Does May Skiing Make Sense?

[Geoff]

Jay and Sugarloaf don't work since they're too far from the huge population base that would buy the day tickets to fund the activity. Under ASC, the parking lots were filled on sunny weekends in May. POWDR trained people to go do something else and you can see based on traffic counts and sales/meals/lodging tax revenues what that did to the Killington value proposition. If Killington opens pretty much when everybody else does and closes pretty much when everybody else does, a big slice of their natural market will go elsewhere since their midwinter product is not particularly compelling.

 

[abc]

If Killington opens pretty much when everybody else does and closes pretty much when everybody else does, a big slice of their natural market will go elsewhere since their midwinter product is not particularly compelling.

I also think by not staying open late, they missed out on capturing new business: the newly converted addicts who might buy pass or even condo shares next season!

It's a unique (admitedly mostly marketing) value that only a few resorts are in a position to contemplate offering. Any business turning it's back on such opportunaty does so at its own perils.

 

[Greg]

Quoted for truth.

Oh wait, can I do that on my own post? :lol:

I still maintain that as much as I like skiing into May and well beyond May, the first weekend of May is the best we can expect. It is nice that at least two ski areas are trying to make May. The King of Spring in VT is now Jay and the King of Spring in New England continues to be (and is now indisputably) the Loaf.

Agreed. And the longer late April/early May is the norm, the less likely it is that any resort will feel compelled to try and go beyond that. I'm fine with it. I'm on to other things this time of year. Although, I really wanted to get a May day in this year. Maybe next year.

 

[oakapple]

Would you ski in May if you could? Why or why not? Thoughts?

I would ski in may only if there were good snow coverage and a decent number of trails open. I am not interested in hiking over rocks and dodging patches of dirt and grass, just to say I skied in May.

 

[jsul]

I rather ski in May than in January. The average temps in Jan. are in the 20's whereas May is 50 degrees. I'd rather be in a t-shirt than a winter jacket. I'd rather wear sunglasses than goggles and a face mask. I'll take 1 soft corn bump run over 100 northeast ice trails. I'd rather sit on the sun deck than inside the lodge.

I love skiing any time of year but the warmer the better. I've skied Whislter in August. 80 degrees and sunny on top of a glacier with 1 T bar for lift service, best skiing I've ever done.

It's all good.

 

[abc]

I love skiing any time of year but the warmer the better. I've skied Whislter in August. 80 degrees and sunny on top of a glacier with 1 T bar for lift service, best skiing I've ever done.

Perhaps it's time we start a poll on skiing in May vs. November?

 

[skidmarks]

I'd rather ski in May than November

 

[Geoff]

I'd rather ski in May than November

I have several hundred thousand dollars of capital and about $15K per year of expenses tied up in a resort that historically offered both.