drjeff
Well-known member
I kind of figured that
, I'm just in a numbers crunching/analysis mode at the office this week 
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Does May Skiing Make Sense?
- Thread starter thetrailboss
- Start date
I kind of figured that
, I'm just in a numbers crunching/analysis mode at the office this week 
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You're 100% correct here, but I didn't want to seem unrealistic.
eatskisleep
Well-known member
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Not any resort, just ones with consistent steep pitches.
loafer89
New member
May skiing for me is an attractive option only if at least one trail has top to bottom coverage with no walking required. Once walking is required as the only way to get down, I lose interest. If I have to carry my ski's on and off the lift, that gets tired real fast.
I am okay with walking and snirt, mud, rocks and grass on other trails, but i like to be able to fall back to the lazy man option from time to time.
Killington had all of those options yesterday and we had a blast.
I am okay with walking and snirt, mud, rocks and grass on other trails, but i like to be able to fall back to the lazy man option from time to time.
Killington had all of those options yesterday and we had a blast.
bigdaddyk
New member
Add Big Boulder in PA to the list of open places, for Sat.
Johnskiismore
New member
Passholder or not, I have done it many times :beer:
Really?! For lift served skiing? :blink:
Wow! I guess Big Boulder will reopen for lift served skiing on Saturday.
bigdaddyk
New member
Boulder has opened before a lot of places in the NE and closed after a lot of places, for the last few years.
abc
Well-known member
I voted YES. I would pay to ski in May (I did last season so I already voted with my wallet ).
But not just ANY resort. So, it's a qualified yes.
1) It's reasonably close by.
If it's a long way away (Jay), I really don't feel strongly about driving 7 hrs to it. I've got other things I can do. Not "other commitment" per se but other entertainment to amuse myself. So yes, if Killington is open with decent open terrain, I would pay to ski it, sometimes.
2) It's cheap.
I must say I don't feel like paying the regular full daily ticket of ~$80 to ski it in May (don't want to pay that much to ski even mid-season). So it's got to be heavily discounted day ticket.
).But not just ANY resort. So, it's a qualified yes.
1) It's reasonably close by.
If it's a long way away (Jay), I really don't feel strongly about driving 7 hrs to it. I've got other things I can do. Not "other commitment" per se but other entertainment to amuse myself. So yes, if Killington is open with decent open terrain, I would pay to ski it, sometimes.
2) It's cheap.
I must say I don't feel like paying the regular full daily ticket of ~$80 to ski it in May (don't want to pay that much to ski even mid-season). So it's got to be heavily discounted day ticket.
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Well, I voted with my mouse and my body. Just got back from Killington and what a fantastic day. Weather started off wrong but bluebird about lunch time on. Must have been about 500 people at the top after the lift stopped, and Skibumett got to hit the stop button!
Very positive vibe on the mnt today, as far as your concerns about grooming the slope started out flat and ended the day with huge bumps on Superstar. Now if we can just convince Chris Nyberg to blow another 10' and put back up the Superstar Glacier sign, which I found a picture of, and stay open into mid May at least, we would all be very happy campers.
Very positive vibe on the mnt today, as far as your concerns about grooming the slope started out flat and ended the day with huge bumps on Superstar. Now if we can just convince Chris Nyberg to blow another 10' and put back up the Superstar Glacier sign, which I found a picture of, and stay open into mid May at least, we would all be very happy campers.
Bump as it is now relevant....
Riverskier
Active member
Would I ski in May, hell yeah! I have in the past and hope to in the future.
Does it make sense for ski resorts? In most cases, no. I don't think the skier volume is there to make a profit in most cases. It was certainly successful for Killington in the past, as they built a brand around season length. I suspect Boyne is profiting from their long seasons now. They are the only company that can claim seasons lasting from October through May. Many days early this season when they were the only game in town, the lift lines were staggering and the bar was packed. Not to suggest they don't lose some money early and late season if you simply look at ticket sales and food and beverage versus operating costs. However, they create a lot of goodwill with their core customers. Plus, lots of marketing opportunites, tv coverage, etc. October and May skiing gets people talking, even among non-diehards, and gets the areas noticed. Surely it helps sell at least some seasons passes, condos, vacation packages, etc. It is shortsighted to look only at operating costs versus revenue. The actual value of some of these benefits may be hard to gauge, but can't be ignored.
Of course, it is a niche market. If all major resots in the East operated from October to May, they would all be losing money and nobody would benefit.
Does it make sense for ski resorts? In most cases, no. I don't think the skier volume is there to make a profit in most cases. It was certainly successful for Killington in the past, as they built a brand around season length. I suspect Boyne is profiting from their long seasons now. They are the only company that can claim seasons lasting from October through May. Many days early this season when they were the only game in town, the lift lines were staggering and the bar was packed. Not to suggest they don't lose some money early and late season if you simply look at ticket sales and food and beverage versus operating costs. However, they create a lot of goodwill with their core customers. Plus, lots of marketing opportunites, tv coverage, etc. October and May skiing gets people talking, even among non-diehards, and gets the areas noticed. Surely it helps sell at least some seasons passes, condos, vacation packages, etc. It is shortsighted to look only at operating costs versus revenue. The actual value of some of these benefits may be hard to gauge, but can't be ignored.
