• Welcome to AlpineZone, the largest online community of skiers and snowboarders in the Northeast!

    You may have to REGISTER before you can post. Registering is FREE, gets rid of the majority of advertisements, and lets you participate in giveaways and other AlpineZone events!

Saving snow for the weekend/holiday/whatever...

C-Rex

New member
Joined
Mar 4, 2010
Messages
1,350
Points
0
Location
Enfield, CT
Anyone else think it's complete bullshit when resorts close trails to save snow for the weekend or holiday? I mean, I pay for my lift tickets too. Unless it's unsafe there should be no reason for a trail to be closed. I can't imagine the level of pissed I'd be if they pulled my pass for poaching a trail like that.
 

skiNEwhere

Active member
Joined
Oct 29, 2006
Messages
4,141
Points
38
Location
Dubai
Anyone else think it's complete bullshit when resorts close trails to save snow for the weekend or holiday? I mean, I pay for my lift tickets too. Unless it's unsafe there should be no reason for a trail to be closed. I can't imagine the level of pissed I'd be if they pulled my pass for poaching a trail like that.

I'm impartial on this. As a skier, it pisses me off, but I can understand why resorts do this. They are trying to maximize profits by saving the snow for the majority of skiers which show up on the weekend, they need to make money too. If everything is skied out I think the masses would be less likely to return
 

skithetrees

Active member
Joined
Dec 30, 2012
Messages
241
Points
28
I understand your annoyance, but can we agree that there is a difference between saving fresh tracks for the weekend and allowing snow to compact and preserve the base for the long haul? Saving fresh tracks on a trail with a good base is wrong while allowing a trail to compact is annoying but totally acceptable.
 

Cornhead

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 4, 2010
Messages
2,836
Points
48
I ran across this problem last night at Greek Peak. They got a foot Wednesday night, another 8" yesterday. I headed up for some turns after work. They were blowing snow on skier's left on Elysian Fields. Two closed signs adorned the top of the trail. I resisted temptation as long as I could. It was sublime, untracked on top, yielding to soft pillowy bumps below. After five laps or so, I see a patroller on Karyatis waving his hands over his head at me, I casually waved one hand at him and considered hightailing it to the base. I continued skiing casually, he cuts me off. He said he was told by management to clip my seasons pass. He said he was in the new little shack at the top, and witnessed me ski past the closed sign three times. I thought about saying I thought it was a thin and bare sign, but admitted I was aware it was closed. I asked him why, he explained it was due to the guns blowing. This is BS, I was nowhere near any snowmaking. He asked me how long I've been a passholder, I told him 20 yrs. I tapped him on the shoulder, and said, "Come on man, I've been waiting for two years for this." He ended up giving me a warning, and taking my name.

Today, I thought for sure the trail would be open, nope, still blowing on the other half of the trail. They've been doing some wacky things this year with regards to trail closures. Last Saturday they got about 8" overnight. The only open trail was Illiad. They opened the groomed half while the ungroomed was closed. The only danger of skiing closed side, besides pass clipping, was base damage. Then after a foot on Wednesday, all trails were skiable, many remained closed. Maybe it's been so long since they've had any natural snow, they don't know how to deal with it.

When I picked up my pass a month ago, I noticed when I got home that the picture on the pass looked a little off. After closer inspection I noticed it wasn't my pass. Guy has the exact same name as me with the exception of an "o" on the end of the last name. I turned it in last Saturday and got the correct card. I considered keeping it, but didn't think it right. Now I wish I had, it could have been my "get out of jail free" pass. You need to clip my pass? Do what you must.

As I wonderd if they would actually pull my pass for remainder of the season. I thought to myself, "Oh well, I have so many trips up coming that it wouldn't be the end of the world, the place probably won't be open next year anyway." No regrets, it was some of the best skiing I've experienced at GP in a loooong time. Curious to see if it's open tomorrow.
 

Scruffy

Active member
Joined
Nov 10, 2008
Messages
1,157
Points
38
Location
In the shadow of the moon.
Anyone else think it's complete bullshit when resorts close trails to save snow for the weekend or holiday? I mean, I pay for my lift tickets too. Unless it's unsafe there should be no reason for a trail to be closed. I can't imagine the level of pissed I'd be if they pulled my pass for poaching a trail like that.

Yes. Hunter did that last week, the bastards.
 

