VAIL SUCKS

[McFatt]

I grew up skiing in the 60's, my Dad grew up skiing in the late 30's (Stowe) into 1941, then the war. I happened to ask him one day (Late 50's) what he was reading, and it was a ski or skiing magazine. He decided that if I wanted to know what he was reading, the pictures must have interested me, so rental skis, and repeat tries on the small hill in the front yard. (Winter of 59-60). Soon after I could do that, we went up to Gunstock. A few lessons and he could leave me and my sisters in the beginner area and he could take the main lift for a few runs. Mom (Whole different skiing story) sat in the lodge so us kids could have a place to go with a parent. (Remember, its the early 60's.) As time progressed I skied more and more with my Dad as my skills got better, and my sisters decided other things were more important. Fast forward to the late 60's, and we were going north most Saturday's. If it was open, we skied Whittier as it was steep and nearest. Early and late season it was up to Wildcat, 2 t-bars, a gondola, and the upper mountain double (Lynx chair). If Wildcat was closed for wind, we would go elsewhere, like Cranmore, or to a little place called Tyrol. Tyrol only had a Poma platter lift, and was more of less maybe equal to or smaller than Bradford in Haverhill, Ma. I asked one day why we bothered skiing such a small hill, and his answer was, "It's skiing, we came up here to ski". I learned Dad could be happy on any type of snow, and any type hill as long as he could ski. As we grow up idolizing our parents for the most part, I learned to be happy skiing most anything that had decent snow. Low crowds were a rarity, and most lift lines were tedious, but that was how skiing in the 60's was.

Once I had kids, and they got interested in skiing, off we went. My kids got bored at a few places we went, but I told them that it was skiing, would they rather do something else, because if they wanted to, I'd leave them home to do it. Now they are good skiing anywhere that is open, and have learned they actually like trying new places no matter what the maps on web sites look like because.....IT'S SKIING!!!

I see a lot in here bitching about Vail. Have not had the ability to try a Vail NE Resort as a result of my VERY uncooperative back, but just two trails at Wildcat would not be a lot different from my 1960's days as ALL of them were only natural snow days. Give Vail another year as many have surmised WHY Vail is so disappointing at Catitash, so give them a non-pandemic year to see what they can do to fix it.

You ALL are VERY Spoiled brats! Skiing is skiing, If its not what you want to be doing, go do something else. If its what you want to be doing, ENJOY it in spite of weather, management and labor limitations, crowds, or COVID. In much of the world it would be a luxury you would not be able to do.

It's all in ones perspective, and you need to refocus your perspectives.

Ok, Boomer

 

[thetrailboss]

Looks like attitash figured out how to delete Facebook posts. First smart move of the year for them. Didn’t groom half the mountain. Lines at bear stretched to kachina triple. Can’t run Abenaki even though the snow is mounded and ready to groom. Pathetic

That is a desperate move by them.

And are they sharing grooming operators with Attitash or something?

 

[thetrailboss]

If you talk to staff here they’re trying like hell but have limited staff for a variety of reasons.

This. I feel so bad for the on-the-ground staff who have to take the brunt of the negative feedback.

 

[BenedictGomez]

That’s what happens when you pay like shit, treat your employees like shit, and take any and all fun out of working in the ski industry.

I viewed the, "you MUST wear a certain color coat" as a warning sign.

 

[gittist]

Hey, all you Vail bashers! What about?

Vail Resorts Named One of ‘America’s Best Employers’ by Forbes​

[ I bet this gets a few people wound up :-]

I won't my money's worth from my EPIC pass this year either, and by the look of things I won't be buying lift tickets elsewhere either :-(

 

[icecoast1]

Hey, all you Vail bashers! What about?

Vail Resorts Named One of ‘America’s Best Employers’ by Forbes​

[ I bet this gets a few people wound up :-]

I won't my money's worth from my EPIC pass this year either, and by the look of things I won't be buying lift tickets elsewhere either :-(

I wonder how much Vail paid to get on that list

 

[snoseek]

I worked for them for 5 winters and year round for a couple years. I had lots of fun but wouldn't call it a positive work experience overall let alone top employer worthy.

