New Lodge at Ski Bowl

[I:)skiing]

Stopped by ski bowl this weekend. There is a large masonary fireplace and a building under frame next to the pavillion. The building is about 30 x 60 ??? I did not get out of the car to measure. Small warming hut, consessions, bathrooms for the tubing?

Checked the website and sadly did not see any info.....I sent a post recommendaiton to them asking 1) how about updating the photo of the day....weekly. 2) mentioning something about the new building.


Also they are expanding the "shed" at the base of the tube lift...That shed is 8 x 10 ish...putting on an addition about 6 by 8.

[Snowballs]

in one of the old post star articles Pratt was Quoted as saying a ADK lodge was in the ....pipe dream....for atop Bear mtn. just a lil fwiw.

did you see any other signs of construction?.....trail work, etc.

[Danzilla]

I was up a few weeks ago and noticed the "new" lodge as well. It looked about the same size as the old one and it looked like the fireplace WAS the old one - like maybe the building had burned down? We were on a walk and is started pouring so I didn't get a really good look. It looked as though they might be clearing the lift line for the new ski bowl lift too. Either that or I just saw the old line at the right angle (you can still kinda see where it ran). Whatever it was that I saw looked pretty steep. I have never hiked that side of the bowl - only the pipeline trail.

A lodge up on bear or even in the old gondi shed on the summit would be nice. Maybe in ten years.

[Denison]

Small warming hut, consessions, bathrooms for the tubing?
That's exactly what was there before. Looks like they might have raised it and building another one around fireplace. I wish you made few pictures.

[Snowballs]

A lodge up on bear or even in the old gondi shed on the summit would be nice. Maybe in ten years.

yea, wouldn't a lodge near the summit warming hut or there abouts, have a smack down view! i know Bear Mtn would be much easy to get supplies and even newbie skiers to. but man, that summit view w/lunch, pretty girl... WOW! and of course Merlot for Harv. i didn't forget ya, Harv! :wink:

wish they'ld move or disassemble the summit gondi shack. drag that sucka off to the side. Wait, here's a match. while we're at it...... remove the old gondi tower from "double barrel "clean up the small trees on it's 2 approaches, perhaps widen the narrower side a tad, add snowmaking and let it bump up perpetually for a classic New England bump run.

YA'LL WOULD LOVE THAT, WOULDN'T CHA!!!? :wink: i can see that being REAL popular!

and skiers could race each other down the double barrel.

and while we're dreaming, it would be really cool if the Straightbrook quad left you off at the true summit. the upper Mtn is sooooo under utilized! all you hear is Hawkeye/Chati....Hawkeye/Chati....ad infinitium. repeating runs on Lies and Rumor would be so much easier! the view from Cloud is superlative and there's even cool intermediate trails down that side back to Straightbrook's base.....aka something for basically everyone.....but the schlep sucks!

bought the kid new skis for his B-day. volkl tigershark 10's. He's strokin it and reeaally hopeing for a freak summer snowstorm! hehehe.

[adkskier]

The "lodge" is owned by the town of Johnsburg. Through a combination of grant money, insuracne settlement money and Gore labor, the town building that has been there is being renovated. Hopefully they'll also remove the mouse turds that used to rain down from the ceiling upon users of the building! It's a shoestring project on an existing footprint.

[Harvey44]

That Gondi shed has got to go. Even if they don't move the lifts...that would cut the schlep WAY down. Could they just burn it?

It would be hugely expensive to get rid of those Gondi towers. I assume...you'd need a chopper? But hey the state tells us all the time if you can pack it in you can pack it out.

I like Mattchuck's idea of running High Peaks to the top of Rumor instead of Lies.

I vote no on any concession at the summit. Put a restaurant at the top of the Gondi and use it during leaf season, Easter Brunch or whatever. You could take your grandma there. Be great to put lights on Ruby Run and Sunway and serve beers up there after closing...then ski down. :wink:


..Merlot for Harv...

OK now you're freakin me out.

[Spongeworthy]

That Gondi shed has got to go. Even if they don't move the lifts...that would cut the schlep WAY down. Could they just burn it?

