Update from HV's facebook page yesterday. It included a pic of a back hoe or some machinery.

"It might be the last day of May, but our mountain crew is getting ready for the first day of ski season! They are making great progress on Voyager trail...creating beginner access from the North Summit, widening the trail, adding lights and enhancing snow making capabilities. Great job, guys!"

New to these forums but have to say I differ with this opinion.

I think the resort appear to be trying to improve, and making progress. Everything can always be better, but relative to years of steady and obvious decline before the current owners got involved, and the dismal economic climate since, I think they are doing pretty well.

For example, I felt the Clock Tower was much improved this year. What I am really optimistic about is they are trying. Seems to me these can be circular chicken and egg kinds of things.....you need a good product to get customers.....and you need customers to pay for improvements......which gets you more customers.

In a perfect world we'd want a big capital investment to "build it and they will come", but if I were the owners of a ski resort in Western PA, in this economic enviornment, I think I'd be pretty cautious about my spending!

So with that perspective, if one feels like they are trying, and its better than it was, then I feel like I can be both happy and optimistic!

They went from investing large sums in some things like that Cadillac maintenance facility, replacing the Bakersville firehouse, a sewer line and pump station of Route 31 to investing very little. They had this rendering on the wall with the future plan for the resort; then that dissappeared. The Outback slope expansion was supposed to happen in 2009; now they don't even cut the grass on the slopes they cleared. They still won't invest in a hotel, the old Outback restuarant building is still a dump and there is one bathroom for both men and women opening to the dining room in Mulligans. They need some new real estate product rather than the continuation of the Summit condos overlooking a sewage lagoon and abandoned clay tennis courts. They eliminated the outdoor swimming pool from the "Inn" so people staying there have to drive to a swimming pool. We all realize that the 2nd home real estate market is in the toilet (although I think it may have moved up to the seat), but I think they have gone to both extremes. Don't get me wrong, I do not miss the previos owners, but they need to invest some money in that Outback building if they want the restuarant to be succesful; they need to get some new real estate product designed for today's market. they need to spend some money on marketing the resort lifestyle outside of the Pittsburgh market (Cleveland, DC, Baltimore,etc.) Because of their investment in snow making, they actually had a pretty good year last winter, from what I have heard, despite the lousy weather. So that investment has paid off. I think some wise and cautious investments at this point are where they need to go until they can sell real estate at a good clip.

A few things happening:
- Snow making expansion to the steepest slope on the mountain, Charger. This slope previously was rarely open and is part of the 'Outback' expansion. Based on what I observed they extended a large snow making main to this area so it would appear that they are preparing for future expansion.
- Widening/Regrading of the Voyager trail - it is now about 3 times as wide and is the main connection from the North Summit to the Outback area. They also added additional snow making hydrants and made the slope a tadd steeper.
- New Enterprises Quarry on the south side of Rte 31 - the very large piles of quarry spoil have dissappeared. They are being graded and the old mountain is being 'restored'. They are placing top soil so I assume the new 'mountain' will be vegetated and planted.
- Hops Pub - they had fire works and a band on Saturday night. The place was hoppin'... I have never seen this place that crowded. Lots of Hidden Valley homeowner's were there.

I went to the Laurel Hill Blue Grass Festival on Saturday. This was my first time. It was excellent and it costs nothing. Great music and it was very well organized. I highly recommend attendance next year.

I was there last Friday night, and yes Hops was also busier than I had seen before. They had a good live band and an impressive schedule through the fall. Word was that they sold every beer in the place during their monthly "full moon party"

Some additional improvements:
- They are building a big deck at Glaciers to provide expanded area
-They are fixing up the upstairs at Hops with plans to open the bar there
-Hops is now open every night, with the exception of Monday I believe

So seems like HV is making an effort to create more of a happening atmosphere to compete with 7S.

snowsmith & edgar3, thank you for the updates. This is all good to hear. I was really hoping to make the bluegrass festival this past weekend but could not. I don't know that it makes a huge difference in HV's ultimate success, but the best item for me on that list is the quarry news. It has been an eye sore for homeowners and anyone at the resort, for that matter, for far too many years now. At one time there were rumors of a lake being part of the ultimate reclamation project, don't know if that was ever true or not.

Agree 100%

Here?

What you are looking at is the new quarry across Rte 31. THis land was sold by our friend, Jim Kettler to New Enterprise, the quarry operator. They are building a large 'mountain' using the quarry overburden and then planting it. So while it is a scar on an other wise beautiful area, it won't look as bad as the old quarry did.
The area being restored is on the far left of your photo. There were huge piles of quarry spoil that have been moved and graded and they appear to be in preparation for revegetating the whole area. A welcome change to say the least.

Anyone hear any news that the Buncher Group is going ahead with plans for the new golf course over in "Paradise Valley"?