Valdez lift access article

**PointsNorth** · 12-01-2011, 01:42 PM

Interesting story. Rydor is a friend of ours. I hope he can pull it off one day for certain.

http://devononeil.com/Stories/Valdez%20feature.pdf

Quinner

**DasBlunt** · 12-01-2011, 01:46 PM

Does anyone have pics of the site handy?

Dean is a pretty fucking cool dude.

7,000 feet of vert and 5,500 acres ..awesome.

**ak_powder_monkey** · 12-01-2011, 01:50 PM

pipedream....

**DeathVan** · 12-01-2011, 01:59 PM

That is an interesting concept(s).

I hope it gets the support it needs, I'd definitely fly over and play.

-there looks to be some serious drama to deal with, geesh...
Rydor's welcome to come down here anytime, we like the little guy (the trippier the better, as long as he brings some snow

)

Best of Luck to all small AK towns, things are not getting any easier

@AKPM -I for one love pipedreams
"The only place where your dream becomes impossible is in your own thinking." ~Robert H. Schuller

**whyturn** · 12-01-2011, 02:04 PM

I'd go, someday....

**point it** · 12-01-2011, 02:17 PM

If it actually went through I would go....

**Toadman** · 12-01-2011, 02:35 PM

Would save people a long flight to Japan. There's got to be some real estate mogul looking to lose a few million...

**cliffhucker** · 12-01-2011, 02:48 PM

Its a wonder it hasn't happened already, if it started simple using a model similar to Silverton, and then built up with newer infrastructure as it grew it could attract quite a few people. I believe there there are plenty of skiers who would move to Valdez in a heartbeat if there were a supplement to heli-skiing, but choppers are so expensive nobody but a millionaire could afford to ride everyday. Nobody wants to move somewhere with hike only options either...

**Chugachjed** · 12-01-2011, 03:24 PM

I'd ride the ferry there fo sho.

**Imz** · 12-01-2011, 03:34 PM

Ah! I skied with Devon in AK while he was writing this article- glad to see it finally came out!

would be pretty awesome if Rydor swung it.

**wcf3** · 12-01-2011, 04:08 PM

Hard to see how the economics of this could work. (Certainly not as a $100M project).

**Teh Poacher** · 12-01-2011, 04:29 PM

Originally Posted by ak_powder_monkey

pipedream....

Sadly, ^^^ this.....

Wasn't there a similar push a couple decades ago to put lifts in at Hatcher Pass?

Aside from being much closer to an International airport (one hour'ish drive from ANC to Hatcher, vs. 300 miles or a connecting flight to Valdez), I see demographics being as big a hurdle as anything.

Installing a tram won't make Valdez a ski-town overnight.

**GrumpyPilot** · 12-01-2011, 04:51 PM

Hopefully it can happen.

**powpig** · 12-01-2011, 05:35 PM

Lotsa info here:

http://www.rydor.com/home.html

**Yanos** · 12-01-2011, 06:52 PM

Originally Posted by Teh Poacher

Sadly, ^^^ this.....

Wasn't there a similar push a couple decades ago to put lifts in at Hatcher Pass?

Aside from being much closer to an International airport (one hour'ish drive from ANC to Hatcher, vs. 300 miles or a connecting flight to Valdez), I see demographics being as big a hurdle as anything.

Installing a tram won't make Valdez a ski-town overnight.

While I don't disagree with you, it is worth pointing out that the difference between Hatcher Pass and Valdez is vast, besides the distance to airport, community, snow pack, terrain, etc.

Having been involved in the HP Nordic Center, all I can say is the Resort idea in HP was a much larger pipe dream.

**UTskiHokie** · 12-01-2011, 07:37 PM

Can I call dibs on the job of ferry boat driver? The trip by boat from mecca (aka Points North) to the valdez tram sounds pretty good for down days.

**AdironRider** · 12-01-2011, 07:55 PM

Anyone catch in the article that Valdez has 130 mil just sitting in the bank for 'the future'. That puts it a step above pipe dream if you ask me.

Hugh Conway · 12-01-2011, 10:47 PM

Originally Posted by AdironRider

Anyone catch in the article that Valdez has 130 mil just sitting in the bank for 'the future'. That puts it a step above pipe dream if you ask me.

Principal of Valdez permanent fund = protected I believe so back to pipe dream.

I don't get why everyone would make a pilgrimmage for a lift and not just to tour. It's cool. You can go now, ski, have fun. The problem with living there is no jobs. New uber cool ski area won't create enough jobs for ski bum community. So back to no jobs.