[simontac]

Going to chime in on Diablo. I am from Ontario, Canada and back in 2008 or so we made a trip down for a weekend. Awesome time. So again this year we planned a trip 4 day weekend to Diablo/Plattekill. Unfortunately it was terrible timing, as it was the weekend of the Hurricane.

Anyway, plan was Diablo Thur/Fri, and Platty Sat and Sunday if we were still in one peice. Bad rain leading up to Thursday apparently, so we had to wait for them to open the lifts/storms to clear. There was three of us, myself and another good DH guy, and a younger guy from work who was a Trials competitor, dirt jumper, and BMX guy who bought a DH bike to get into this as well. He was actually probably the best rider of the three of us - but had very little experience. Anyway, first run Thursday was a write off as it was so slick and greasy it was a crawl down (run to the left of the lift going up). Basically a crawl down that first run. Second run we went to the lines right of the lift when going up. The new guy took off, loving the tables and jumps. Unfortunately he went down hard maybe 100 vert metres down the hill after hitting a large rock in the landing of a table...

Broken collar bone. Had to walk down. Ran into some trail guys in a Toyota truck halfway down... It was broken and couldnt move, so we had to walk the rest of the way. Me with both bikes, one of the trail guys (real good guy - first aid and slinged up his arm) helping hold my buddy as they walked down the super slick mountain. The third guy road the rest of the trail from the accident to inform the bottom of it and get help...

Anyway, hospital trip for many hours on Thursday. The trail guy who helped with first aid was very good, but thats it. No one else even came (manager/bosses/supervisor) to check into him as the good guy did a report in a small room in the 'store'.

When I went back, they wouldn't even refund the injured guy any money (we bought 2 day pass?). Not even the second day? One run on day one, and 100 metres of run two... Not even any sort of refund!! I know it was an accident, but thought for sure they would refund us/him at least a day to sort of keep us quiet!!

Oh well - we went to Platty on Saturday - and from now on Platty and Whiteface will be it for us!!!!

 

[LOPAN]

i live in central Nj, bout 3 hours from platty, 1.5 from diablo. after getting a chance to go
to Plattekill a couple times at the end of the season & a long season they had there!
i'll be buying a season pass for plattelill. riding, people, staff & vibe way way way
better. you also can camp too +++

 

[Sandwich]

i live in central Nj, bout 3 hours from platty, 1.5 from diablo. after getting a chance to go
to Plattekill a couple times at the end of the season & a long season they had there!
i'll be buying a season pass for plattelill. riding, people, staff & vibe way way way
better. you also can camp too +++

you must be one of those delta house people types, because there's no way riding at any mountain besides diablo can be better than riding at diablo. I'm from the internet, so your opinion is wrong and I'm right.

 

[JayBear]

The person below me will say I forgot bromount. Thats weird.

Also. They Re named, officially named, it MT Creek..Mo betta now.

 

[jonKranked]

Platty,highland,whiteface,snowshoe worth every mile.

Diablow DOESNT make the list..

you forgot bromont.

 

[daisycutter]

I just want to say Diablo hey hey hey good bye!!!!

After 12 years of seasons passes at Platty I want to welcome the peeps who just this year figured out Diablo sucks and at Platty we shut up and ride!!

 

[jonKranked]

I just want to say Diablo hey hey hey good bye!!!!

After 12 years of seasons passes at Platty I want to welcome the peeps who just this year figured out Diablo sucks and at Platty we shut up and ride!!

wtf platty people never shut up. biggest buncha loudmouths i've ever met

 

[Sandwich]

the east coast KILLS it for _good_ riding options these days. I'm hoping burke mt opens up from the top. It already has two KILLER trails from midway up.

Platty highland whiteface bromont, followed by burke, snow, jiminy, attitash, even sugarbush and pat's peak get in on the action. I've had a KILLER time at Jiminy in the past, and this last year was pretty healthy for them. Hopefully the locals continue to make improvements.

