Skiing in May: Would you pay a premium for it?

[jrmagic]

I wouldnt pay a premium for May turns. Too much going on with the kids sports as well as getting the boat ready etc.. If I had a free day or two I would pay a reasonable amount.

I know there are several diehards out there but is there really a market for premium pricing? Places like Sugarloaf usually run out of skiers before they run out of snowand that is without a premium. I do like the idea of letting people buy their pass for the next season and let them ski the remainder of the spring is a good idea as it helps them generate some early season revenue for summertime projects etc.

 

[skiadikt]

having started skiing memorial weekends back at k in '81 i feel late season/may skiing should be included in the price of the season pass. essentially the cheap a41 pass killed late season skiing at k since in addition to being very cheap, skiers from a bunch other of mtns could ski k on their pass. now that pass is mercifully dead, i do think it's possible for k to once again build a late season skiing business model through the sale of a spring pass and day ticket sales. i'd like to think that in the northeast there are enough die hards out there to support it. maybe they do weekends only starting in may. superstar only. appeal to bumpers. reinstate the trialthon. like the bmmc, the memorial triathalon was at one time a major attraction for k not only as an event but as a marketing tool.

 

[Highway Star]

Leaving alot on the table here....

Back in the mid-late '90's, Killington set a record for only being closed for 100 DAYS. They closed in late June and re-opened in early October. This was at the peak of the ASC days.

Point is, having skiing available for a majority of the year allowed Killington to dominate the east in skier visits. It drew in people to buy passes, people from other areas early and late season, and sustained a larger level of activity there year round. Ski season had a strong overlap with mountain biking and golf.

Even during the last few years of ASC, buying a cheap bronze pass allowed people to ski Killington early and late season, and spend the mid-season at their home areas.

Now, they have the same season length as most other major resorts. The opening on Nov. 2nd this year was pretty much uncrowded, and I'm guessing April will be as well. They competely shut down for May, and everybody forgets about Killington.

Killington's "killer-app" was the looooong season with little downtime in the summer months. It helped build the area. They need to return to it.

In fact, with the correct strategy and some signifigant investment, they could offer YEAR-ROUND skiing at the top of Killington. Look up "IDE snowmaker", they are already being installed on glaciers in Europe for making snow during the summer. That, plus a lift on middle-upper downdraft, would allow them to offer 700ft of vert on Cascade and Downdraft, above 3400ft. One trail with bumps, the other with a park, and a groomed section. Cover the snow with insulating blankets when not in use, or when it's raining. The K-1, for access, runs all summer anyway.

If people are willing to fly to south america, or head west to mogul camps, or to europe, or to Xanadu in NJ.....then I'm pretty sure they would get a good crowd. Operate on Friday to Sunday, and rent midweek days to race teams. I'm sure they could sell a summer skiing pass, and $50+ day tickets. You would probably get even more people just visiting to check out the snow. Food/bev sales at the peak lodge would be to a captive audience. Having something like this would REALLY boost demand for a base Village.....

Dooo it.....lol.

 

[deadheadskier]

In fact, with the correct strategy and some signifigant investment, they could offer YEAR-ROUND skiing at the top of Killington. Look up "IDE snowmaker", they are already being installed on glaciers in Europe for making snow during the summer. That, plus a lift on middle-upper downdraft, would allow them to offer 700ft of vert on Cascade and Downdraft, above 3400ft. One trail with bumps, the other with a park, and a groomed section. Cover the snow with insulating blankets when not in use, or when it's raining. The K-1, for access, runs all summer anyway.

Just when I thought you couldn't get any more delusional, you post up another gem like this one here.

Operate on Friday to Sunday, and rent midweek days to race teams.

I think they should close on Saturday actually :lol:

 

[Highway Star]

Just when I thought you couldn't get any more delusional, you post up another gem like this one here.



