The "Sugarbush Thread"

[Blurski]

Anyone want to take a guess at how many skiers a "Busy Friday" equals?
Cagey way to answer how many skiers they can handle.
Seems like that number is going to force them into a Reservation system even for pass holders on weekends, thoughts?

 

[thetrailboss]

And CDC just announced they suggest ( or demand?) a quarantine be reduced to 10 days from 14. Some suggest 7 days.

The CDC is expected to shorten Covid quarantine time, something most everyone seems to agree on

"I mean, frankly we probably should have done this sooner," Dr. Scott Gottlieb, the former U.S. Food and Drug Administration commissioner, told CNBC.

www.cnbc.com

CDC is about to make a surprising change to coronavirus quarantine guidelines

The CDC is working on a big change to coronavirus quarantine guidelines for people who have been in contact with infected individuals. The new recommendations will advise a quarantine period of 7-1…

bgr.com

CDC to shorten COVID-19 quarantine to 10 days, 7 with test

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is set to shorten the recommended length of quarantine after exposure to someone who is positive for COVID-19, as the virus rages across the nation. Acco

www.newsday.com

The theme? Constantly moving the goal posts - at least in this they are consistent.

The reduction is politically motivated.

 

[crank]

They are hoping that more people will comply with the shortened time period.

 

[tumbler]

Scott will extend it 21 days.

 

[ducky]

What may not be apparent in the YouTube recording are all the comments written during the zoom in the chat bar on the side. Probably 3/4 were by one person, "Sarah", who does not want to see any skiing in the MRV or elsewhere this winter. Her comments were addressed fairly by the panel but she was out of control and endless. Most of her comments were just plain wrong such as SB and MRV having zero covid info on their websites or social media posts. She started by saying "nobody cares where you are making snow but that you are even opening and inviting swarms of out-of-staters to the valley" or words to that effect. Matt Lillard, GM at MRG, replied that (having lived 6 winters in Alaska) without an outlet to get outside, the mental health of valley residents would be adversely affected as would the economy on which so many relied. The resorts are following the state's guidelines to the letter and doing the best they can. If further guidance comes that they must close, that's what they'll do.

 

[ducky]

Anyone want to take a guess at how many skiers a "Busy Friday" equals?
Cagey way to answer how many skiers they can handle.
Seems like that number is going to force them into a Reservation system even for pass holders on weekends, thoughts?

I thought about 2500 at Lincoln and 1200 more at MtE.

 

[CastlerockMRV]

I dont want to watch an hour of this, can you summarize? What's the "complete shit show"?

I don't think it sounded bad at all:

• Significantly limiting # of lift tickets sold, "a high capacity day will look like a really busy Friday"
  • Focus is on passholders. (Same deal at MRG, 75% of season passes purchased there are VT residents or ppl who moved up for the season.)
  • This is also dependent upon the amount of terrain open
• Your car is your base area. Lodge access will be available but limited to 50% of fire code or 75 people in a give space maximum.
  • Castlerock, the big room (forget the name), and the cafeteria room will all function as their own spaces within Gatehouse Lodge @ South. Same deal for GML.
• If you bought a SB pass or an Ikon pass it's been deactivated and you'll need to fill out the SB attestation form to get it reactivated.
• New lift loading methodology. No multiple merging lanes this year - will go by callouts instead. (Referenced a return to how it was done in the 90's, "ghost lines") For those familiar it sounded similar to what they do on the Lincoln Express lift at Loon?
• No midweek access to Allyn's lodge
• No anticipated changes to uphill travel rules
• They bought a bunch of new picnic tables and outdoor space heaters for South patio. Also opening a foodtruck down by the schoolhouse, "802 Burrito"
• ALL food orders will be done online. Same goes for marking a reservation for indoor dining.
• Designated mandatory mask areas (basically the entire base area unless you're seated and actively eating)

Honestly, anyone who gets to the mtn early and is OK w/ either eating at their car or skiing thru lunch and calling it quits early should be fine. RIP Apres, but we all knew that a loooong time ago.

 

[1dog]

The reduction is politically motivated.

agree

 

[KustyTheKlown]

that all sounds totally reasonable and barely affects my sugarbush experience.

