• Welcome to AlpineZone, the largest online community of skiers and snowboarders in the Northeast!

    You may have to REGISTER before you can post. Registering is FREE, gets rid of the majority of advertisements, and lets you participate in giveaways and other AlpineZone events!

Ski Resort Response to COVID-19

1dog

Active member
Joined
Oct 2, 2017
Messages
595
Points
43
It's more about freedom in my view. If people are getting sick, it's not filling up hospitals - at least in VT - CDC says 11 are in hospitals in the state. Keeping people healthy is keeping them informed. Then let them make choices. People choose to smoke, drink to excess, and drive on slick roads at 90 MPH. What's really going to help the majority of citizens is letting them get back to work and play. Those with underlying conditions should stay out of the public. Risk is not an option in life, it's a fact of life. To believe a government ( left, right, fence-sitting moderates) can actually make those choices for the populace is nonsensical. Put the information out there, let the public make informed choices. Live and let ski. Or, what Dr. Jeff states. . . .
 

ss20

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 13, 2013
Messages
3,925
Points
113
Location
A minute from the Alta exit off the I-15!
And isn't it amazing how no state DPH's actually can pick up the phone and call another state? I mean those phone things aren't as reliable as the good 'ol pony express mail delivery system, but I could see where they may someday have some potential.

Just waiting for folks, who drank all of the "COVID Kool-aid" to settle down for a minute, take a deep breath, and actually look at the risk factors, and in particular the risk factors in various age demographics and co-morbidities, and then think about if the mass, "one size fits all" approach that has been taken, is actually the most effective way, especially when one factors in other things such as the economic impacts as well as the psychological impacts going on as well.

COVID certainly can be a life threatening disease for some, I don't dispute or question that at all. People should be careful with how they manage their personal spaces while in public, and hand and face hygiene. I don't dispute that at all. One though needs to also critically think if the measures taken thus far, with essentially shutting down the various states at times for all, is actually the most effective approach to this? Again my personal perspective, as someone who has basically been working non stop, in a profession deemed high risk with close proximity to the oral cavity and aerosol spray generation, and really haven't been wearing much more PPE than I had been for the last 25 years or so, and done so, not just myself, but my staff as well, SAFELY, really gets one thinking about if the approaches the various state governments have been taking, are actually the most effective, especially when you also have to consider the economic and psychologic effects that in reality have affected more than COVID itself has

Kudos to you. Summed up my thoughts exactly. Except I would've said it with a lot more yelling and rhetoric and bs. Hence you being one of the most respected members of this board (and me.....not so much ;))
 

kingslug

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 30, 2005
Messages
7,032
Points
113
Location
Stamford Ct and Stowe
Just walk around NYC..you'll see the economic effect. Its going to take years to get back to ..well not normal, but better. Some industries will be destroyed for a long time.
But I can't sit here and point fingers at government officials. This was an event the world hasn't seen in 100 years..no playbook to go by.
 

ss20

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 13, 2013
Messages
3,925
Points
113
Location
A minute from the Alta exit off the I-15!
Just walk around NYC..you'll see the economic effect. Its going to take years to get back to ..well not normal, but better. Some industries will be destroyed for a long time.
But I can't sit here and point fingers at government officials. This was an event the world hasn't seen in 100 years..no playbook to go by.

I agree. Lots of pointed fingers. Everyone has been wrong at some point about this virus. My personal favorites are the Bill Gates Foundation model that showed Covoid dying out halfway through this summer, and people (myself included) who were duped into thinking this would be a 6-8 week affair.

Oh March....I I remember on the last day of my ski season, a Thursday at Killington before the world ended, they had Lysol and Bleach stationed in the Skyeship lodge for people's use as they wanted. I picked one up and told my ski buddy, "Hey, we should take these home, I bet we could get $50 for them!" to which we laughed and a few guys around us laughed. We had no idea shit was hitting the fan at that point. Got home that night and read a bunch of Covid headlines, then I knew we were f'd when the fact that the stock market had its biggest one day loss ever was just an after-thought.
 

kingslug

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 30, 2005
Messages
7,032
Points
113
Location
Stamford Ct and Stowe
I was in Park City..didn't even ski the last day I was so bummed out. I knew something big was up and we where in for it. One of the first things I did..hit the local gun store..what a shitshow. I'm hoping things calm down a bit now that the election is ...over?
 

Slidebrook87

Active member
Joined
Nov 24, 2019
Messages
584
Points
28
Location
CT
The Vermonters are going to be lonely skiing all by themselves. I just looked at the https://accd.vermont.gov/covid-19/restart/cross-state-travel map and there are are only two counties outside of Vermont that can legally go there without quarantine, Aroostook County in Maine and one in New York.
Turns out they “banned” travel for all counties outside Vermont today, but in reality it doesn’t mean shit. People are going to come anyway and without the business, ski area’s frankly won’t be able to survive. Hopefully people remain vigilant and wear masks and follow safety guidelines.
 

