Any PA areas at real risk of going under if this season is a total bust?

[Ski2Live Live2Ski]

By total bust I don't necessarily mean no skiing at all, but clearly a lot of places could be at risk of missing at least December and if their snowmaking is marginal may not really be able to compete with others the rest of the season.

 

I would think Alpine and Montage would be most likely to be at risk as they seem to be fairly threadbare operations and don't have deep pocketed corporate owners.

Edited December 11, 2015 by Ski2Live Live2Ski

[poconoceancity]

This could be it for montage. The long haul will never run this season.

[Ski2Live Live2Ski]

Not in PA, but I could see Plattekill giving up the ghost due to a combination of a heavy reliance on natural snow, and the recently approved expansion of Montage.

 

With the complete lack of crowds there, opening on non holiday weekdays only when there is a foot of snow, and always reasonable and regularly discounted prices, I often wonder if it is more a labor of love than a business model.

 

They can't operate more than 40 days in an average year or average more than 200 skiers a day. And I expect the average skier pays no more than 40.

 

Can you run a profitable ski mountain on $320k annual revenue? Maybe they rake it in during mountain bike season?

[Ride Delaware ?]

Platty will be fine. Lazlo is known to be one of the most resourceful and conservative owners in the business on the EC. I highly doubt he has very much debt which is why he can run it the way he does.

[Ski2Live Live2Ski]

Above I obviously should have said recently apprpved expansion of Belleayre

Edited December 11, 2015 by Ski2Live Live2Ski

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

If a ski resort doesn't operate their expenses would also be alot lower...especially payroll expenses as only year round employees would be paid. The last two season were very successful but before that there have been bad seasons scattered in with the averag and epic seasons. Being in the PA ski resort business is so risky..especially as global warming continues. People can say global warming is a farce but the ice in green land is melting and the sea level is rising and hurricanes and snowstorms are becoming more severe and countries like china which lack environmental regulation are spewing pollutants into the air.

 

I'm so glad I'm in the tombstone business...while last year November was cold and a big snowy this year November was mild and we did like 40% more business

[toast21602]

No.

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

 

I agree with TP4 about montage...The Philly suburbs have the highest average income in the state. Lehigh and Northampton counties are above average while Lackawanna and luzerne counties are below average both for PA and the United States. Plus the Philly diehards seem to keep driving past montage to elk.

 

Also essentially all of the PA ski resorts have been around for more than 30 years most longer the exception is whitetail which opened in the early 90s. I imagine they all have good lines of credit. Now if next season has a similar start and future seasons are lean expect some ski areas to fold...I think Blue and camelback would be strong survivors along with JF/BB plus alot of PA ski areas are part of a resort like BC and Camelback. The infrastructure is there for other streams of revenue.

[JayBeer30]

At Montage you have the highest class of people living right on the mountain. The land alone goes at a starting price of 6 figures and the house has to have a higher price than the land. You just saying! How many ski I dont know!

Edited January 5, 2016 by JayBeer30

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

At Montage you have the highest class of people living right on the mountain. The land alone goes at a starting price of 6 figures and the house has to have a higher price than the land. You just saying! How many ski I dont know!

So there are $300,000 homes on montage mountain??? The rest of Scranton is mostly poors though.

[rgrwilco]

meh, coming from camden area scranton seems like beverly fucking hills.

 

I do love some 'ron though. Ill have to sample the local variety.

[rgrwilco]

Their hookers in Kensington are too Legit to pass up. I hate scoring dope there because I get talked into a half hour trick and get home with even less money.

 

Ugh.

[VTmark]

God I miss living in kenzo sometimes....