 

[cdskier]

• No midweek access to Allyn's lodge

This is the only one that is strange to me. What's the logic behind not allowing access mid-week? Simply less for them to worry about cleaning?

Ironically Allyn's lodge is without a doubt the lodge I historically use the most simply to take a quick break and warmup. #2 would be the Glen House (the lower floor again just to take a short break). I could probably count on 1 hand the number of times I'm in any of the base lodges at SB each season...

 

[KustyTheKlown]

staffing i assume. less visa workers this year (if any), and wanting to keep payroll low in a year they will prob lose money

 

[cdskier]

staffing i assume. less visa workers this year (if any), and wanting to keep payroll low in a year they will prob lose money

Mid-week Allyn's never had regular staff previously. The food service portion was only open Fri-Sun.

 

[Blurski]

Did not hear John mention Valley House, Farm House or School House each of those buildings have multiple floors and spaces. Seems like 75 people max per floor/space seems to be governing. There are 7 levels total in those buildings that is space for another 525 people. I’m sure access or some other limitations to drive the number down but all good spaces for warming.

 

[cdskier]

Looks like they're blowing snow on Ripcord now from the golf course cam since temps are still too warm down low. So on the plus side, all snow-making trails on the upper mountain off HG should be covered by the time they finally have temps down low to work on those trails.

 

[djd66]

I dont want to watch an hour of this, can you summarize? What's the "complete shit show"?

Most of the info relevant to Sugarbush was on the first 12 minutes.

I was not on the zoom, so I do not know what all the questions were and who was posting - but there were a ton of questions that made it seem - people from out of state are not welcome by the locals,.. I may be wrong (doubt I am), but that was my take away. People taking the questions did their best to make it seem otherwise.

As far as the lodges - Don't expect to use them. If you want food, you need to order online and pick up in the blazer room. Do I need to make a 10:30 bathroom reservation?

On a side note, I have a friend that was recently at his house (Sugarbush Village) and the local game warden was poking around and writing down his out of state license plate number. WTF?? Really?

 

[mtl1076]

as noted there were a ton of questions from one person about out of stater's etc. It wasn't predominant across the whole audience. That said, there is a vocal group that feels that way and it was a good forum to try to ease their concerns. Nothing short of closure will likely make most of that group happy though.

And game wardens are hardly any sort of enforcement of covid travel policies. I may be wrong (doubt I am), but I imagine there is another reason for your friends situation.

 

[JimG.]

What may not be apparent in the YouTube recording are all the comments written during the zoom in the chat bar on the side. Probably 3/4 were by one person, "Sarah", who does not want to see any skiing in the MRV or elsewhere this winter. Her comments were addressed fairly by the panel but she was out of control and endless. Most of her comments were just plain wrong such as SB and MRV having zero covid info on their websites or social media posts. She started by saying "nobody cares where you are making snow but that you are even opening and inviting swarms of out-of-staters to the valley" or words to that effect. Matt Lillard, GM at MRG, replied that (having lived 6 winters in Alaska) without an outlet to get outside, the mental health of valley residents would be adversely affected as would the economy on which so many relied. The resorts are following the state's guidelines to the letter and doing the best they can. If further guidance comes that they must close, that's what they'll do.

Glad I don't live near "Sarah".

 

[KustyTheKlown]

the type of people to participate in an online community forum probably skew towards the 'get off my lawn' variant and don't necessarily represent the broad community view. tho maybe they do all hate us. i dunno. they've got plenty of their own covid and they sure like ny, nj, ma, ct money at their seasonal businesses

 

[JimG.]

the type of people to participate in an online community forum probably skew towards the 'get off my lawn' variant and don't necessarily represent the broad community view. tho maybe they do all hate us. i dunno. they've got plenty of their own covid and they sure like ny, nj, ma, ct money at their seasonal businesses

I think you misread me. I'm not offended nor do I feel any hatred.

I just don't want to live near people like her; I can be a fairly "stay off my lawn" type of person too.

 

[KustyTheKlown]

not directed at you jim directed at djd's comment about an attitude of localism

i also used "the online community forum" to refer to the mad river valley event/youtube, not alpinezone. my bad.