Heavenly introduces GM; ready to make snow Tuesday
By Kathryn Reed
STATELINE – Pete Sonntag made himself more real Friday night than most executives ever do.
At his “coming out” party of sorts at Edgewood Tahoe, he talked about how great it is to be general manager of Heavenly Mountain Resort, joked a bit with his predecessor and boss Blaise Carrig (who introduced him), and delved into the importance of living every day to the fullest. An athletic friend dying at age 40 of a heart attack and his first born nearly dying the first week of his life helped instill into Sonntag the appreciation for life.
He intends to — and according those at the Oct. 22 event already is — bringing that zest for life to work. The packed room (most of whom don’t work for Sonntag) welcomed him. He has been on the job since late summer.
Pete Sonntag
The only boos to his speech came when he admitted to being at AT&T ballpark the previous night to watch his Phillies beat the Giants.
Casey Blann, vice president of mountain operations, is exuberant about the two Pirnoth snowcats that will arrive next week.
“They are more efficient, cover more acres, have less emissions and are a better quality groomer,” Blann said. The nickname for these snowcats is “The Beast.”
Sonntag said two more would join the fleet for the 2011-12 season.
At the Tamarack Lodge, which is scheduled to open in early February, construction is still ahead of schedule. That may change with snow in the forecast for the next few days.
Steve Turner, director of food and beverage at the California-Nevada resort, is eager to get his crew into that kitchen. It’s bigger and has more components, like a fryer that might be able to dish up some garlic fries (no promises) that Sonntag devoured in San Francisco.
With only 2 percent of the skiers being vegetarian, don’t expect an abundance of choices. But Turner said a salad bar and other veggie options would be on the menu at the new lodge.
For the carnivores, expect the smoker to be well used this season.
John Wagnon, director of marketing, said the threat of snow in the forecast is helping sell season passes.
If weather experts are right, Sonntag may have an epic first year.
With the snowmaking guns ready to start making white stuff Tuesday in anticipation of the Nov. 19 opening day, he is eager to get the South Shore resort open for the season.
A Faceless Rat’s Lament #3
All hail Vail! And never despair
They’ll eventually replace old North Bowl chair
Sooner or later they’re bound to declare
“We wanted to use wind power” but we know that’s hot air
And that maintenance shack that we call “Cal Lodge’,
Still nothing more than a square shingled ‘60’s hodge podge.
All hail Vail! With no skiing contests, who knows who’s best?
Will you guys ever hold your mountain management to a comparison or test?
Or is it Squaw the valley that will always lead the rest?
Are you now drowning our future Olympian’s dreams?
With all of your shortsighted, self-profiting schemes?
All hail Vail! You’ve been here ten years
and what do you show us for all your marketing jeers?
You’ve stolen our mountain, brought us to tears
Posted huge signs that point out our stashes,
Slashed out our trees that hold powder patches
Not a Half Pipe assembled, year after year
Please! Stop screwing around with our mountain, you corporate profiteers
You make this Faceless rat ponder, “Oh, why have you come here?”
I guess it’s all in perspectives. I’ve been here less than 5 years, and really enjoy Heavenly. Seems like they make some improvement every year. I don’t know what it was like before, so have nothing to compare to. Guess I missed some of the good old days.