Permanent Industry Changes in the Post-COVID World

[deadheadskier]

I’ve been walking in ski boots for 35 years now and I’ve never noticed it as being weird or uncomfortable. I’ll tour all day in them doing fairly technical ridge line hikes with 3 and 4th class scrambling with no issues.

maybe some of you folks need to get a better fitting boot?

maybe them office jobs have made your palms a bit too soft?

Woah

We got a real bad ass in our presence.

Everyone harden the F up and be more like skiing Ivan Drago here

 

[ss20]

You're doing it wrong then. Casually skiing a groomed run requires almost no added effort versus just standing in place and certainly no added impact to my knees.

Uhhhhhhh...what.

 

[dblskifanatic]

Arapahoe Basin says they're not gonna stop limiting capacity... https://unofficialnetworks.com/2021/03/12/abasin-season-pass-model/



There's certainly gonna be a lot of stuff that's changed forever. COVID is more than likely the last nail in the coffin for the walk-up lift ticket at the major resorts. 10 years ago that would've been unfathomable.

While they call this a Covid thing it is not! A Basin pulled out of the Epic Pass due to the growing number of people going there. That was way before Covid. We skied there on the Epic Pass and the lines were massive on Saturdays especially. Many A Basin only passholders were very upset with all the Epic Pass skiers. When they split off from Epic, we bought the A Basin Pass and the lines were manageable. Even the opening day line was not going up High Noon as in years past. Historically, he A Basin Pass is relatively cheap and when they split from Epic the A Basin only pass sales went up, although there was a steep bump this year so we shall see hoe that plays out.

We were there a little over a week ago and it was ski on ski off all the time. In fact we already bought our A Basin passes for next year.

 

[dblskifanatic]

One thing regarding bags, groups coming in buses don't really have the option to not gear up and leave all their stuff in the lodge. Also places where you have to park far away, leaving your stuff in the car is a real pain especially if you have to go back to the car to get something. And booting up in the lodge is far superior to booting up in a gravel parking lot imo

So when we moved to Colorado, the whole hauling boot bags into the lodge concept was thrown out the window. 90% of the skiers and snowboarders get ready at their cars. Most Vail resorts do not allow bags all over the place. And are more focused on having you eat at one of their restaurants. I have m=noticed the same at Banff and in Tahoe resorts.

Carrying a boot bag, skis, and other stuff seems to be an East Coast thing. Only place I have seen it on a larger scale,

 

[dblskifanatic]

I have problems comprehending why booting up at the car is an issue or why you need to go back to the car to get something. I've been booting up at the car for 15+ years now probably so this wasn't a change at all for me this year. Maybe I'm just inherently not trusting of other people, but I have no desire to ever leave stuff in the lodge.

You might have a point on buses though. Although I don't see why it would be impossible to boot up at the bus and leave your stuff on the bus either.

Agree with the first paragraph,

In Banff you boot up before getting on the bus!

 

[Edd]

So when we moved to Colorado, the whole hauling boot bags into the lodge concept was thrown out the window. 90% of the skiers and snowboarders get ready at their cars. Most Vail resorts do not allow bags all over the place. And are more focused on having you eat at one of their restaurants. I have m=noticed the same at Banff and in Tahoe resorts.

Carrying a boot bag, skis, and other stuff seems to be an East Coast thing. Only place I have seen it on a larger scale,

Based on my western visits, the east has more unpleasant, wet, humid weather than the west. It’s dryer in the west and therefore less of a problem to boot up at the car, even when it’s cold. I dislike booting up at the car. But I say this as a midweek skier. Weekends in the lodge during normal times can suck badly.

 

[abc]

Carrying a boot bag, skis, and other stuff seems to be an East Coast thing. Only place I have seen it on a larger scale,

In Banff you boot up before getting on the bus!

In many western mountains, you can't park by the lift. You have to take a bus. The pro's of a bus system is your walk from the car to the bus is typically short. So walking in ski boots isn't that big a deal.

Granted booting up in the car is still a hassle. But that's offset by the hassle of juggling skis and boot bags on a crowded bus. When I ski in the west, I tend to boot up in the car more often. While in the east, I prefer to boot up in the lodge.

 

[Smellytele]

In many western mountains, you can't park by the lift. You have to take a bus. The pro's of a bus system is your walk from the car to the bus is typically short. So walking in ski boots isn't that big a deal.

Granted booting up in the car is still a hassle. But that's offset by the hassle of juggling skis and boot bags on a crowded bus. When I ski in the west, I tend to boot up in the car more often. While in the east, I prefer to boot up in the lodge.

East needs more parking garages.

 

[KustyTheKlown]

East needs more parking garages.

parking rarely ever seems to be a concern. you may park far, but you park.

what really needs parking garages are western places stuck in narrow canyons. alta, snowbird, brighton solitude. crystal in WA. would benefit bigly from an underground or aboveground multi level parking structure.

 

[Smellytele]

parking rarely ever seems to be a concern. you may park far, but you park.

what really needs parking garages are western places stuck in narrow canyons. alta, snowbird, brighton solitude. crystal in WA. would benefit bigly from an underground or aboveground multi level parking structure.

I was just thinking about mud

 

[dblskifanatic]

parking rarely ever seems to be a concern. you may park far, but you park.

what really needs parking garages are western places stuck in narrow canyons. alta, snowbird, brighton solitude. crystal in WA. would benefit bigly from an underground or aboveground multi level parking structure.

