Keeping an eye on Windham

[BenedictGomez]

That website seems like it was written by and for the snootiest and most stuck up assholes in all of lower Manhattan. Yuck.

I see you've never been to Windham.

 

[BenedictGomez]

It already was sold to people who run private clubs.

If they claim "anyone" will still be able to buy a season pass or a lift ticket then it's not going to be a private ski club like a Yellowstone. Unless it's all a lie as some are suggesting.

 

[ColdRain&Snow]

I was a guest at the hermitage last year, on a Saturday. It was like midweek skiing, but with valet parking, people to carry your skis and help you get your boots on, and a spectacular lodge with any type of food or indoor entertainment you could want. I’d guess they have a lot of summer activities as well.

Not sure about the member fees for windham, I think the hermitage fees are 100k buy in and about 20k per year. And I think the hermitage only runs lifts F/S/Sun, and then for the week on the holidays.

The windham members may not be keen on sharing the resources there, especially on weekends and holidays.

The public/private model may end up members on weekends and holidays, public during the week and for night skiing.

 

[jimmywilson69]

The public/private model may end up members on weekends and holidays, public during the week and for night skiing.

this is how Holimont Ski Area works in Ellicottville, NY

 

[slatham]

It’s the ultimate elitist head fake. “Open to all” but with $300 lift tickets (2 day minimum) or $3000 season pass. If not higher.

Or be a member and ski free and get access to tons of members only benefits.

So you basically just make it easy for the very wealthy to play in a members focused playground with the extremely wealthy.

They are threading a needle, failure probable.

I predict loss of town support, and a big increase in visits to Platty. And maybe ticket sales caps at Belle and Hunter to avoid them being (even more) dangerously crowded.

 

[cdskier]

It’s the ultimate elitist head fake. “Open to all” but with $300 lift tickets (2 day minimum) or $3000 season pass. If not higher.

Or be a member and ski free and get access to tons of members only benefits.

So you basically just make it easy for the very wealthy to play in a members focused playground with the extremely wealthy.

They are threading a needle, failure probable.

I predict loss of town support, and a big increase in visits to Platty. And maybe ticket sales caps at Belle and Hunter to avoid them being (even more) dangerously crowded.

I agree with a large portion of this...with the exception of a big increase in visits to Platty. I don't see most Windham skiers (even the typical "public" ones) picking Platty as their fall-back option.

 

[Tonyr]

It will be interesting to see if they stay on the Ikon pass next year.

 

[ss20]

It’s the ultimate elitist head fake. “Open to all” but with $300 lift tickets (2 day minimum) or $3000 season pass. If not higher.

Or be a member and ski free and get access to tons of members only benefits.

So you basically just make it easy for the very wealthy to play in a members focused playground with the extremely wealthy.

They are threading a needle, failure probable.

I predict loss of town support, and a big increase in visits to Platty. And maybe ticket sales caps at Belle and Hunter to avoid them being (even more) dangerously crowded.

$300 lift tickets and $3k passes are appropriate in that area. There's a ton of 5%'er's that don't want to deal with weekend crowds and want a majority of folks priced out. If Stowe or Deer Valley became that exclusive again there'd be partying in the streets. Many people... myself included to a degree... would like to see the industry phase out of the "unlimited access for under $1,000" model that became sooooo popular post 2012ish. It has literally destroyed ski towns and ski resorts across the country.

I've heard that point brought up more the past 3 seasons than ever... "elitism". That's the BS narrative. If the larger resorts actually worked to price some people out the feeder hills could survive again with lift tickets half the price as the big mountains. There used to be "tiers" of mountains. Now every hill is charging the same price, for the same 20 minute long lift lines, and crappy guest experience. The industry has been almost completely assimilated in the last 10 years. Okemo and Stowe... same thing now. Beaver Creek and Keystone... same thing now. We need to price people OUT to re-create competition in the industry. Maybe if prices weren't stupid cheap for an Ikon or Epic pass there'd be visitor demand for the local hills. There'd be demand for part-time resort work which helps the resort experience.

My very small $.02 from someone who's worked at the definition of a feeder hill and the definition of a major resort.

 

[BenedictGomez]

I agree with a large portion of this...with the exception of a big increase in visits to Platty. I don't see most Windham skiers (even the typical "public" ones) picking Platty as their fall-back option.

Exactly. The people who ski Windham literally complain when the fresh snowfall isnt groomed. Skews older too.

 

[BenedictGomez]

It’s the ultimate elitist head fake. “Open to all” but with $300 lift tickets (2 day minimum) or $3000 season pass. If not higher.

I did consider that! You could satisfy the, "lift tickets & season passes will still be sold to everyone" conditions via the above.

Claim the high season cost pass is "warranted" due to the "unique amenities & offerings", and simply use Vail Resorts as cover for $290 single day ticket pricing.

 

[BenedictGomez]

people to carry your skis and help you get your boots on,

Wait, what? Like literally they get your boots on for you?

 

[RichT]

They put a little video on facebook with these words. " Say Goodbye to Crowded Slopes, Dull Dining, Minimal amenities and say Hello to Snowy Solitude, Epicuren extravaganzas, Mountain memories..........." If they still plan on having it open to non-members, then they are going to make damn sure that those non-members will have to pay thru the nose!!

 

[catskillman]

They put a little video on facebook with these words. " Say Goodbye to Crowded Slopes, Dull Dining, Minimal amenities and say Hello to Snowy Solitude, Epicuren extravaganzas, Mountain memories..........." If they still plan on having it open to non-members, then they are going to make damn sure that those non-members will have to pay thru the nose!!

Heard it is $100K for current members and $150K for new members.

Also, only 2 day lift tickets will be sold from Friday - Sunday. Hunter is going to get the worst of that deal.

 

[RichT]

Heard it is $100K for current members and $150K for new members.

Also, only 2 day lift tickets will be sold from Friday - Sunday. Hunter is going to get the worst of that deal.

Boy am I glad i'm retired! Weekends, for sure, probably not this year but the ones after woopiee....

 

[urungus]

Also, only 2 day lift tickets will be sold from Friday - Sunday.

How is that going to work if you have an IKON pass, I wonder if they will require/enforce a two day reservation. Long term it doesn’t look good for IKON access to Windham.

 

[ColdRain&Snow]

Boy am I glad i'm retired! Weekends, for sure, probably not this year but the ones after woopiee....

I’ve skied m/t/w/th almost exclusively since I got back on my boards, the only exceptions have been Super Bowl weekends and very random Saturdays or Sundays.

Not missing the weekend craziness at all.

 

[cdskier]

How is that going to work if you have an IKON pass, I wonder if they will require/enforce a two day reservation. Long term it doesn’t look good for IKON access to Windham.

I don't think that would apply to Ikon since that is sort of more like a pass. That likely only applies to day ticket sales. Not sure if it was mentioned here or somewhere else, but someone suspected that they decided to add the two Pocono ski areas to Ikon specifically to give the NYC metro area something in case Windham does drop off in the future. I could see Windham staying on Ikon though (but maybe dropping off Ikon base and moving to Base Plus only)...but I could also see them dropping off.

 

[catskillman]

you need reservations to use ikon at windham this year. who knows what will happen next year

 

[cdskier]

you need reservations to use ikon at windham this year. who knows what will happen next year

For some reason I thought you needed them last year as well...so I don't think that is necessarily a new development.

 

[KustyTheKlown]

For some reason I thought you needed them last year as well...so I don't think that is necessarily a new development.

almost certain that you did need them