• 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!

5-8$ a gallon

drjeff

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 18, 2006
Messages
19,178
Points
113
Location
Brooklyn, CT
How much impact would 5-8 dollars a gallon for gas have on the ski industry?

For starters their grooming costs would go up significantly, and anyone using diesel powered air compressors for snowmaking would also see a big jump in operational costs. Not to mention increased costs for food and beverages from deliverly costs, and that doesn't even get into the entire how many less people would end up skiing less days per year because of the increased travel costs :eek:
 

deadheadskier

Moderator
Staff member
Moderator
Joined
Mar 6, 2005
Messages
27,921
Points
113
Location
Southeast NH
I think anything over $5 and the resorts will experience a lot of pain.

I'd put myself in the lower income bracket of most skiers, but I know I cancelled skiing plans at least a couple of times this spring when the weather didn't look nice. I don't have a problem dropping $20 in gas to ski in light rain. $40 is a different story.

Glad my round trip commute next season to my 'home' mountain will only be 100 miles.
 

dmc

New member
Joined
Oct 28, 2004
Messages
14,275
Points
0
I bet we'd see more busses here at Hunter and less cars...
 

dmc

New member
Joined
Oct 28, 2004
Messages
14,275
Points
0
It would affect my spending on other things, but not skiing. We must have priorities after all!

yup..
I have buddies in Sweden that pay that much and they manage to drive to skiing...
 

Harvey

Well-known member
Joined
May 19, 2007
Messages
1,269
Points
83
Location
North River, NY
Website
nyskiblog.com
Ten years ago my wife and I visited relatives in Germany. We drove to Switzerand to ski. When my brother-in-law gassed up two vehicles is was almost $300 in Euros. He didn't bat an eyelash. I was freaked. $600 in gas for a round trip for 2 cars.
 

UVSHTSTRM

New member
Joined
Sep 3, 2009
Messages
879
Points
0
I think figuring out whether I ride or not would be the least of my problems. If gas hit 5-8 dollars a gallon this country and world would be in a heap of trouble. I can't imagine what food prices would be.
 

gmcunni

Active member
Joined
Feb 25, 2007
Messages
11,500
Points
38
Location
CO Front Range
i'm a day tripper. if gas was $5 i don't think it would have a huge impact, @ $8 i'd get fewer days and ski more in CT than up north.
 

snowmonster

New member
Joined
Jan 2, 2006
Messages
4,066
Points
0
Location
In my mind, northern New England
If gas goes over $5 this season, since I have a New England Pass, I'd ski less in Maine and more at Loon. If gas is still high the season after, I'd forego the pass, do backcountry skiing and go back to ice skating at the Frog Pond for $3. I love my hobbies but there's a lot I need to save for.
 

AdironRider

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 27, 2005
Messages
3,483
Points
63
I think the large resorts, Killington, Stowe etc would be fine. They would definitely see a rise in op costs, and a slight dip in skier visits, but overall those resorts would survive.

Magic ... dead. Gunstock, dead as well. Pretty much anything smaller than an Attitash or Waterville would go belly up.

Same would apply for the Western resorts. Vail, Jackson, Whistler would all still be successful, but the Lovelands, etc of the world would be gone as well.
 

mister moose

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 11, 2007
Messages
1,086
Points
48
Subaru Forester. 14 gallons round trip. Still would ski almost every weekend, but marginal weather calls would be even more marginal.
 

deadheadskier

Moderator
Staff member
Moderator
Joined
Mar 6, 2005
Messages
27,921
Points
113
Location
Southeast NH
Pretty much anything smaller than an Attitash or Waterville would go belly up.

Same would apply for the Western resorts. Vail, Jackson, Whistler would all still be successful, but the Lovelands, etc of the world would be gone as well.

I'm not so sure size is everything in this argument. Places like Gunstock and Loveland make up for size with convenience. Loveland, I actually think would thrive. All of the front range day trippers that often would make the trip to Breck, Winter Park etc, would be looking to save some cash and go to Loveland instead.

I bet Wachusette would kill it in terms of skier visits.

Most the skiers I met at Gunstock last winter were from either the NH seacoast or Manchester/Concord. They go there because of convenience. Same reason I'm getting a pass there next year. I prefer Ragged, but also want something under an hour a way for the not so great days.
 

snoseek

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 7, 2006
Messages
6,260
Points
113
Location
NH
I think the large resorts, Killington, Stowe etc would be fine. They would definitely see a rise in op costs, and a slight dip in skier visits, but overall those resorts would survive.

Magic ... dead. Gunstock, dead as well. Pretty much anything smaller than an Attitash or Waterville would go belly up.

Same would apply for the Western resorts. Vail, Jackson, Whistler would all still be successful, but the Lovelands, etc of the world would be gone as well.

Yeah but somewhere like Gunstock would be close to so many I think they would do ok. LL is close enough to Denver that they could actually benefit although October skiing might go away.

Edit-deadhead beat my thoughts by 2 minutes! I'll also say that little local hills like LL or Eldora in the west have much less operating cost than somewhere like Vail. Less grooming, facilities ect.....
 

AdironRider

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 27, 2005
Messages
3,483
Points
63
I guess I was commenting more on the 8 dollar gas end than the 5 buck end, but Im going to disagree with you guys.

First off, I highly doubt those "convenience" skiers are going to be skiers at all if gas gets that expensive. Certainly not to the extent they are now.

Loveland is for the cheap or "ski bum" crowd. If you think the Vail Resorts crowd is going to be happy there, well they just wont.

To think that resorts would thrive is pretty laughable. Not in this country which lives and dies on cheap energy.

It works in Europe as entire countries are like the size of Rhode Island. Traveling from Jersey to Killington youd be three countries away. Thats why trains etc are never going to work here either, were just to big of a country for mass public transportation to ever be effective.

Furthermore, I think the ski areas that biggest selling point is driving distance or convenience, or anything besides skiing and amenities directly related to the skiing experience are going to go belly up first. Thats the Gunstocks, Lovelands, etc of the world. Anyone who can still afford to ski isnt skiing there in the first place, and those that are making it work aren't going to blow their ski dollars on a Gunstock when for a gallon or two more they get way more bang for their buck by going to the Killingtons etc of the world.
 

snoseek

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 7, 2006
Messages
6,260
Points
113
Location
NH
^^^^ Yeah but Vail resorts are filled with middle america vacaton skiers. Loveland skiers are pretty die hard, the kind of skiers that are already broke but find a way to get out. Not sure about Gunstock. You are right that overall the economy would be a mess @ 8 dollars.
 

deadheadskier

Moderator
Staff member
Moderator
Joined
Mar 6, 2005
Messages
27,921
Points
113
Location
Southeast NH
the kind of skiers that are already broke but find a way to get out. Not sure about Gunstock..

well, that would be me :lol: I don't make a ton of money, but even as a broker college student I always found a way to go. I can get to Gunstock and back in under 4 gallons. Probably cost me $28 round trip at $8. I can live with that. It costed me more already to go to most of the places I went this season. End of season it was pretty much $35 round trip to Killington when it was $3.60. I just wouldn't go skiing as much in VT, ME and farther reaches of NH. Maybe only 4-5 times a season, instead of double that.
 
Top