Manitoba Mountain, Spirit of the Kenai

Tony Crocker":2bqoquij said:
providing the relevant facts that I inquired about earlier in this thread and never received a response from soulskier.
The ongoing give and take between FTOers and Soul Skier concerning his promotion of Manitoba is interesting. Each side has good points about how much information should be provided about a ski area (especially one that has yet to open) and at which point you should do it.

Apologies for the spam link, but a few weeks ago, I posted an Interview with Jay Peak's Steve Wright that touched on some of these issues, i.e. different ways to run and market a mountain, including the question of how much "truth" the public should hear. Of course, one of the many differences between Jay and Manitoba is that Jay has been in operation for decades with a well established brand and niche, whereas Manitoba is planning to offer something that only has one precursor (Silverton), and in a substantially different location.
 
jamesdeluxe":1n888itl said:
...one of the many differences between Jay and Manitoba is that Jay has been in operation for decades with a well established brand and niche, whereas Manitoba is planning to offer something that only has one precursor (Silverton), and in a substantially different location.
And from what soulskier indicated in prior threads, a substantially different business model - one that requires significant financial transparency.
 
souilskier":hwldf4o4 said:
It's likely the lower lift will be a T Bar to best accommodate beginner skiers.
And the other 2 lifts? Just my opinion, but I think a Poma is easier for a beginner than a T-bar. Even for experienced skiers T-bars are not easy to ride alone. And both are tough on snowboarders.
 
Tony Crocker":2i4h9ht8 said:
souilskier":2i4h9ht8 said:
It's likely the lower lift will be a T Bar to best accommodate beginner skiers.
And the other 2 lifts? Just my opinion, but I think a Poma is easier for a beginner than a T-bar. Even for experienced skiers T-bars are not easy to ride alone. And both are tough on snowboarders.

Good point Tony, Pomas are being considered as well. Both a T Bar and a Poma have an advantage in areas that receive a lot of snow, as they adjust to the height, whereas a tow needs to remain above the snowline.
 
jamesdeluxe":eonlaifc said:
Tony Crocker":eonlaifc said:
providing the relevant facts that I inquired about earlier in this thread and never received a response from soulskier.
The ongoing give and take between FTOers and Soul Skier concerning his promotion of Manitoba is interesting. Each side has good points about how much information should be provided about a ski area (especially one that has yet to open) and at which point you should do it.

Apologies for the spam link, but a few weeks ago, I posted an Interview with Jay Peak's Steve Wright that touched on some of these issues, i.e. different ways to run and market a mountain, including the question of how much "truth" the public should hear. Of course, one of the many differences between Jay and Manitoba is that Jay has been in operation for decades with a well established brand and niche, whereas Manitoba is planning to offer something that only has one precursor (Silverton), and in a substantially different location.

Thanks for sharing the interview. You are spot on, I try to keep the board updated on things, but sometimes it's premature to divulge information, especially at this stage. And as I have stated before, I do appreciate the hard questions and great feedback, it has been very helpful.
 
We've been doing some on-snow due diligence this week.

The snow on the front side has been Grade A corn.

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Dropping of the north side

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Another line off the north side with Block Headwall in the backdrop

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Looking up the north side. There are two skiers on top of the line for reference.

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Towards the east and Juneau Creek Headwall

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North side from the Seward Highway

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Last light on the frontside

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Last week the corn was excellent on the right exposures down to about 2,500 feet, manageable to 1,500 and mush below that.
 
Note in the comment section dissent from a local backcountry skier. He makes a comment about snowmobilers too. I suspect snowmobiling is big in Alaska and Manitoba will be in trouble IMHO if the snowmobile community decides to oppose it.
 
I went for a tour up Manitoba Mountain yesterday. I thought Tony might appreciate how fat the coverage still is for late May.

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