Will high price of gas keep skiers home?

[Ski Diva]

Filled up my car yesterday (yikes! and I have a subaru!) and it got me wondering if the high price of gas would keep skiers away from the slopes next winter. What if it goes higher -- like up to $5. a gallon? Whaddya think?

 

[SnowRider]

I dont drive...yet...but still I think people will have to sacrafice days of skiing due to high gas prices. If these prices continue to go up the mountains will lose big time money. Yes you will still have the locals and the diehard skiiers/riders but what about the family crowd? Will parents drive 2 hours and waste all that money just to take there kids on a ski trip that they might not even like. We are heavily relient on gas these days and its gotton bad. Real bad. All this time the price has been creeping up and no one though it was a big deal. Them when it hit $3.00 a gallon every knew that it wasnt good. So yes I do believe it will limit how many days people ski. You will probobly get more people who rent condos for a couple days than people on day trips.

SnowRider

 

[riverc0il]

i meant to post this as a question but kept forgetting. we had a similar thread last year when gas prices were just under $2 or so and most people indicated they would not change their skiing lifestyle. i was wondering if that proved correct this season or is it too hard to call because of other factors such as the weather and generally lack luster conditions?

for myself, i moved closer so didn't think about gas at all. though i still drained the tank for a single trip a few times, gas prices to me are incidental. but at $3 a gallon or 30 bucks for a 2-3 hour trip, that is higher than my average cost for a lift ticket unfortunately, it is just the price we need to pay to play in the snow. it definitely encourages me to look more closely at local season passes but i will never ski less because of the cost of gas.

most skiers aren't exactly going pay check to pay check and i doubt many skiers, even casual ones, will change plans much. your typical family of occasional skiers still only plan a few big trips a year and the cost of gas is the last thing they worry about compared to lift tickets for 4, lodging, meals, gear, etc. this is much more effecting the committed day tripper, but i think most committed day trippers will ski at any cost. i still don't see this having a huge effect yet. maybe $4 bucks a gallon... though i previously thought $3 a gallon would be a breaking point, people seem to have adjusted and are merely complaining instead of selling their gas guzzlers.

 

[andyzee]

Will not effect my habbits in anyway. One exception, I would try to take my Civic more and my 4Runner less. But that's something I normally try to do anyway, in order the keep the milage balanced between the vehicles.

 

[ALLSKIING]

Will not effect my habbits in anyway. One exception, I would try to take my Civic more and my 4Runner less. But that's something I normally try to do anyway, in order the keep the milage balanced between the vehicles.

Those Civic are great on gas. I had one in 91...should have kept it.

 

[Chris I]

They lack of good snow conditions and high gas prices already did start keeping me from the slopes this past winter.

I suppose though it makes it that much harder for me being in school to find enough free time, money, for insurance gas and that 65 dollar piece of 3m tape they put on your zipper.

 

[thetrailboss]

It has impacted my skiing. Last season as prices crept higher, it became more expensive to do longer day trips. Since I'm in school, money is tight. There were many days that I would have driven to go to Cannon and Burke (both 75 miles one way), but I decided to go to Sunapee (30 miles one way). It was a time thing as well. What happened instead was that for the Burke trips I was doing an overnight stay and getting in two or more days.

For next season we have chosen to go closer to home because of the drive. We'll be at K-Mart, which is 31 miles door-to-door as opposed to SB which was about 70 miles (and a difficult drive).

Both cars get about 30-40 mpg depending on how we drive, so we are cutting gas consumption in half theoretically.

 

[Vortex]

The price of gas has not really made a difference to me. I took 1 vehicle north instead of two when ever I could. I have to much invested to not go. Steve is right we talked about this last year. I don't think attitudes or actions have changed much. I would think the casual day stip skier might make a few more overnight or longer stays. Ski areas may suffer in skiers visits, but in many case the real estate is what keeps them going anyway.
I paid more in gas this year to ski than I did for all my passes for myself and my family.

 

[SkiDog]

Won't change my plans...i'll find a way to ski ALWAYS...

