aside for development. I was referring to the lower area in the context of the parking discussion.

[Dr Z]

Look, if I buy a pass and then they still want to charge me $10 to $20 to park on Saturday and Sunday, I'll be pretty pissed off. Paying to park after buyng a lift ticket or pass is complete sh*t. Completely unacceptable. and I dont think I should have to park on f*** route 4 either. Im on the access road for the convenience it offers....which will be negated if I have to drive to Bear or Skyeship. If thats the case, I might as well go back to renting in Bridgewater which was a hell of a lot cheaper than renting on the access road

You got it wrong. You pay to park first then you go to pay for the ticket -after the "free" shuttle ride.

[Bubba]

They bring them up from Snowshed on the bus drop them off just below the SS lift then the bus picks them up on the Dirt road by the compressors.

I think the only thing you really learn on that trail is how to walk on skis. It is basically flat. It is real bad when there are snowmaking whales on it.

They start the never evers on the knoll above that trail, then have them ski slowly down the trail toward the compressor area. That area seems flat to us but, to a never ever, the slope is enough to get started. Killington's senior management made a presentation a number of years ago that included the never ever retention issue and the fact that a slope of no more than something like 6 degrees is plenty for a never ever. I may have the numbers wrong but that's their story.

[nancie2k]

that is where i first learned how to ski and i remember vividly how fast i seemed to get going over there and how steep snowshed looked when we were '' ready" for that trail.

[Highway Star]

They bring them up from Snowshed on the bus drop them off just below the SS lift then the bus picks them up on the Dirt road by the compressors.

I think the only thing you really learn on that trail is how to walk on skis. It is basically flat. It is real bad when there are snowmaking whales on it.

How much do they charge for that.....$100+?

[Steve]

They bring them up from Snowshed on the bus drop them off just below the SS lift then the bus picks them up on the Dirt road by the compressors.

I think the only thing you really learn on that trail is how to walk on skis. It is basically flat. It is real bad when there are snowmaking whales on it.

an instructor friend told me those whales have a purpose - the newbies stop on them after getting a little speed on the (very gradual) downhill parts of the trail.

"of course, a guy your size would just cruise over all of them."

[nancie2k]

Ski-N-Sail wrote:
They bring them up from Snowshed on the bus drop them off just below the SS lift then the bus picks them up on the Dirt road by the compressors.

I think the only thing you really learn on that trail is how to walk on skis. It is basically flat. It is real bad when there are snowmaking whales on it.

You also learn how to get back up after you fall down

[Nevada West]

How much do they charge for that.....$100+? [/quote]

Dude- You are sooo Kool! I am sure that you could just rip it out of the gate.

Everyone needs to start somewhere. Humility is a great spot. Check it out on Google Earth.

NW

[ace]

Where the stars are brighter

By Paul Sullivan

Published: February 23 2007 15:05 | Last updated: February 23 2007 15:05

For Vermont ski resorts, this has been a winter of discontent. The unseasonably warm weather and lack of natural snow throughout much of the north-eastern US have left many struggling with muddy slopes and disgruntled skiers. But at Stratton, a resort known for having one of the most expensive lift tickets in the region and some of the highest house prices, life has not been so bad.

“Our goal is to be an experience for a certain person, who tends to be more affluent,” says Michael Cobb, vice-president of marketing. “We’re constantly trying to push the envelope of how people enjoy the mountain. It’s about escape, community, multiple activities.”

Buyers at Stratton “make a purchase of the head and the heart”, adds Mark Hall, vice-president of real estate development. Most are 30 to 45, married with children, and “if you had to put a pin in a map, Greenwich, Connecticut” – epicentre of the US hedge fund industry – “is the area we draw the most purchasers from”.

Certainly buyers at the resort seem to care less about ski conditions than they do about its convenient location – within easy reach of both New York and Boston – and its concentration of residential, rather than hotel development, which sets it apart from more holiday- and day-trip-oriented Killington, Okemo and Mount Snow.

Stratton knows its role. When residents are in search of great powder, they’ll probably hop on a flight to Colorado or Utah. When they want a place to take their families, say, two weekends a month and to relax a bit themselves, they go to southern Vermont.

Before resort operator Intrawest bought Stratton in 1994, it comprised mainly of single-family homes haphazardly built away from the ski slopes. A master plan was created in 1998 that called for 1,350 residences to be built by 2013. A little less than half of them have been completed, with 75 homes being built a year.

“We control all the substantial developable real estate here, control the amount that comes onto the market,” Hall says. “There are no parcels that provide competition to us. It’s how we maintain value for our previous buyers and ourselves going forward.”

When prices slumped in 2006, for example, the company slowed new construction.

