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| Snodgrass Misconception #2 |
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CBMR's "Snodgrass Misconception #2" advertisement in the 12/18/09
Crested Butte News presents the 4th set of Snodgrass terrain data
they've published in 2009. This ad, their Snodgrass Light presentation,
Snodgrass Proposal and Master Development Plan (MDP) each offer
different, conflicting terrain data. The documents they've shown
publicly (Snodgrass Light and CB News ad) overstate the amount
of Intermediate and understate the amount of Expert as compared
to their official MDP submitted to the USFS this year.
CMBR says
they need to expand because the Intermediate runs on Crested Butte
Mountain are too short and too steep to appeal to their "core market" of "Intermediate
and Lower Level Skiers." About the Prospect runs, CBMR has stated
they "don't expect this short section of Intermediate to be utilized
by many skiers." They also described the "pure terror" an Intermediate
feels on steep Upper Keystone. Furthermore, they claimed that Snodgrass
would have provided an "overabundance" of Intermediate Terrain.
 The
MDP contains specific ski area terrain data which makes it easy
to objectively analyze CBMR's claims. Table 6-5, on Pages 110-113,
provides Slope length, Slope Area, Average Grade, Maximum Grade
and Ability Level for every run on Crested Butte Mountain and every
run that was proposed for Snodgrass. A little time with a calculator
shows that there would have been only 98 Intermediate acres on
Snodgrass. The MDP further shows that Snodgrass' 17 Intermediate
runs (not 21 as per CBMR's ad) would have been both shorter and
steeper than the Intermediates on CB Mtn - which they say are too
short and too steep to attract more skiers.
The average Snodgrass
Intermediate run length (1967 ft) would have been as short as those
in the Prospect (1997 ft) and Gold Link (1966 ft) lift pods. Since
CBMR doesn't expect many skiers to use the short Intermediate
Prospect runs, it is unclear how runs of the same length on Snodgrass,
more than 45 minutes from the Base Area, would attract more skiers.
Snodgrass'
longest Intermediate runs would have been about as short as Bushwhacker
under the Teocalli chair. The remaining Intermediates, on average, would have been
shorter than the DC Super Pipe on CB Mt! In addition, 4 of Snodgrass' 5 "long" Intermediates
would have had the same 45% slope angle and "Double Blue" Rating as the terror-inducing
Upper Keystone. By ski industry standards, 45% is the maximum "Sustained Gradient" that
a ski slope can have and still be rated Intermediate - a 46% slope must be rated
Black Diamond. If all of the steep, 45% Intermediates are deducted from the 98 acre
total, there would have been only 37 typical Intermediate acres on Snodgrass.
CBMR's
own Master Development Plan establishes that Snodgrass would NOT have provided an "overabundance" of
Intermediate terrain and that the Intermediate runs on Snodgrass would have been
both shorter and steeper than those that already exist on Crested Butte Mountain.
Sincerely,
Friends of Snodgrass Mountain, LLC |
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