I think they should close on Saturday actually :lol:

No, you just lack vision......



http://www.ropeways.net/index.htm?karo=1651

 

[deadheadskier]

No, you just lack vision......



http://www.ropeways.net/index.htm?karo=1651

trust me, my vision is 20/20 in seeing that you're a dumb ass

 

[WWF-VT]

In fact, with the correct strategy and some signifigant investment, they could offer YEAR-ROUND skiing at the top of Killington. Look up "IDE snowmaker", they are already being installed on glaciers in Europe for making snow during the summer. That, plus a lift on middle-upper downdraft, would allow them to offer 700ft of vert on Cascade and Downdraft, above 3400ft. One trail with bumps, the other with a park, and a groomed section. Cover the snow with insulating blankets when not in use, or when it's raining. The K-1, for access, runs all summer anyway.

If people are willing to fly to south america, or head west to mogul camps, or to europe, or to Xanadu in NJ.....then I'm pretty sure they would get a good crowd. Operate on Friday to Sunday, and rent midweek days to race teams. I'm sure they could sell a summer skiing pass, and $50+ day tickets. You would probably get even more people just visiting to check out the snow. Food/bev sales at the peak lodge would be to a captive audience. Having something like this would REALLY boost demand for a base Village.....

LOL funny...why don't you buy the mountain from POWDR and run it your way

 

[Highway Star]

trust me, my vision is 20/20 in seeing that you're a dumb ass

Why not post something constructive?

I bet you wish you could drive up to Killington and ski bumps in September.....

 

[RootDKJ]

Leaving alot on the table here....

Back in the mid-late '90's, Killington set a record for only being closed for 100 DAYS. They closed in late June and re-opened in early October. This was at the peak of the ASC days.

Point is, having skiing available for a majority of the year allowed Killington to dominate the east in skier visits. It drew in people to buy passes, people from other areas early and late season, and sustained a larger level of activity there year round. Ski season had a strong overlap with mountain biking and golf.

Even during the last few years of ASC, buying a cheap bronze pass allowed people to ski Killington early and late season, and spend the mid-season at their home areas.

Now, they have the same season length as most other major resorts. The opening on Nov. 2nd this year was pretty much uncrowded, and I'm guessing April will be as well. They competely shut down for May, and everybody forgets about Killington.

Killington's "killer-app" was the looooong season with little downtime in the summer months. It helped build the area. They need to return to it.

In fact, with the correct strategy and some signifigant investment, they could offer YEAR-ROUND skiing at the top of Killington. Look up "IDE snowmaker", they are already being installed on glaciers in Europe for making snow during the summer. That, plus a lift on middle-upper downdraft, would allow them to offer 700ft of vert on Cascade and Downdraft, above 3400ft. One trail with bumps, the other with a park, and a groomed section. Cover the snow with insulating blankets when not in use, or when it's raining. The K-1, for access, runs all summer anyway.

If people are willing to fly to south america, or head west to mogul camps, or to europe, or to Xanadu in NJ.....then I'm pretty sure they would get a good crowd. Operate on Friday to Sunday, and rent midweek days to race teams. I'm sure they could sell a summer skiing pass, and $50+ day tickets. You would probably get even more people just visiting to check out the snow. Food/bev sales at the peak lodge would be to a captive audience. Having something like this would REALLY boost demand for a base Village.....

Dooo it.....lol.

I <3 AlpineZone:flag:

 

[mondeo]

Why not post something constructive?

Hello pot, meet kettle.

So how soon are we likely to return to mid-90s snowmaking efforts? I'd say when the price of energy comes back down to mid-90s levels and the economy returns to a ridiculously unsustainable rate of growth.

There's a little bit of a difference between extnding a glacier a few hundred vertical feet for a couple months and creating a glacier in a temperate climate. Year-round skiing in the northeast might happen when energy starts being free.

 

[deadheadskier]

Why not post something constructive?

I bet you wish you could drive up to Killington and ski bumps in September.....

While the IDE technology is great, the big issue is rainfall. June through September are the wettest months of the year in VT. As mondeo points out, unless the energy used to produce it was nearly free, I don't ever see such an activity generating a profit.

 

[Highway Star]

Hello pot, meet kettle.