Stratton condominiums now range in price from less than $500,000 to more than $1m. A pair of two-bedroom units in the Long Trail House are for sale at $437,500 and $480,000, up from the original selling prices of $279,900 to $309,900 when they were completed in 1999. A three-bedroom, top-floor condo in the Founders Lodge, the newest development, with views of the mountain and the village common skating pond and access to a fitness room and hot tub, is $1.39m. In Solstice, a ski-in-ski-out development at the base of the Sunbowl, a four-bedroom duplex that was purchased in 2002 for $827,553 sold in October for $1.55m. There is now a similar home, which was purchased for $804,335 in 2000, on the market for $1.69m. In Snowbridge, limited to 36 residences overlooking the valley, homes originally sold at $550,000 in 1999. Last season, they went for $1.6m to $1.7m. Each development has a dedicated shuttle to transport people back to the village but they are also situated to allow residents to ski in, if not to ski out as well.

Stratton would not release figures on its occupancy rates this season, saying Intrawest does not break out individual resorts. However, Hall emphasises that its condos and town homes are not usually treated as rental properties. “These units are relatively expensive,” he says. “The cost of ownership does not make them feasible to rent out.”

Buyers also want to enjoy the Stratton lifestyle themselves. The village contains nice restaurants, a spa and upscale shops, including the only Bogner (luxury ski wear) shop in north America. The condo-hotels that sit around it have exercise facilities, pools and plenty of activities for children, including an all-weather youth park with a skate ramp and climbing wall. This means mummy and daddy can drink while junior runs around safe from harm. It also means there are plenty of other things to do if the slopes aren’t pristine.

Stratton has also looked to add additional layers of exclusivity over the years. One is the Stratton Mountain Club, opened four years ago to recreate the feeling of a small lodge where skiers can dine together in common areas. With annual dues of $3,300 (plus food and drink expenses), the club appears to have hit its mark. Cobb estimates there is an eight- to 10-year waiting list to join.

When it comes to its core business – skiing – Stratton emphasises quality over quantity. Its slopes are known for being well-groomed and even its toughest terrain is not terribly challenging. Even in a winter of patchy weather, it has continued its snow guarantee programme: if, after an hour, you don’t like it, you get a credit for another day. But it also limits visitor numbers by keeping the price of its daily lift ticket high. At $75, it is only exceeded by Stowe, which charges $76 and is an hour further north.

Local Vermont skiers, the kind that go out in all conditions and pride themselves on their New England crustiness, disparage Stratton for its aspirations, for trying to be the “Deer Valley of the east”, drawing parallels with the ultra-cushy resort in Park City, Utah.

But that’s fine by Stratton, which would rather not have day skiers. “We’re not trying to overcrowd the mountain,” says Cobb. “We use a strategy of how we price and how we attract groups and clubs so we can manage the mountain.”

And, of course, residents don’t pay the top lift ticket rate. Season passes range from $200 with limited weekend access to $1,200 with the benefit of reaching the lifts 45 minutes before everyone else. In an effort to promote eco-friendliness, Stratton has also started giving away free lift tickets to residents that purchase renewable energy credits for their homes. The resort has itself purchased 16.5m kilowatt hours to offset its operations.

In the end, the mountain – as viewed from million-dollar condominiums – remains the attraction, Cobb says. “Vermont is this magical brand. People want to get away to this place where the stars are brighter and the air is a little clearer.”

And they’re willing to pay for it.

[SloeRide]

At $75, it is only exceeded by Stowe, which charges $76 and is an hour further north.

By what? Private jet? I don't know about that...takes me 2 1/2 hours to get to Stratton. 4 1/2 to get to Stowe.

But believe me now, trust me later, the terrain is pretty good at Stratton. Woods are abundant and diverse. For a very long time, it's their "clientele" that suck. And their sucky kids. Hardly worth molesting (just added that to see if anyone was reading this). If the masses ever knew how truly obnoxious these hyper-indulgent families were, we would have had a revolution in 1987.

[BoozeTan]

You got it wrong. You pay to park first then you go to pay for the ticket -after the "free" shuttle ride.

Sorry...Im dsielxic

[Highway Star]

Where the stars are brighter

By Paul Sullivan

Published: February 23 2007 15:05 | Last updated: February 23 2007 15:05

For Vermont ski resorts, this has been a winter of discontent. The unseasonably warm weather and lack of natural snow throughout much of the north-eastern US have left many struggling with muddy slopes and disgruntled skiers. But at Stratton, a resort known for having one of the most expensive lift tickets in the region and some of the highest house prices, life has not been so bad.

“Our goal is to be an experience for a certain person, who tends to be more affluent,” says Michael Cobb, vice-president of marketing. “We’re constantly trying to push the envelope of how people enjoy the mountain. It’s about escape, community, multiple activities.”

Buyers at Stratton “make a purchase of the head and the heart”, adds Mark Hall, vice-president of real estate development. Most are 30 to 45, married with children, and “if you had to put a pin in a map, Greenwich, Connecticut” – epicentre of the US hedge fund industry – “is the area we draw the most purchasers from”.

Certainly buyers at the resort seem to care less about ski conditions than they do about its convenient location – within easy reach of both New York and Boston – and its concentration of residential, rather than hotel development, which sets it apart from more holiday- and day-trip-oriented Killington, Okemo and Mount Snow.

