FBGM
Well-known member
Alta hipsters probably charge a IPA six pack for Mustache rides
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Want to Ski Alta This Season?
- Thread starter thetrailboss
- Start date
Alta hipsters probably charge a IPA six pack for Mustache rides
Harvey
Well-known member
So you are betting this will be the first time in history. I think I already won the bet.
jimk
Well-known member
Spoke to my son in Utah last night. He has skied Alta three or four times in the last week or two and, anecdotally, says there is a surprising percent of out of state license plates in the parking lots. Not sure what this is all about? He says a lot of the plates are from back east and some Cali too. I told him some eastern states like VT and PA have enacted covid restrictions making them tough to visit, but I wouldn't think that would be steering skiers to the west this early in season??
KustyTheKlown
Well-known member
i was strongly considering driving west and i wouldn't be surprised if a lot of others made that decision too. i am off from December 9 - January 4. had to use up vacation days in the calendar year and my summer had absolutely no reason to take any time away from work. the only reasons i decided not to drive west is general covid wariness and wanting to spend x-mas with my girlfriend at home, since every x-mas with her so far has revolved around skiing and that hasn't been super fair for her. decided for 12 days in Vermont instead from 12/9-20. lots less driving. lots less worry. and i get to come home and have another 2 weeks off at home, after which i will be quarantine legal to go back to Vermont first weekend in january.
So, speaking anecdotally, I know of a few folks who have decided to "move" to Utah or other ski destinations for the winter because they are working remotely. So why not? I have two inlaws who moved from San Francisco to SLC for the winter, have IKON passes, work remotely, and just rented a place to live. They have a large spreadsheet of all the ski areas they want to hit. Utah is more lax in terms of COVID restrictions (and it shows) so folks are thinking of this as an opportunity. If I was younger, without kid, and perhaps not married, I would be tempted to do the same.
Frankly, if IKON and Epic did not exist then I am not sure if we would see this phenomenon. I know that it is happening in Vermont and NNE this year and did over the summer. Folks figured if they had to quarantine for two weeks then why not just move up north for the summer/winter? Ironically, this has increased housing prices even more in these areas. The one bright spot in the pandemic economy, at least if you are a landlord or in the market to sell.
KustyTheKlown
Well-known member
i looked into long term situations in new england but didn't want to essentially carry 2 rents and we can't (and don't want to) sublet our apartment here. also was concerned about the potential crap internet in an airbnb for working.
jimk
Well-known member
Yes, son did theorize about the remote working thing freeing people to travel and I suppose burning end of year vaca time could have them doing that in the early season? Could be a big year for airbnb in ski country?
KustyTheKlown
Well-known member
100%. my colleagues are all over the fucking map right now, and it hasn't really stopped us from getting anything done. we're likely going to be in some sort of hybrid scenario when covid is over with bigtime remote work flexibility.
Glade Monkey
Member
Alta is on the Ikon so skiing 7 days on the full pass or 5 days on the base pass "pays" for it!
(note that Alta days are shared with Snowbird) While you're in SLC you can also hit 7 or 5 days at Brighton and Deer Valley, and unlimited at Solitude on Ikon.
(note that Alta days are shared with Snowbird) While you're in SLC you can also hit 7 or 5 days at Brighton and Deer Valley, and unlimited at Solitude on Ikon.
[Don't remind people of this.
]
ss20
Well-known member
For anyone not following the non-northeast trip report section of the forum, I am one of the out-of-state plates who's been in Alta the past few days (and Jackson Hole, Brighton, soon Crystal, WA, maybe Big Sky). Why not? The skiing is better out here than back East (unless you're in CO....they're in just as bad shape). The covid restrictions are at a good middle ground. Masks are required now. But no quarantines or travel restrictions. I'm not going into town bars....my hotel has a small kitchenette so I'm cooking my own meals. So I'm "exposing" myself once or twice a week at the grocery store for twenty minutes with mask use by me and everyone around me....same as at home in CT.