SLyardsale

Active member
Joined
Nov 6, 2007
Messages
240
Points
28
Turns out they “banned” travel for all counties outside Vermont today, but in reality it doesn’t mean shit. People are going to come anyway and without the business, ski area’s frankly won’t be able to survive. Hopefully people remain vigilant and wear masks and follow safety guidelines.
People all around me - every where I go have already been wearing masks since late spring / early summer. Masks have nothing to do with the numbers at this point. Go ahead - mandate masks - it's already done. It's a virus. A virus is contagious. The question is, should we re-ruin the recovering economy with lockdowns. Raise your hand if you want lock downs. If you don't want lockdowns, you already probably understand that the virus will spread and for now - it appears that in most areas - we have hospital capacity to absorb it. That was the whole strategy at the outset. And guess what - as we sit here today, it mainly worked.
 

JimG.

Moderator
Staff member
Moderator
Joined
Oct 29, 2004
Messages
11,997
Points
113
Location
Hopewell Jct., NY
People all around me - every where I go have already been wearing masks since late spring / early summer. Masks have nothing to do with the numbers at this point. Go ahead - mandate masks - it's already done. It's a virus. A virus is contagious. The question is, should we re-ruin the recovering economy with lockdowns. Raise your hand if you want lock downs. If you don't want lockdowns, you already probably understand that the virus will spread and for now - it appears that in most areas - we have hospital capacity to absorb it. That was the whole strategy at the outset. And guess what - as we sit here today, it mainly worked.
This morning I commented to my wife how grateful people should be that the overall strategy worked albeit maybe delayed. And the future shows promise.
 

drjeff

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 18, 2006
Messages
19,213
Points
113
Location
Brooklyn, CT
It's official; Captain Obvious has spoken.


You mean to tell me that both inhaling and exhaling through the same fabric will have the same effect regardless of which direction the air is moving across that fabric?

No way!! :ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO:
 

machski

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 5, 2014
Messages
3,721
Points
113
Location
Northwood, NH (Sunday River, ME)

drjeff

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 18, 2006
Messages
19,213
Points
113
Location
Brooklyn, CT
Wonder how VT will respond when resorts open and they are flooded with NH,NY,CT,NJ,MA people.

Will they choose to make an "example" out of some (and risk a potential legal challenge) or will they take a semi blind eye to things and see, if like during the Summer when travel restrictions weren't exactly being followed, if the new case rates don't change very much over what they already are?

That will be the question, that many, including numerous small business owners in VT who depend on out of state travelers for a sizable amount of their revenues, will be waiting to find out?
 

NYDB

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 13, 2016
Messages
1,708
Points
113
Location
Southeast NY /Southern VT
I am genuinely curious here. A question for the people who will ignore the VT quarantine rules for whatever reason. It seems like most of you justify this by saying all you will be doing is driving up, keeping to yourselves in your house/condo, going to ski, remaining outside and social distancing. Then returning to your house/condo where you have brought up food and drink with you from home.

Exactly how are you supporting VT small business owners in this scenario? Gas Stations? Do you plan on going out to eat? Walking around country stores? Hitting the Bars? exactly which small businesses are you going to support and how will you do it?
 

abc

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 2, 2008
Messages
5,852
Points
113
Location
Lower Hudson Valley
Exactly how are you supporting VT small business owners in this scenario? Gas Stations? Do you plan on going out to eat? Walking around country stores? Hitting the Bars? exactly which small businesses are you going to support and how will you do it?
It maybe two different group of people you're lumping together:

Those who suggest VT business needs tourist support. They probably want the tourist whether they quarantine or not.

Then there're those who just want to ski. They plan to be as self-sufficient as they can be. They won't be "supporting VT business" (except perhaps buying gas!)

Those are 2 different group of people. Vermonters need to sort out which they want (or NOT WANT). As you pointed out, you can't get BOTH, you need to choose one over the other.
 

drjeff

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 18, 2006
Messages
19,213
Points
113
Location
Brooklyn, CT
I am genuinely curious here. A question for the people who will ignore the VT quarantine rules for whatever reason. It seems like most of you justify this by saying all you will be doing is driving up, keeping to yourselves in your house/condo, going to ski, remaining outside and social distancing. Then returning to your house/condo where you have brought up food and drink with you from home.

Exactly how are you supporting VT small business owners in this scenario? Gas Stations? Do you plan on going out to eat? Walking around country stores? Hitting the Bars? exactly which small businesses are you going to support and how will you do it?

My wife and I will often do contactless pickup from a local grocery store and a few local restaurants when we've been up at our condo since the shutdown began in March. So we try and support the local economy in the best, all the while safest, way that we can.

The gas station that I have used for year not too far from Mount Snow has always been fully self served, and if the mechanics tied into the shop where the gas pumps are located aren't there, it's literally just you, your car, and the gas pump, which given that the majority of the time it's after 5PM when I'm rolling into town on my way up when I top my tank off, that is a safe transaction for sure
 
Top