RESORT PROFILE
while investing $8 million into capital improvements; many
of which are already in place for the 2019-20 winter season.
Among the upgrades are a new high-speed chairlift and
RFID lift access (a first for New York State), which can be
uploaded from any computer or smartphone to eliminate
the need for guests to present their tickets or season passes
before boarding lifts. Snowmaking and grooming improvements
and a new swimming pool at the Winwood Inn are
also in the planned upgrades.
Chip Seamans, Windham’s president and general manager,
has been with the resort for the past eight years. He says that
many of the capital projects were already in the works before
North Castle came on board, “but they are certainly involved
in longer planning. We are involved in master planning right
now that will take us into the next five to 10 years. We’re very
excited about what they bring to the table; I think they are
unique, in terms of who owns ski areas.”
New investment will not likely change Windham’s essential
character, which is family-focused, with a new internal tagline:
To be above and beyond.
“We think of ourselves as being a little bit higher-end; we
have a private club within our base lodge and we set a high
bar for ourselves,” said Seamans. “Over the last five to seven
years we have invested heavily in infrastructure: grooming,
snowmaking and the base-area amenities.”
Making and maintaining snow
The program of improvements has ramped up steeply over
the past few seasons, with major investments in snowmaking,
grooming and lifts.
“Snowmaking is obviously critical for us, particularly as
the weather seems to become more inconsistent. We would
not be in business without snowmaking; that’s been probably
the biggest area of investment over the last seven years,”
Seamans said. “Snowmaking technology has come a very
long way. Our whole network of pipes and snow guns is being
replaced by technology that’s in some cases 70 to 80 percent
more efficient.”
Windham’s director of mountain operations, Ted Davis,
has been with the resort for more than 40 years in various
capacities. Over his career on the property, “the interesting
thing is it’s grown in every aspect,” he said.
Plans for Windham Mountain Resort’s Umbrella Bar
PHOTO COURTESY OF WINDHAM MOUNTAIN RESORT
RENTALS
RETAIL
SHOP
UMBRELLA
BAR
SIMULATOR BUILDING
EQUIPMENT VALET
“We’ve increased our total
uphill capacity by 2,000
an hour.”
– Ted Davis
6 September 2019 | snowopsmag.com
/snowopsmag.com