It would be hugely expensive to get rid of those Gondi towers. I assume...you'd need a chopper? But hey the state tells us all the time if you can pack it in you can pack it out.Don't know for sure, but I bet that those existing structures are protected because they're located within the Forest Preserve. That's why they didn't totally raze the Gondola house at the base when they transformed it into the Northwoods Lodge.

Schlep we must :roll:

[Snowballs]

hehehe.^^^

nay. a couple of guys w/sawzalls or torches could slice and dice that gondi tower top into pieces. the beams aren't very thick. after it was shorten, a couple of cuts and tie it to a backhoe or winches/come-a-longs and put the bottom on the ground, up top. the rest is easy. the snow cat w/the winch would work. if you were nervous, you could chain the cat's front end to a tree. Gore surely has employees that climb towers. i saw a guy "down size" the width of a backhoe front bucket w/ a sawzall once and those are like an inch thick, hardened steel.

local hillbillies would do it for lil money plus the scrape. they like that kinda work. out in Hartford, a local town, they did a midnight commando raid on a guy's big ol' 2 story farm house stealing his slate roof over several nights while he was away! that would be some work, removing all those slate shingles one by one w/out damageing them and getting them on the ground. resale! it's not uncommon for them to steal junk cars outta people's yards out in hillbilly heaven. Enterprising!

High Peaks chair to the summit, hell yeah! why was it shortened in the first place? was it as someone tried to mislead us to believe.... Mike Pratt's planned purpose of distributing skiers around the mtn to minimize lift lines ? HOO BOY!!! as if ! like the double chair unloading at it's summit terminal had anything to do w/ crowds. there's nothing else there!

more likely it was shortened because of the "mistake trail"* they started to cut beside Rumor's location, before they realized they had commited an "oopsie!".

* the mistake trail is the name Gore employees gave the blunder.

[x10003q]

I have 2 stories about why high peaks was shortened.
The first is because back in the 1990s a new gondola was proposed to go to the top and they needed the room for the building and unloading area.
The second was a little more interesting. In the early 1990s the Straightbrook Double was refurbished with a new cable. It remained a double. A year or two later they updated the Straightbrook to a quad. Now they had this refurbished double except the cable was a little short. I think this refurbished double went to the HP. It was justified by reason # 1.
According to Gore the SB quad is 2815 feet in length and the HP double is now 2770 feet in length. According to some old trail maps the HP was listed at 3600 feet in legnth. Thanks ORDA.

"And now you know......the rest of the story. Good day." P Harvey

[Snowballs]

thanks for sharing those stories. any idea where the old HPC terminal was located? Bummer it still doesn't reach the summit. not only would more cloud and it's view be cool, but upper Steil would be within easy reach....rumor also. it's a curious thing. i'll ask JFTJ his take when the season resumes.

it's neat how an old slow double is one of the favorite lifts. not long ago, you could escape the masses on a busy day by hitting the HPC. now the word is out....it's depressing to arrive at the HPC and see a relatively long lift line. :shock: too bad....Betty loved that trail!

[x10003q]

The top of the HP chair used to be almost in front of the warming hut above Cloud. Before they put the quads in there were lines in every pod at Gore during crowded weekends. The trails were even less crowded than they are now. Mostly we rode the Ad Exp and the SB chair. The HP was more crowded than the SB because it was easier for novies/intermediates to use because there was no need to hike to Cloud or Upper Steilhang.

The fact that they refurbished SB as a double then changed it to a quad within a season or two shows some of the nonsense that goes on at ORDA. Maybe the original double had a fatal flaw and ORDA could not get a quad in time to start the season so they stuck a band aid on. Maybe they only had enough money to repair it during some fiscal cycle. The problems at ORDA means they run equipment well beyond its useful life. The original Gore gondola and the Ad Express Triple are recent examples of this issue.

Look at me defending ORDA. :D

[Snowballs]

thanks! so can i read between the lines and sumise the old gondi was lightly used?