 

[jonKranked]

the east coast KILLS it for _good_ riding options these days.

this.

 

[jonKranked]

also, i've noticed a trend. every time a diablo rumor turns up on ridemonkey... it gets addressed within 24 hours on diablo's facebook page... hmmm.....

 

[olddogbmxer]

So how come we hate on a guy who started his own business from the ground up and put out a product for us that nobody else even offered? He's abrasive in the way he overreacts, but I can attest that he actually does want DH to thrive. And he's put his money where his mouth is.

It's not like successful DH bike parts have a blueprint. Whistler is the exception b/c there is the expanse of the entire Northwest to draw people there. Diablo has no other appeal except to ride the park, so it will always be limited in it's expanse and will have to fight to succeed. Yet he chooses to continue to fight to make it work. When he succeeds at giving us a good product, we say nothing. When he falls short on money or service, he ridicule him ten times worse.

And what the heck is with hating on a guy with a Porsche. demo9's truck costs more than that thing, he contributes virtually nothing and we tolerate him.

Personally, I've never had to ride a bike park with the owner riding shotgun, so I could care less about their personality.

The hate is on him because hes a douchebag and screwed alot of people and burned alot of bridges. Personally I don't care if he has 10 Porsches - I don't think anybody has a problem with someone being successful - but they do with how he got there and how he runs his business. I wouldn't spend a dime there and would drive 4 hours to Platty or anywhere else instead.

 

[CBJ]

Shawn has actually always been nice to me and done more than just collect my money however its now years ago since I have seen him at the mountain. I do think as a product Diablo has gotten worse and with increasing lift tickets it has made me ride more on other mountains despite the easy drive. I also think there are a lot of easy wins that very quickly could make the mountain very appealing again if the drive and motivation is there.

 

[Sghost]

Need the Platty <> NYC bus back.

Along with the summer circus of the DH/DS/XC race weekends.

 

[Downhillbiker23]

W

So Shawn crashed his Porsche?

We can only hope he crashed and maybe put him out of the business.
for all who say what if you the big man sends you a PM about this thread, I highly doubt he will. He is too budy living in luxury in his new home on the west coast. This may have been posted but most people who know the fate of the park aren't at liberty to discuss all the business details, at least I know I am not. I can say diablo will be open with some changes. It will be better than ever. Get pumped to get riding. Check diablos facebook, they are opening may 5

 

[manhattanprjkt83]

so some of you are basically pushing for the mountain to close? Good job...

christ this is like a soap opera.

 

[jonKranked]

christ this is like a soap opera.

its the off-season, what do you expect?

 

[yuroshek]

W
We can only hope he crashed and maybe put him out of the business.
for all who say what if you the big man sends you a PM about this thread, I highly doubt he will. He is too budy living in luxury in his new home on the west coast. This may have been posted but most people who know the fate of the park aren't at liberty to discuss all the business details, at least I know I am not. I can say diablo will be open with some changes. It will be better than ever. Get pumped to get riding. Check diablos facebook, they are opening may 5

Have you ever met the guy? If so what does he wear?

 

[boogenman]

Platty and Mt creek are both a 10+ hour round trip for me. Man up! I always choose platty but I am also a original dleta pledge. I'm fat and Also love playing beer pong in my underpants.

 

[boogenman]

I don't think I have ever seen anyone play beer pong at the house.

Pie in the face, yes.

 

[jonKranked]

I don't think I have ever seen anyone play beer pong at the house.

Pie in the face, yes.

dirt bike wake up, yes.

 

[DhUrbaner]

Love Plattekill, Love Mountain Creek(because I hated the name diablo) Love the RIDE!

 

[gemini2k]

When I went back, they wouldn't even refund the injured guy any money (we bought 2 day pass?). Not even the second day? One run on day one, and 100 metres of run two... Not even any sort of refund!! I know it was an accident, but thought for sure they would refund us/him at least a day to sort of keep us quiet!!