 

[1dog]

I grew up skiing in the 60's, my Dad grew up skiing in the late 30's (Stowe) into 1941, then the war. I happened to ask him one day (Late 50's) what he was reading, and it was a ski or skiing magazine. He decided that if I wanted to know what he was reading, the pictures must have interested me, so rental skis, and repeat tries on the small hill in the front yard. (Winter of 59-60). Soon after I could do that, we went up to Gunstock. A few lessons and he could leave me and my sisters in the beginner area and he could take the main lift for a few runs. Mom (Whole different skiing story) sat in the lodge so us kids could have a place to go with a parent. (Remember, its the early 60's.) As time progressed I skied more and more with my Dad as my skills got better, and my sisters decided other things were more important. Fast forward to the late 60's, and we were going north most Saturday's. If it was open, we skied Whittier as it was steep and nearest. Early and late season it was up to Wildcat, 2 t-bars, a gondola, and the upper mountain double (Lynx chair). If Wildcat was closed for wind, we would go elsewhere, like Cranmore, or to a little place called Tyrol. Tyrol only had a Poma platter lift, and was more of less maybe equal to or smaller than Bradford in Haverhill, Ma. I asked one day why we bothered skiing such a small hill, and his answer was, "It's skiing, we came up here to ski". I learned Dad could be happy on any type of snow, and any type hill as long as he could ski. As we grow up idolizing our parents for the most part, I learned to be happy skiing most anything that had decent snow. Low crowds were a rarity, and most lift lines were tedious, but that was how skiing in the 60's was.

Once I had kids, and they got interested in skiing, off we went. My kids got bored at a few places we went, but I told them that it was skiing, would they rather do something else, because if they wanted to, I'd leave them home to do it. Now they are good skiing anywhere that is open, and have learned they actually like trying new places no matter what the maps on web sites look like because.....IT'S SKIING!!!

I see a lot in here bitching about Vail. Have not had the ability to try a Vail NE Resort as a result of my VERY uncooperative back, but just two trails at Wildcat would not be a lot different from my 1960's days as ALL of them were only natural snow days. Give Vail another year as many have surmised WHY Vail is so disappointing at Catitash, so give them a non-pandemic year to see what they can do to fix it.

You ALL are VERY Spoiled brats! Skiing is skiing, If its not what you want to be doing, go do something else. If its what you want to be doing, ENJOY it in spite of weather, management and labor limitations, crowds, or COVID. In much of the world it would be a luxury you would not be able to do.

It's all in ones perspective, and you need to refocus your perspectives.

great post - great story. Only disagree with ' ALL are VERY spoiled brats'. Most maybe, but not all. Those stories are what got me into skiing - my Dada took me to MT Snow as a kid, but he didn't have enough dough to pay for 4 kids to ski, but he had to get some final turns in. I just saw people ( at maybe 6 yrs old) jumping from snow banks into a heated pool and skiing down a huge hill- and I was hooked. Wasn['t until I was 22 that I got on skis.


A thought: If those born after say 1980- or next gen - 1995- are spoiled. . . . . .WHO spoiled them? We gotta look in the mirror . . . .

Best powder weekend of the year by far - saw my tracks on that last pic! Not blower - but heavy on Sat and lighter but firmer dry on Sunday - trees are not about ready. And if you hiked CR - well - over knees in places - if your moving at a pace. . . . . shhhhhhhhhhhh

 

[abc]

A thought: If those born after say 1980- or next gen - 1995- are spoiled. . . . . .WHO spoiled them? We gotta look in the mirror

No, it's their teachers, the media, the technology... NOT our fellow parents, never mind ourselves!

 

[Dickc]

Ok, Boomer

Get of my lawn!!!! :>)

 

[1dog]

Get of my lawn!!!! :>)

Clint in Gran Torino. . . . great flick. As far as who's responsible - teachers, media, et al, are all endorsed/kept in power by said parents. 1st line of defense is the parental responsibility. If it really gets bad ( it has) then homeschooling and shutting the media off helps. Not everyones cup of tea - but you are correct, it ultimately sits w/the individual. Snow was just marvelous this weekend.

If Vail sux, its not really the year to make a judgement - no employees, not much natural snow but geez, since VT is limiting the visits, you'd think NH would be packed full. Was no big traffic jam on Friday night from what I understand. . . . . .