3q has alot of Gore history info. some one oughta start a thread! "Weather" man does or not remains to be seen. i can Harvly wait. :roll:

any idea who in the heck Beatty was? as in.........Beatty loved this trail!

fujative knows who the snow Yeti is that yearly puts ski tracks around/thru the pole guy wire(as seen in cartoons!) atop HP lift line.

that Yeti has bean doing it for years.......with hardly a dip in production!

[Spongeworthy]

any idea who in the heck Beatty was? as in.........Beatty loved this trail!It's BETTY, isn't it?

I'm guessing that she's no longer with us :(

[I:)skiing]

I also really enjoy the history lessons..... Maybe someone, somewhere could start a thread where cool stuff, one liners or links can be added by the common folk or marked for the editors to do.
------

Back to the shed underconstruction. When I first saw it, I noticed what I thought was soot on the fireplace...I told my son that there was a fire, lets go see. As we got closer, I saw the new posts, beams and concrete pad, as well as what appears to be new cinderblocks on the rear of the fireplace...so I assumed it was a new fireplace. My second thought was...why would they have put a new building or lodge in that area....? its a bit out of the way from either the tubing and skiing. The response that they used the old footprint...answers that. Sad thing is that there is no where for parents to watch their kids or spouses while tubing....At my local mountian and several others where I have tubed...watching is 1/2 the fun. The parents, at some places, drink it up at $5.00 a beer while the kids slide down at $8.00 an hour. Win/win.

As for photos...I keep telling myself to carry a camera...just to catch the cool stuff my kids do when I am with them. But usually when I leave the home, its all about food, clothes, and a spare diaper packed into my back pocket for my daughter. That and the fact that I sat on my brand new 150 dollar camera the first day I got it.....cracked the LCD photo viewer on a swing..oops wrong pocket.

I too would think Gore and Orda would want to take down the old towers...they do not add "history" to the place, they only make it look junkie in my view. I would tend to agree that there would be some folks who would enjoy taking those things down...if Gore could only limit its liability to the yahoos who would likely get hurt doing it. Just watch America's Funniest Videos...I love the barn tear downs.

[Snowballs]

any idea who in the heck Beatty was? as in.........Beatty loved this trail!It's BETTY, isn't it?

I'm guessing that she's no longer with us :(

i believe you are correct, on both counts. Still the mystery, who was she?

Gore could drop the old Gondi tower above Hawkeye fairly easy. it's already leaning. fell it like a tree. bzzzzzzzzz.....Timber! then slice and dice. i truly think those two trails, as far down as Hawkeye would be easy to set up and be extremely popular. there's already snow making pipes all around it. the better skiers would absolutely love them. they're steep, narrow, could be left perpetually bumped or one of each and all could watch from the chair. that's always very popular fun, esp. when skiers like Mattchuck2 would be rippin it. these Double Barrel trails would supplement the constant Hawkeye/Chati routine. a completed Double Barrel would be a wonderful low cost addition to the upper mtn.

i once saw a guy and his 4 yr old son ski it. that was amazing! i believe he said his name was Ben and his home schooled son skiied 100+ days per year. that kid would be 10ish now and i bet he rips! future Olympian?

the Bowl lodge location not being near the slopes seems to be keeping w/Gore's Grand Strategy. Flats, Flats, Flats and remote parking. i think i'm starting to to see their intent.......combining a Cardio and upper body workout with skiing saves us the expense of gym memberships! i get it's a shoestring budget for the lodge, but short term convience gives way to long term annoyance and as i:)skiing pointed out, loss of dollars. poor execution also leads to lack of use, as with the existing Village Chair.

i:)skiing is right about the watching aspect. at West mtn, many people who don't even ski go to their lodge to wine/dine and watch the skiers as there's an excellent view. that lodge is usually packed with patrons and their stuff is not exactly low dollar. cha-ching.

anybody figure out who the tracks laying Yeti is yet? there's a clue in that post. :wink:

[Harvey44]

http://www.postimage.org/Pq1Q9hfr.jpg (http://www.postimage.org/)

