9 replies to this topic

[Peter]

Note: This ski area has a 1989 Poma quad, 2 older Riblet doubles and 1 Hall double.


Gray Rocks gone for good

Updated: Sun Mar. 29 2009 5:26:15 PM

ctvmontreal.ca

After more than a century in operation, the Gray Rocks resort in Mont Tremblant is closed for good.

On Sunday, loyal clients said their final goodbyes to the historic institution.

"I said to my wife, 'You know what? I want to be there on the weekend that it closes,'" said Jim Burns, who has been going to the resort for the past 27 years.

A group of friends from upstate New York also decided to make one last trip, for old times' sake.

"I can remember eating here back in the 70s and it was a very elegant dining room, lots of waiters," said Janet Green.

A long, proud history

Gray Rocks was opened in 1906, by George and Lucille Wheeler.

It was the first resort built in the Laurentians, and was once considered the go-to place for generations of families.

The resort hit its peak in the 1980s, when the majority of its guests came up from the U.S.

Countless people went to Gray Rocks when they wanted to learn how to ski, or simply because they were attracted to the all-inclusive ski packages offered by the resort.

But in recent years, the famous family-founded destination was losing millions of dollars each season, as it struggled to compete with emerging resorts.

"The Laurentians has developed a lot. There's a lot of competition out there," said Angela Stubbs, manager of Gray Rocks.

Therese Treguier was among the longtime employees saying a reluctant goodbye to Gray Rocks on Sunday. On her final day at work, she expressed affection for the resort's management over the years.

"They cared so much about their employees and their guests. That's why it was so special."

[iceberg210]

Tragic news to hear of another ski resort casualty as of late. They sure do seem to be mounting up. However I wonder if they are closing this resort are the owners now going to try and sell it off to new owners? Or is their use permit going to be taken, if it's on public lands, it'd be interesting to hear what the plans are for the resort now as I can't quite figure out what is happening beyond the family shuttering the place.

[DonaldMReif]

The use of Mont Tremblant in the first post made me think at first that you were meaning the Mont Tremblant ski area.
However, it must be somewhere near Mont Tremblant , is it not?

[sseguin613]

It was along the road to Tremblant. You pass it when you get off the highway and take the main road to Tremblant (its about 5-7 minute drive away from Tremblant itself).

It's big appeal was it's lower priced lift tickets and quieter atmosphere, less of a crowd. I had never been but always saw it from the road while driving to T. It looked nice, high up in the mountains they had large red letters spelling out GRAY ROCKS.

The hotel and ski operation is shutting down but their golf course is remaining open.

[Peter]

I wonder if the quad going in at Edelweiss Valley is from Gray Rocks? I had thought it was coming from Stratton, but maybe not?

[sseguin613]

Skier, on Mar 31 2009, 10:51 PM, said:

I wonder if the quad going in at Edelweiss Valley is from Gray Rocks? I had thought it was coming from Stratton, but maybe not?

No it`s coming from Stratton. MSSI confirmed that it came from Vermont and Stratton.
I wonder if that quad will follow the current path of the old double chair its replacing or if it will go a different way and lead to a new trail.

The Stratton quad was top drive. Does that mean it would have to be installed in top drive configuration?

[DonaldMReif]

sseguin613, on Apr 1 2009, 06:35 AM, said:

No it`s coming from Stratton. MSSI confirmed that it came from Vermont and Stratton.
I wonder if that quad will follow the current path of the old double chair its replacing or if it will go a different way and lead to a new trail.

The Stratton quad was top drive. Does that mean it would have to be installed in top drive configuration?

I've heard that when a relocated lift has a top drive it doesn't have to be top drive at the new area it's going to.

[aug]

DonaldMReif, on Apr 1 2009, 08:37 AM, said:

I've heard that when a relocated lift has a top drive it doesn't have to be top drive at the new area it's going to.

Once a lift is removed it is no longer a lift but Lift components. These components have been designed to the last instalations specifics( read; VR, Horiziontal length, Inclined Length, Capacity, etc). Since every lift profile is different a new engineering survey and plan needs to be developed for any new or relocated lift. Your specific question regarding the placment of the terminals (drive/ idler) is relevent. If the previously installed lift components fall within the new instaltion design parameters, these components can be used. The design tension load of a specific terminal will dictate its placement. Since top terminals see significantly higher tension loads than bottom terminals this would determine the placment of previously installed terminals. There are many other factors to consider, but I leave this to the professional engineers in the lift industry.

This post has been edited by aug: 01 April 2009 - 11:14 AM

[Walt Askier]

DonaldMReif, on Mar 31 2009, 10:00 AM, said:

However, it must be somewhere near Mont Tremblant , is it not?

Yes, it's only a couple of miles away from Tremblant - you actually look down on it from the top of Tremblant, it's that close.

The thing about Gray Rocks is that it's a small hill in an area with alot of small hills and a few big ones. If you take route 15 north out of Montreal you pass eleven(!) similarly sized hills on the way, plus one (Mt Blanc) that's twice as big. And once you're there, it's only another couple of minutes farther to a hill that's four times as big.

In all, there are about 20 resorts in the Montreal area - that's probably a few too many for the market to support. From what I understand, their business was mostly vacationers from the US buying ski-and-stay packages and the market for that has migrated away from 500' vertical hills with fixed-grip lifts.

[sseguin613]

Mont Saint-Sauveur / Avila with their high speed quads is a good ski centre. ITs not Tremblant but still enjoyable and the village community is nice to take in over a weekend with the many restaurants and small shops.