We used to park in the parking garage at Vail. Then hike through the village to get to a lift. There was no other choice. They had a few lockers outside but not a lot.

 

[KustyTheKlown]

We used to park in the parking garage at Vail. Then hike through the village to get to a lift. There was no other choice. They had a few lockers outside but not a lot.

ya, one of many reasons why vail and vail village sucks. its so common out west tho for there to be no semblance of a base lodge. or at least no giant space with pegs on the wall for bags like we are used to. kicking horse and revelstoke come to mind immediately and there are lots more. snowbird has facilities but it isn't really a lodge. i think there's a locker room on the first floor of that brutalist monstrosity of a structure. the fucked thing about vail tho is how far the parking and the buses are from the lifts. lots of ski boot walking there. but they couldn't possibly give you closer access - they want you to be forced to peruse the retail village and spend spend spend

 

[drjeff]

I'm guessing that the topic of building a parking garage at some ski areas has come up in the thoughts of a few GM's, then the economic reality sets in that unless they can either tie it into some BIG base area real estate and retail development project or get some state/federal grant money for it, it then comes down to what would they rather spend millions on? A parking garage or say lift upgrades, snowmaking, etc

 

[KustyTheKlown]

I'm guessing that the topic of building a parking garage at some ski areas has come up in the thoughts of a few GM's, then the economic reality sets in that unless they can either tie it into some BIG base area real estate and retail development project or get some state/federal grant money for it, it then comes down to what would they rather spend millions on? A parking garage or say lift upgrades, snowmaking, etc

environmental/forest service concerns are a thing too i think. vaguely recall reading about big enviro/save our canyons opposition to alta/bird building a parking structure. @thetrailboss can probably speak to it. imo, a lot better for many reasons to consolidate cars into a structure than have them lining the canyon road for a mile. that being said, i don't really like using a garage where there is no NEED for it. whenever I've parked indoors at Stratton it just feels weird to me. more like going to the mall than skiing.

 

[abc]

environmental/forest service concerns are a thing too i think. vaguely recall reading about big enviro/save our canyons opposition to alta/bird building a parking structure. @thetrailboss can probably speak to it. imo, a lot better for many reasons to consolidate cars into a structure than have them lining the canyon road for a mile. that being said, i don't really like using a garage where there is no NEED for it. whenever I've parked indoors at Stratton it just feels weird to me. more like going to the mall than skiing.

Agree on both counts! (very odd to be agreeing with KTK )

Somehow the west really didn't care for "parking structures". Local opposition are always guaranteed. People, including/especially the "environmentally conscious". think it's "too urban"! But somehow, cars parked along the road for miles are ok! How ironic.

Parking in structures does feel odd to me too. No denying it.

 

[jimk]

ya, one of many reasons why vail and vail village sucks. its so common out west tho for there to be no semblance of a base lodge. or at least no giant space with pegs on the wall for bags like we are used to. kicking horse and revelstoke come to mind immediately and there are lots more. snowbird has facilities but it isn't really a lodge. i think there's a locker room on the first floor of that brutalist monstrosity of a structure. the fucked thing about vail tho is how far the parking and the buses are from the lifts. lots of ski boot walking there. but they couldn't possibly give you closer access - they want you to be forced to peruse the retail village and spend spend spend

Click this link, find the picture of the Bearnaked Ladies concert, scroll to the paragraph directly below that picture for details on a fairly close, free parking and boot-up solution for day-visitors to Vail:

Hitchhiker's Guide to the Vail Galaxy of Resorts: Part 1 of 3

Hitchhiker's Guide to the Vail Galaxy of Resorts: Part 1 of 3 December 30, 2019 By Jim Kenney PugSki Travel Correspondent [Author's note: this is an update of a three-part article originally written for PugSki.com two years ago. In addition...

www.skitalk.com

 

[ss20]

When its snowing I'd love to be in a parking garage. End of the day just get in the car and go, no clearing off the car or worrying about getting stuck on deep days. Always loved doing that at Jay, and sometimes Stratton if I got there early enough.

 

[KustyTheKlown]

When its snowing I'd love to be in a parking garage. End of the day just get in the car and go, no clearing off the car or worrying about getting stuck on deep days. Always loved doing that at Jay, and sometimes Stratton if I got there early enough.

i skied stratton the day of the huge December dump this year. i got there stupid early bc i gave myself so much time for the roads. like well over an hour before lifts. i got the spot right next to the stairs in the garage, but there is no cell service or even xm radio reception down there. boring hour. need to keep physical books in car apparently.

 

[Keelhauled]

the fucked thing about vail tho is how far the parking and the buses are from the lifts. lots of ski boot walking there. but they couldn't possibly give you closer access - they want you to be forced to peruse the retail village and spend spend spend

It's not that far, in either Vail Village or Lionshead. Sure, if you're the first car in the lot at an Eastern mountain you're closer, but get there a little later and you'll be taking a hike, half the time in mud and the other half the time uphill. Sometimes both. I'd rather walk through Vail villages than from the outer lots at Killington/Sugarbush/Bolton Valley/etc.

 

[Killingtime]

When its snowing I'd love to be in a parking garage. End of the day just get in the car and go, no clearing off the car or worrying about getting stuck on deep days. Always loved doing that at Jay, and sometimes Stratton if I got there early enough.

I happily paid $25 per day for an underground parking garage at Tremblant (I think it was the Westin's) because it was minus 24F and the thought of booting up outside was unbearable. Parking garage was actually a comfortable temperature and quick walk to the lifts.