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Ski Resort Response to COVID-19

deadheadskier

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I am thankful for my work minivan that I can use for personal travel as well but it sucks in the snow.


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Mine is an AWD Sienna. With snow tires it's pretty decent. Not as good as our Alltrack, but it gets the job done. The huge amount of space though makes it more practical. Probably more room in the back seat than most any other vehicle, so that will help with getting my son ready and be better to hang out for breaks.


The leasing company allows employees in northern States to have snow tires put on for winter. Guess they calculate that snow tires are cheaper than potential wrecks.

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Hawk

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This may be the first time in human history that this sentence has been uttered.

DHS must be an incredibly organized worker. My Brother in law and my cousin have work vans. One is an electrician and the other is a controls contractor. Their work vans are so packed with job crap that it would be almost impossible to go skiing with that van and bring anyone else or even fit their equipment. ;-)
 

deadheadskier

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DHS must be an incredibly organized worker. My Brother in law and my cousin have work vans. One is an electrician and the other is a controls contractor. Their work vans are so packed with job crap that it would be almost impossible to go skiing with that van and bring anyone else or even fit their equipment. ;-)
I can have a ton of crap in my van at times. But it's all large Pelican cases of demo equipment for presentations. Maybe a couple of boxes of samples in addition to the demo equipment. I have a storage unit where all that stuff lives. Load up for the week Monday morning. Unload on Friday.

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mikec142

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I think it depends on the age of the kids in the family DHS.

With the age of your kids, where more direct and constant parental supervision, especially with the likely lack of kids ski school programs and/or daycare options at many ski areas this Winter, I can certainly see that as a hinderance to going numerous times.

With kids the age of mine (mid-late teens) who are basically fully independent and basically only need my wife and I to flip them another $20 or so for food every now and then, I don't see this season being much of a hinderance at all, and frankly my 2 kids, who's highschool is still all virtual (although they're scheduled to start 1 day of in person classes a week the 2nd week of November), frankly they can't wait to get out of the house, right now! Heck, even after she's had her driver's license now for about 3 months, my daughter still actively wants to go to the grocery store for my wife and I, just to get out of the house for a bit!!

I have two teenagers as well. And a wife who doesn't ski anymore. This season is gonna be tough for me on several levels. I have an Ikon pass, but my kids don't. So getting day tickets in advance will be challenging for us as we don't plan well in advance and there's always the chance of bad weather. Second is that my kids are fine on their own but they are less tolerant of eating a sandwich on a lift than I am. They like to grab a bite and warm up. The reduced lodge access is gonna be an issue. My wife usually hangs out in the lodge with a book or her laptop. Not gonna happen this year. So really have to figure out lodging issues. Depending on lodging (stay at hotels most often) we will have to figure out dinner plans. Not so fun to eat in the hotel room a couple of nights in a row.

If I go solo, which I do plenty, it won't be a big deal. Boot up at the car, eat a sandwich on the lift, warm up (if needed) in the car, get some pizza and bring it back to the hotel. Lather, rinse, repeat.

That said, solo is fun sometimes, but I do miss skiing with my family and friends when I do it. Also, 11 hours (round trip) alone in the car kinda sux.
 

Hawk

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You know, if I had to do what you NY, NJ and PA people do for commute, stay and ski I don't think I would be as much of Ski fan as I am now. I have to hand it to you guys.
 

jimmywilson69

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as a southcentral PA resident its a challenge to get north and ski so long weekends 1-3 times a year for me only. I'm extremely fortunate that I have a local ski hill less than 4 miles from home. Its nothing great, there aren't trees to ski in (lack of natural snow), but it keeps me engaged and hungry for more challenging skiing. Very few places I can keep a regular job and take lunch runs as many days a week as I want.
 

EPB

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You know, if I had to do what you NY, NJ and PA people do for commute, stay and ski I don't think I would be as much of Ski fan as I am now. I have to hand it to you guys.

Fact check: TRUE. When my family lived on the North Shore when I was little, one of the families with kids my age down the street from us had a place at Sugarloaf when we had one in the MWV. The thought of driving 200 miles/4 hours most weekends seemed crazy at the time.

