Greek Peak spends $2.5 million on equipment and improvements

VIRGIL, N.Y. — Greek Peak Mountain Resort says it has spent about $2.5 million for improvements at its facility in Virgil in Cortland County.

It spent about $1 million in 2017 and about $1.5 million on the ski area and lodging facility this year, Greek Peak said in a news release.

“In a time when [New York State] continues to increase operating expenses such as increased minimum wage, minimum salaries and other mandates which impact the bottom line, this is an aggressive approach putting it mildly,” Wesley Kryger, president of Greek Peak Mountain Resort, contended in the release.

Greek Peak said it is tentatively set to open the ski season Nov. 24, weather “cooperating and permitting.”

Spending outlined

Greek Peak has spent more than $231,000 on snowmaking improvements. With that investments, crews have installed new pipes on Odyssey and Upper Mars Hill, replaced 750 feet of snowmaking pipe, added 14 new snow guns, and a new SMI tower fan.

Greek Peak also spent more than $266,000 to purchase 68 new snowmaking guns for installation on trails that include Upper Odyssey, Meadow, Platonic, Alpha and Mars Hill. Greek Peak says it used a NYSERDA matching funds grant to make the purchase.

Greek Peak invested about $600,000 for two groomers. It also spent more than $43,000 for a P-Tex machine for ski tuning and repair, about $10,000 for “high performance” ski rentals, about $9,000 on rental ski poles, and about $45,000 for resort and hill uniforms.

Greek Peak says the improvements have resulted in an increase in snow-gun capability of 1,000 gallons per minute, per its news release.

Besides the focus on snowmaking improvements, Greek Peak also allocated about $180,000 to chair-lift improvements.

Greek Peak also spent about $5,500 to relocate its welcome center and guest-services area to the ticket-booth building.

“We found that having two buildings servicing guests was causing guest confusion while navigating from parking, through ticketing, to … the snow,” per the Greek Peak news release.

The previous welcome center will now become administrative offices. Guest services and the ticket booth will be located together in the lower Katalima building, Greek Peak said.

The Greek Peak investments also focused on lodge improvements. That included about $30,000 for catering equipment, a gazebo, and a mountain-top deck; about $30,000 for a wedding-tent venue and new flooring; roughly $35,000 for an LED light-replacement project; and about $45,000 for a “Big Bear Activity Zone” at Cascades Indoor Waterpark.

Contact Reinhardt at ereinhardt@cnybj.com