Quittin' time?

[Greg]

I know [thread="25300"]I was whining[/thread] about the end of the season fast approaching, but it looks like some folks have already quit. And they seem to frown on spring snow... :blink: WTF?

 

[ctenidae]

Spring snow isn't as good as January hardpack, I guess...

 

[deadheadskier]

Their loss.....

 

[Greg]

Their loss.....

Yeah, it's easy to dismiss it, but this mentality is why the spring skiing season has been shortened recently which is not good for the rest of us. I only started trying to extend my season further into late April recently, but this year I'm going to push it as long as I can.

 

[marcski]

I saw that thread over at EPIC. It turned my stomach to the point where I didn't even open it. I admit, I do peruse that forum...but...um.... With that said.

 

[deadheadskier]

Yeah, it's easy to dismiss it, but this mentality is why the spring skiing season has been shortened recently which is not good for the rest of us. I only started trying to extend my season further into late April recently, but this year I'm going to push it as long as I can.

I think such a mentality represents maybe 5% of the reason why many mountains are wrapping things up earlier than in the past. 95% of the reason would be increased operating costs and the perception that they are not getting a return on what is essentially a 'marketing investment' by staying open.

Trust me, I'd love to see more people out on the slopes in the spring keeping the mountains open longer, but this really never has happened. I've skied to late April almost every year for the past twenty and into May probably five seasons and it seems to me every year once St. Patty's hits, skier visits drop dramatically. Last year at the river was actually the busiest I've seen a ski area in April. Busier than even K used to be back in their hay day. Let's hope for a repeat.

 

[Greg]

I think such a mentality represents maybe 5% of the reason why many mountains are wrapping things up earlier than in the past. 95% of the reason would be increased operating costs and the perception that they are not getting a return on what is essentially a 'marketing investment' by staying open.

Trust me, I'd love to see more people out on the slopes in the spring keeping the mountains open longer, but this really never has happened. I've skied to late April almost every year for the past twenty and into May probably five seasons and it seems to me every year once St. Patty's hits, skier visits drop dramatically. Last year at the river was actually the busiest I've seen a ski area in April. Busier than even K used to be back in their hay day. Let's hope for a repeat.

Interesting take on it and observations. So it's that price of effin crude that's screwing everything up then, huh?

 

[deadheadskier]

Interesting take on it and observations. So it's that price of effin crude that's screwing everything up then, huh?

Doesn't help the ski areas operating budget


...and


....makes people hesitant to spend $60 in gas round trip for a day trip up to the mountains from the cities



DOUBLE WHAMMY

sux

 

[hammer]

Does anybody have any thoughts on how racing activities and after school programs affect ski area attendance? I'd think that if the after school and racing programs get a lot of families and more casual skiers/snowboarders out to the slopes, once those are done then most people make a mental shift to spring sports and the only ones left going to ski areas are the enthusiasts and diehards...

 

[Dr Skimeister]

Spring skiing is sort of a double-edged sword. The warmer temps that make for spring conditions make for fewer skiers. For me, the beauty of spring skiing is the conditions AND fewer skiers. Of course, fewer skiers doesn't do much for the ski area's bottom line.

 

[deadheadskier]

....one place that could see record spring skiing numbers though would be Northern VT. You've got a few million people still in cold Montreal not thinking about golf yet and the exchange rate is favorable for them. I wonder how much this fact weighed on win's spring pass decision at Sugarbush or if he was mainly going after the late season killington crowd

 

[loafer89]

Last year I hardly skied on spring snow until Killington in May. Usually we ski in Maine in April and Sugarloaf is so cold that spring snow usually only occurs on the lowest of elevations on the mountain. Last year we had powder/packed powder every single ski day in April.

 

[highpeaksdrifter]

....one place that could see record spring skiing numbers though would be Northern VT. You've got a few million people still in cold Montreal not thinking about golf yet and the exchange rate is favorable for them. I wonder how much this fact weighed on win's spring pass decision at Sugarbush or if he was mainly going after the late season killington crowd

We've always gotten a lot of Canadians at WF, but with the exchange rate what it is they're all over the place.

 

[hiroto]

I know [thread="25300"]I was whining[/thread] about the end of the season fast approaching, but it looks like some folks have already quit. And they seem to frown on spring snow... :blink: WTF?

I was talking with my colleague today and he assumed skiing season is over that all the snow is gone. I had to teach him that it takes lots of rain and long period of warm weather to completely melt away deep snow base on ski hill.

 

[jack97]

I'm telling everyone it is over ;-)

 

[Angus]

the one day of "real" spring skiing I had last year was in mid-March at Wa-Wa. We'd had a warm stretch and the hill had beautiful corn snow. A few days later it started snowing up north and the season end April 22 or 23 at Wildcat with the mountain wide open, everything covered 4-5' in wet powder. I previously posted that Matt Noyes is finally calling for colder than average weather in the 2nd half of March.

 

[Warp Daddy]

We've always gotten a lot of Canadians at WF, but with the exchange rate what it is they're all over the place.

Was at Titus mtn today-- beaucoup Canadians there today too > I think Provincial schools in Ontario or Quebec are on break

It was an awesome day 10 inches fresh pow , blubird ski , sunny all day . although a might nippy in the am 9 below zero, but warmed up to about 20 this afternoon .

 

[riverc0il]

People can quit whenever they want to. I certainly don't scratch my head about people not skiing as long as I do. The average skier hangs them up shortly after President's Day holiday.

 

[thetrailboss]

I guess they are making the sacrifice for the rest of us....

"Hey if you ain't going to ski that snow, I will for you!" :lol:

 

[Greg]

I certainly don't scratch my head about people not skiing as long as I do.

Good. Cuz many of us don't have a lifestyle that allows for us to ski an 80 foot patch in July...