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Gunstock Fail....

Bostonian

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Man I hate writing this about my home hill, but they need to be called out for this. Early today I contacted the mountain to see if they would be opening up this weekend to take advantage of the storm coming our way. Latest indicators show that the snow will be about 6-12 inches potentially. The response from the person on the phone was, nope - due to not having operations crew in place for a weekend opening. For them to not even attempt to open some terrain and get some staff on hand just is lazy. You figure they have been blowing snow, and laying down a base - so much of that staff is there. Call up the usual lifties, and a couple of patrolers then you have at least one or two trails running. Granted I am not in the Ski Resort business - however, the cost of labor shouldn't be that over the top, especially when it comes to good publicity and building community equity. Color me disappointed.
 

HD333

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From what I recall Gunstock has always had a hard opening date and closing date. Meaning they won't open before xx/xx or stay open past xx/xx.


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bobbutts

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It makes me nuts that they don't have lights to the summit. Who wants to ride slow lifts in the cold and dark all night? Crotched gets my business instead.
I would like to try those zip lines, looks cool.
 

Tin

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After seeing K today and all the blowing they have done, 6-12" would not open much more if anything for trails if anything so I doubt Gunstock could do much with it.
 

Bostonian

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The thing is they have been blowing for the last week or so *until the warm up* on a few trails laying down a good base. Yes 6-12 won't open new terrain on bare ground, but for the trails they have been working on it could help open those up.
 

Tin

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The thing is they have been blowing for the last week or so *until the warm up* on a few trails laying down a good base. Yes 6-12 won't open new terrain on bare ground, but for the trails they have been working on it could help open those up.

Check out my trail report from K and see what Skyelark looks like. That trails had 4 days of guns and 2 as open. I don't think 6-12" would reopen it.
 

thetrailboss

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From what I recall Gunstock has always had a hard opening date and closing date. Meaning they won't open before xx/xx or stay open past xx/xx.


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Yeah, exactly. Sugarbush has been doing the same. It runs against what others are doing, but I can understand why they do what they do. Remember that Gunstock is also a county business, so theoretically they don't have as much $$$ to work with as other places.
 

thetrailboss

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It makes me nuts that they don't have lights to the summit. Who wants to ride slow lifts in the cold and dark all night? Crotched gets my business instead.
I would like to try those zip lines, looks cool.

That is a good point. It does seem odd.
 

dlague

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Man I hate writing this about my home hill, but they need to be called out for this. Early today I contacted the mountain to see if they would be opening up this weekend to take advantage of the storm coming our way. Latest indicators show that the snow will be about 6-12 inches potentially. The response from the person on the phone was, nope - due to not having operations crew in place for a weekend opening. For them to not even attempt to open some terrain and get some staff on hand just is lazy. You figure they have been blowing snow, and laying down a base - so much of that staff is there. Call up the usual lifties, and a couple of patrolers then you have at least one or two trails running. Granted I am not in the Ski Resort business - however, the cost of labor shouldn't be that over the top, especially when it comes to good publicity and building community equity. Color me disappointed.

I agree with your thinking, even Pats Peak had one of their earliest openings to take advantage of cold temps we had.

From what I recall Gunstock has always had a hard opening date and closing date. Meaning they won't open before xx/xx or stay open past xx/xx.

This is true! We skied there last season on really nice conditions - it was their closing day with trails 100% open. I also think that they try to open with more than one or two T2B runs. I was talking to a Gunstock rep at a Warren Miller movie last night and asked why they do not open sooner. His answer, because of warming trends that can take place like the past couple of days. That is bull - I guess he does not remember what last January was like!

After seeing K today and all the blowing they have done, 6-12" would not open much more if anything for trails if anything so I doubt Gunstock could do much with it.

We skied Killington a few years ago when they got about 11 inches before Halloween - they may not open any new terrain, but the ski patrol was looking the other way as people poached runs to the base all day long and it was a whole lot better than hiking the steps.
 

dlague

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That is a good point. It does seem odd.

I think it is a business decision. They would have to run Panorama which is way more expensive to operate. The amount of night skiing business they get is very low. It is possible that business would be better if Panorama was open too for T2B night skiing but that will never happen - they are conservative. We ski there often on Two fer Tuesday Nights. I do not mind their night offering, We often ski off Tiger Triple for some decent runs or Pistol Triple to do some of the park features - their park is pretty good too which is available at night.
 

deadheadskier

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I don't think they'd get the ROI by installing the lights and running the Pan.

What I'd love to see them do is put a conveyor in to speed up the Tiger. IMO the best skiing on the mountain is off that lift, but it's a pretty painful ride for only 700 vert or so.
 

dlague

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I don't think they'd get the ROI by installing the lights and running the Pan.

What I'd love to see them do is put a conveyor in to speed up the Tiger. IMO the best skiing on the mountain is off that lift, but it's a pretty painful ride for only 700 vert or so.

I agree!
 

Bostonian

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Again Gunstock cites staffing and operational costs - However, with a good slug of snow coming - plus the beginning of the season, it would seem a no brainer for a ROI. It just aggravates me that Wachusett, further south, is able to get open before Gunstock. As for the Tiger runs, they are the best (aside from hotshot), but they don't seem to want to invest in the skiing product as much as their zip lines, and other off season stuff. After this season, I may rethink my season pass options for next year - especially when they raised passes by 10% - but no concrete capital improvements to skiing and snowmaking.
 

machski

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Again Gunstock cites staffing and operational costs - However, with a good slug of snow coming - plus the beginning of the season, it would seem a no brainer for a ROI. It just aggravates me that Wachusett, further south, is able to get open before Gunstock. As for the Tiger runs, they are the best (aside from hotshot), but they don't seem to want to invest in the skiing product as much as their zip lines, and other off season stuff. After this season, I may rethink my season pass options for next year - especially when they raised passes by 10% - but no concrete capital improvements to skiing and snowmaking.

ROI to open this weekend on limited terrain? Hmm, who do you propose skis, pass holders or day ticket buyers. I would lean to pass holders which means it adds nothing to their bottom line directly (could make pass holders happy and more likely to reup next year but no direct ROI now). As for day tickets, maybe a few would be sold but then at what price to even break even? Here's a quick rundown of trails and prices at open resorts.
K 32trails for $77
Stowe 23 trails for $77
Okemo 28 trails for $60
SR 29 trails for $49

Its a tough business, I can't fault a smaller area for sticking to a planned opening date that they have a good shot of hitting and not guessing. Can be tough to get people to come in weeks earlier than planned to work or sit idle for weeks waiting.
 

thetrailboss

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I think it might be a "fail" if they somehow gave you the expectation that they were going to open and didn't. It sounds like they just have a set open date and have to stick to it. Some years it works, some years it doesn't (like this one).
 

Morwax

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We do not really mind the hard open so much as the hard close..sad to see the lifts shut down with %100 terrain and weeks worth of corn last year. Enough with the other season capital improvements lets have a skeleton crew able to spin the Panorama for some spring goodness.
 
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dlague

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We do not really mind the hard open so much as the hard close..sad to see the lifts shut down with %100 terrain and weeks worth of corn last year. Enough with the other season capital improvements lets have a skeleton crew able to spin the Panorama for some spring goodness. Us local taxpayers have supported Gunstock through thick and thin, now we have been forgotten.

I agree with your comment about the hard close, even mentioning it in an earlier post. We skied there during the last week or so and were thinking how sad it was that they do that. I spoke to them at the ski show and they said it was due to staff leaving for warmer season jobs and their prepping for summer activities.
 
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