Did Vail intentionally ruin snow reports?

[dblskifanatic]

What difference does it make? It's all marketing propaganda anyway. Just publish an accurate list of what's open, groomed, new snow and where the snowmaking is and be done with it

Agreed!


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[dblskifanatic]

How many people actually target a ski area or resort based on the snow report? While I have checked them out it has not been much of an influence. I think a majority will go to a favorite or location based on season passes.

Weather reports often dictate what you can expect.


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[kingslug]

So far this season if you picked right you got the goods. When i was at bell several fridays ago we skied powder all day..no crowds...Hunter the next day was crowded and groomed. The week after was a gun snowstorm..if your fortunate to be able to take off whenever you want you can hit gold. Today at Hunter was good even with the rain..tomorrow..maybe not.

 

[BenedictGomez]

How many people actually target a ski area or resort based on the snow report?

I do it all the time in n.VT. The conditions at Jay Peak, Smuggler's Notch, Stowe, Sugarbush, etc... can vary dramatically at any given time. Hell, sometimes the conditions at Stowe versus Smuggs can be pretty different, and they're right next to each other.

 

[mtl1076]

I do it all the time in n.VT. The conditions at Jay Peak, Smuggler's Notch, Stowe, Sugarbush, etc... can vary dramatically at any given time. Hell, sometimes the conditions at Stowe versus Smuggs can be pretty different, and they're right next to each other.

This. People check out the snow reports all the time to see what is going on and choose. Not everyone has an epic pass and blindly goes to there epic resort. Clearly Epic wants you to just buy the pass and forget about it...

 

[MikeDeJ]

This. People check out the snow reports all the time to see what is going on and choose. Not everyone has an epic pass and blindly goes to there epic resort. Clearly Epic wants you to just buy the pass and forget about it...

Or do most skiers (not the ones on this forum) just want to buy the pass a forget about it, they are going when they have the time and don't really care.

I agree with most of you I like to snow report with some description.
MikeD

 

[2Planker]

I read the Wildcat Snow Report everyday ! Even on days when I'm NOT skiing

 

[gmcunni]

This. People check out the snow reports all the time to see what is going on and choose. Not everyone has an epic pass and blindly goes to there epic resort. Clearly Epic wants you to just buy the pass and forget about it...

i have an epic pass. just skied two days at Breckenridge. I didn't bother to check ski reports before going, only the traffic reports for which way to go.

 

[jimk]

i have an epic pass. just skied two days at Breckenridge. I didn't bother to check ski reports before going, only the traffic reports for which way to go.

LOL. The high variability in weather and ski conditions makes Easterners much more attuned to near term forecasts.

 

[mtl1076]

Or do most skiers (not the ones on this forum) just want to buy the pass a forget about it, they are going when they have the time and don't really care.

I agree with most of you I like to snow report with some description.
MikeD

Based on the web data I look at the two highest viewed pages are snow report and webcams. And they are the most popular by a very wide margin.

 

[deadheadskier]

I read the Wildcat Snow Report everyday ! Even on days when I'm NOT skiing

Same. First website I visit every morning during ski season

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[cdskier]

Same. First website I visit every morning during ski season

I do the same for the Sugarbush snow report

 

[kendo]

Dear Vail corporate IT Director,

Please add a ❄ snowmaking icon to the trail report on the Vail corporate website template used by Stowe and your other eastern resorts in the future.

Snowmaking is a season long requirement in the east. Guests want to know on a daily basis where snowmaking is active for both open and closed trails.


Thankfully, Stowe has added a small daily note and included their Twitter feed on their Trail Report page this year.

 

[dblskifanatic]

i have an epic pass. just skied two days at Breckenridge. I didn't bother to check ski reports before going, only the traffic reports for which way to go.

We do the same! Pick some place and go! We have the Epic Veteran and A Basin Veteran.

Back East we followed Ride and Ski or skied our Cannon Pass or skied deals that were time sensitive.

Weather sites offer a lot!


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[mbedle]

This is the shit reporting that Vail puts out... Both screen shots taken from the same webpage.

 

[kingslug]

I wouldnt go by their reporting for anything..
First hand report for today...its crunchy up there

 

[dblskifanatic]

This is the shit reporting that Vail puts out... Both screen shots taken from the same webpage. View attachment 25860View attachment 25861

Not seeing a problem so about 5-9 inches of snow coming. For most people that is some snow.


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[urungus]

I hate what Vail has done to their snow reports and am bummed that the Mount Snow report will surely meet the same fate next season.

I was at Whistler on Friday and the snow report only listed a handful of black diamond trails open. For instance, here is the report for the Harmony Ridge area showing no advanced terrain open:



However when I got over there, I was surprised to see the single and double black chutes between Harmony Ridge and Harmony Piste were open and swarmed with skiers.

 

[BenedictGomez]

What is the reasoning for this anyway?

Obviously some of it is Vail's Borg-like fixation on standardization & complete control, even in things that have no benefit to standardization.

Is it:

1) Lack of transparency beyond what's minimally required is a benefit for them?
2) Paranoia that allowing people to write as a "human", is a potential liability?

 

[mbedle]

What is the reasoning for this anyway?

Obviously some of it is Vail's Borg-like fixation on standardization & complete control, even in things that have no benefit to standardization.

Is it:

1) Lack of transparency beyond what's minimally required is a benefit for them?
2) Paranoia that allowing people to write as a "human", is a potential liability?

You are missing costs. From a business point of view, it's a lot easier to maintain and update websites using the same template. Can you imagine the amount of people that would be needed to update and upload daily 37 differently formatted websites with current information. The weather reporting on their websites is also most likely automated, which does't require an individual at each resort to update every day. The weather commentary is probably handled by a single person in CO for the resorts that even provide that type of information.