trackbiker

Another article on the auction from yesterday: http://thetimes-tribune.com/news/sno-mountain-heads-to-auction-this-week-1.1449417 From what the experts are saying it looks like Sno is worth about 25% of what the debt level is. I guess 25 cents on the dollar is better than nothing. I hope the seller feels the same way and doesn't let the place close.

Phoebe lift vertical is 610' according to skilifts.org. How can you get different vertical for different trails off of the same lift? Aren't you skiing from the top of the lift to the bottom of the lift no matter which trail you take? Are they starting to calculate for Canonball down below that little connector trail maybe?

Thanks for the report. Plattekill is a great mountain with a nice vibe. The owner keeps making steady improvements without going bankrupt. No flat runouts and never crowded. Glad you had a good day.

So they can change that nice soft fan gun snow surface into death cookies?

The article said that a dozen companies have signed non disclosures and that 3 have asked to tour the property. That means in no way is Camelback the only bidder. They just decided to show their hand first that they are interested. It may or may not be true that they interested. Sometimes companies just want the opportunity to look at the books and size up the operation to get a better idea of what they will be competing against. If I was in their position I would take a look at the books and the operation. You have everything to gain and nothing to lose by doing that. I'm sure Peak Resorts will take a look. They have a lot of debt but are still buying. Snowtime has to be in the mix as well. Whoever buys it, I hope it is an experienced ski area operator. Yeah, the cheap tickets will go away but that's better than the ski are going away.

Thanks for the report and pics. Looks like the mountain was in better condition than would be expected after the warm temps and monsoon.

It doesn't say anything about having to be a Ravens or 49ers jersey. "Support your favorite football team on Saturday and Sunday by wearing your team jersey…..and get an EXTENDED LIFT TICKET (valid open-close) for ONLY $20 each!!!"

For Blue trails I would pick Mount Snow. The whole front side is blue and the backside is mostly blues. Stay away from Long John and Deer Run on a weekend. They are the only greens from the top and are like the Schuykill Expressway at rush hour. Stratton is better for green trails.

I went there a few years ago for a night session. Great beginners area. Nothing too difficult there. I would recommend that you go Pres. Weekend and see what you think for yourself.

I was there this morning with a friend. Saw KC but he looked busy and I was with a friend so I didn't stop to talk. Thought I might catch him later but didn't get a chance before we left. Will make a point of it next time. Agree with all the comments above. Snow was great. No lift lines. White Lightning skied like a blue with all that chalky powder today. Agree they need to open the ticket windows sooner. I was there at 8:00 and was going to buy my ticket before I booted up but all windows were closed. Only had the stopping problem on the Iron Horse on the last ride to get to the lodge. Spent most of the morning on the North Face. Great blue sky morning. No wind. Great Snow. No crowds. Not a bad deal for $25.00. Yeah the lifts are slow. But I bet people were standing in line for a fast lift at Camelback and Blue today for as long as it took to get to the top at Sno with no lift lines.

I'll be there Saturday morning. Sno is a great uncrowded option on a holiday weekend and the price is great. Get there for opening and you'll beat the crowds and have a great day of skiing.

Half day tickets are listed on their Ticket Price page now under Weekends & Holidays. Didn't see it yesterday.

It just mentions this Sunday. No other details. Next weekend is MLK weekend.

KC, Is the $25.00 morning ticket good next weekend? Couldn't find anything about it on the website.

Thanks for the update and the list of deals. I'm going to try to make one of those $10.00 Tuesdays with a friend who hasn't skied Sno yet. We'll contribute to the bottom line by downing a few beers apres ski.

Elk is worth the drive.

I don't know if it's my browser or what but their website still has no conditions and the webcam doesn't work. I tried hitting F5 like their facebook page said but it didn't help. Thinking of heading up tomorrow but I don't know how much they have open.

Even with a sh!ttY website they could list that they are open and update the snow conditions page.

Their website doesn't have anything about opening.

Looks like everything got turned on at once; guns, lights, and deals. Here's a link to a $25.00 ticket to Sno. Good anytime, weekends included, except holiday periods. Now all of you who say you haven't been or haven't been for a while have no excuse not to check out Sno this season. http://offers.cbslocal.com/deal/26396/up-to-58-percent-off-at-sno-mountain/philadelphia

I'm thinking KC's paycheck finally bounced. Or more likely, after Denis Carlson was fired and wasn't around to B.S. him anymore he finally got the real picture. KC was a big supporter of Sno and I'm sure he still wants to see it succeed. He's a business owner with a stake in the community. I really think his intentions were good. I hope he doesn't feel bad about supporting the place. He's a good guy. The group of lawyers who bought the place didn't have a clue how to run an actually business that didn't involve "billable hours". I hope KC comes back and keeps us up to date on the progress of the bankruptcy. Hopefully any new owner will see him as an asset and rehire him. I just hope that the people involved (read lawyers) in the bankruptcy aren't stupid enough to close the place for a season or two. It would increase their take but decrease the value of the ski area.

I was talking about Elk. When is the last time you saw a tele skier at Sno? While I think Elk is a much better ski area than Sno, I would hate to see Sno go under and not reopen. They are both different and there is a place for both. Even Elk's owner was a supporter of Sno staying open. Ski areas are like pizza; There's no such thing as a bad one. Some are just better than others.

Maybe his paycheck bounced and he finally gave up? In any case; I like Sno for what it is. It is a great alternative to Camelback and Blue for a weekend night or a holiday when everything at the other areas gets skied off in the first hour. I think it would be a viable area under the right management. (not sure if the current owners can carry that debt load) I still think it will eventually be sold to Peak Resorts or Snow Time. Both of those operators know how to manage a local day trip area. Snow Time has Roundtop and Liberty. I know they draw from the DC area but Whitetail gets most of that business. They keep the other two operating off the population center of the Harrisburg area which is equivalent to the Scranton area. Sno does need to get people to drive past Blue and Camelback from the Philly and NJ areas. They need to advertise the lower crowds and better conditions.

So you don't think that the average Elk skier would like to ski the woods? They have an above average number of tele skiers who like to ski off piste as well. Not saying they have to do it but it would add another attraction for a demographic of skiers who don't care about high speed lifts.

Elk really needs to open up some tree skiing to keep their loyal skier demographic. Whoever eventually buys Sno will install a HSQ and have tree skiing. They'll also eventually cut a blue top-to-bottom trail. Elk will need to do something to compete.