Sunday, November 12, 2006

Upgrades to Peek'n Peak & Holiday Valley

New snow-making and grooming equipment are among the many planned improvements that will greet skiers and snowboarders when they return to the slopes in the next several weeks.

The biggest changes are at Peek'n Peak, the western New York resort purchased last winter by Chardon real estate developer Paul Kiebler. He has replaced the resort's snow-making guns with $2 million in new technology that creates soft, powdery flakes, not ice.

"In three or four days, we can have 36 inches on the entire resort," said Kiebler. "We're guaranteed to be the last resort open in the spring."

Other upgrades at the Findley Lake, N.Y., resort include two new terrain parks, one for beginners and one for advanced skiers, and renovations to 72 hotel rooms. A day spa is scheduled to open in January.

The biggest changes are yet to come: Expect 14 new slopes to open for the 2007-2008 season, along with four new lifts. Longer-term plans include construction of a new wing of the hotel, an indoor water park and a village at the base of the mountain, with a collection of restaurants, shops and condominiums.

Holiday Valley in Ellicottville, N.Y., also has invested heavily in snow-making power: The new 62-million-gallon man-made Spruce Lake, at the top of the Tannenbaum lift, provides enough water to double the resort's snow-making capacity, according to marketing director Jane Eshbaugh.

The resort also is adding two Web cams to give would-be skiers at home an up-to-the-minute look at snow accumulations at Holiday

For more information on Chautauqua Lake Real Estate & Living visit: www.chautauqualakehomes.com

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