Stratton knows its role. When residents are in search of great powder, they’ll probably hop on a flight to Colorado or Utah. When they want a place to take their families, say, two weekends a month and to relax a bit themselves, they go to southern Vermont.

Before resort operator Intrawest bought Stratton in 1994, it comprised mainly of single-family homes haphazardly built away from the ski slopes. A master plan was created in 1998 that called for 1,350 residences to be built by 2013. A little less than half of them have been completed, with 75 homes being built a year.

“We control all the substantial developable real estate here, control the amount that comes onto the market,” Hall says. “There are no parcels that provide competition to us. It’s how we maintain value for our previous buyers and ourselves going forward.”

When prices slumped in 2006, for example, the company slowed new construction.

Stratton condominiums now range in price from less than $500,000 to more than $1m. A pair of two-bedroom units in the Long Trail House are for sale at $437,500 and $480,000, up from the original selling prices of $279,900 to $309,900 when they were completed in 1999. A three-bedroom, top-floor condo in the Founders Lodge, the newest development, with views of the mountain and the village common skating pond and access to a fitness room and hot tub, is $1.39m. In Solstice, a ski-in-ski-out development at the base of the Sunbowl, a four-bedroom duplex that was purchased in 2002 for $827,553 sold in October for $1.55m. There is now a similar home, which was purchased for $804,335 in 2000, on the market for $1.69m. In Snowbridge, limited to 36 residences overlooking the valley, homes originally sold at $550,000 in 1999. Last season, they went for $1.6m to $1.7m. Each development has a dedicated shuttle to transport people back to the village but they are also situated to allow residents to ski in, if not to ski out as well.

Stratton would not release figures on its occupancy rates this season, saying Intrawest does not break out individual resorts. However, Hall emphasises that its condos and town homes are not usually treated as rental properties. “These units are relatively expensive,” he says. “The cost of ownership does not make them feasible to rent out.”

Buyers also want to enjoy the Stratton lifestyle themselves. The village contains nice restaurants, a spa and upscale shops, including the only Bogner (luxury ski wear) shop in north America. The condo-hotels that sit around it have exercise facilities, pools and plenty of activities for children, including an all-weather youth park with a skate ramp and climbing wall. This means mummy and daddy can drink while junior runs around safe from harm. It also means there are plenty of other things to do if the slopes aren’t pristine.

Stratton has also looked to add additional layers of exclusivity over the years. One is the Stratton Mountain Club, opened four years ago to recreate the feeling of a small lodge where skiers can dine together in common areas. With annual dues of $3,300 (plus food and drink expenses), the club appears to have hit its mark. Cobb estimates there is an eight- to 10-year waiting list to join.

When it comes to its core business – skiing – Stratton emphasises quality over quantity. Its slopes are known for being well-groomed and even its toughest terrain is not terribly challenging. Even in a winter of patchy weather, it has continued its snow guarantee programme: if, after an hour, you don’t like it, you get a credit for another day. But it also limits visitor numbers by keeping the price of its daily lift ticket high. At $75, it is only exceeded by Stowe, which charges $76 and is an hour further north.

Local Vermont skiers, the kind that go out in all conditions and pride themselves on their New England crustiness, disparage Stratton for its aspirations, for trying to be the “Deer Valley of the east”, drawing parallels with the ultra-cushy resort in Park City, Utah.

But that’s fine by Stratton, which would rather not have day skiers. “We’re not trying to overcrowd the mountain,” says Cobb. “We use a strategy of how we price and how we attract groups and clubs so we can manage the mountain.”

And, of course, residents don’t pay the top lift ticket rate. Season passes range from $200 with limited weekend access to $1,200 with the benefit of reaching the lifts 45 minutes before everyone else. In an effort to promote eco-friendliness, Stratton has also started giving away free lift tickets to residents that purchase renewable energy credits for their homes. The resort has itself purchased 16.5m kilowatt hours to offset its operations.

In the end, the mountain – as viewed from million-dollar condominiums – remains the attraction, Cobb says. “Vermont is this magical brand. People want to get away to this place where the stars are brighter and the air is a little clearer.”

And they’re willing to pay for it.

Killington has a long, LOOOOOOOONG way to go before they can even consider thinking about competing with Stratton, in Stratton's area of the market.........if it was even possible, which I highly doubt. Okemo sort of does, but not quite.

Stratton's terrain isn't that bad, but it's not that much better than Okemo, and has about as much character. The mountain layout is pretty good. Stowe and Sugarbush blow it away though by far. Killington sort of falls in the middle.

Killington's market will continue to be being the biggest, maybe the best, and offering a well rounded package that appeals to a wide variety of people. They are not directly marketable to the Stratton crew, nor true Vermont skiers.

[BoozeTan]

Stratton can keep there latte drinking rich folk and there bratty spoiled kids....

[Vinny Vincenzo]

Stratton can keep there latte drinking rich folk and there bratty spoiled kids....

Really, like the KBL bar is in competetion with the Stratton Country Club.