DST: adjust closing time?

legalskier · Mar 10, 2019

"Closing time/
You don't have to go home but you can't stay here"

Assuming the 4 o'clock closing time for unlighted areas is calculated to the "shortest" day of the year (December 21) which happens in the beginning of the season, why don't areas push it back to accommodate the "longer" days afterwards, say by half an hour or even an hour? Packing up the car when it's still bright seems like a waste. Unless it's calculated to something else? Do any areas adjust their closing time to take advantage of the sunlight?

Edd · Mar 10, 2019

I’ve seen places do that. I don’t have a clear memory of which ones but I’m guessing Wildcat and Sunday River.

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cdskier · Mar 10, 2019

Sugarbush does that later in the season when they switch to "spring" hours.

Zermatt · Mar 10, 2019

Places in Switzerland extend thoer closing time as daylight increases in January and February. They don't change to summer time until April.

Why would a US ski area change? They don't get to charge extra.

BenedictGomez · Mar 10, 2019

A candidate who runs on killing dst will win regardless of party. Huge percentages of Americans hate it and think it's idiotic (beside it is).

2Planker · Mar 10, 2019

Edd said:
I’ve seen places do that. I don’t have a clear memory of which ones but I’m guessing Wildcat and Sunday River.

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Wildcat's Last Chair is actually 3:30 thru February into March. Now it is pushed back to 4pm.

YES the River does run a few lifts to 4:30 or even 5 late season... Don't think it's officially scheduled though

Zermatt · Mar 10, 2019

BenedictGomez said:
A candidate who runs on killing dst will win regardless of party. Huge percentages of Americans hate it and think it's idiotic (beside it is).

What they actually hate is standard time.

machski · Mar 10, 2019

2Planker said:
YES the River does run a few lifts to 4:30 or even 5 late season... Don't think it's officially scheduled though

Really, when does this happen? Try NEVER!! My crew has been on DB to do this officially (heck, we'd rather have weekend hours be 9-5 after DST change over!) for years to no avail. Sucks when it is cold overnight, just softening up when they are getting ready to close up!

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Dickc · Mar 10, 2019

Edd said:
I’ve seen places do that. I don’t have a clear memory of which ones but I’m guessing Wildcat and Sunday River.

Sent from my iPad using AlpineZone

Killington does it later in the season. Mostly when everyone else has closed.

JimG. · Mar 10, 2019

billo said:
What they actually hate is standard time.

Correct.

SkiingInABlueDream · Mar 11, 2019

Ive been saying for years that places should shift their running hours in the spring. Open later and close later. Too often, spring mornings have still frozen surfaces and lifts spinning with almost nobody riding.

deadheadskier · Mar 11, 2019

I think it depends on the area. For Northern New England areas, I'd change operating hours to 10-5 starting in April. Probably the second weekend. March is still very much winter at a lot of places.

Southern New England say from Okemo south in VT and Ragged South in NH, I probably wouldn't bother. Most of those are south enough and low enough in elevation that they are pretty soft by 10-11AM anyways. There are some skiers that don't care for corn and like to get in a couple of hours on groomed trails before they soften.

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cdskier · Mar 11, 2019

deadheadskier said:
I think it depends on the area. For Northern New England areas, I'd change operating hours to 10-5 starting in April. Probably the second weekend. March is still very much winter at a lot of places.

I agree. And that's pretty how Sugarbush does it. They'll switch to 10-5 midweek and 9-5 weekends sometime in April.

SkiingInABlueDream · Mar 11, 2019

Maybe we have different experiences. I've had plenty of spring days where nothing softened before 11 and groomers were rock solid until then. I mean bone vibrating uncarveable frozen cord because the surface had been groomed before the previous nights refreeze. I openly admit to liking groomers but not like that. <shrug>

deadheadskier · Mar 11, 2019

Had those days to. It's not uncommon for it to take until 1ish on some days at Wildcat for things to soften.

The problem is that it's a crap shoot. For every day like you describe in early April, I've also had days where it snowed 6-8" and the fresh snow turns to mank by 11 when the sun hits it. I'd hate to lose those 2-3 hours when the snow is dry.

But after say 4/15, I don't really see a reason to open before 10.

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Harvey · Mar 11, 2019

machski said:
Really, when does this happen? Try NEVER!!

Case by case is a great way to handle it, if the mountain doesn't have a cumbersome decision making process.

Come to Plattekill. In the spring if skiing is great, we ask the owner to keep spinning. He'll run the double until it goes in the shade, and then run the triple until the sun is down.

ShadyGrove · Mar 11, 2019

Magic has extended their operations until 5pm in the past. It hasn't been announced for this year, yet.

edited: Magic updated their hours. Lifts spin until 5pm during DST now.

machski · Mar 11, 2019

machski said:
Really, when does this happen? Try NEVER!! My crew has been on DB to do this officially (heck, we'd rather have weekend hours be 9-5 after DST change over!) for years to no avail. Sucks when it is cold overnight, just softening up when they are getting ready to close up!

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Sunday River went a step further back, they cut off a weekend and are tossing the towel in on April 21st now!!!

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Smellytele · Mar 12, 2019

machski said:
Sunday River went a step further back, they cut off a weekend and are tossing the towel in on April 21st now!!!

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They must have looked at the numbers over the last few years and decided it just isn't worth it to stay open. I did used to ski there on the free May 1st in years past and enjoyed racing the rivers down the mountain.

JoeB-Z · Mar 12, 2019

ShadyGrove said:
Magic has extended their operations until 5pm in the past. It hasn't been announced for this year, yet.

edited: Magic updated their hours. Lifts spin until 5pm during DST now.

Only on Saturday. Plus after this week, weekend only.

Hopefully Friday does not do much damage because that base is pretty thin.

DST: adjust closing time?

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