On August 31, 2007, Pennsylvania’s Hidden Valley Four Seasons Resort changed ownership from the Kettler family to the Buncher Company, a Pittsburgh-based real estate developer. Over the next 75 days, the Buncher Company kicked off a flurry of activity, performing significant upgrades and enhancements across the ski area in preparation for the 2007-2008 winter season. (Read about those enhancements in this DCSki article. But the Buncher Company is just getting started. On November 15, the Buncher Company shared its long-term vision for the 1,500-acre family resort.

The Buncher Company’s long-term vision for the resort includes significant ski area enhancements and new residential and commercial development. The centerpiece of the new development will be The Village, a 200,000-square foot base lodge/condominium complex located at the base of the mountain. A portion of the existing ski lodge will be replaced to accommodate The Village.

A rendering of the proposed base lodge/condominium complex at Hidden Valley. Photo provided by Hidden Valley Resort.

The Buncher Company will also be developing Paradise Springs, a new gated community of homes, condos, and townhomes located on land adjacent to Hidden Valley and previously acquired by the company.

During the summer of 2008, Hidden Valley plans to continue rolling out state-of-the-art snowmaking across the ski area, and will replace the Blizzard and Lightning double chairlifts with a new quad chairlift. New slopes will also be cut and seeded at the Outback area, in preparation for the installation of a second new quad chairlift in 2009 and snowmaking and lighting to support the new slopes.

“We are working to make the experience for beginners to experiences skiers and families enjoyable and our highest priority at Hidden Valley,” said Bill Doring, executive vice president and treasure of The Buncher Company and project leader for Hidden Valley Resort. Doring has been skiing at Hidden Valley for years. The Buncher Company states that it plans to preseve the integrity of the resort community, enhancing the beauty of its natural surroundings, and continuing its tradition as a family destination.

The first phase of the master plan for Hidden Valley includes the addition of new slopes. Click image for larger view. Photo provided by Hidden Valley Resort.

Next summer, Hidden Valley expects to build a new storage facility and mountain maintenance facility at North Summit, demolishing the old maintenance and storage facilities at the valley base area. Water and sewer service will also be extended to the base of the North Summit slopes.

Hidden Valley is a year-round resort, and mountain bike rentals will be offered beginning in the spring of 2008. The Buncher Company has also enlisted the services of ValleyCrest to maintain and beautify the resort’s 18-hole golf course.

The new master plan for Hidden Valley was developed in partnership with the Park City-based Jack Johnson Company, an architecture firm specializing in world-class resort and residential development. The Jack Johnson Company has played a role in developments at Deer Valley, Jiminy Peak, Taos Ski Resort, Windham Mountain, Hunter Mountain Resort, Jackson Hole, and many other resorts.

Hidden Valley will soon unveil a new web site, located at myhiddenvalleyresort.com, including new mountain webcams and an interactive video camera.

Another look at the proposed base area. Photo provided by Hidden Valley Resort.