While we are all ski dreaming, I was inspired by this question on FBs "Ski the Northeast"

What’s your favorite unrealistic ski expansion that will never happen?

I was wondering what is the same answers some might have for the Mid Atlantic?

Some of the ones I can think of would be:

• Western Expansion at Seven Springs
• Bunchers slopes down to Rt 30
• Expansion of Blue Knob to skiers right of Stembogan
• "back side" of Whitetail
• Hawthorne slopes at Snowshoe

Which of those would you have wanted to see the most, or are there others that have been pitched over the years that you would have been excited to see no matter how unrealistic?

Buncher expansion (done right) would be the most useful to me since that's where I do most of my skiing...

But if we're going to pipe dream it, the most interesting to me would be cutting new slopes at Laurel and including downhill bike runs in that expansion and putting a brewery in the lodge and being open year round.  <puts pipe down>

This perhaps isn't expansion dreams, but wish list:

* more snowmaking at Laurel for sure - great terrain sits unused much of the season!

* the slopes cut above the ol' tubing area at HV are already overgrown. They need to delete the tubing area, cut the slopes again, and throw in a triple down there. (I get that it's a long shot, but that is what should be done) - HV is crowded with beginners and large families.  That's a good thing for the sport and in general, but expansion onto 31 would spread things out and allow intermediates to make use of the more challenging terrain that's already there on the edge. 

* 7Springs - better grooming.  

 This would be great...but you're right, faces mostly south, and would be pretty steep...which wouldn't work for "return to basin" traffic.  Unless they make it a blue "road" to connect with the skiers' right of Cupp run you (and others) have mentioned.  The south facing might be a big hardship, but Snowshoe is pretty dang good at snowmaking, so maybe it could work!  I thought the idea of a gondola connecting the two areas had been floated...guessing that would be more likely as a people mover...but I'd ski that new run.  And Hawthorne has intrigued me for years.

The19thHole wrote:

Hawthorne at Snowshoe would be most obvious there, but also a run from the top of Silver Creek down to the bottom of Western Territory (yeah, some of this would probably be in the sun and they'd have to go over or under the road), followed by a lift from the bottom of the Western Territory back up to the top of Silver Creek. And a blue run to the skier's right of Cupp so people can utilize that way over to Silver Creek.

GGNagy wrote:

While we are all ski dreaming, I was inspired by this question on FBs "Ski the Northeast"

What’s your favorite unrealistic ski expansion that will never happen?

I was wondering what is the same answers some might have for the Mid Atlantic?

Some of the ones I can think of would be:

• Western Expansion at Seven Springs
• Bunchers slopes down to Rt 30
• Expansion of Blue Knob to skiers right of Stembogan
• "back side" of Whitetail
• Hawthorne slopes at Snowshoe

Which of those would you have wanted to see the most, or are there others that have been pitched over the years that you would have been excited to see no matter how unrealistic?

 Even better would be TM buying back the land lookers right. Believe now owned by some sort of conservancy. Sold to finance lift repairs way back when. Some pretty good north facing terrain. And would link a new base to existing west-facing terrain.

And Mount Porte Crayon.

And Tory Mountain.

And Moonshine Mountain.

Pipe dreams all.

JohnL wrote:

And Mount Porte Crayon.

 Be still my heart. That would be some of the most epic East Coast terrain and snowfall. 

JohnL wrote:

GGNagy wrote:

While we are all ski dreaming, I was inspired by this question on FBs "Ski the Northeast"

What’s your favorite unrealistic ski expansion that will never happen?

I was wondering what is the same answers some might have for the Mid Atlantic?

Some of the ones I can think of would be:

• Western Expansion at Seven Springs
• Bunchers slopes down to Rt 30
• Expansion of Blue Knob to skiers right of Stembogan
• "back side" of Whitetail
• Hawthorne slopes at Snowshoe

Which of those would you have wanted to see the most, or are there others that have been pitched over the years that you would have been excited to see no matter how unrealistic?

And Mount Porte Crayon.

Oh dear... There's an old topic you are going to stir up again. :) 

Since the topic kind of "grew" from how I envisioned it, I have two answers. The original one and the "grown" one

Outside of the change of hands, I think the installation of a lift (and snowmaking) was the only thing holding off the buncher expansion at HV. There was just a little bit more in elevation, but would have had a better sustained pitch compared to the rest of that area. It also would have been an advertisement with being visible from Rt 31. 

Beyond all the snowmaking others have mentioned, Laurel Mt would benefit with a return to the original bottom of TimberTop.  Don't wipe out LH for a lift to the top, but put a surface lift back to Midway or Deer Path. Put one more zig zag into Innsbrook to reach the bottom as well. 

JMHO

needawax wrote:

This perhaps isn't expansion dreams, but wish list:

* more snowmaking at Laurel for sure - great terrain sits unused much of the season!

