If there were no snowmaking?

[BigJay]

Following JD's thread...

Would you ski knowing that you would need to drive a lot more...
Skiing would be less convenient and accessible to most...

Would you still hit the slopes?

 

[billski]

I suspect I'd be traveling further north and staying longer.

 

[Hawkshot99]

Yes I would, just no were near as much as I do now. I would drive farther(not too often) or wait till my local hill had enough like in the old days.

 

[deadheadskier]

MRG seems to have a pretty loyal following despite very limited snowmaking.

 

[snowmonster]

Sunday River would still be closed, the season in the East would begin in mid-December and end in March, people on this board would get antsy-er and nastier as November wore on...not a pretty sight.

 

[x10003q]

There would be many seasons where there would be about 10 days of skiing south of Albany. I would still drive for snow. Canada wold be a way more popular choice for US Eastern skiers.

 

[BigJay]

There would be many seasons where there would be about 10 days of skiing south of Albany. I would still drive for snow. Canada wold be a way more popular choice for US Eastern skiers.

It snows a lot more in N. VT then anywhere in Quebec... Le Massif gets some good snow that N. VT sees in r*** but still... snow doesn't come as often. Then again, there is always the Chic-Chocs... but they're so far... and as much as i love it there, i prefer a bit less reliable but oh so more convenient snow!

 

[ERJ-145CA]

Yeah I would still be skiing but a lot less often. In NJ there would probably be about 10 good ski days a winter without snowmaking so I'd have to drive much more than 15 minutes to ski.

 

[WoodCore]

If there were no snowmaking?

My water and electric bills would be a lot lower during the winter months! :wink:

 

[thetrailboss]

If there was no snowmaking, then the ski areas would be really different. I'm not sure if there would be more (because of lower overhead) or less (because of shorter seasons and less money). It is like farming in that you are at the mercy of mother nature, it takes a huge capital investment to build a ski area, and you make no money. Plus it takes a lot of land.

 

[Brewbeer]

I pretty much wait now until there is good natural coverage.

 

[riverc0il]

Season would start later, would end a LOT sooner, but no change for natural snow on Mount Washington, so my season would not be shortened too much as I ski natural snow in October quite often. I would probably get about a half dozen less days per season without snow making. Maybe less people sliding as without snow making, it would be harder to get a groomed surface (at least early in the season before enough natural has landed on the ground to allow a groomed to smooth it out nicely). Narrower trails also. I suspect I could take the shortened season and slightly more uncertain conditions as a fair trade off for more natural snow trails, narrower trails, and likely fewer people on the slopes. As TB said... could be more or less areas. Without needing to "keep up with the Joneses," struggling areas like Magic would be on even footing with more dominant players in their regional area.

 

[deadheadskier]

interesting question on the number of areas. I hadn't thought of that with the initial question. There were obviously many, many, more areas pre-snowmaking. With the modern desire for resort amenities, that probably wouldn't be the case today.

 

[millerm277]

interesting question on the number of areas. I hadn't thought of that with the initial question. There were obviously many, many, more areas pre-snowmaking. With the modern desire for resort amenities, that probably wouldn't be the case today.

Hard to say. Even I, for most of my days of skiing, "need" snowmaking. I can't plan to visit Magic weeks in advance, like I can for Hunter or Killington. I know those areas will have something resembling snow all the time, if they didn't have that advantage, I probably would ski more places, as then Plattekill or Magic would almost be the better bet, from the lower traffic.

 

[eastcoastpowderhound]

I'd be living out west.

 

[JD]

Following JD's thread...

Would you ski knowing that you would need to drive a lot more...
Skiing would be less convenient and accessible to most...

Would you still hit the slopes?

I drive less since foresaking man made snow....

 

[BigJay]

I drive less since foresaking man made snow....

Same here... but a lot of people on here are from Jersey, CT, Eastern MA and southern NY... Less snow available there to rip turns.