I am trying to move closer to the mtns anyway..so

M

 

[andyzee]

I suppose though it makes it that much harder for me being in school to find enough free time, money, for insurance gas and that 65 dollar piece of 3m tape they put on your zipper.

In my case, I have save a lot of money by getting the ASC All for One pass and a share in a ski house. As a result, I am not paying 65 dollars for tix. Over all my skiing has cost me $16.91 per day, at Killington, it's actually been about $12 a day. Lodging has cost me about $40 per day for two of us. Me and my wife both love skiing too much to limit ourselves. Through planning I have saved enough so that gas would have to go much higer than $5 a gallon to really matter

 

[thetrailboss]

Andy hit the nail on the head. I like skiing too much to have it impact me. However, we have been creative and conservative with gas. There has not been a day when I stayed home instead of skied. But there have been "ski weekends" instead of one day stints.

 

[Phildozer]

I think the bigger impact will be felt in the lodge.

People will still go skiing but instead of the $7.95 heatlamp burger, they're going to bring a bagged lunch.

 

[Grassi21]

The gas prices would not impact our trips. We plan on putting in most of our days at the local Connecticut hills. We will most likely make two road trips next season (VT and/or NH). We are also planning a trip to Park City. But that's a different type of fuel cost we need to worry about.

 

[tree_skier]

It doesn't effect me much as the 5 miles I drive to ski most days aren't excessive. I might have to get Bob to chip in for gas to go to race night @ Pat's though

 

[ski_resort_observer]

As everyone has suggested...it isn't going to help the resort business that's for sure. I more interested in the big picture. Will this most recent gas "crisis" finally be a catylst to real changes in how we use energy, our vehicles and the moving forward of alternative energy's. They recently announced some off-shore wind farms that will produce alot of electricity.

There is a very positive side of having high energy(propane,gas,oil) prices.

 

[Greg]

The high gas prices hasn't really affected any aspect of my life (yet) much less have an impact on how much I will ski. Sure shelling out more money to fill the tank sucks, but I can't afford not to do it so if I need to I just cut corners in other areas. Eating out one less time per month can make up the difference. A gallon of gas is still cheaper than a gallon of milk. Something's out of whack there...

 

[SkiDog]

A gallon of gas is still cheaper than a gallon of milk. Something's out of whack there...

Wow...I soo agree....milk IMHO is a necessity, especially for familes with children, and some of those go through a few gallons every couple days. Gas goes up....then milk goes up. I figure the govt should cap milk prices.

Totally out of whack..

Sorry..hijack

M

 

[andyzee]

I more interested in the big picture. Will this most recent gas "crisis" finally be a catylst to real changes in how we use energy, our vehicles and the moving forward of alternative energy's. They recently announced some off-shore wind farms that will produce alot of electricity.

There is a very positive side of having high energy(propane,gas,oil) prices.

I sure hope it changes our energy use. It happened in the past when we had an gas shortage back in the 70s. All of the sudden we started looking at more gas efficient vehicles. It's already happening now with more hybrids coming out, I hope it continues. Just a couple of miles per gallon difference in our per capita consumption can make a big difference in our overall consumption. This in effect would make our suppliers more dependent on us instead of the other way around. That would be nice for a change

 

[ski_resort_observer]

The high gas prices hasn't really affected any aspect of my life (yet) I just cut corners in other areas. Eating out one less time per month can make up the difference. ...

If your cutting corners than I would think it has affected your life. Don't worry...lol..the shoe hasn't fallen off the other foot yet. Many businesses are absorbing the increased price of energy by corning corners as well. That won't last for much longer.

As far as the price of milk, the retail price is held artificially down. If the farmers got paid what they should, instead of by price supports, like the various dairy compacts, which help pay the farmers just enough so some can remain on the farm, it would be alot higher at the store but that has been a battle raging in Vermont and other milk producing states for years.

 

[skiadikt]

didn't really effect me this year. did 3-4 trips to k just to ski one day. round trip cost for gas from nyc is about 65. so next year if prices go up, might have to think about these 'day' trips or skiing when i know it's going to be crap.