Gas Prices = Apprehension for Next Season?

[YardSaleDad]

The housing market bubble burst, same with Internet companies. I believe the same will happen with oil.

While long term demand for the pets.com sock puppet was questionable, demand for energy is only increasing as supply off fossil fuels is only decreasing. The longer we delay the transition to renewables, the higher the cost of oil will be.

 

[wa-loaf]

The housing market bubble burst, same with Internet companies. I believe the same will happen with oil.

I certainly hope you are correct, but I think if it resets it's only going to be minor correction along a steady climb. If the dollar can get it's act together that sure would help.

While long term demand for the pets.com sock puppet was questionable, demand for energy is only increasing as supply off fossil fuels is only decreasing. The longer we delay the transition to renewables, the higher the cost of oil will be.

Definitely, regardless of what prices do in the short term, they are only going to keep going up in the long run. Hopefully this is a wake-up call for everyone.

 

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

This and similar boards should be great for carpooling threads for folks that are flexible schedulewise and within reasonable driving distance. I'm already planning to try and do more spring skiing to take advantage of the lower prices. I did Whiteface in April and got a 4 day liftpass and motel room for
145/pp. Gas was about 120 roundtrip. It's doable. SR has some pretty good deals during the week as well.

I don't even bother with Vermont mid-season..it's crowded and expensive. I'm mainly up there early and late season when lodging and lift tickets are deeply discounted...now Jackson Hole I like to hit in January because that's when they get the lightest driest powder...cold smoke..drool..

 

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

Okay. We're firmly into politics now. Let's try to get this back on track, shall we?

Maybe there should be a politics forum..

 

[mlctvt]

Maybe there should be a politics forum..

NOOO, I might end up hating 1/2 of the people posting here :-D

 

[Phillycore]

after throwing down 4k in miles on my car last season...it's going to be sicktarded with the cost of petro this coming season..... won't stop me from going though...

 

[Moe Ghoul]

Maybe there should be a politics forum..

Maybe not. :flame: :uzi: :smash: :flag:

 

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

NOOO, I might end up hating 1/2 of the people posting here :-D

I already hate 80 percent of the fuc9heads on here:-?

 

[ckofer]

Okay GSS. Are all the posters eff-heads and you hate 80% of us, or is there a subset of eff-heads of which you hate 80%? Hate is such a strong term. It should be reserved for rain that falls on powder.

 

[Lostone]

For those that think 50K is average...

Table 1. Average annual wages for 2001 and 2002
for all covered workers(1) by state


Average annual wages .................................Percent change,
State(2)
2001-02
......................................2001........ 2002

UNITED STATES(3)...... $36,219... $36,764............... 1.5
Granted these numbers are for 2001 and 2002, but wages have not gone up that much.

Source: Bureau of labor Statistics

We sometimes forget how much better we have it than others. :???:

 

[ckofer]

We sometimes forget how much better we have it than others. :???:

You are correct about that but the let's get back to the original discussion. Since wages are unlikely to move up rapidly in today's economy but prices of vitals such as food and gasoline are, what is left behind for recreation will dwindle. Couple that with higher fuel prices and I'll bet we will see many of "the average skiers" taking fewer trips. Marketed correctly, this could very much favor the hotel/motel industry near the mountains. Since I live in NH, I tend to day-trip. If fuel moves up any higher, it will probably be the same cost to stay at an inexpensive motel than drive home and take a second day trip.

I have cut and pasted this from the WMUR.com site:

High Gas Prices Could Hurt Motorcycle Week

Organizers Expect Fewer Bikers To Make Trip

POSTED: 5:30 pm EDT June 13, 2008


LACONIA, N.H. -- Rising gas prices may trim the turnout at this year's Motorcycle Week in Laconia, organizers said.Motorcycle Week is back for an 85th year, and Gov. John Lynch was on hand to kick off festivities on Friday. But organizers said they would be lucky to approach the 300,000 visitors who came to the event last year."Everyone's psyched up for it," organizer Jennifer Anderson said. "It's just going to be a little tighter on the purse strings."

It's still relatively cheap to fill up a motorcycle, but Anderson said the day-to-day fuel costs are taking a toll. On top of that, rising prices for other items, such as groceries, means people have less money for a vacation, and fewer have the cash for Motorcycle Week."It was a least $200 a stop, and we stopped at least four to five times," said Carol Pollock, who drove from Florida. "We've got to do the same thing all the way back."Pollock said she and her husband weren't going to let higher prices wreck their fun. They drove an RV to Laconia, towing their motorcycles. Their total vacation cost will be close to $2,000."It's just fun," she said. "It's a good vacation getaway."Even though organizers expect fewer to attend this week's event, state and local police are still reminding people on the roads to keep an eye out for bikers.

