Mountain Creek response to complaints

[method9455]

What is wrong with having two racing runs for people that want to challenge themselves at the Vernon side of Mountain Creek? The 'parkies' have the entire side of the mountain to do as they wish loaded with rails, boxes, hits and jumps that are designed primarily for riders and not skiers. (Yes, skiers can use the park too, but when designed were designed for boarders predominantly). Before this blows up... Skiers as opposed to boarders generally like a hit with more of a lip as opposed to the common board hit that have flat runoffs.

 

As far as 'alienationg so many people," isn't that exactly what you are doing by complaining that 2 of the 46 total trails were used for racing? Only TWO from a total of FORTY-SIX. Cmon Method, try to share the mountain.....

 

Ohhhhh you are soo not going to like this... If it were up to me, I'd add a hand groomed bumprun for skiers and skiers only. Boarders and skiers use the snow differently in regard to their appropriate style of getting down the hill. For the most part, boards and bumps don't mix. Boards KILL bumpruns. Since so much money and man hours at Mountain Crack are spent making the parkrats happy, how about giving back a little, just a little for those on twin-sticks?

 

You missed the mark on my motives but its ok because your new. I'm not the typical park rat. My complaint about having 2 race trails is that the race trails are closed for high school kids after school. If it was half high school half nastar I'd be out there using it. But my complaint is after you take away eagle and zero G, there is nothing at all steep or interesting on vernon. They took out everything at South/Bear, so what is left? Devils bit and pipeline on granite? I like them but that lift is slow. I'm a 90% freeriding snowboarder and 10% park riding snowboarder. And don't tell me its 2 out of 46, its 2 out of about 12 ways down the mountain. Maybe less, I don't even know how they get that number but if you count top to bottom there are hardly a dozen ways.

 

I love bumps on a snowboard - but thats because I can do them. You rarely see that down here, most of the kids who try are side slipping through the troughs plowing that shit out its terrible, I see you point but to make good bumps you need lots of snow. Almost every problem at mountain creek comes back to their lack of snowmaking ability, especially quality snowmaking ability. If they where serious about bumps they need fan guns so they could drop a little softer snow on it now and then to keep it fresh. Their snowmaking system puts it out real sugary or real wet and then the bumps just get icy as all hell.

 

Your first rant is halarious you hit a lot of things well. I think the real reason for the Cabriolet is the Diablo bike park in the summer if I'm not mistaken, but agree it sucks. You are going down the mountain for 90 seconds anyway, the walk from the cab to anywhere to strap in is longer than the ride down again.

[Papasteeze]

You missed the mark on my motives but its ok because your new. I'm not the typical park rat. My complaint about having 2 race trails is that the race trails are closed for high school kids after school. If it was half high school half nastar I'd be out there using it. But my complaint is after you take away eagle and zero G, there is nothing at all steep or interesting on vernon. They took out everything at South/Bear, so what is left? Devils bit and pipeline on granite? I like them but that lift is slow. I'm a 90% freeriding snowboarder and 10% park riding snowboarder. And don't tell me its 2 out of 46, its 2 out of about 12 ways down the mountain. Maybe less, I don't even know how they get that number but if you count top to bottom there are hardly a dozen ways.

 

I thought you might appreciate this quote, since it is in relation to people finding thier way down the hill.

 

With the exception of Boulder, there are no parks in the area that are living up to the hype including Mountain Creek. In fact, on a few occasions they have -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- are not yet skilled enough to meet the demands of the acreage and build features proper and fast enough to please the masses and live up to the excessive "best in the east" marketing hype. Bizarre enough, the "general public" has picked up on this and still prefers to ski at the south mountain (around the features) so much so that the park crew is closing down features because there are too many people riding on the landings, etc. Very weird to say the least. An "all mountain" park that closes terrain features so that the general public has a safer skiing experience. Go figure!

[method9455]

I thought you might appreciate this quote, since it is in relation to people finding thier way down the hill.

 

Where is that quote from?

[JaySkisBig]

Yeah I am a noob to PASR. After fumbling around for a decent active ski forum site based close to my area, I stumbled on this one and so far have enjoyed it. You are definately right. Take away ZeroG and Eagle and there is nothing worthy. If this is the route MC takes, then they have successfully alienated any twin-stick-er that is beyond the most basic of snowplough and stem christies. (Yes, alienated free-riders too). Even when ya try to get some speed on either Great Northern or Horizon, ya get harrassed by the self-rightous ski patrol. Do they not know that you can be in control even if you are going fast? You are right again in regard to the numbering/naming of the trails as well. How they get 46; I really don't know. It's so funny that you have to take 2, (typically) 3 or sometimes even 4 trails just to go top to bottom once!

 

Glad to hear you rock on the board enough to nail the bumps. Although sometimes it sounds like I get down on boarders, I really do enjoy it. I love watching anybody who is good on the hill. Could be on skis, board, monoski, sitski or whatever. A few years back, I hung up the skis and picked up a board. It was fun. Totally reminded me of being a kid at Rehoboth Beach paddling to catch the next wave. After the one season, I went back to skis as it was too difficult to give up something that (not to sound too conceited), I was so good at. If only beginners whether their on a board or on skis would just either take more lessons or realize that they shouldn't be in certain areas then I think we would all be better off. But then again, that gives me something to bitch about!!! hahaha

 

I certainly hope that MC really decides on a direction they want to go and be less reactionary to their operations of a ski area and be more progressive. It was nice having about 1000' of vert so close to home, but with their most recent changes, I can't spend another dime there. It would just be rewarding them for what the are doing and I really can't do that.