And for me it's not just vacation....planning on moving here in the fall. I like what I see so far. Lower cost of living is very real. Lots of healthy economic signs....I've counted ZERO empty retail spaces. Saw ads for In/Out Burger starting people at $13.50/hr. For hahas I looked up jobs up in the Cottonwoods and tons of entry level service stuff paying significantly above minimum wage. I know corporate jobs aren't paying like the northeast though.
As for the skiing it's East Coast conditions on big western terrain. It's not good skiing yet, but I am pretty damn impressed. OK, Jackson Hole opening weekend was pretty awesome even by local standards. Much dryer here in Utah but there is a base, I'll take the 30 trails at Snowbird tomorrow over a dozen at Killington.
Can't wait to drive up to Crystal as their precip cycle is starting up again.
And for me it's not just vacation....planning on moving here in the fall. I like what I see so far. Lower cost of living is very real. Lots of healthy economic signs....I've counted ZERO empty retail spaces. Saw ads for In/Out Burger starting people at $13.50/hr. For hahas I looked up jobs up in the Cottonwoods and tons of entry level service stuff paying significantly above minimum wage. I know corporate jobs aren't paying like the northeast though.
As for the skiing it's East Coast conditions on big western terrain. It's not good skiing yet, but I am pretty damn impressed. OK, Jackson Hole opening weekend was pretty awesome even by local standards. Much dryer here in Utah but there is a base, I'll take the 30 trails at Snowbird tomorrow over a dozen at Killington.
Can't wait to drive up to Crystal as their precip cycle is starting up again.
Just got done my first day of the season at Snowbird. Got to say the parking reservation system worked really nicely. It is deterring folks from coming. Probably one of the best preseason ski experiences in a long time. No crowds, decent terrain all things considered, plenty of room. No traffic jams. Nice.
abc
Well-known member
Epic has existed for a long time (several years in northeast now). But how many do that? (I did, way back before Ikon, when it was only RMSP, remote working from Colorado)
It's really just the WFH (and remote learning for kids) that makes it possible for people to just stay up in the mountains.
Epic makes season pass cheaper. But that's a separate issue.
It takes BOTH remote working/learning and cheap passes to make this happen. Cheap Epic passes alone didn't do it. Remote working/learning along probably will do it for many though, albeit a smaller population. Basically only those who've been buying (the more expensive) passes in year past. And those who could afford to do it now.
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abc
Well-known member
That's kind of old news for us folks working on the IT field.
I've been working remotely on short stink for years. The work efficiency is not a problem at all. It's really the big wigs who are resistant to people working fully remote. (what's ironic, they would push for "off shore" work force in say India or Ireland, but wouldn't let the local work force to work from a couple thousand miles away, in the same time zone!)
I'm definitely one of the "glass half full" type. I think this pandemic WILL break this issue out in the open. So many people working successfully from home. All of them would want to continue this to some degree.
The flood gate has opened. They can't hold back the tide any more!
What type of work do you do? Fyi you want to stay off the valley floor is you can swing it the air sucks in winter
As you said, the pandemic forced a lot of employers to allow working remotely or go out of business. In my experience and from what I have heard, the MAJORITY of employees are MORE productive now. Amazing how an emergency can force changes that would have taken years to happen otherwise.That's kind of old news for us folks working on the IT field.
I've been working remotely on short stink for years. The work efficiency is not a problem at all. It's really the big wigs who are resistant to people working fully remote. (what's ironic, they would push for "off shore" work force in say India or Ireland, but wouldn't let the local work force to work from a couple thousand miles away, in the same time zone!)
I'm definitely one of the "glass half full" type. I think this pandemic WILL break this issue out in the open. So many people working successfully from home. All of them would want to continue this to some degree.
The flood gate has opened. They can't hold back the tide any more!
BenedictGomez
Well-known member
Honestly, in my mind I always assumed you did.
BenedictGomez
Well-known member
I'm so confused; werent you the one saying the sole reason for the increase was a "rona thing"?
BenedictGomez
Well-known member
Work from home.
Were I single I could easily AirBnb a cheap 1BR in Cottonwood Heights & ski my ass off. Finance, it can be done anywhere.
Accounting can too. AP, same. AR, same. Lots of folks can.
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