 

[kingslug]

Time to get rid of the Tahoe and downsize...waaaaaay downsize. The escalating cost of air travel has me more concerned though. Those trips to Utah that used to cost $250.00 round trip will double. As far as trips to VT, the bus is the best way now for day trips, even if they go up to $100.00 it's still a good deal. And thank God my town has it's own electric supply. It costs me under 2K a year for everything and my house is ALL electric. And if you want to see how things will really be soon.....go to Europe, they've been dealing with this for a loooong time!

 

[Geoff]

And if you want to see how things will really be soon.....go to Europe, they've been dealing with this for a loooong time!

Europe has excellent public transportation. If you want to go skiing, you get on a train or a bus. The US has uncontrolled suburban sprawl. Most people can't walk out their door and get on a trolley, subway, or bus. At best, the US will start seeing more suburban Park & Ride lots. If the ski resorts want people to show up, they're going to have to nurture day trip and weekend bus service. The ski resorts are also going to have to fix their local bus loops so they work comparable to the western destination resorts where nobody needs a car.

 

[Vinny]

For those that think 50K is average...

Table 1. Average annual wages for 2001 and 2002
for all covered workers(1) by state


Average annual wages .................................Percent change,
State(2)
2001-02
......................................2001........ 2002

UNITED STATES(3)...... $36,219... $36,764............... 1.5
Granted these numbers are for 2001 and 2002, but wages have not gone up that much.

Source: Bureau of labor Statistics

We sometimes forget how much better we have it than others. :???:

Just to add to this... here are more recent household income figures (note: the above numbers are individual, therefore the large discrepancy.)

"Over all, the nation’s median household income rose to $48,201 in 2006, from $47,845 in 2005. It was the second consecutive year in which income rose slightly faster than inflation, after five years of decline."

 

[Vinny]

Europe has excellent public transportation. If you want to go skiing, you get on a train or a bus. The US has uncontrolled suburban sprawl. Most people can't walk out their door and get on a trolley, subway, or bus. At best, the US will start seeing more suburban Park & Ride lots. If the ski resorts want people to show up, they're going to have to nurture day trip and weekend bus service. The ski resorts are also going to have to fix their local bus loops so they work comparable to the western destination resorts where nobody needs a car.

Although I may be looking at the issue through rose colored glasses, I believe our "fuel crisis" is going to have a long term very positive effect on our country and how we handle energy resources including transportation, heat/cooling, right down to the size of our homes and vehicles and how we get to the ski resort. I'm a huge believer in capital markets, and the tipping point is very near where people will be forced to look inward to see what they can do for themselves to lower their energy needs. You can see it happening already.

The sad part is that there are a lot of people who are getting hurt in the process. I don't lose sleep over the people who are going nuts trying to heat their 6,000 sf homes, but there are many who are just making ends meet who this is killing.

Remember screaming about $1.00 gas prices? Apparently it wasn't enough. It takes something this drastic to enable real long term change.

 

[Moe Ghoul]

Tour bus operators should do a booming biz this season and resorts will offer packages/incentives to keep bodies on the slopes. I don't think they'll see a downturn of any significance. Good ski weather is prolly more important to the bottom line (less costly snow production) than 5/gal gas.

 

[kingslug]

I remember how amazed I was at how different Europeans where concerning energy usage. Everything was smaller. Little Smart cars everywhere, bicycles, scooters, everyone shut off their engines at stop lights. refrigerators where tiny, even in one million dollar condos. Windows where very thick and sealed very tight, the heating unit was small enough to hang on a wall. Just a totaly different culture. We'll be there in time.

 

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

For those that think 50K is average...

Table 1. Average annual wages for 2001 and 2002
for all covered workers(1) by state


Average annual wages .................................Percent change,
State(2)
2001-02
......................................2001........ 2002

UNITED STATES(3)...... $36,219... $36,764............... 1.5
Granted these numbers are for 2001 and 2002, but wages have not gone up that much.

Source: Bureau of labor Statistics

We sometimes forget how much better we have it than others. :???:

I know that a higher percentage of skiers/riders have college degrees so that partially attributes to our high salaries..but wow..36 grand a year is not very much..granted those numbers are from 2002..but that would be tough to live comfortably on for most..except those just out of college with little or no expenses..

 

[kingslug]

One question:

The Baker electric car was invented around 1912 or so..........................and only now we are coming out with an electric car......again. So what happened in between.

 

[ERJ-145CA]

Since I drive a Corolla gas prices really won't affect where I ski next season. What is going to have an effect is that my son starts half day kindergarten in September so I'll have to ski locally a lot more (Hidden Valley, MC or Mt. Peter) so I can drop him at school in the afternoon, then go skiing. I got us both a pass at HV so I plan on taking him some mornings and also some weekends.