 

[2Planker]

great post - great story. Only disagree with ' ALL are VERY spoiled brats'. Most maybe, but not all. Those stories are what got me into skiing - my Dada took me to MT Snow as a kid, but he didn't have enough dough to pay for 4 kids to ski, but he had to get some final turns in. I just saw people ( at maybe 6 yrs old) jumping from snow banks into a heated pool and skiing down a huge hill- and I was hooked. Wasn['t until I was 22 that I got on skis.


A thought: If those born after say 1980- or next gen - 1995- are spoiled. . . . . .WHO spoiled them? We gotta look in the mirror . . . .

Best powder weekend of the year by far - saw my tracks on that last pic! Not blower - but heavy on Sat and lighter but firmer dry on Sunday - trees are not about ready. And if you hiked CR - well - over knees in places - if your moving at a pace. . . . . shhhhhhhhhhhh

Grew up skiing Whittier in the 70's, that place was gnarly for sure.
Skied Tyrol in Jackson too

 

[deadheadskier]

Solid performance by Vail at Wildcat today. Hard not to have a good time with 14" from the recent storm. Had the mountain about 60% open officially and 90% realistically.

15-20 minute line for the quad mid morning, so they did the right thing and opened the Tomcat and it was still spinning at 2 when I was done

Snowmaking happening on Upper Catapult.

Definitely need Wild Kitten to come online with snowmaking and grooming. If they do that, Cheetah and Alley Cat it will be a very late, but respectable effort

 

[thebigo]

Was scheduled at wildcat today. Got an email over the weekend that attitash was adding today to the seasonal program. No extra cost, just an extra day of coaching added for the kids. They also mixed in some new coaches and daughter accomplished some park stuff she had been working towards all year. Not to say that there is anything wrong with any of the coaches, they are all excellent, sometimes kids hearing it form another person helps. It was a really good day all around.

The concern that snowmaking would wane as we move through the season was unfounded. They were blowing pt which will nearly finish the upper mountain on the attitash side. Also several trails around abenaki, including the connection with the lift. They have been working on Kachina falls with the tripod guns for over a week, that short section requires an absurd amount of snow.

I agree the effort today was respectable. I will never understand the prioritization of the triple trails over the yankee but that is a choice, not a lack of effort. If the long term forecast holds, we are headed for a good run. A good percentage of the December BS would be forgivable if they would only communicate. An easy place to start would be some indication of where they are making snow, put some damn snowflakes on the trail list where they put the groomers. The next step, albeit more difficult, would be an email to passholders or social media post acknowledging the massive strain that staffing has put on operations along with some framework for the remainder of the season.

 

[mlkrgr]

I wonder how much Vail paid to get on that list

I agree. I interviewed for a financial analyst job about 4-5 years ago with Vail in Colorado. Ended up saying thanks but no thanks when they asked if the pay of $13/hr was acceptable for me. I can get at least $22/hr around here for the same job at the time.

 

[Mainer]

Tomcat closed at 2:15. Ski patrol said that they made the mountain open tomcat, had to run a patroller as top lifty. Amazing what a foot will do, so nice to be able ski something other than 2icy trails.

 

[jimmywilson69]

the lack of staffing in the east, I can't speak for the west, is just an unbelievable sign of ineptitude. My local hill is practically begging for lift staff. I'm guessing they had a bunch of college kids working and now they are all unavailable. I'm tempted to apply and work 1 shift a week and get my pass paid for! If you bought a pass, and you take a job at the mountain, they refund you your pass cost after 1 shift.

 

[ski&soccermom]

I don't think it is fair to blame Vail for the lack of staffing this year. They rely heavily on their international staff and this year those visas are suspended. Are they understaffed? 1000% yes. There are other shortcomings that I am noticing with Vail vs. Peak, but I am hopeful that this one goes away next year if the visa program returns...

 

[Mainer]

Those extra unemployment checks are real killer. So many people took the summer off because they made more money on unemployment. You didn’t even have to apply for a job at that time. The extra $300 now does the same thing. The lack of foreign workers doesn’t help, but the mountains knew all summer about not having them and didn’t plan. The only area in mwv really suffering from lack of staff is attitash. But they started hiring after everyone else and pay less. Still not advertising, looks like yankee is definitely weekends only.

 

[jimmywilson69]

maybe they shouldn't rely so heavily on foreigners and pay better