Pico Will Not Operate 7 Days A Week

[JimG.]

Me too, a major kick in the crotch for those who own there.

Own where? Pico? A major kick in the crotch?

To drive 10 minutes to ski K instead?

Please.

 

[2knees]

Here comes the big wooden spoon looking to stir and...

a few of you have already taken this and seen some of the reasons for the decision. Greg, threecy, and snowman.

My take is simple...POWDR taketh away cheapo K passes and giveth back cheapo Pico passes. And to make it clear what the operational differences are, the cheapo hill is open less and has less services. That seems totally logical to me.

Pico is never crowded, so if they are bombarded with people who buy the cheap pass it will only make it more profitable for POWDR to open Pico, not less. And the capacity is certainly there. Want to step up to the real world, pay the going pass price of $700-$1000 and ski right around the corner at Killington.

So now the cheap pass option is back in play and everyone should be happy. NOT!

This is fun.

Only problem with your arguement is that i believe pico offered a pass last year for $299. So they have raised that pass $100 and cut 2 days out of their operation.

 

[highpeaksdrifter]

Own where? Pico? A major kick in the crotch?

To drive 10 minutes to ski K instead?

Please.

JiminyG talkin his crazy talk again. So you thinkin being open only 5 days a week is going to help property values for those folks who own condos at the base of Pico?

Plus the fact they are cutting services will no doubt worry perspective buyers of condos for sale that Pico might shut down all together in the future.

 

[threecy]

JiminyG talkin his crazy talk again. So you thinkin being open only 5 days a week is going to help property values for those folks who own condos at the base of Pico?

My guess is that their condos are doing better than those at Haystack. At least they're keeping Pico open 5 days (and more vacations) - ASC cut back Haystack a lot more!

Condo owners make an investment. With investment comes risk. My first sign to get out would have been when the ASC ship started taking in water years ago. I don't expect SP/Powdr to close Pico anytime soon - in part because they're trying to keep it afloat by making the tough decisions (that ASC didn't have to make due to their power as a crippled company - you often have more leverage when the only thing banks can threaten you with is foreclosure (and can't do that because they'll lose their shirts, end double paranthetical tageant)).

 

[Vortex]

Aw I would not buy if it was a 5 day a week place. I bet condo values would be in flix. mid week rentals are not goign to happen. Yes investmetn is risky. Again glad it was no me.

 

[JimG.]

JiminyG talkin his crazy talk again. So you thinkin being open only 5 days a week is going to help property values for those folks who own condos at the base of Pico?

Plus the fact they are cutting services will no doubt worry perspective buyers of condos for sale that Pico might shut down all together in the future.

Not concerned with property values. That's the concern of the property investor. I own a home, but I personally won't buy a ski vacation home anytime soon. Too volatile an investment.

You talk like these Pico property owners had no clue that ASC was in trouble and that their investment was in trouble. ASC never devoted any resources to Pico, nor did they try to open early/close late. Now POWDR gets all the blame? That's pure BS.

Property owners who had no idea they should have sold years ago weren't paying attention. Whose fault is that?

 

[highpeaksdrifter]

You talk like these Pico property owners had no clue that ASC was in trouble and that their investment was in trouble. ASC never devoted any resources to Pico, nor did they try to open early/close late. Now POWDR gets all the blame? That's pure BS.

No I don't, what I said was I'd be pissed if I owned a condo at Pico and that those people must feel like they got a kick in the crotch.

You said basicly the same kinda thing when Kmart bond holders where pissed cause they lost there passes. You took a risk, that's the breaks. Well..yeah, but when the breaks don't go your way you can still be ticked off.

Marriage is a risk too, but I'd be mad if I came home and found my wife in bed with the mailman. Although, our mail person is a 30 year old woman, so maybe that could work out for me......hmmmm.

 

[Vortex]

Not concerned with property values. That's the concern of the property investor. I own a home, but I personally won't buy a ski vacation home anytime soon. Too volatile an investment.

You talk like these Pico property owners had no clue that ASC was in trouble and that their investment was in trouble. ASC never devoted any resources to Pico, nor did they try to open early/close late. Now POWDR gets all the blame? That's pure BS.

Property owners who had no idea they should have sold years ago weren't paying attention. Whose fault is that?

Some reasonable points.

Jim I don't think anyone expected Pico to be a part time mountain. I'm sure there are others, but I can't think of one.

 

[JimG.]

No I don't, what I said was I'd be pissed if I owned a condo at Pico and that those people must feel like they got a kick in the crotch.

You said basicly the same kinda thing when Kmart bond holders where pissed cause they lost there passes. You took a risk, that's the breaks. Well..yeah, but when the breaks don't go your way you can still be ticked off.

Marriage is a risk too, but I'd be mad if I came home and found my wife in bed with the mailman. Although, our mail person is a 30 year old woman, so maybe that could work out for me......hmmmm.

Risk...you used that word.

Risk is the domain of the buyer and it's personal. It's up to the individual to determine their level of risk and what makes them comfortable.

Humans...they take risks usually to make money...gambling, stock market, property. Risk implies the opportunity for failure. You've got to take the good with the bad.

