Couple more comments on the Saddleback issue...may be out of sync
     because I read in digest form.

     I suspect everyone on this list is in general agreement - we'd all
     like to see a place like Saddleback continue to remain a successful
     business without caving in to McSkiing.  Personally, I would love it
     if this was possible in it's current state - low capacity lifts, great
     trails, great snow quality due to lack of skiers, dirt-road access to
     base area at 2500 feet, mostly Mainer ski population, no on-mountain
     restaurant, virtually no snowmaking, etc.

     If it can't survive this way (which seems likely. In fact, people at
     the mountain have told me that it's been in the red for years, and
     that the owner uses it as a tax write-off on other businesses), then
     we'd love to see more development of other great narrow,
     non-snowmaking expert trails, big areas of tree skiing cleared for
     semi-backcountry access (like current Muleskinner trail),
     non-detachable lifts, etc.

     However, I'd like to hear an example of any New England ski areas that
     have developed in this fashion.  Unfortunately, the "success" formula
     for big-time investment and expansion seems to be on snowmaking and
     big, wide, intermediate trails that can easily covered and groomed to
     serve the shaped-ski masses that are becoming a bigger share of the
     market every year.  Look at all the ski areas in Vermont that expanded
     in the 70's and 80's.  Only the few that didn't expand big-time are
     still even worth going to for me - Smuggler's, Jay, and Stowe (even
     though most of it's in-bounds trails are ruined), and maybe Bolton or
     Magic for a smaller area.  Saddleback is a time capsule of Killington,
     Stowe, Sugarbush, Okemo, or Sugarloaf in the mid 60's.

     Sure, the AT crowd seems a little extreme, but who can blame them?
     How many 4000-footers are left in Vermont without some heinous
     Mc-Skiing area covering it's slopes with wide, icy groomers?  The area
     in Western Maine around Saddleback is VERY different.  There's a huge
     massif of 4000 footers including Saddleback & The Horn, Sugarloaf &
     Crockers, Mt. Abrams, and Bigelow that is virtually undeveloped (of
     course Sugarloaf is on one side).  Skiing at Saddleback is amazing -
     you're surrounded by the huge, untouched, deep green flanks of the
     Horn and Saddleback ridgeline.  Save for a few small buildings at the
     base, you might as well be in complete backcountry.  Imagine a
     half-size Mad River, with more snow and only 30% of the chairs on the
     single occupied on January weekends, and you begin to get the picture.

     I wasn't aware that the AT people are trying to stop development on
     land already owned by Saddleback, that certainly doesn't seem fair.
     But when it comes down to it, I'd rather have the mountain close and
     hike the trails then have it turned into a 14-lift mega-area.  And
     with Alternative 1, they've got plenty of killer terrain to add lifts
     and trails.  Vote now!

     Scott

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