Ski and snowboarding hills that are closing for the season

[JoeB-Z]

Magic plans to stay open until 4/9 with only three days the last weekend. That's pretty decent. People stop coming anyway. There is excellent coverage. Even Pitch Black and Master Magician were open Friday.

 

[Smellytele]

Magic plans to stay open until 4/9 with only three days the last weekend. That's pretty decent. People stop coming anyway. There is excellent coverage. Even Pitch Black and Master Magician were open Friday.

Magic was pretty empty today. Never more than a 4 chair wait.

 

[SteezyRob]

whaleback's done today. great coverage though.

 

[Former Sunday Rivah Rat]

They look open this week from the snow report. Closing the 9th, perhaps.

BW shut down a lot of the mountain after today. West Mountain and Mt. Stickney. Both have plenty of snow. Weak! They used to try harder before Vail bought the Cat and Attitash and screwed those passholders over. Now they just have to suck less than Vail. The bar has been set low.

 

[drjeff]

All across the industry this season, as much as so many of us regular AZ'ers likely don't want to accept this, is that you're very likley going to see the majority of resorts who have the choice to push it a week or so longer vs shut it down earlier, choose to shut it down earlier. The few time a year crowd, who may show up and buy a day ticket, or even the multi mountain passholders who go maybe 10 to 15 times a year, realistically haven't seen snow in their backyards down along the I-95 corridor in many weeks, and given how little snow the saw in their backyards all season long, they're not thinking about heading North for some Spring skiing, even if resorts in many cases actually have their best snow depths of the season now.

Get out the next week or 2, since I am guessing that after Easter Weekend, you might have only 10, or even less, resorts open in the Northeast, and I don't think that there's enough of a social media campaign that can be made to get more cars in the parking lots and more butts in the seats of the open lifts to change that right now, this season unfortunately

 

[Ski2LiveLive2Ski]

All across the industry this season, as much as so many of us regular AZ'ers likely don't want to accept this, is that you're very likley going to see the majority of resorts who have the choice to push it a week or so longer vs shut it down earlier, choose to shut it down earlier. The few time a year crowd, who may show up and buy a day ticket, or even the multi mountain passholders who go maybe 10 to 15 times a year, realistically haven't seen snow in their backyards down along the I-95 corridor in many weeks, and given how little snow the saw in their backyards all season long, they're not thinking about heading North for some Spring skiing, even if resorts in many cases actually have their best snow depths of the season now.

Get out the next week or 2, since I am guessing that after Easter Weekend, you might have only 10, or even less, resorts open in the Northeast, and I don't think that there's enough of a social media campaign that can be made to get more cars in the parking lots and more butts in the seats of the open lifts to change that right now, this season unfortunately

I think there is a good chance of these 13 making it though at least April 16
Jay
Stowe
Okemo
Snow
Wildcat
Waterville
Cannon
Sunday River
Sugarloaf
Whiteface
Gore
Sugarbush
Killington

 

[deadheadskier]

All across the industry this season, as much as so many of us regular AZ'ers likely don't want to accept this, is that you're very likley going to see the majority of resorts who have the choice to push it a week or so longer vs shut it down earlier, choose to shut it down earlier. The few time a year crowd, who may show up and buy a day ticket, or even the multi mountain passholders who go maybe 10 to 15 times a year, realistically haven't seen snow in their backyards down along the I-95 corridor in many weeks, and given how little snow the saw in their backyards all season long, they're not thinking about heading North for some Spring skiing, even if resorts in many cases actually have their best snow depths of the season now.

Get out the next week or 2, since I am guessing that after Easter Weekend, you might have only 10, or even less, resorts open in the Northeast, and I don't think that there's enough of a social media campaign that can be made to get more cars in the parking lots and more butts in the seats of the open lifts to change that right now, this season unfortunately

So, basically the mountains want their cake and eat it too. The entire point of the new cheap pass model is to get people's money upfront such that you don't have to rely on day trippers to be profitable. So, now day trippers are screwed with high ticket costs and pass holders are screwed with shorter seasons.

Great job Vail! What a great product for skiers you've created.

 

[Ski2LiveLive2Ski]

So, basically the mountains want their cake and eat it too. The entire point of the new cheap pass model is to get people's money upfront such that you don't have to rely on day trippers to be profitable. So, now day trippers are screwed with high ticket costs and pass holders are screwed with shorter seasons.

Great job Vail! What a great product for skiers you've created.

Since 4 of the 13 in the NorthEast I deemed likely to make it through at least April 16 are Vail owned, I don't see it as fair to blame Vail. There will be at least 50 independent NorthEast mountains closing before then - all of which will have way more snow coverage when they close than they did when they opened.