Uhhh, that's STANDARD policy for ANY ski resort winter or summer. I don't know why you'd expect anything different from Diablo. I bet you Platty and Whiteface would do the exact same thing. Cracks me up all the complaining you guys do about your 50 million lift access resorts withing a 5 hour driving distance. Always something to complain about!

 

[downhill mike]

Uhhh, that's STANDARD policy for ANY ski resort winter or summer. I don't know why you'd expect anything different from Diablo. I bet you Platty and Whiteface would do the exact same thing. Cracks me up all the complaining you guys do about your 50 million lift access resorts withing a 5 hour driving distance. Always something to complain about!

If you crash early at Whiteface and are unable to ride anymore we would comp you any other day that year, or the following year. Lazslo would probably do the same. If the mountain is staffed by employees, they can't make that decision and must do as they have been instructed. That can be 1 great advantage of doing business at an owner/operated bike park or resort.
I tell anyone that has happened to that "we will do exactly as you would if you were the owner". Hoping that's what they would do?

Support all bike parks!
Viva La Downhill Biking!

 

[Routier07]

Im scoring myself a Passport during the winter, I really want to go give all these hills a try. Especially if Plattekill has the same kind of season like they just finished. Closing the bike season in early December is rad. Im also really interested by the amount of vertical that Whiteface has...

 

[IH8Rice]

If you crash early at Whiteface and are unable to ride anymore we would comp you any other day that year, or the following year.

 

[downhill mike]

Man I guess I feel like writing tonight or something.

After reading all 7 pages of posts and only seeing a couple of good things about Shawn, I feel I should share my story.

I only met Shawn a few times but he either comped me a pass or gave me the Industry rate. Shawn also gave me some great advice on how he built up Diablo, and how that could work for Whiteface. Sure, we were far enough away, and just starting out, but he was very helpful with industry tips. Mark was also present and ready to show me the trails. Just wish I could of kept up with him.

I do hope Mountain Creek remains open. It's so close to a major metro area it can only help our sport grow.

 

[Huck Banzai]

Love Plattekill, Love Mountain Creek(because I hated the name diablo) Love the RIDE!

QFT, if nothing else, I could never call the place 'Diablo'. What a moronic and childish attempt at 'extreme'.

Always was, and always will be 'Mountain Creek.' (okay ~always, sthu!)

 

[Pedaldamnit]

There is no doubt that there will be DH/Freeride at Mt. Creek next season, to reiterate what Quicksilver said a few pages back. With the previous owners constant slandering and bad mouthing the VERY establishment that leases him the mountain, the chances of him even being allowed to come back there are so slim, you could almost call it impossible.

Its time for the passion of mountain biking to be brought back alive at Mt. Creek. There will be an extremely devoted and passionate group of people making this happen. When you think of the resources, man power, and money that Mt. Creek has at their disposal, there is no doubt that it will be brought back to and BEYOND its glory days. Its just sad to see something that could have been so amazing and so epic be slowly destroyed by its own creator... but that's what happens when greed takes hold.

 

[quiksilver]

Oh, btw... My name is Marc Tremain and I have a relentless passion for mountain biking. The future looks bright.

 

[Pedaldamnit]

Oh, btw... My name is Marc Tremain and I have a relentless passion for mountain biking. The future looks bright.

You sir, are my personal hero and new founded confidant!

 

[spam16v]

Long live Bolton Valley

 

[jonKranked]

Oh, btw... My name is Marc Tremain and I have a relentless passion for mountain biking. The future looks bright.

according to facebook it also seems as if you have a relentless passion for silly sunglasses as well.

 

[quiksilver]

according to facebook it also seems as if you have a relentless passion for silly sunglasses as well.

I do! How the hell do you know that from facebook though!? <--- I don't know how to use these things

 

[jonKranked]

I do! How the hell do you know that from facebook though!? <--- I don't know how to use these things

According to PJ and yuroshek i am an internet pro

 

[spylab]

People like Marc are what give me legitimate hope that Mt. Creek can be brought back to its glory, not only in the considerations of the trail system but also the overall atmosphere.