[jimmer]

betty was an old time gore skier,her name was betty redfield,she grew up skiing old gore,raised her family there and new gore too,the hole family could ski,she remained skiing well after her kids gave it up.she wood poach that trail with us long before it was even a public trail,and this she did well into her 70s.she passed a few years back,she was a member of the backwoods ski club outta gore,hung with chubber,who also passed a few years ago,hell of a guy he was,he could tell ya some stories.theres some really interesting older folks that ski gore alot,hawkeye ed who just had hip surgery,doc,whos 80 something,pete who found out he had cancer last year,still skis when he can,and many more.these guys think its great too see our gang ski,but its us that admire them for there love of skiing,and the time they spend on the hill.truely amazing.

[Snowballs]

and truely well written Jimmer. thanks very much for sharing that. it meant alot to me and i'm sure the others will feel the same way.



she wood poach that trail with us long before it was even a public trail,and this she did well into her 70s

what do you say boys? you gotta love a Gal like that! after i see the Betty sign and then ride the chair up that trail, i often think she musta been a hellluva skier!

Here's to you, Betty Redfield! and to all the other hardy, dedicated skiers who made what we have today possible. we thank you!

This POW's for you.

Thanks again Jimmer.

[I:)skiing]

While I have not seen this phenom so much at Gore, I often see groups of elderly skiers at WF. To say they are having fun is quite the understatement. I have done many runs with the group who I am 1/2 their age. Many were instructors there for quite some time.

As I ride the chair.....I pray that I too will have the physical body to cruise the slopes after 70. I know my mind will still be there...

[adkskier]

The 70+ crowd skies during the week as all of us would if we didn't need to work. You'll seldom see them on the weekends unless they are dragging the grandchildren around.

[Snowballs]

in fact, they used to, maybe still do, have a tuesday or wednesday thing where alot of them would come to ski and picnic lunch together at the base lodge. round about 11:00 am or so the Gals would descend to the lodge to set up the their buffet. they were always really nice and friendly, with lots of stories.

one day last year there was a large group of 70-80+ and even a 90 year old or two. on one gondi ride up, two guys, one late 70's and one early 80's, myself and a wild lil 80+ thing from Hawaii. she was there for Pearl Habor, then moved stateside. she was all over the other two guys. telling them how she does the Hula and grilling one w/personal questions and smiles. she asked if he " was still healthy enough to ya know..... bomb it !". :shock: he was kinda stunned. she clarified and added that she doesn't go fast, she just likes to look good while skiing.

there used to another 80+ guy who was a regular. i used to joke around with him. sometimes he wore a Hot Pink coat and pants. i mean flaming Hot Pink. once i said..." that's some outfit you got on". He replied "yea i know.....i be lookin GOOOOOOOOD!".

i love people like the ones mentioned here and in Jimmer's post. they have Spirit and Spunk, standing against others and convention.

They are the Eagles of this world. May they always fly high.

[highpeaksdrifter]

betty was an old time gore skier,her name was betty redfield,she grew up skiing old gore,raised her family there and new gore too,the hole family could ski,she remained skiing well after her kids gave it up.she wood poach that trail with us long before it was even a public trail,and this she did well into her 70s.she passed a few years back,she was a member of the backwoods ski club outta gore,hung with chubber,who also passed a few years ago,hell of a guy he was,he could tell ya some stories.theres some really interesting older folks that ski gore alot,hawkeye ed who just had hip surgery,doc,whos 80 something,pete who found out he had cancer last year,still skis when he can,and many more.these guys think its great too see our gang ski,but its us that admire them for there love of skiing,and the time they spend on the hill.truely amazing.

Great story, I always wondered what that sign was about.

[I:)skiing]

Most recent news story posted on the interconnect thread advises the lodge will be 80% bigger than the origional lodge. Bathrooms, food service, warming area. Again, while I did not walk up to the new lodge, it did not look very big, thus the old lodge must have been quite small since this one is nearly two times bigger. I think I guessed 60x40. It could be 80x40 but not much bigger. The baths are on the South side, guessing they take up 20x40 of the space.