 

[deadheadskier]

Since 4 of the 13 in the NorthEast I deemed likely to make it through at least April 16 are Vail owned, I don't see it as fair to blame Vail. There will be at least 50 independent NorthEast mountains closing before then - all of which will have way more snow coverage when they close than they did when they opened.

All 4 of those will be done on 4/16.

Vail is more egregious than the others with screwing their customers early and late season.

 

[drjeff]

So, basically the mountains want their cake and eat it too. The entire point of the new cheap pass model is to get people's money upfront such that you don't have to rely on day trippers to be profitable. So, now day trippers are screwed with high ticket costs and pass holders are screwed with shorter seasons.

Great job Vail! What a great product for skiers you've created.

Pretty sure this isn't just a Vail thing, all though they certainly are doing that for many of their resorts.

Heck, in my own household, pretty sure the college kid ended her season 3 weeks ago, my younger kid may very well have his last weekend end up this coming one, and he probably wouldn't be skiing this coming weekend if he wasn't taking his USSSA level 100 alpine race coach certification exam on Friday and then taking a course setting clinic on Saturday as his highschool golf team practices start this week and his desire to play golf right now is starting to exceed 60 days this season (he's at 55 now) and my wife has entered into late season "fair weather skiing mode" where if the forecast for the weekend looks iffy, she's more than happy to stay home in CT and work on some of the projects she's been putting off all Winter. I'll ski until Mount Snow is done (scheduled for Sunday April 23rd weather permitting). So even in my own household, where all of us love the sport of skiing, getting 3 out of 4 of us to actively want to keep going is a challenge, and many of our core full season long, second home owner ski friends at Mount Snow have said their end of the season "good byes" to folks as they have many other things going on. And that's an audience who loves the sport enough to have bought 2nd homes at the mountain.

Us core AZ'ers are a different breed. And I am guessing that either later this week or early next week when ice out is likely officially declared on Winnipesaukee, that you'll start feeling the urge for boating season to begin rather than heading to the mountains for another couple of days

 

[drjeff]

All 4 of those will be done on 4/16.

Vail is more egregious than the others with screwing their customers early and late season.

Mount Snow is scheduled to go until 4/23, weather permitting, as an FYI. Which is the same equivalent weekend as they operated to last year

 

[pinion]

Still on Wildcat's website:

Wildcat Mountain has historically been the first to open and the last to close in the state of New Hampshire. Our famously long season can be attributed to the hard work our snowmaking team puts in, and where we sit in the White Mountain National Forest.

The real shame here IMO is the snowmaking crew was pretty effective at WC this year. And their efforts are being shortchanged. Going deep into the season used to be part of their identity. Stowe historically would stay open as long as they could. Not necessarily so with the Okemo and Snow. But still, this is an annoying change relative to recent history for 2 of the 4 Vail resorts listed, especially given recent snowfall amounts. If it's the new normal - which it seems like it is - then that sucks. Even if we get weekly updates about staying open "one week longer... BONUS", that's not the same as committing to offering the expected product when applicable.

 

[deadheadskier]

Pretty sure this isn't just a Vail thing, all though they certainly are doing that for many of their resorts.

Heck, in my own household, pretty sure the college kid ended her season 3 weeks ago, my younger kid may very well have his last weekend end up this coming one, and he probably wouldn't be skiing this coming weekend if he wasn't taking his USSSA level 100 alpine race coach certification exam on Friday and then taking a course setting clinic on Saturday as his highschool golf team practices start this week and his desire to play golf right now is starting to exceed 60 days this season (he's at 55 now) and my wife has entered into late season "fair weather skiing mode" where if the forecast for the weekend looks iffy, she's more than happy to stay home in CT and work on some of the projects she's been putting off all Winter. I'll ski until Mount Snow is done (scheduled for Sunday April 23rd weather permitting). So even in my own household, where all of us love the sport of skiing, getting 3 out of 4 of us to actively want to keep going is a challenge, and many of our core full season long, second home owner ski friends at Mount Snow have said their end of the season "good byes" to folks as they have many other things going on. And that's an audience who loves the sport enough to have bought 2nd homes at the mountain.

Us core AZ'ers are a different breed. And I am guessing that either later this week or early next week when ice out is likely officially declared on Winnipesaukee, that you'll start feeling the urge for boating season to begin rather than heading to the mountains for another couple of days

My kid plays lacrosse. That makes April skiing challenging. I have a boat that goes in 5/1, so I'm not interested in May turns. I get it. You aren't explaining anything a parent or others don't understand already.

It's definitely a Vail thing more than the other players.

Boyne went for it to start the season and is carrying through into May with Sugarloaf

Sugarbush and Jay still going deep

Killington still going deep

Vail collectively has shortened their Eastern season far more than the competition. That's a fact and it's okay to admit it.

