Killington Season Pass Price to be announced Monday June 18th?

[threecy]

Agreed, the late season is far more important than the early, for marketing, conditions, and cost. Staying open late costs much less than early.

Unless its rediculous (making snow for 3 days with 80 degree weather behind it), early openings are more cost effective, in that you're building base (in terms of snow, skier visits, and getting the operation running smoothly for the big holidays).

Late season operations can help promote season pass sales, but early operations also promote season pass sales - at a significantly higher profit margin. Early season operations also help boost vacation bookings, etc.

If you remove snowmaking from the equation and see it as an expense to be recognized as the season progresses, early season operations can actually be cheaper - a limited portion of the mountain is open (whereas there's pressure in the spring to keep everything open for 5 people)...you can run 2 lifts for more skiers in Nov. vs. running 10 lifts for less skiers in April.

 

[loafer89]

Fan guns on Superstar would be millions of dollars! I question the effectiveness of fan guns at a ski area the size of Killington that's already built on air/water technology.

I don't think Killington needs to do a thing to justify an increase (of course we're all speculating still, for all we know they could end up charging $10 or $5,000 for a season pass) - the rate has been held unreasonably low for years, coming out of the pocket of shareholders and lenders. You could make an argument that it was skiing welfare, in fact.

I hope they charge market value for their passes - they certainly have already spent enough money.

I can't stand skiing Killington, but with the end of Walmartism there, I may be inclined to return.

No, they don't have to do a thing, but I can just as well ski somewhere else with a longer season, such as Wildcat or Sugarbush. I could care less if they charge $80 for a day ticket or $180, or $1,000 - $2,000 for a season pass, show me a longer ski season and I will gladly pay for it.

Killington's season will be drastically cut back to the standard Thanksgiving to Easter, of that I am nearly 100% certain. In that case, I have no reason to ski there as I did very little mid season skiing there anyway.

 

[threecy]

No, they don't have to do a thing, but I can just as well ski somewhere else with a longer season, such as Wildcat or Sugarbush. I could care less if they charge $80 for a day ticket or $180, or $1,000 - $2,000 for a season pass, show me a longer ski season and I will gladly pay for it.

Killington's season will be drastically cut back to the standard Thanksgiving to Easter, of that I am nearly 100% certain. In that case, I have no reason to ski there as I did very little mid season skiing there anyway.

I think it goes to show you that Killington has some weaknesses as a ski area itself. I know that I prefer to wait until others are open for early skiing and hang 'em up when the others close.

I'm not quite sure if SP/Powdr will shave back K-Mart's season that much...if they do, they'll need to improve the ski area. One of the best things they could do, in terms of my personal preference, would be to get rid of a bunch of the useless crossovers by planting a bunch of trees.

 

[andyzee]

No, they don't have to do a thing, but I can just as well ski somewhere else with a longer season, such as Wildcat or Sugarbush. I could care less if they charge $80 for a day ticket or $180, or $1,000 - $2,000 for a season pass, show me a longer ski season and I will gladly pay for it.

Killington's season will be drastically cut back to the standard Thanksgiving to Easter, of that I am nearly 100% certain. In that case, I have no reason to ski there as I did very little mid season skiing there anyway.

Exactly, the only reason I would have is the fact that it's the closest mountain with terrain and conditions that I like. If need be, I'll gladly go to Sugarbush which I believe to be a great mountain. Don't only reason I don't go there more often is that it's an extra hours drive.

Now if Win was willing to come up with an incentive like bargains on season passes for former A4One pass holders or for his fellow AZers, it would be a no brainer

 

[JimG.]

All the slamming of Killington is kinda funny. How quickly the savages turn.

Ah...someone else gets where I'm coming from.

 

[JimG.]

Jim, I'm going to make it simple. Whatever you're smoking, I want some! :lol:

Hah, someone else gets it too.

 

[JimG.]

The thing people are missing here is that Killington is only jacking up season pass prices, not day ticket prices. Jane Doe and Joe Blow have always bought Killington's expensive walk-up day ticket. Until the recent insanity of discount passes, Killington had always priced the pass to break even at 21 days. They sold thousands of passes at that price. If you can't pay the freight for the pass, welcome to Joe Blow-dom.