So how soon are we likely to return to mid-90s snowmaking efforts? I'd say when the price of energy comes back down to mid-90s levels and the economy returns to a ridiculously unsustainable rate of growth.

There's a little bit of a difference between extnding a glacier a few hundred vertical feet for a couple months and creating a glacier in a temperate climate. Year-round skiing in the northeast might happen when energy starts being free.

Correct, but they were still able to have 200+ day season back when oil prices were high, due do the strategy of using the Killington Double chair midstation.

But you probably didn't know that, because you're Killington's most uninformed poster.

And while we're at it, the IDE snowmaker runs on ELECTRICITY.

 

[Highway Star]

While the IDE technology is great, the big issue is rainfall. June through September are the wettest months of the year in VT. As mondeo points out, unless the energy used to produce it was nearly free, I don't ever see such an activity generating a profit.

Actually, if you read the detailed specs, the IDE snowmaker is about as efficient as a K3000 snowgun operating in 28F wet bulb (IIRC). Not all that bad, at all.

Keeping the snow from melting would also be key. Perhaps some sort of insulating layer under the snow, and proper drainage would be a must. They would also need to cover the snow when not in use, with a large reflective/insulating/waterproof tarp/blanket of some type.

 

[Trekchick]

This was an interesting read. Do any of you feel differently?

Greg, thanks for the food for thought.......
I often pay for lift tickets to ski at Boyne, Nubs or Highlands after Crystal(where I have a season pass) shuts down. Doest that count?

With my Abasin Season pass in hand, I'll happily head west and pay for the transportation/lodging to get some Abasin Stoke!

I guess I do pay a premium to ski late into the season. I guess I'd rather ski the multiple runs available in the late season than the ribbon of death in the early fall.

 

[deadheadskier]

Perhaps some sort of insulating layer under the snow, and proper drainage would be a must. They would also need to cover the snow when not in use, with a large reflective/insulating/waterproof tarp/blanket of some type.

Or you could get ten thousand helicopters all together at once and hoist up Xanadu, bring it up to Killington and drop it down on Cascade :lol:

keep dreaming

 

[Vortex]

I kind of think I do pay a premium I guess.


I ski in Oct to May lift serviced.

So premium kind of is the wrong word for me.

Great Value is how I look at it.

I could buy a cheaper pass to ski a mtn that opens in late November or closes in March or early April. I don't though. I don't want to have to pay for tickets.

I did use to buy the spring into March Pass at Killington in the old days to ski late.


I thought that pass was a good value.

The last couple of years I have skied early and late and been very satisfied with my pass.

 

[tcharron]

No, you just lack vision......

It's been done, a few years ago. At Tenney Mountain.

http://cm.nhpr.org/node/4950

It didn't fly.

 

[Highway Star]

It's been done, a few years ago. At Tenney Mountain.

http://cm.nhpr.org/node/4950

It didn't fly.

I am aware of that. Not that much draw to ride a strip of snow to hit a jib box....at least from people with money.

What you're not aware of is that the capacity and efficiency of the IDE snowmaker is MUCH great than what Tenney was using. Plus Killington has a major elevation advantage, it rarely gets much above 70F at the summit, even in the summer.

 

[2knees]

Or you could get ten thousand helicopters all together at once and hoist up Xanadu, bring it up to Killington and drop it down on Cascade :lol:

that would be a logistical nightmare. Personally, i would go for some type of over sized snow globe. they could just build it to cover the top two thirds of killington peak and anytime they felt it neccessary, they could just shake it. Fresh pow anytime of the year.

 

[tcharron]

I am aware of that. Not that much draw to ride a strip of snow to hit a jib box....at least from people with money.

What you're not aware of is that the capacity and efficiency of the IDE snowmaker is MUCH great than what Tenney was using. Plus Killington has a major elevation advantage, it rarely gets much above 70F at the summit, even in the summer.

First, at a total cost of 2 million dollars per machine... That there would require 67,000 visits at a 35$ profit (not counting energy usage, etc). Second, it can *produce* snow. Actually, an impressive amount of it. But *distributing* the snow is the issue. Suppose you could have a groomer just plowing it around.