Of course, it is a niche market. If all major resots in the East operated from October to May, they would all be losing money and nobody would benefit.
Angus
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This season I've skied Stowe on a day when it was 75 on the mountain and yesterday at Killington when it was in mid-high 60's - I've skied Mt. Washington in May (& June). Skiing in that kind of heat - & that would be the norm you can assume in May - is "unnatural." I'm not really sure how often I'd pay once the novelty wore off - snow quality is mediocre. If I lived close by, I could see myself running up for a few runs fairly regularly but not sure I'd drive any distance regularly. On the other hand, between 4 and 6 thousand feet, it stays winter or "early spring" well into May so you get good corn and occasional fresh snow.
drjeff
Well-known member
Just don't think that it does anymore, unfortunately.
#1 it's a way different world than it was 10, 15, 20 years ago that happens at a much faster pace and with more and more warm weather outdoor action/adventure opportunites to capture the interest of many, and in most instances, those other opportunites are a much closer drive than a ski area.
#2 the ski business is much more of a business now than it was in the past. Day to day balance sheets seem to matter much more today than in the past, some of that may very well have to do with the increased costs of new equipment today (new lifts 20 years ago cost in the hundreds of thousands of dollars, not millions of dollars, snowmaking and grooming equipment was also cheaper back then, and at years end, in most cases WHEN you've already placed those high dollar figure orders for new equipment by May, seeing a daily operating loss on the books doesn't help
#3 the ski resort vs. the ski area. 15, 20 years ago, most places didn't have a "summer season" (mountain biking, lift served hiking, etc), now most do and that can further limit the amount of summer season prep time and also off season ski/board related mountain maintenance time
#4 I don't think that the late season media exposure is as relevant as it once was, as the folks that are likely to go on a whim to partake in late season skiing/riding aren't very likely to be watching the major media outlets, instead are more likely to be watching clips on youtube, etc
#5 for many resorts nowadays, the descision to buy next years season pass by that core customer has already occurred by mid/late April with early pricing cut-off dates. For many places, less than 10 years ago, that 1st cut-off date wasn't until atleast Labor Day, if not even Columbus Day, so many of the core customers are locked into next season before May
#1 it's a way different world than it was 10, 15, 20 years ago that happens at a much faster pace and with more and more warm weather outdoor action/adventure opportunites to capture the interest of many, and in most instances, those other opportunites are a much closer drive than a ski area.
#2 the ski business is much more of a business now than it was in the past. Day to day balance sheets seem to matter much more today than in the past, some of that may very well have to do with the increased costs of new equipment today (new lifts 20 years ago cost in the hundreds of thousands of dollars, not millions of dollars, snowmaking and grooming equipment was also cheaper back then, and at years end, in most cases WHEN you've already placed those high dollar figure orders for new equipment by May, seeing a daily operating loss on the books doesn't help
#3 the ski resort vs. the ski area. 15, 20 years ago, most places didn't have a "summer season" (mountain biking, lift served hiking, etc), now most do and that can further limit the amount of summer season prep time and also off season ski/board related mountain maintenance time
#4 I don't think that the late season media exposure is as relevant as it once was, as the folks that are likely to go on a whim to partake in late season skiing/riding aren't very likely to be watching the major media outlets, instead are more likely to be watching clips on youtube, etc
#5 for many resorts nowadays, the descision to buy next years season pass by that core customer has already occurred by mid/late April with early pricing cut-off dates. For many places, less than 10 years ago, that 1st cut-off date wasn't until atleast Labor Day, if not even Columbus Day, so many of the core customers are locked into next season before May
Would love to see a mountain really try. Conserve resources and offer a Friday through Monday product in April, weekends only in May. Use management in operational rolls to reduce labor costs. Sorry Mr. Director of Sales, today you're a liftie.
When I was at Snowshoe, there was at least 30 year round salaried managers; I was one of them in F&B. Guess who played dishwasher 2 days a week at the one open restaurant in April and May?
When I was at Snowshoe, there was at least 30 year round salaried managers; I was one of them in F&B. Guess who played dishwasher 2 days a week at the one open restaurant in April and May?
abc
Well-known member
There's a lot of truth in that. I mean, biking had definitely taken a big bite out of my late season skiing.
Add another factor, if there's "another activity", it's another money sucking hole to compete with skiing. Not to mention I realize how much I spend on skiing and how LITTLE I spend on biking... Suddenly, extending the ski season lost its appeal real fast!
Skiing used to be "the thing" to do. Now, it's "one of the thingS"...
riverc0il
New member
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.
arik
Member
if conditions were good I would pay but I doubt conditions in the northeast would be good, I don't much like slush, bugs me when the tail slides out
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