If the new owners don't revert to the old Killington policy of first to open, last to close, and blow snow until the snowmaking ponds are sucked dry, they're not going to attract either the Joe Blow walkup crowd or the premium season pass people. I'll give it a year or two. If their product sucks, I'll sell and move on to another mountain. Pass prices are lost in the noise for me compared to property taxes, condo fees, and automobile expense. I can get a Thanksgiving to late-April with marginal midwinter snowmaking product anywhere.

Geoff, another well thought out and rational post. I like it.

 

[JimG.]

i might as well chime in as well in case anyone cares to know since i've been skiing at Kton & Pico since 1984, and have skied 100+ days there each season since 1995 (went to KMS, and have never left the area):

I don't care NEARLY as much about the early season skiing as the late season glacier on Superstar. Spring bumps in the warm sun are way more fun than icy scraped off manmade with 1000s of people on 2 trails screaming around rogue showstopping rocks.

I wish they would just scrap trying to open if the weather isn't with them in early november, and just start the season whenever you get a gauranteed block of cold air, and then start the guns in late january/early feb on superstar when the mtn is in good shape, and don't stop for weeks.

The main problem I guess is that if you are a ski company such as ASC, POWDR, whoever, and are going to go for long seasons, you just can't do only one and not the other. if you are going to be the beast of the east, and earn skiers all season on a reputation, you need to be open in october/november AND may/june.

Also, the early season skiing is more profitable I imagine because people have been pent up all summer, and they all want to ski. But at the same time it's GOT to be a more volatile investment to blow early season snow as you are almost guaranteed to lose a lot of that snow you put on the hill in early november to a warm up in mid november and/or december (if not ALL of it).

I guess I'm just pissed off at skiers everywhere for not heading Glenn Plake:

"ski when there's snow, not when there AINT"

Another excellent response.

 

[JimG.]

Admit it folks...love it or hate it, Killington draws more play on these websites than any other mountain in the east.

Whether they screw it up more or make it a great place to ski, the only way POWDR/SP really fails is if we all just stopped talking about it.

 

[loafer89]

Admit it folks...love it or hate it, Killington draws more play on these websites than any other mountain in the east.

Whether they screw it up more or make it a great place to ski, the only way POWDR/SP really fails is if we all just stopped talking about it.

Well if they don't get their act together and open early and close late there will be no more discussion or ski visits from me, as that is what made Killington a worthwhile destitnation for me in the past. It's easy to equal the ski experience at many other mountains, and since ASC shaved away at the season, my visit's to Killington have also dropped off accordingly.

 

[nycskier]

nycskier your use of public transport. is admirable but what do you do once your in Rutland unless your meeting up w/ people ? is there shuttle from the T.S. to hotels near the lifts?
I too have wondered why Bellyere was left off that pass

Twinplax, my use of public transport isn't admirable it is a necesity. I live in Manhattan and I do not own a car!

That said, even though the train ride up is longer than the drive it is WAY more relaxing. They sell beer and wine on the trains so I am able to have a few cocktails on the way there and I take my laptop and watch movies and play video games so time really flies!

Like someone else said from the Rutland train station you can take The Bus for $2 (or for free if you get a bus pass coupon from one of the many resturants and bars around Killington) or Gramps shuttle (for $15 if The Bus isn't there or you live far from the access road). A lot of times I even met people on the train and got rides to my house from them.

As for getting around Killington a lot of people in my house have cars, Gramps Shuttle is always an option, a bunch of times I took The Bus home from the mountain and sometimes I even hitch hiked around. (Hitch Hiking became the main option in late April after The Bus basically stopped running and all the shuttle services practically closed down for the season.

On another note I think it is a shame Killingon doesn't run buses on the weekends from NYC and Boston. I think there would be a lot of demand for a bus like that and they could even sell package deals for bus transport, lodging and lift tickets.

 

[loafer89]

I think it goes to show you that Killington has some weaknesses as a ski area itself. I know that I prefer to wait until others are open for early skiing and hang 'em up when the others close.

I'm not quite sure if SP/Powdr will shave back K-Mart's season that much...

Since they bought Mount Bachelor, the season which went from November - July, now ends in May. This year they closed on May 20th, and have done so since buying the mountain in 2003.

Since it is still possible to run the summit lift right now, I am not hopeful for late season skiing at Killington under their ownership:

 

[ski_resort_observer]

Just a general statement.
clear out the cheapo passholders and market more to the more profitable day or weekend trip market.

