Here's hoping the ski areas make gobs and gobs of money this week

[billski]

Here's wishing them more than they dreamed of, many, many people with deep deep pockets to out-do themselves this year. When they're here and having a great time, we all win. Here's your week dudes. Go get them!

 

[Cornhead]

Here's wishing them more than they dreamed of, many, many people with deep deep pockets to out-do themselves this year. When they're here and having a great time, we all win. Here's your week dudes. Go get them!

I think they will/did, the cars were parked 1/2 mile down Platty's access road, and there was even a, gasp, line at the double today. Good for Laszlo, he deserves it. Incredible day at Platty, again.

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[twinplanx]

I think they will/did, the cars were parked 1/2 mile down Platty's access road, and there was even a, gasp, line at the double today. Good for Laszlo, he deserves it. Incredible day at Platty, again.

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Thats awesome! Good for them.

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[BenedictGomez]

I think they will/did, the cars were parked 1/2 mile down Platty's access road, and there was even a, gasp, line at the double today. Good for Laszlo, he deserves it. Incredible day at Platty, again.

Last weekend I'd say the care were 1/4 mile down the access road too on Saturday. In fact, Sunday I had to park in the lower lot! First time I've not parked in the upper lot. Made me wonder what time you have to arrive to have to park on the road.

 

[Wavewheeler]

Yesterday (Friday) they had the lots blocked off at round 1 pm so I assume you had to park on the access road by then. It did start to get more crowded in the afternoon. I actually had to wait for a lift a few times rather than just ski on.

I got there at 10 am and the lower lots were all filled. The upper lot was filling fast. I parked at the back of the upper lot after unloading my skis in the reserved lot and leaving them at the entrance to the Skiers Bistro.

 

[bdfreetuna]

Here's wishing them more than they dreamed of, many, many people with deep deep pockets to out-do themselves this year. When they're here and having a great time, we all win. Here's your week dudes. Go get them!

That's a good attitude. As much as I prefer the mountain to myself, I'm with you on this. Ski resorts are an endangered species, and I wish them all the best of luck.

 

[Rowsdower]

That's a good attitude. As much as I prefer the mountain to myself, I'm with you on this. Ski resorts are an endangered species, and I wish them all the best of luck.

Absolutely. I know we like no lines and the mountain to ourselves, but the place being crowded is really a good sign. You have to be realistic about these things.

 

[drjeff]

Mount Snow is having a BIG weekend! I rode up 1st chair today with a friend of mine who's on the Ski Patrol here, and he told me that they had about 10,500 people on the hill on Saturday. It didn't seem too bad with all the terrain open to spread folks around (and as the GM told me as I was talking with her this afternoon, and I fully agree, when Mount Snow has all of its terrain open it has plenty of downhill capacity for its uphill capacity). Today, had crowds that while I don't know the exact number, easily seemed like they were a few thousand more folks than on Saturday. All the upper + lower lots were full by 10ish, a bunch of buses, just people everywhere in the base area and many liftlines. Once again though, as you were headed down the hill it didn't seem too crazy (granted I was primarily skiing natural snow trails today so that might of had something to do with it, but I did find out that it's possible to have a 25 minute SINGLES liftline on the Bluebird today (I got into the 3 wide singles line queue on the Southside, which when I jumped on the back end of the line I was closer to the Grand Summit Express queue lanes than the Bluebird lanes (the Grand Summit had a healthy what I'd estimate at 10 minute wait then and it was COLD and windy out so I didn't mind the wait for the bubble) at 1:05 per the clock on the clocktower building and finally loaded at 1:30 per the same clock

People overall seemed happy. Local businesses are busy, restaurants are packed, the snow is GREAT. The business of skiing is good right now

 

[steamboat1]

Glad to hear ski areas are doing well this weekend. Being a weekday skier I can tell you with certainty they aren't making any money during normal non holiday weeks.

 

[4aprice]

No complaints with the ski areas doing well this week. Tourist season is almost over and the mountains will become ours again. By the looks of things right now we are in for a great "spring".

Alex

Lake Hopatcong, NJ

 

[Tin]

I really wonder how some places survive. I've skied more during the week the past few years and really don't know why most places (even places like Stratton, Stowe, and K) both opening during the week. They are so dead I don't know how they break even during the week. But if they were not making money they wouldn't do it.

 

[VTKilarney]

I really wonder how some places survive. They are so dead I don't know how they break even during the week. But if they were not making money they wouldn't do it.

I suspect that many, if not most, places do not make money during the week. I've seen at least one article where that was admitted by a manager. But if an area were to close midweek it would instantly be seen as a less desirable ski area overall. It's essentially an admission that you are not as big a player as the next guy and you certainly are not a destination resort.

On the other hand, the hourly labor, while not a negligible expense, is not exactly highly paid. Many major costs are fixed, such as equipment costs, management costs, and snowmaking. So perhaps it's not a whole lot more expensive to stay open midweek. They may feel that if they can at least generate enough revenue to equal payroll on those days it's worth it.

Another downside to closing mid-week is that you would have to lower the price of season passes. Even if many people generally do not use their passes midweek, there would be a perceived drop in value if they can be used on fewer days overall.

If there is one thing that you learn when skiing midweek, it's just how tough the business must be. The reality is that there are just a handful of weekends for the ski areas to make their money. If the weather does not cooperate, there is little room to recover. I've experienced first hand what weather can do on weekends. Particularly, one weekend in North Conway during the ski season a few years ago. There was a HUGE storm south of Concord and throughout southern New England, but it did not touch northern New Hampshire. The storm started around noon on Friday and went into Saturday afternoon. It was a great weekend, but North Conway was an absolute ghost town. It was bizarre, even if logically it made sense. I can only imagine how much money was lost that weekend.

 

[Nick]

^That's interesting.

Glad to see the snow ahead of this week's vacation week. It will be a great week for the Northeast resorts for sure.

 

[Mapnut]

I expect a big reason for operating midweek is to maintain the value of the real estate. If you can't take a vacation, why have a vacation home?