Leaving personal issues aside, when I first started riding Diablo in 2006 it was a different feel. The trail system was a lot less developed, yes, but Marc, PJ and crew would make silly videos (Mini Mac anyone?) and host theme days (preppy day, business day) as opposed to the current plan to gouge riders for low-participation races that lack surprise in their course layouts or eventual standings.

The mountain is a fun place to be, and there is no denying that a lot of effort was put into it. A couple years back I made the somewhat pessimistic observation that the relentless construction of high-maintenance, highly-groomed trails would unravel the entire place and it is clear that this is beginning to take hold. It is a ton of work to build an Outlaw, Tempest or Alpine, but it is 10 times as much effort to keep those essentially delicate trails in balance. Sadly, it was apparent that whatever issues were going on in the management end were translating to a small trail crew that, despite their best efforts, couldn't keep up with that much mountain.

The trail network has always been and will always be a tough obstacle for the managment to overcome unless a clear vision is paved and implemented. The last few years there was huge expansion of the trails, but I understand as well as anyone that concession was always given to the preservation of the ski trails, which is the primary source of income for the property. In a perfect world there would always be new trails popping up, but as you have all started to notice the price to pay is the massive upkeep. This roller coaster BS is surely a huge hurdle as well, but success is not out of reach for this mountain yet.

Yes, it was obvious to you all and myself as well that the park was steering towards a profit-driven business as opposed to a community-based venue. You can't slight anyone for trying to build success for themselves or their business, and growth is always applauded, but it clearly started defining the mountain as being expensive to visit, poor to maintain with a staff directed towards maximizing profits as opposed to harboring a relaxed and welcoming atmosphere. Forget the Diablo race series; have a random one-day race event in there, but bring back the camaraderie of costume days and bring back the little things that show that those in charge care. Slow down the ambition to have 60 or 70 trails cut in the mountain; scale back and really work to preserve the BEST of what is there, bring more natural terrain trails back from the dead (i.e. Evil Bob) and ditch the concept of appealing to first timers far more than accommodating veteran riders.

Sorry for the tl;dr rambling, but before everyone jumps on this bandwagon of passing off Mt. Creek I would be happy to see what changes are made in the management and how the intent of the mountain might shift to better support the riders who in turn support the place. As I started, knowing Marc (Quiksilver) personally is knowing someone who, unlike the present owner, is purely and truly passionate about the sport and riding experience. If enough similar souls are aligned, I think we could see a 180 in the course of this hill. It damn sure won't happen overnight, but it can happen.


I guess a lot rests in their hands, and in the hands of Crystal Springs' willingness to allow the park to continue.

 

[demo 9]

If so what does he wear?

sweatshirt and jeans, REGARDLESS of how hot it gets, +rep for anybody who can find the picture en-captioned "fatty peed his pants" on hcor.net

*hint, it was posted in the DH section

 

[maddogdh]

Ive known Mr T for a long time and if he says its on its on! That guy made Diablo what it was in the first 3 years or so with the help of some other quality crew members. Loved seeing him with a shovel in hand and his bike on the dirt next to him with the hot summer sun beating on him with sweat and passion dripping from his brow!

 

[worship_mud]

Ive known Mr T for a long time and if he says its on its on! That guy made Diablo what it was in the first 3 years or so with the help of some other quality crew members. Loved seeing him with a shovel in hand and his bike on the dirt next to him with the hot summer sun beating on him with sweat and passion dripping from his brow!

 

[Flat tyres]

You must be new here.

Yes, brand new, right off the boat, spanking new gear, monster stickers on my lifted GM. Can you please give me some advice on how to bump up my post count and get more rep. I wanna be an internet superstar like yourself, its the only thing Im missing from my portfolio. And I take it you've played beer pong as well.

 

[aixelsyd]

you forgot bromont.

You forgot Sunday River!