 

[drjeff]

Still on Wildcat's website:



The real shame here IMO is the snowmaking crew was pretty effective at WC this year. And their efforts are being shortchanged. Going deep into the season used to be part of their identity. Stowe historically would stay open as long as they could. Not necessarily so with the Okemo and Snow. But still, this is an annoying change relative to recent history for 2 of the 4 Vail resorts listed, especially given recent snowfall amounts. If it's the new normal - which it seems like it is - then that sucks. Even if we get weekly updates about staying open "one week longer... BONUS", that's not the same as committing to offering the expected product when applicable.

One thing that may also be a contriubting factor both last season and this season, is the new lifts that have been/are being installed at AT. Often the lift manufacturer ends up hiring mtn ops from from the ski area where the installation is happening as part of the installation crew. And given the often interchangeability of the ops folks at AT/Cat, and how at this time of the year it's a small crew to begin with, if that isn't playing a role as well?? Since in getting the triple taken apart, often if the option exists, it's easier for some of the work to happen when there's snow on the ground is some places (especially lift towers and top terminals) to drag things down over the snow, which can save having to bring a helicopter in to fly things out in some cases.

 

[drjeff]

My kid plays lacrosse. That makes April skiing challenging. I have a boat that goes in 5/1, so I'm not interested in May turns. I get it. You aren't explaining anything a parent or others don't understand already.

It's definitely a Vail thing more than the other players.

Boyne went for it to start the season and is carrying through into May with Sugarloaf

Sugarbush and Jay still going deep

Killington still going deep

Vail collectively has shortened their Eastern season far more than the competition. That's a fact and it's okay to admit it.

No problem admitting that at all.

Stowe and Cat in particular have in the past, and likely now could still go deeper than they are being allowed to.

The weird thing is Mount Snow wise, if they make it until the 23rd this year (and based on how much snow is on the hill, unless we get a week of say 70 degree temps with multiple inches of rain falling, that shouldn't be an issue) Vail seems to want to operate it a little longer than Peak did, as mentally I used to pencil in whatever weekend was around April 15th as what likely would be closing weekend, and last year and this year it seems like they want to keep it open an extra week into the April 20-25 window.... Again, that is purely something that seems to be unique to my home mountain and not what they are doing across all of their Eastern portfolio

 

[shawnanigans]

I think there is a good chance of these 13 making it though at least April 16
Jay
Stowe
Okemo
Snow
Wildcat
Waterville
Cannon
Sunday River
Sugarloaf
Whiteface
Gore
Sugarbush
Killington

I think you can add Saddleback to that list as well.

I was at WV yesterday and they still have a very deep and wide base and they should have no problem making it through 4/16.

 

[Ski2LiveLive2Ski]

No problem admitting that at all.

Stowe and Cat in particular have in the past, and likely now could still go deeper than they are being allowed to.

The weird thing is Mount Snow wise, if they make it until the 23rd this year (and based on how much snow is on the hill, unless we get a week of say 70 degree temps with multiple inches of rain falling, that shouldn't be an issue) Vail seems to want to operate it a little longer than Peak did, as mentally I used to pencil in whatever weekend was around April 15th as what likely would be closing weekend, and last year and this year it seems like they want to keep it open an extra week into the April 20-25 window.... Again, that is purely something that seems to be unique to my home mountain and not what they are doing across all of their Eastern portfolio

I think business wise keeping Mt Snow open a little longer than the others makes good sense as

1. It has the discrete Carinthia area they can keep open with 1 lift at little expense

2. Carinthia offers park features which appeal to a more die hard clientele

3. If low snow was an issue, they could plow out park features to add to base

4. If they want to keep one area open that is somewhat accessible to both NY and Boston skiers, Snow is that

Basically they can run 1 lift, 1 window, 1 cafeteria and remain "open" within a 3 hr drive of 90% of the NorthEast skiing population and also cater to park users.

 

[pinion]

I think business wise keeping Mt Snow open a little longer than the others makes good sense as

1. It has the discrete Carinthia area they can keep open with 1 lift at little expense

2. Catinthia offers park features which appeal to a more die hard clientele

3. If low snow was an issue, they could plow out park features to add to base

4. If they want to keep one area open that is somewhat accessible to both NY and Boston skiers, that is the best call.

Basically they can run 1 lift, 1 window, 1 cafeteria and remain "open" within a 3 hr drive of 90% of the NorthEast skiing population and also cater to park users for a little longer.

And sell a shit ton of alcohol. Prints $$$.

 

[Ski2LiveLive2Ski]

And sell a shit ton of alcohol. Prints $$$.

1 lift
1 window
1 cafeteria
1 bar
1 bourbon
1 scotch
&
1 beer

 

[ThatGuy]

Mount Snow is my main mountain and Carinthia is a for me. Not interesting terrain (besides Nitro woods and Iron Run) and the yahoos hang out there. Maybe if they actually let it form some good bumps it would be better…