 

As far as the other rant, glad you enjoyed it. I am sure there will be many more throughout the year.

 

STAY TUNED..... SAME BAT-TIME, SAME BAT-CHANNEL!

(yeah ok that was gay... Family Guy has Adam West on my mind)

Adaaammmm Weeeeeeeeest Aaaaadam Wwwwwwwest.

[NJSkiBabe]

Yeah I am a noob to PASR. After fumbling around for a decent active ski forum site based close to my area, I stumbled on this one and so far have enjoyed it. You are definately right. Take away ZeroG and Eagle and there is nothing worthy. If this is the route MC takes, then they have successfully alienated any twin-stick-er that is beyond the most basic of snowplough and stem christies. (Yes, alienated free-riders too). Even when ya try to get some speed on either Great Northern or Horizon, ya get harrassed by the self-rightous ski patrol. Do they not know that you can be in control even if you are going fast? You are right again in regard to the numbering/naming of the trails as well. How they get 46; I really don't know. It's so funny that you have to take 2, (typically) 3 or sometimes even 4 trails just to go top to bottom once!

 

Glad to hear you rock on the board enough to nail the bumps. Although sometimes it sounds like I get down on boarders, I really do enjoy it. I love watching anybody who is good on the hill. Could be on skis, board, monoski, sitski or whatever. A few years back, I hung up the skis and picked up a board. It was fun. Totally reminded me of being a kid at Rehoboth Beach paddling to catch the next wave. After the one season, I went back to skis as it was too difficult to give up something that (not to sound too conceited), I was so good at. If only beginners whether their on a board or on skis would just either take more lessons or realize that they shouldn't be in certain areas then I think we would all be better off. But then again, that gives me something to bitch about!!! hahaha

 

I certainly hope that MC really decides on a direction they want to go and be less reactionary to their operations of a ski area and be more progressive. It was nice having about 1000' of vert so close to home, but with their most recent changes, I can't spend another dime there. It would just be rewarding them for what the are doing and I really can't do that.

 

As far as the other rant, glad you enjoyed it. I am sure there will be many more throughout the year.

 

STAY TUNED..... SAME BAT-TIME, SAME BAT-CHANNEL!

(yeah ok that was gay... Family Guy has Adam West on my mind)

Adaaammmm Weeeeeeeeest Aaaaadam Wwwwwwwest.

 

 

I don't think Mountain Creek will ever be a "destination resort". Even when it was Great Gorge and Vernon Valley it was always a day trip ski area. I think any serious skier/snowboarder that is going to go to a destination resort is going to go further north to a bigger mountain.

 

I would like to see Ski Patrol or a Courtesy Patrol do something about all of the people that sit in the middle of the slopes - both skiers and snowboarders are included in this. If you are tired and want to take a rest - sit down on the side of the slope where you will not be blocking the trails. Or even better go sit down at the base at the picnic tables that are provided.

[method9455]

I'm no MBA but I feel like they should have sorted the mountain out and then built the village. I've been to Stratton and to Tremblant, the two blueprints for what they want to do to Mountain Creek. Tremblant was awesome, Stratton was ok, but Mountain Creek just doesn't do it. If you go to Tremblant and stay in the village it is one of the coolest experiances ever. Stratton it is more like a mall attached to the ski hill but the area is so yuppie it isn't that suprising. But Mountain Creek?

 

Tremblant - nearly everyone is on vacation for the weekend at the minimum, it is 2 hours from a major city (Montreal) and 10+ hours from down here. People are not driving up for the day.

 

Stratton - same thing, maybe less so, but still the locals are there monday to friday and it is empty, come Saturday it is jammed - those people are not local. They may not be in the village like at Tremblant, but they are still staying in a house somewhere.

 

Mountain Creek - 95% of the people drive to the mountain and home that day. 5% stay over. Those 5% are in all those condos on Granite that coincidently are the last ones to get connected to the other trails each year now that they don't care about selling any more of them.

 

The village is inconvienant at Stratton, but it is brutal at Mountain Creek with route 94 seperating it, 95% of your customers start and end their day slogging around getting pissed off about your crappy parking situation. It doesn't start things off right. The village will only make it worse.

 

At least stratton paves the parking lot.

[millerm277]

I don't think Mountain Creek will ever be a "destination resort". Even when it was Great Gorge and Vernon Valley it was always a day trip ski area. I think any serious skier/snowboarder that is going to go to a destination resort is going to go further north to a bigger mountain.

 

I agree, and Intrawest seems to have forgotten what makes a destination resort. It isn't villages, stores or other garbage like that, although they make a destination resort better. (In some people's eyes at least). It's the mountain, if the mountain sucks...it doesn't matter how many shops and condos you've built, people aren't going to show up. I'm not talking about difficult terrain, or anything like that. I'm talking about the basics, like opening terrain reasonably quickly. Why is it that it takes MC months to open their terrain, yet most of the PA ski areas could go from 0-100% with a week or two of cold weather? They need to drastically improve the snowmaking, do something with the cab (Would it be possible to convert to a 6-pack or the like?), and actually put the original master plan with the additional terrain between Granite and South into action.

 

I doubt any of that will happen unless Intrawest has trouble selling real estate.

[method9455]

I think the cab is easy to improve. Some people will never like standing up, too bad, it won't change. But if they put some more dirt on top of the mountain and graded it so that you could click in right there and ski from 50 feet from the lift instead of 300 feet, it would be a lot better. The lift is 30 feet higher than the top of horizon, make it skiable.