I like his thinking although I'm not convinced that is the best location for building more trails. I think PG needs far more river access trail systems closer to town, and Cranbrook hill is a hidden jewel waiting to be uncovered....

Tabor Mountain as a TOURISM destination??!!

Build a castle-like resort accommodation on top and plant some grape vines in a protected southerly exposure ......

put in a golf course,

"discover" some hot springs and put in a thermal bath,

dig up some mud from the lake and use it for mud packs at the spa,

serve bisons, moose, bear, and other wild meats, and

have a resident First Nations artist carving totems....

;-)

"If we could build a couple of cabins on the mountain, we could have overnight hiking trips, overnight horseback riding ventures,"

In Europe there are circuits which lead from one farm house based bed and breakfast to another so that one can bed horses down overnight as well as themselves.

Here is an example.

http://www.hofhonerath.de/html/preise_leistungen.html

http://www.eifelzupferd.de/reiten.shtml

http://www.exmoor-holidays.co.uk/riding.htm

Good lord whoever came up with this positive idea. Its great to get some mountain fresh air.

Cheers

I like Owl's idea of a hot spring and thermal bath....just pump hot water from the pulp mill!!

Damn good idea!
Run with it!!

What shame you are given an opportunity to make your opinion known in a meaningful way and you can't honor that privilege in anyway. We have removed the offensive comment, please act grown up, surely that is not asking too much

Ben Meisner

Not wanting to rain on anyones parade but...Tabor Mountain does not consistantly
get enough snow to warrant it a destination
spot. If I remember correctly, past owners have struggled with the effects of lack of sufficient snow cover. I think it would be terribly disappointing to pay big bucks to come on a destination holiday and not be able to ski because of the conditions.
i know you can manufacture snow, but how much? It would be interesting to have the honest input of past owners and an accounting of say the conditions of the last 20 winters.

I guess if the other venues on the mountain were sufficiently developed there would be back up activities to fall back on in the winter. I just wouldn't count on booking for a ski trip unless I knew exactly what the conditions were on the mountain. But then as a local, I am aware of the effects that mild winters have on that hill.

Sun Peaks, Whistler, Big White, Tabor Mountain. Take your pick

I'm sure it could be turned into a pretty nice all seasons recreational area. Skiing in the winter (downhill and cross country), snowmobiling (how about grooming some of those trails?), hiking and snowshoeing, nature viewing, mountain biking and possibly even fishing if the lakes on the mountain are suitable for stocking.

I can certainly see locals taking advantage of it and if it's done properly, perhaps it may even keep tourists in the the area for a day or two while they explore "The Mountain" on their way to other destinations. It could be a bit of a gem to have ony 15 minutes from town.

Tabor mountain as a TOURISM DESTINATION makes little sense.

Tabor Mountain as a recreational site for locals, with the occasional tourist who happens to be gere for other primary reasons, that is another matter. Make it nice enough for locals, and some of those tourists who are here for other reasons will likely use it as well.

I came here in 1973. That was the record snow year. A coworker showed me the hill in November telling me all about the great skiing close to town.

There was barely enough snow at Xmas time. The place did not have any snow making equipment and, coming from Ottawa, where we had a hill of similar height as close to the city as Tabor is to PG. There was snow making equipment. The season in those days at Camp Fortune was longer than at Tabor.

To this day I do not udnerstand why there is no snow making equipment. I suppose with Azu/Powder King within 2 hours drive for the powder hounds and Purden within 3/4 of an hour with virtually twice the vertical, Tabor has had a challenge which no one has been willing to take a chance with.

The hill I am wondering about is Purden. They have a potential of pulling the skiing terrain down to the highway and making a respectable vertical drop out of it. In addition, it has a lake which would allow the location to be expanded into a two season facility. It has a great distant viewscape as well. It is not the Rockies, but it is close to town and should be viable over the next couple of decades with an older generation which is interested in staying here and is active.

It is no further from PG than Sun Peaks is from Kamloops.

With respect to skiing vertical, Purden has a potential of 500 metres, Sun Peaks has one hill at 600, another at 500 and the third at 400.

As Tod Mountain it was simply a local hill the same as Purden. It has transformed itself.

Whether it is making money, I do not know. It is most certainly a nice resort, much lower key than Whistler, obviously and not even the vertical terrain which can be had in the Northeast. So, few from there will likely come to Sun Peaks just to ski.

Combine a Purden ski package with a one day introduction to Helicopter skiing and we will be able to offer something that Sun Peaks can't, skiing in the Rockies. Within 100 km flight, there are peaks in the 2,000 to 2,500 metre range. There is nothing remotely that high within even 200 and 300 km of Sun Peaks.

I have my doubts as to whether or not Tabor Mountian will ever become a "tourist destination",but at least it is a positive thing that focuses on somehting just for the fun of it.
Compared to many communities,Prince George is seriously lacking in walking/hiking trails.
On the campground issue,I spoke with a couple from the states a year or two ago at Beaumont Park and they were completely blown away by the fact that there was no city campground in PG.
I agree completely with them!
(oh...they also remarked on the smell of the place!)

Tabor a destination resort? Never! No vertical, spotty snow. I don't think that a destination resort is what they're thinking here. Tabor does however have the potential to be a great recreation area.
Snowmaking , half pipe and terrain park, and full lighting should make Tabor a success. But if you build it, will they come? These types of facilities cost a lot of money.
With the young people at UNBC and the teens in this city, a lit up half-pipe with tunes pumping through loudspeakers should pack em in. But, can you pull em away from their X-BOX. 20 years ago the local hills were packed, with line ups at the lifts. That's not the case now. The one thing I love about the hills up here is the lack of crowds and untracked snow. I think families now just go away for a ski week rather than skiing locally.
Purden and PK charge way too much for a seasons pass (A shift worker would be hard pressed to get in enough days to pay off these high priced passes. the world class hills in the okanagan and kootenays charge less for way better resorts) way too much for food, and they don't groom much. Kids and novices can't ski on crust crud and ice.
10-15 years ago the resorts across the globe were losing customers. They slashed their seasons pass prices in half. Pass sales at most resorts more than doubled and the revenue from beer and burgers climbed due to the increase in pass sales. The only hill up north that is trying this is Tabor.
Wish them luck!

Tough business, that which is partnered with old Ma Nature. If she does not produce the type of weather you need, when you need it, you lose. I can relate to the owners of the local ski hills, how can you maintain the buildings, machinery, runs, pay the extorsioners-oops- I mean the insurance company, when you don't get the snowflakes at the right time? All of the aforementioned leads to high lift ticket and season ticket prices, unavoidable.
Tabor should most definitely be in the snow making business, that area has not had good reliable skiable snow for decades.
There are some good ideas above, to develop Tabor mountain. There is lots of potential up there, many of us have used the existing trails for many years, winter and summer, a reasonable road already exists, at least part of the way up. Think of the views westward from the hot tub on your personal deck, in the intimate setting of a PPP resort. The possibilities are endless, all it takes is money. That leaves me out, have fun with it.
metalman.

Purden is definetely a better potential destination area. Could bring a possible townsite there aswell. A nice break for travelling between Prince George and McBride.

Purden, another diamond in the rough. Anybody got a spare 100 million they would like to invest with the Buchanans?
metalman.