Now, 225 miles/~4 hours gets me as far as Magic. K is 250 miles/~4.5 hours from where I am in Northern NJ. Points north are obviously more. Living down here in the long run *would* have a serious negative effect on my ability to ski anywhere truly desirable save for Plattekill and maybe Gore (never been) with any regularity.
 

abc

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You know, if I had to do what you NY, NJ and PA people do for commute, stay and ski I don't think I would be as much of Ski fan as I am now. I have to hand it to you guys.
I'm one of the "board regular" who doesn't ski "regularly"! ;)

My ski season usually consist of 1-2 week long trips to the west. Plus a few long weekends in the northeast. The last few years, I've "stretched" the long trip to longer trips (2-3 weeks instead of one, mixed in with some remote working). And supplemented with a few day trips to local mountains. All that yielding decent 30-40 day seasons depends on weather and luck. Sufficient number of days, albeit not really "regularly".

My interest and enjoyment in skiing is no less than many of you. However, whilst I can ski my butts off in all kinds of weather all season long without getting bored, I also have other equally enjoyable interests and hobbies keeping me firmly on the flat land (coast to be exact). That latter part isn't going to change. So a balancing act will always be in the card. (nothing to do with job, so retirement won't change any)

In a pandemic year, the balancing point shifted significantly in favor of activities in the flat land where I'm living! It's just plain obvious it's much easier to simply focus on the stuff I can do locally and ski ONLY IF it can be done without a huge amount of risks and all the other uncertainties.
 

abc

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I rather live under a bridge than drive 3 hours to work and then 3 hours home.
+100. Also I think I'd rather do that than drive to/from VT from Phily or NJ or Long Island like some members do every weekend November-April.
You can say that until you start a family. It's much harder to stash a kid or two under the bridge!

I too, admire those who drive 4-5 hr every weekend to ski in the winter, which I don't see myself doing. But I kept 2 homes for many years. I can tell you the drive back and forth can actually be a mental "de-stress" period. So I can see how it could be done.

Judging from the number of members doing it, it's not a small number at all.

Just like many who live out west wonders how the heck people in the east coast can ski ice and rock year after year...
 

drjeff

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You can say that until you start a family. It's much harder to stash a kid or two under the bridge!

I too, admire those who drive 4-5 hr every weekend to ski in the winter, which I don't see myself doing. But I kept 2 homes for many years. I can tell you the drive back and forth can actually be a mental "de-stress" period. So I can see how it could be done.

Judging from the number of members doing it, it's not a small number at all.

Just like many who live out west wonders how the heck people in the east coast can ski ice and rock year after year...

110% agree with this statement! I can't tell you the number of times that Friday afternoon, after a mentally tough week, I get in the car and head North, and the amount of mental rejuvenation, even if it wasn't the smoothest of drives, is significant.

And frankly right now, with my trips to my place in VT having been greatly diminished over what I would of done in a typical Spring/Summer/early Fall, I'm getting excited that my Friday afternoon drives North are likely only a few more weeks away!

The drive time, for me at least, knowing what's awaiting upon arrival in the form of some fun and friends, isn't an arduous thing at all
 

tumbler

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110% agree with this statement! I can't tell you the number of times that Friday afternoon, after a mentally tough week, I get in the car and head North, and the amount of mental rejuvenation, even if it wasn't the smoothest of drives, is significant.

And frankly right now, with my trips to my place in VT having been greatly diminished over what I would of done in a typical Spring/Summer/early Fall, I'm getting excited that my Friday afternoon drives North are likely only a few more weeks away!

The drive time, for me at least, knowing what's awaiting upon arrival in the form of some fun and friends, isn't an arduous thing at all

It's the drive home on Sunday that bums me out.
 

NYDB

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110% agree with this statement! I can't tell you the number of times that Friday afternoon, after a mentally tough week, I get in the car and head North, and the amount of mental rejuvenation, even if it wasn't the smoothest of drives, is significant.

And frankly right now, with my trips to my place in VT having been greatly diminished over what I would of done in a typical Spring/Summer/early Fall,
I'm getting excited that my Friday afternoon drives North are likely only a few more weeks away!

The drive time, for me at least, knowing what's awaiting upon arrival in the form of some fun and friends, isn't an arduous thing at all

You are going to see patients all week and then come up to VT Friday afternoon and Ski the weekend all winter? As a medical professional are you exempt from the VT travel guidelines?

Didn't Mount Snow lose a beloved Long time Employee last spring to Covid brought by Flatlanders?
 
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