Saddleback for sale...

Saddleback for sale.....http://www.necn.com/12/20/12/Saddle...ing_business.html?blockID=815873&feedID=11106
hopefully whatever changes happen,management will keep things chill for the hikers[especially in winter].
sidenote;western mountains of maine getting dumped on right now,good time to get some powder time in.32 inches of fresh powder

Unfortunately as usual the current owner is stripping more value out of the facility. Dan Breen, the prior owner greenmailed the National Park Service into paying him off for the AT, then dumped it. The current owners did upgrade the facility but they are selling it with the majority of the land excluded from the deal. This unfortunately reduces the likelyhood of major future upgrades as there will be less revenue from the accessory development uses. The current owners were trying to get special status for the region so that foreign investors can "buy" a US visa if they make a singificant investment in the area that creates jobs. This has been very successful at Jay Peak and the surrounding area. I havent heard anything lately of this effort so I suspect that it didnt happen. The current owner bought the slope cheap when no one else wanted it and did upgrade it so I expect they figured its a good time to cash out of the slope and then make their money off subsidiary development in the adjacent land.

Holding back those other 7,600 acres is what's going to keep someone from buying into in the ski area's 400. Limiting expansion and revenue possibilities doesn't make the ski area an attractive investment. Here's a more thorough article:
http://maineskifamily.blogspot.com/2012/12/saddleback-maine-for-sale.html

MichaelJ said:

Holding back those other 7,600 acres is what's going to keep someone from buying into in the ski area's 400. Limiting expansion and revenue possibilities doesn't make the ski area an attractive investment.

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Perhaps they're using it the other 7,600 acres as a bargaining chip, "hoping to remain involved in the ski area in some capacity" as they say, dangling land for expansion like a carrot in front of the new owners. I agree with the last sentence of the article, that Saddleback is poised to go to another level, but if the whole area isn't sold, it'll just end up strangled. The Berry family has done a lot of good for Saddleback, I've personally enjoyed both skiing and hiking on its trails, and it'd be a shame if this is how the deal goes down.

brobichaud said:

The Berry family has done a lot of good for Saddleback

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That appears to be the predominant feeling in the area. The family greatly improved the ski area, have been good corporate citizens and opened up new opportunities to make Saddleback a year-round resort.

This includes creating new hiking and mountain biking trails and a purchasing a marina on the Northwest shore of Rangeley Lake in Oquossoc. Quite frankly, I was very surprised and a bit saddened by this announcement.

Marty

I hope as the interviewee in the video said they can preserve the "authentic rustic feel" of the area. Too many places are being converted into Disneyland versions of ski resorts. One Sugarloaf is enough.

bcskier said:

I hope as the interviewee in the video said they can preserve the "authentic rustic feel" of the area. Too many places are being converted into Disneyland versions of ski resorts. One Sugarloaf is enough.

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I disagree. Jay Peak's ice rink and water park are far more Disney-ish than anything at Sugarloaf.

I was referring to the area in Maine where Saddleback is located. I'm including Jay in my "too many places" reference. The trend is universal. It used to be you could escape the theme park of Loon by going over to Cannon (especially if you wanted to "sidecountry" to Mittersill) but that is not the case anymore.