Ok so lately there has been talk on the front page about the expansion plans for Seven Springs. I figured I would move the topic over here where maybe it would get a little more exposure. So for the expansions plans from what I remember being mentioned in the past and on the Seven Springs article here is what I have heard. Hopefully we can go through sort out what is still true and what isn't any more.

Plans from past memories.
New high speed lift on north face.
People movers between parking lots main lodge and Tahoe lodge.
New hotel next to the current one.
Base village with all kinds of shops and restaurants between skier service building and New hotel.
Great Western Territory slope expansion.
Allen Creek slope expansion.
Cliffs slope expansion.
Water Park
Lake Tahoe Village

From the DCSki article
High speed six to replace gunner lift.

From looking at the design of the Lake Tahoe Village on the Seven Springs webpage.
Looks like a hotel is planed for the top of the mountain probably the same hotel that was original planed to be at the base.
New lift and trail system throughout the village to make it ski in ski out.

Some random speculating.
It has been stated that the Great Western Territory is being held up due to trying to make a "dry" township "wet" I have also heard this from many different sources both in the forums and on the mountain. So I would imagine that the new slopes would include a new lodge at the base.

I have seen the trees that have been cut down from a mountain peak looking at the expansion and right now it is just one very wide slope down to the bottom. I would imagine it would be this and maybe a few smaller slopes and trails at off the side.

I have been all throughout the land that will make the Great Western Territory. (Don't ask what I was doing) Since the trees have originally been cut down the saplings have really taken over the area. The trees are about 15 feet tall now. As for the pitch it is steep at the top then gets flatter in the middle and finally steeper at the bottom, much like the rest of Seven Springs Slopes. My speculation is the main slope will be rated Blue

It has been mentioned that there is a Snow gun test area. This is true. The area consists of two trails coming down from the top of Lake Herman to about halfway down the mountain. These trails already are lined with snow guns and the only thing they need to be put in regular service is a lift. I have often wondered if this might be the Allen Creek Expension that was once mentioned on their website. If these slopes were extend to the bottom they would end on Allen creek near the intersection of Triple Creek Rd and Pritts Distillery Rd.

Original I believe a high speed lift was planned for the North Face slope but with the two quads going up now I believe that it has been proven that there is adequate lift capacity for that part of the mountain. Therefore it would make sense that the new high speed lift has been planned for where the gunner lift currently is at. I would then speculate that they would move the Gunner lift to another part of the mountain just as they moved the old front face quad to the North face slope. I would think that the old gunner chair would either go on the great western territory or as the lift shown in the plans for the Lake Tahoe Village.

Ok well that's pretty much all I can remember and speculate for now lets see what we can all come up with now.

Not much that I can add to your comprehensive post. I remember the "Capital Expenditure Plan" exactly as you have listed it. I remember that some of these things were to happen in the years following the installation of the Polar Bear Express but so far they have spent very little in slope improvements (other than some snowmaking infrastructure work) in the 3 years since the PBE went in.

I also wonder what happened to the old Sunrise/Sunset Triple Chair (This was the unique, hardly used chair that went up from Alpine Meadows, over the Top and back down to the base of North Face). Some of it, including the drive base, remains on Alpine Meadows but the Towers on the North Face side along with the chairs have disappeared....I wonder if these were earmarked for any expansion into Allen Creek/Cliffs/Great Western.

I have hiked the area extensively also but I am unfamiliar with the Cliffs area. Do you know where this is at shearer?

The location of the cliffs area is a mystery to me too. If i would have to venture a guess though I would guess that this area is just west of the gunner slope. I'm guessing this because this is the area that appears to be the steepest on the topo map and because it is the only area I have seen any rock outcroppings near the resort. Another area I know off that is really steep is further down the valley that the Great western slope comes down. There is an ATV trail that goes up a really steep hill. This trail is so steep that I would be too afraid to do it on any kind of motorized vehicle. For a topo map reference look at the old White Mountain ski area and then follow the unnamed stream down into the valley. The area I speak of is on the western face of that valley. Of course all of this is just speculations. Maybe the cliffs don't even refer to a steep area of the mountain.

Don't really know the topo of the area, but would the new slope expansion possibly include more vert?

Herman, not the family owns the land where the test area is. Unless there is a sale of that land to the family i would guess that any expansion would not happen there.

The Great western would prolly push the vert to almost 900 ft. if i recall correctly because it would start slightly higher and go lower.

The cliffs are actually off of Lost Girl trail and are partially skiable now on an old snow mobile trail.

The best thing would be to annex white mountain but there is bad blood there and i have heard that there is a covenant in the deed for white mountain that will not allow the sale of white mountain to the springs under the current ownership.

The old sunset chair was earmarked to be sold to willow brook ski area for their planned expansion, but i hear that they are running into evironmental issues, do i smell a dcski article?!?!? I LOVED that chair, never crowded and there was always hidden stashes off of it.

All, 55 or so condos at tahoe village are sold and i think construction is to start this summer.

Additional trails in the great western would have an meandering green run around the top with various shots off of it. not sure but i think it would effectively double the skiable acerage, it may be that it will actually add close to 500 acres. i cannot remember which number is right. i will see what i can find out.

As far as the time table goes, i would expect that outside of the new gunnar lift and the tahoe village that not much more will happen this summer because of the sub par winter. we will have to see what the future holds.

shearer519, pm me the next time you are in the area and we can hook up for some turns. i too have some history in the SC area, worked at tussey for a season when i was younger.