[adkskier]

Might be 80% bigger than the yurt...not likely that the "enclosed pavilion" will be expanded. I'll go take a look tomorrow.

[I:)skiing]

The pavillion is still there fully intact. The new lodge is to the right of the pavillion about 50 feet with a reference looking at the mountain. It is also closer to the tubing, from the pavillion by about 20 feet. Again from memory.

[Harvey44]

http://img198.imageshack.us/img198/4439/91784579.th.jpg (http://www.postimage.org/image.php?v=aVfPNUS)

[adkskier]

First- a clarification - the town has traditionally referred to the former building as the "enclosed pavilion". Now on to the details of what is planned- the plan is to expand the footprint of the former building by 10 feet on two sides. However, the fact that water mains run within this area is posing some issues. The water main will likely need to be relocated to allow the 10' expansion on one of the sides. Construction is on hold until this issue is resolved.

[mattchuck2]

Gore could drop the old Gondi tower above Hawkeye fairly easy. it's already leaning. fell it like a tree. bzzzzzzzzz.....Timber! then slice and dice. i truly think those two trails, as far down as Hawkeye would be easy to set up and be extremely popular. there's already snow making pipes all around it.

Agree 100%

[I:)skiing]

Sadly....no construction on this building. But they are finishing the snow tubing lift shed...looks like it will be done in a week. They built a small addition, or so it appeared to me.

[Harvey44]

Did they WHACK part of the chimney off?

http://s3.postimage.org/1cH3RA.jpg (http://www.postimage.org/)

[Denison]

Looks like they'll rebuild chimney, could probably make it more efficient

http://goremountain.com/admin/db/images/20090610115250436.jpg

At least there is a progress. I wonder if it'll be ready by Christmas

[I:)skiing]

My guess, yes.



OK---photo shows one window--facing the slopes. Granted it is just a corner shot. But there better be lots---no brainer.

[Danzilla]

Yeah - how about a big window to the left of the fireplace so that you can see the two lift lines. It looks like that is just going to be a wall. Doubt they would build the wall first and then make a cut out for a window. Unless of course they read this thread and realized what a great idea that would be.

It looks like they kept the hearth and ripped out the chimney. They are probably going to put in a triple or double insulated stainless chimney pipe in and frame around it. Easier to clean, more efficient, no leaks, etc.

[Snowballs]

the lack of windows thing is probably cause this is a shoestring budget project, as i believe ADKskier posted a few months back.

but you guys are right. large vistas of the slopes would rock.

[I:)skiing]

Based upon the most recent photo on Gore's website (I assume I am looking from mountain side because the main door would otherwise be infront of the fireplace. There is no flue---so I am thinking they may be installing the aftermarket, 3sheet stainless as mentioned.


But the kicker---two windows!!!!! Budget or not.....Plate Glass could have been substituted and framed in until thermals could have been afforded. I do like the siding.

[I:)skiing]

The siding is 80% up. It is a very nice lodge....but as discussed only two windows facing the hill. And while I did not get inside(against the signs to do so) I dont think you would be able to see the new lift or any of the skiing trails...the lodge sitts too low.



They regraded teh tubing hill lift area....and the 1/2 pipe. The lift trail at SkiBowl is going to be very nice. :lol:

[Denison]

http://s1.postimage.org/1PhBBJ.jpg (http://www.postimage.org/image.php?v=gx1PhBBJ)

[Denison]

Tubing Report:

this year tubing hill has 3 lanes as oppose to 4 + 1 (slow one) in prior 2 years

as for fireplace: they stuffed the hole with gas fireplace (or is it electric). what a shame!

[Snowballs]

Tubing is fun. While we normally go to West, we went at the Ski Bowl a few years ago. The weather had been warm for a few days prior and the snow wet. Well, it was 10 degrees when we got there and HOLY SMOKES was it ever fast! I'm telling you, we were flying down that tubing run. It was great. They had people at the bottom trying to stop you so you didn't shoot on over to North Creek. I was surprised they didn't close it down.