I was thinking the same thing. HV is, well lame as far as terrain is concerned, but it is top notch for families and beginners/those who want to learn. Buncher can make it the Deer Valley of PA without a doubt and LM would add the best terrain in the area to round it out. LM's ski terrain is far better than anything 7S has to offer, it just needs tons of updating in lifts and snow making. They could have it all with both properties...and it's very close to HV, much closer than 7S is to LM.

I understand Buncher wants to return mtn. biking to what it was at HV (which was very respectful, probably #2 in the area after LM) and LM has the BEST riding in Western PA, hands down. The other beautiful part? You can ride from one to the other right now with only a small section of fire road to pass. I hope they look hard at LM as an extension of HV.

Oh yes, HV and Laurel would be an interesting fit. A paved road from Bakersville to Laurel via Hickory Flats and Laurel Summit Road would be about, what a 40 minute ride or less?

TM, since you've been biking there you've gotten to know the terrain at Laurel. Thanks for sharing the info. Sometimes I feel those of us that love Laurel are perceived as over hyping the place. The terrain is good and potential is just as great. All we need is some committed money and some folks to give the place a try when it re-opens.

That's the route I take to LM, it's all of 12-15 minutes from the time I pass HV's gate to the picnic area. It's only 3.5 more miles to the resort, so 20 minutes tops. If Hickory Flats and Summit road were paved....probably 12-15 minutes total. Summit Road sucks with all it's holes and washouts.

I just heard that Laurel was vandalized this last week by cooper thieves. SOBs on quads destroyed the wiring on the quad and did the same to the warming hut at the bottom of Wildcat. Estimated damage up to 10 grand. What a shame, I hope they catch the criminals.

Meth heads will steal copper from anything anymore since it's easy money to recycle. A friends cabin at White Mtn. was gutted of copper, we had people stealing copper from our rolls at the phone company and have heard of many homes being built stripped of wiring/plumbing for a quick fix.

If they really want to catch these guys (which they don't) start recording all copper recycling like they do when you try to sell something at a pawn shop. You need ID to do it. You start selling a lot to recycle, you better be in the construction business to justify all the extra copper each week.

From the Johnstown Tribune Democrat...

http://www.tribune-democrat.com/local/local_story_322233245.html

The following quote was taken from the article...



IF, and I do mean IF, Buncher does operate Laurel next year, why would they not treat it as a true partner of Hidden Valley because of the better netural terrain at Laurel. The 2 resorts paired together would surely be stiff competition for 7 Springs (forcing 7 Springs to continually better themselves).

Great news indeed, I hope this deal flies and we'll all be skiing Wildcat next season. That this story is breaking now instead of being announced on Thursday with Hidden Valley news and the statements made by the DCNR concerns me:



I'd hate to think that the DCNR is the road block to the deal. Now that would truly be senseless.

I wouldn't read into the fact that there was no acnnouncement along with the HV master plan announcement. Buncher is in a stronger position to negotiate a deal re LM by announcing their plans and capturing everyone's imagination.

Also, see separate news release that states that both HV and 7S have been contacted to operate HV, so it looks like this was prompted by the powers that be at LM:

http://www.wjactv.com/news/14640901/detail.html

For either resort would benefit from the greater vertical at LM, but would think that HV could benefit the most due to more limited existing terrain, closer location, and especially ability to run shuttle bus route with perhaps stops at HV, the proposed Paradise Springs in Bakersville, and LM.

Also, on a separate note there was an article in the Johnstown Paper that Buncher just picked up another 86 acres along Gartner Road just this week. This is on the opposite side of GArtner Road from the game preserve and they claim to have bought it just as a buffer area.

Also, if you view the video on WJACTV.com, the HV representative (Balestrieri - sorry if I've butchered the spelling) says something along the lines of "....it's something we may look into after the holidays". I viewed the video last night, so I'm doing this from memory, but it sounded at least mildly promising.

The WJAC-TV article stated that both Hidden Valley & 7 Springs have been contacted about operating Laurel. My take on that statement is that the state of PA, in their vast and infinite wisdom, is waiting for an announcement from Scott Bender or Bob Duppstapt over at 7 Springs that after much introspection & soul searching, 7 Springs has long last decided not to operate Laurel. Remember, the last official statement from 7 Springs management is that they continue to talk to the state and Somerset Trust about operating Laurel. Until that announcement is made by 7 Springs, the state will continue to wait for that white horse over in Champion to rescue Laurel.

All half kidding aside (I bet there are still people in Harrisburg that think 7 Springs will operate Laurel someday), I agree with Laurel Hill Crazie’s supposition that some bureaucrat(s) at the state level is probably slowing progress. If in fact that is the case, I hope some state rep or even congressman (John Murtha) steps in very quickly to rectify the problem. Buncher is planning on spending $1,000,000,000 over the next 30 years in and around Hidden Valley, thereby making a tremendous economic impact on that relatively depressed area. If I were a state rep/senator in Somerset or Westmoreland county, I would do everything I could to ease the way for Buncher to expand their resort/real estate holdings in the Laurel Highlands because I see nobody else stepping up to the plate to operate Laurel and no other entity, probably including 7 Springs, that is going to infuse that much cash into the local economy over that timeframe.

But all in all, based on the newspaper and TV reports, all signs are pointing to Laurel being opened for skiing next year and in the end, that’s all that matters to those of us who love Laurel.