Official Mt Washington thread

I'd be happy if they just managed the money they've got a little better. Some more consistent jumps and more intermediate friendly terrain would probably mean more people at the park.. But then it wouldn't be some people's private play-place anymore…

I'd be happy if they just managed the money they've got a little better. Some more consistent jumps and more intermediate friendly terrain would probably mean more people at the park.. But then it wouldn't be some people's private play-place anymore…

Alright, names…we want names.

What I see is that the owners/managers don't really look at mtb very serious. It's like
it's more of a way to just keep employees during the "off season". Don't get me wrong, there's
some good trails there, but as you said, consistency and the "good" trails seem to be directed
towards the upper end of the ability level. So, you don't get as many people in the park
which means less revenue, and less revenue means the owners/managers don't look at it seriously.

It's a shame, but I'd rather spend the 1.5hr drive to Nam, 1.5hr ferry to HSB, and then
another 40 minutes or so to WBP than just a 2.5-3 hr drive to MW just because I'm going
to have so much more fun and it will keep my wife stoked instead of frustrated or bored.

That's exactly what I mean. I really think they could be a great mountain if they put some effort into it, but right now they're just the only mountain that is within 40 min of my house.

even if they improved the trails immensely they won't ever get the traffic to make any money. We're mostly expert riders here I assume, I like the park and my only complaint is the short season which they can't really do anything about anyway.

even if they improved the trails immensely they won't ever get the traffic to make any money. We're mostly expert riders here I assume, I like the park and my only complaint is the short season which they can't really do anything about anyway.

What they should do is put a tube over all the trails, then we could ride them all year!
Even with 30' of snow on top of them.

even if they improved the trails immensely they won't ever get the traffic to make any money. We're mostly expert riders here I assume, I like the park and my only complaint is the short season which they can't really do anything about anyway.

I have lost count of the number of people, beginner to intermediate to expert that I know that live in the Comox Valley who just won't ride the park at washboard. Not even for $17 for an evening.

I have also lost count of the number of people who live in Nanaimo - Parksville etc and get Whistler seasons passes and maybe do 1-2 days at Washboard.

If you really expect me to believe that if Washboard had a trail equivalent to Crank-it-up, one equal to the Ninja Cougar line, one equal to A-Line and one to B-Line and one to Dirt Merchant along with the gnar off the summit that all of that traffic would bother with Whistler??? Of course - they would have to maintain them too…

sooooo much potential…

you comox valley hippies are all on drugs. i'd be stoked as hell if I had access to that mountain in my back yard. you're even more off-the-back if you think building a whistler equivalent trail network makes economic sense that far away from a major population base.

would more intermediate trails be appreciated by users? most likely. is it business feasible for the mountain to design, construct, operate, and maintain them? given that the resort's management has chosen not to do so, it seems not.

exhibit A of awesomeness:
https://vimeo.com/13817030

exhibit B of radgnar:
https://vimeo.com/13597742

While I agree that building something the scale of WBP at Mount Washington isn't feasible, it would be nice if they didn't half-ass the trails there typically there are two trails worth riding, and everything else languishes.

There isn't enough to keep non-expert riders interested, and that goes twice for the services up there. There is SFA for non-riders to do, summer or winter, for that matter.

Before I get called a hater, I own property on Mt Washington, and I am there often. I ride in the valley now, I don't even bother with the bike park.

The point about Island riders applies to the winter too. I don't even get a pass anymore, because I refuse to pay $200 less for a pass there than at Whistler, and get to suffer their style of benign neglect on top of it. This winter I rode as many lift accessed days at Whistler as I did at Washington. And I think that's pretty weak.

I have a vested interest in seeing the place succeed, but I have given up on the current ownership.

^On that note, are they still charging day skiers extra money to ski at night? I remember a few years ago at Spring Break if you wanted to ski after 4 it was an extra $25 or something on top of the 60+ish for a day ticket

I have lost count of the number of people, beginner to intermediate to expert that I know that live in the Comox Valley who just won't ride the park at washboard. Not even for $17 for an evening.

I have also lost count of the number of people who live in Nanaimo - Parksville etc and get Whistler seasons passes and maybe do 1-2 days at Washboard.

If you really expect me to believe that if Washboard had a trail equivalent to Crank-it-up, one equal to the Ninja Cougar line, one equal to A-Line and one to B-Line and one to Dirt Merchant along with the gnar off the summit that all of that traffic would bother with Whistler??? Of course - they would have to maintain them too…

sooooo much potential…

it would be sweet if they had those trails, wonder when they could build them… not yet, and the crew will probably be busy enough keeping the existing trails in shape this summer to start anything new, might add to that green trail they were trying to build from the hawk down since it's so desperately needed.

I do think the owners would love to have more going on in the park but because of the climate (30' of snow), location, and terrain it's not do able, I don't think they really have the potential you're talking about. Comparing whistler is apples-oranges, Mt W doesn't have a 'village' and doesn't have mobs of tourists from all over the world, majority not biking but spending pretty much the same to go ride the peak 2 peak and take pictures. Just spinning the lifts for locals/people on a day trip who buy a lift ticket and go home, even if they got a ton more traffic, they run well in the red, probably why cypress won't open up again either.

you comox valley hippies are all on drugs. i'd be stoked as hell if I had access to that mountain in my back yard. you're even more off-the-back if you think building a whistler equivalent trail network makes economic sense that far away from a major population base.

would more intermediate trails be appreciated by users? most likely. is it business feasible for the mountain to design, construct, operate, and maintain them? given that the resort's management has chosen not to do so, it seems not.

There are certain things about that mountain that I love, but unfortunately if I can't ride with my other half then I won't ride as much. I know others are in the same boat as well. I don't think it would require much money for Washington to straighten things up out there, to me it comes down to direction to the trail crew from management, not money. Blue trails can be challenging without putting newbies at risk, and ultimately I think that opening up the existing trails a little more would make it more fun for the non-experts on the island, which would bring in more people.

The fact that people in Victoria would rather spend the time and money to get to Whistler instead of the 2.5hr drive to Washington says a lot to me.

You know - five years ago I could ride Hustler on my 5x5 Norco Fluid and have hella fun. Last year, on my 8x7 Scythe it was almost unbearable. Just needs maintenance.

All the place needs is a tweak of existing trails (consistent jumps - full rake out - fill holes) and then actual maintenance throughout the season and it would be kick ass. Probably need 5 people full time all summer (A la Sun Peaks) which would be what - 2,640 person hours at about $25 cost - so $66,000? Add in machine time and lets say they need to add $100,000 to their summer budget. So - would that investment generate 2600 more day pass sales? Who knows…

I think the bike park is at a "chicken-egg" type of dilemma. They don't get big numbers, so they don't want to spend more money. But if they don't spend some more money, they won't get more riders…

Maybe they could get sponsorship? Instead of the eagle and hawk chairs it could be the
kokanee and boston pizza chairs. Maybe get a candy company and you could have like the rogers
or Hershey highway, or the skittles rainbow jump park etc (now you know why I'm not in marketing).

Maybe they could get sponsorship? Instead of the eagle and hawk chairs it could be the
kokanee and boston pizza chairs. Maybe get a candy company and you could have like the rogers
or Hershey highway, or the skittles rainbow jump park etc (now you know why I'm not in marketing).

I sense a lawsuit the first time some kid says: I met some guy on the chairlift and then we rode the Hershey Highway together!