{"id":33368,"date":"2020-06-19T11:48:50","date_gmt":"2020-06-19T15:48:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.glensfalls.com\/glensfallsbusinessjournal\/?p=33368"},"modified":"2020-06-19T11:52:51","modified_gmt":"2020-06-19T15:52:51","slug":"west-mountain-set-to-open-july-4-social-distancing-health-safety-rules-are-in-place","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.glensfalls.com\/glensfallsbusinessjournal\/2020\/06\/west-mountain-set-to-open-july-4-social-distancing-health-safety-rules-are-in-place\/","title":{"rendered":"West Mountain Set To Open July 4; Social Distancing, Health Safety Rules Are In Place"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"
A child last year goes through the High Ropes Adventure Park that premiered in 2019 and features six courses for climber ages 7 and up.
Courtesy West Mountain<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

By Christine Graf
\nIn accordance with the state\u2019s four-phase reopening plan, West Mountain in Queensbury will open for its summer season on July 4.
\n\u201cThe good news for us is that our activities are outdoor activities that have social distancing baked into them to begin with,\u201d said West Mountain co-owner and on-site operator Spencer Montgomery. \u201cWe think there is just an enormous pent up demand to get outdoors.\u201d
\nThe mountain offers numerous outdoor activities including a high ropes course, mountain biking, hiking, scenic chairlift rides, and mountaintop picnicking.
\nWhen the mountain opens for business, all employees will follow social distancing and sanitary guidelines issued by the state as well as the CDC.
\n\u201cThe exact guidance is changing daily, so I don\u2019t know exactly what the end game will be,\u201d said Montgomery. \u201cI\u2019m expecting that as we move forward in the summer that the guidance will be continually updated. I just know we will be able to open and that we will conform to anything that is required. We\u2019ve just been in a wait-and-see pattern and letting people know that we will be open on July 4. We will do whatever we have to do to be open.\u201d
\nAlthough the mountain will be open for outdoor recreation, weddings will not be able to take place there until pandemic gathering restrictions had been lifted. Weddings are a new addition to West Mountain for the 2020 season, he said.
\n\u201cWeddings are something that we are just embarking on and we expect it to be a big part of our business in the summer. You can take a chairlift ride to the top to have your ceremony and then come back down the chairlift and have your reception at the bottom,\u201d said Montgomery. \u201cWe had our chairlift re-engineered so that we could have downhill traffic on it. Most chairlifts are engineered for uphill traffic only.\u201d
\nWeddings that were scheduled during the pandemic have been canceled or postponed, but Montgomery is hopeful that weddings will be able to take place in the late summer or early fall. Ceremonies are performed on a platform that sits on top of the mountain and overlooks the Hudson River.
\nHe expects the High Ropes Adventure Park to be especially popular this year. The $1 million attraction opened last year and features six high ropes courses for climbers ages 7 and up. The course is accessed by the West Express Chairlift and is located under a canopy of trees.
\nFor the first time, West Mountain will offer summer day camps beginning in July. Because many venues have canceled their summer camps, these camps are expected to be popular, said Montgomery.
\nDespite the pandemic, Montgomery said he was encouraged by the response to their winter season ski pass pre-sale that ended on May 31. Sales were up over 60 percent and set a new record.
\n\u201cI think it was in part because people came last season and saw all of the new improvements,\u201d he said. \u201cWe got a new cafeteria. We got a brand new chairlift at the northwest base. We renovated the northwest lodge. All of our capital projects are done now at the ski center. We\u2019ve been at this for about seven years and have done about $15 million in improvements. There\u2019s not much we haven\u2019t replaced. It\u2019s been a journey … We are looking forward to growing our brand.\u201d
\nAccording to Montgomery, management will now focus on operations and land development. They would like to build a ski-and-stay hotel resort on a large piece of property located at the northwest base area of the mountain, the former site of the Hudson Farm.
\n\u201cDevelopment would be the next phase for us,\u201d he said. \u201cA ski-and-stay component is why we have done all of this with the ski center. It would be difficult to justify putting all of this money into a small ski area just to hope to get a return from the actual ski area. That\u2019s rarely how things work in this industry. The ski area is the engine that creates activity and pays your light bill so to speak. And then you put amenities on top of that once it\u2019s built, and that\u2019s where your profits come from.\u201d
\nMany of West Mountain\u2019s employees have already returned to work and are performing maintenance duties. Montgomery expects to reach full summer employment levels in July.
\nFor more information on West Mountain, visit www.westmountain.com.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Christine Graf In accordance with the state\u2019s four-phase reopening plan, West Mountain in Queensbury will open for its summer season on July 4. \u201cThe good news for us is that our activities are outdoor activities that have social distancing baked into them to begin with,\u201d said West Mountain co-owner and on-site operator Spencer Montgomery. 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