* the slopes cut above the ol' tubing area at HV are already overgrown. They need to delete the tubing area, cut the slopes again, and throw in a triple down there. (I get that it's a long shot, but that is what should be done) - HV is crowded with beginners and large families.  That's a good thing for the sport and in general, but expansion onto 31 would spread things out and allow intermediates to make use of the more challenging terrain that's already there on the edge. 

* 7Springs - better grooming.  

 I'd love to see the expansion at HV, but unfortunately, Vail said we'll never see it as they don't want to take traffic away from 7S.  I think HV and Laurel for picked up because they had to take them, not that they really wanted them.

I'd like to see BK improve it's snowmaking system, update the lifts, increase night terrain, and redo that lodge.  It's terrible.

I'd replace those two old doubles with a fixed grip quad at least.  A detachable would be nice, but I don't see them putting that kind of money into it.

 Well, Vail probably isn't interested in doing any expansion at HV, but they've got it wrong if they're thinking a bit of new terrain would take traffic away from 7S; that just isn't possible at the height of the ski season - it's crazy busy there all the time.  The problem with HV is that it gets slammed, too on peak condition days, and they're operating with aging lodge / amenities that can't quite accommodate the day trip traffic.  Expansion there (and maybe reuse of the snow tubing building) would spread people out and make that place less congested. 

They may have had to take HV and LM, but I can't imagine they've regretted HV since they're just milking the infrastructure already in place.  

superguy wrote:

needawax wrote:

This perhaps isn't expansion dreams, but wish list:

* more snowmaking at Laurel for sure - great terrain sits unused much of the season!

* the slopes cut above the ol' tubing area at HV are already overgrown. They need to delete the tubing area, cut the slopes again, and throw in a triple down there. (I get that it's a long shot, but that is what should be done) - HV is crowded with beginners and large families.  That's a good thing for the sport and in general, but expansion onto 31 would spread things out and allow intermediates to make use of the more challenging terrain that's already there on the edge. 

* 7Springs - better grooming.  

 I'd love to see the expansion at HV, but unfortunately, Vail said we'll never see it as they don't want to take traffic away from 7S.  I think HV and Laurel for picked up because they had to take them, not that they really wanted them.

I'd like to see BK improve it's snowmaking system, update the lifts, increase night terrain, and redo that lodge.  It's terrible.

I'd replace those two old doubles with a fixed grip quad at least.  A detachable would be nice, but I don't see them putting that kind of money into it.

needawax wrote:

 Well, Vail probably isn't interested in doing any expansion at HV, but they've got it wrong if they're thinking a bit of new terrain would take traffic away from 7S; that just isn't possible at the height of the ski season - it's crazy busy there all the time.  The problem with HV is that it gets slammed, too on peak condition days, and they're operating with aging lodge / amenities that can't quite accommodate the day trip traffic.  Expansion there (and maybe reuse of the snow tubing building) would spread people out and make that place less congested. 

They may have had to take HV and LM, but I can't imagine they've regretted HV since they're just milking the infrastructure already in place.  

superguy wrote:

needawax wrote:

This perhaps isn't expansion dreams, but wish list:

* more snowmaking at Laurel for sure - great terrain sits unused much of the season!

* the slopes cut above the ol' tubing area at HV are already overgrown. They need to delete the tubing area, cut the slopes again, and throw in a triple down there. (I get that it's a long shot, but that is what should be done) - HV is crowded with beginners and large families.  That's a good thing for the sport and in general, but expansion onto 31 would spread things out and allow intermediates to make use of the more challenging terrain that's already there on the edge. 

* 7Springs - better grooming.  

 I'd love to see the expansion at HV, but unfortunately, Vail said we'll never see it as they don't want to take traffic away from 7S.  I think HV and Laurel for picked up because they had to take them, not that they really wanted them.

I'd like to see BK improve it's snowmaking system, update the lifts, increase night terrain, and redo that lodge.  It's terrible.

I'd replace those two old doubles with a fixed grip quad at least.  A detachable would be nice, but I don't see them putting that kind of money into it.

The Vail rep mentioned in it a podcast interview about 2-3 years back.  I agree that some upgrades are needed as both places can get pretty busy, as can LM on a really good snow day. It doesn't need the top tier upgrades that 7S would need, but it does need something to handle the load given.  They've got a great snowmaking system, and I've always liked the chill vibe compared to the craziness of 7S.

Maybe they'd see more value in upgrades if they looked at HV and LM more as reliever resorts for 7S than "competitors" that won't bring in as much money.  They target totally different audiences yet offer the advantage of being close enough to experience them all.

It was early on in their ownership, so hopefully now that they've had a few season they'll have a better understanding and reconsider ignoring HV and LM so much.

I like the snow at HV better than 7S.  One of their snowmakers told me on a lift once that 7S can put out a lot more snow than them, but theirs is much higher quality.

I agree. HV does put out better snow than 7S on any given day - and has since the Technos were installed. They have a few portable polecats over there that they move around for like road runner and stingray, but they are inefficient and rarely give great output.  

I say all this with a caveat, though: 7S has much more to do over there when it comes to covering that mountain.  So I do kind of expect variable snowmaking over there.