Dang right....get rid those cheapskates..they probably, for lunch, cruise down to McDonalds and then eat the food in the base lodge. :wink: :wink:

 

[JimG.]

Well if they don't get their act together and open early and close late there will be no more discussion or ski visits from me, as that is what made Killington a worthwhile destitnation for me in the past. It's easy to equal the ski experience at many other mountains, and since ASC shaved away at the season, my visit's to Killington have also dropped off accordingly.

Loafer, I understand where you're coming from and it actually matches what I liked about K...early/late skiing. I understand the rest of your complaints too.

But ASC stopped caring about our demographic 5 years ago and I doubt POWDR will resurrect that concern.

My posts are designed to spur further conversation because it's fun and interesting. I think the appeal of the Killington brand is far stronger than folks are willing to admit. There is alot of passion and fervor here and those are not characteristics of the uninterested.

It is really true...if the talking ever stops then POWDR is lost.

 

[JimG.]

Since they bought Mount Bachelor, the season which went from November - July, now ends in May. This year they closed on May 20th, and have done so since buying the mountain in 2003.

Since it is still possible to run the summit lift right now, I am not hopeful for late season skiing at Killington under their ownership:

Oh wow, now this post is just an unnecessary slap in the face; how rude!

Just kidding, that is one very cool picture and I wish I was there right now. The hell with the lifts, I'll skin and ski that sucker all day.

 

[loafer89]

My pipe dream is that Sugarloaf, with new ownership, can take up the slack of late season skiing. It's a haul and it's isolated, but they could easily go well into May and possibly early june without excessive snowmaking in most years.

The fact that they where 100% open until the week before they closed, that say's alot about the mountains ability to retain snow.

 

[loafer89]

Oh wow, now this post is just an unnecessary slap in the face; how rude!

Just kidding, that is one very cool picture and I wish I was there right now. The hell with the lifts, I'll skin and ski that sucker all day.

I posted it because they are a POWDR resort, and thusly have a new and improved shorter season. It really hurts to see a mountain with that much snow closed. Think how much snow they must have had one month ago.

The first thing that came to my mind when everybody was happy that ASC finally got the boot from Killington, was what happened to Mount Bachelor's season since Powdr bought it and it's possible effect on the extended season at Killington.

 

[Newpylong]

My pipe dream is that Sugarloaf, with new ownership, can take up the slack of late season skiing. It's a haul and it's isolated, but they could easily go well into May and possibly early june without excessive snowmaking in most years.

The fact that they where 100% open until the week before they closed, that say's alot about the mountains ability to retain snow.

Sugarloaf lacks: badda bing....... skiers, for viable late season.

 

[nycskier]

I posted it because they are a POWDR resort, and thusly have a new and improved shorter season. It really hurts to see a mountain with that much snow closed. Think how much snow they must have had one month ago.

The first thing that came to my mind when everybody was happy that ASC finally got the boot from Killington, was what happened to Mount Bachelor's season since Powdr bought it and it's possible effect on the extended season at Killington.

Only thing I can say about this is remember that POWDR does not own Killington. The land group does. POWDR is just the managing the place. You got to hope that the Land people put pressure on POWDR to keep Kilington open early and late. After all long ski seasons can increase the property value of Killington. More likely to buy a condo in a place were you can ski in the morning and golf in the afternoon. Can't do that if Killington closes May 6.

 

[nycskier]

My $.02. K's niche has always been the ski hard, party hard crowd. Stratton, Stowe, Okemo have established their own niches. I think it's a mistake to try to grab the "snobbier" market share. K won't be getting my money next season.

I guess you can say Killington's niche was that of the "party mountain". Killington has always been known for their good apres ski. I sometimes joke that going to Killington is a 4hour 45 minute dive and a 10 year time warp back to my college days!

It would be a shame if by trying to re-make Killington into a snobbier or family centric resorts it loses it's abiltiy to attract young single professionals from Boston and NYC with lots of disposable income to spend in bars like the Wobbly Barn.

The reality is the reasonably priced A41 passes encouraged young professionals to choose Killington and help the ski share houses florish there. It is these people who increasing the price of the pass will keep away.

I just hope the new Killington owners do the right thing for the loyal Killington customers.