HPD, I see your point and you're right...they should be pissed.

At themselves, not POWDR.

 

[Greg]

Only problem with your arguement is that i believe pico offered a pass last year for $299. So they have raised that pass $100 and cut 2 days out of their operation.

Only problem with your argument ( ) is the Pico pass was pushed down to $299 because of the artificially low price of the A41. Pass prices are simply adjusting this season.

 

[Greg]

At themselves, not POWDR.

No. Simply at the overall situation, not exclusively themselves, nor Powdr.

 

[JimG.]

No. Simply at the overall situation, not exclusively themselves, nor Powdr.

Point taken...all I was trying to get at is that you have to pay close attention to all investments/assets.

ASC wasn't doing it for them, that's for sure.

 

[JimG.]

Only problem with your argument ( ) is the Pico pass was pushed down to $299 because of the artificially low price of the A41. Pass prices are simply adjusting this season.

Good that Pat brought it up though...it shows how skewed pass prices had become.

POWDR is making some very tough decisions. I know most of them are pissing people off and it's understandable.

But making tough decisions is what can turn a business totally around. Sitting around and doing nothing but lowering prices like ASC did does not work in the long run.

 

[MrMagic]

i think a poll might be in order: maybe in a new thread??

good that they are not open 7 days

bad they are not open 7 days

as a pico skier my vote goes to bad

 

[JimG.]

i think a poll might be in order: maybe in a new thread??

good that they are not open 7 days

bad they are not open 7 days

as a pico skier my vote goes to bad

7 days to 5 days is bad.

Any skier worth his/her salt would agree.

But the question might really be "good they are open 5 days, bad they are open 0 days".

 

[nycskier]

Only problem with your argument ( ) is the Pico pass was pushed down to $299 because of the artificially low price of the A41. Pass prices are simply adjusting this season.

The $299 Pico pass was not an early purchase but in season price. Meaning you didn't have to buy it in July but could get it in November (and I think even in December). So the comparison is not really apples to apples. The cheap Pico pass was available to purchase AFTER the cheap A41 pass deal expired.

 

[nycskier]

I think the people who should really be angry about this are the people who already bought a 2007-2008 Killington season pass.

They did so expecting a full season at both Killington and Pico. Now after they bought a pass they find out Pico will be closed Tue and Wed which in a sense reduces the value of the pass they just bought.

The real concern I would have if Pico plans on closing 2 days a week will Powdr blow a lot less snow on Pico. After all why would they blow snow for a closed hill? Conditions at Pico could be a lot worse if they aren't going to be making snow there.

 

[Greg]

The $299 Pico pass was not an early purchase but in season price. Meaning you didn't have to buy it in July but could get it in November (and I think even in December). So the comparison is not really apples to apples. The cheap Pico pass was available to purchase AFTER the cheap A41 pass deal expired.

Perhaps, but my point was the price was driven lower by the A41.

I think the people who should really be angry about this are the people who already bought a 2007-2008 Killington season pass.

They did so expecting a full season at both Killington and Pico. Now after they bought a pass they find out Pico will be closed Tue and Wed which in a sense reduces the value of the pass they just bought.

Interesting observation. JimG. will however argue that not that many people bought a K pass expecting to ski Pico on Tuesday or Wednesday...

 

[2knees]

Perhaps, but my point was the price was driven lower by the A41.
)

i agree absolutely. I may have misread Jims earlier post but it almost sounded like he was inferring Powdr introduced a cheap Pico pass for this year while in reality it already existed.

Regardless, its amazing the legs these killington/powdr topics get. I can understand the frustration over some of the moves, ie shortened season at killington, but other moves just dont seem to be that big of a deal for the majority of the people out there.

Closing pico on tuesday and wednesday is not something that is going to negatively impact a big portion of the skiing public. And last i knew, there wasnt much in the way of housing on slope at pico so i dont think there are too many property owners impacted.

 

[Geoff]

No I don't, what I said was I'd be pissed if I owned a condo at Pico and that those people must feel like they got a kick in the crotch.

You said basicly the same kinda thing when Kmart bond holders where pissed cause they lost there passes. You took a risk, that's the breaks. Well..yeah, but when the breaks don't go your way you can still be ticked off.

Marriage is a risk too, but I'd be mad if I came home and found my wife in bed with the mailman. Although, our mail person is a 30 year old woman, so maybe that could work out for me......hmmmm.

The condo owners at Pico and homeowners across the street could easily get together and subsidise 7-day operation at Pico. As I understand it, the condo owners kicked Killington out as the operator of their rental business. That may have been a very bad decision on their part that caused this. Money talks and Pico is pretty freakin' empty midweek.

I don't own property at Pico. I think this is great since it puts even less traffic at Pico so the skiing surface will be better. If I'm up midweek, I'll be tempted to head there on Thursdays when there has been recent snow.

The lifetime pass thing is apples & oranges. Those passes were sold decades ago. Anybody who bought one made their money back tens of times over. If you bought one as a resale in the years when ASC owned the resort, you deserve a big dope slap if you're complaining now. We've all known for 6 years that ASC was going down. It was only a matter of when.