ScottySkis

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 16, 2011
Messages
12,294
Points
48
Location
Middletown NY
I ran across this problem last night at Greek Peak. They got a foot Wednesday night, another 8" yesterday. I headed up for some turns after work. They were blowing snow on skier's left on Elysian Fields. Two closed signs adorned the top of the trail. I resisted temptation as long as I could. It was sublime, untracked on top, yielding to soft pillowy bumps below. After five laps or so, I see a patroller on Karyatis waving his hands over his head at me, I casually waved one hand at him and considered hightailing it to the base. I continued skiing casually, he cuts me off. He said he was told by management to clip my seasons pass. He said he was in the new little shack at the top, and witnessed me ski past the closed sign three times. I thought about saying I thought it was a thin and bare sign, but admitted I was aware it was closed. I asked him why, he explained it was due to the guns blowing. This is BS, I was nowhere near any snowmaking. He asked me how long I've been a passholder, I told him 20 yrs. I tapped him on the shoulder, and said, "Come on man, I've been waiting for two years for this." He ended up giving me a warning, and taking my name.

Today, I thought for sure the trail would be open, nope, still blowing on the other half of the trail. They've been doing some wacky things this year with regards to trail closures. Last Saturday they got about 8" overnight. The only open trail was Illiad. They opened the groomed half while the ungroomed was closed. The only danger of skiing closed side, besides pass clipping, was base damage. Then after a foot on Wednesday, all trails were skiable, many remained closed. Maybe it's been so long since they've had any natural snow, they don't know how to deal with it.

When I picked up my pass a month ago, I noticed when I got home that the picture on the pass looked a little off. After closer inspection I noticed it wasn't my pass. Guy has the exact same name as me with the exception of an "o" on the end of the last name. I turned it in last Saturday and got the correct card. I considered keeping it, but didn't think it right. Now I wish I had, it could have been my "get out of jail free" pass. You need to clip my pass? Do what you must.

As I wonderd if they would actually pull my pass for remainder of the season. I thought to myself, "Oh well, I have so many trips up coming that it wouldn't be the end of the world, the place probably won't be open next year anyway." No regrets, it was some of the best skiing I've experienced at GP in a loooong time. Curious to see if it's open tomorrow.
How often do you get powder days in the east fuck them. Greek should be happy to let people to the hill and enjoy the powder.


Sent from my ADR6410LVW using Tapatalk 2
 

C-Rex

New member
Joined
Mar 4, 2010
Messages
1,350
Points
0
Location
Enfield, CT
I understand your annoyance, but can we agree that there is a difference between saving fresh tracks for the weekend and allowing snow to compact and preserve the base for the long haul? Saving fresh tracks on a trail with a good base is wrong while allowing a trail to compact is annoying but totally acceptable.

Of course, if it's a safety issue, or in the interest of building a base, that's fine. But saving it so you can impress the weekend crowd is bullshit. They wouldn't stop their employees from getting out before paying customers. So a guy that burns a vacation day to get there mid week AND pays for a ticket should get the goods as well. Otherwise, what is the advantage of doing that besides smaller crowds? I would even understand if they only opened it for part of the day, but people should be given a chance to hit it. There's nothing more frustrating than taking a day off to chase a mid week storm, and then finding out that your favorite trail is closed so people can ski it on Saturday. That's also going to increase poaching. If you close under the guise of safety but really to cater to the weekend then people are not going to believe you when there really is a safety issue.
 

Cornhead

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 4, 2010
Messages
2,836
Points
48
How often do you get powder days in the east fuck them. Greek should be happy to let people to the hill and enjoy the powder.


Sent from my ADR6410LVW using Tapatalk 2

POWDER TO THE PEOPLE!

Where did you end up skiing today Scotty? I'm sorry I didn't check my PM's earlier, I'd have skied Platty, or Elk.
 

ScottySkis

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 16, 2011
Messages
12,294
Points
48
Location
Middletown NY
POWDER TO THE PEOPLE!

Where did you end up skiing today Scotty? I'm sorry I didn't check my PM's earlier, I'd have skied Platty, or Elk.



I was really going to Platty this morning but my body said no and no sleep night, so I did Elk for afternoon ticket today, no problem on the PM. Were did you go cornhead?
 

bdfreetuna

New member
Joined
Jan 12, 2012
Messages
4,300
Points
0
Location
keep the faith
You should have kept the 2nd pass.

I myself usually ski on weekends because I work Monday-Friday and generally save most of my vacation days for skiing already as it is. And save those weekdays for the spring. So sometimes I am sort of glad places do this, but I can completely understand your frustration.
 

Cornhead

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 4, 2010
Messages
2,836
Points
48
Day 5 at GP, I was the first customer of the year on chair 5, GP East. I wasn't sure I was going to ski today. By the time I shoveled the driveway, it was 10 o'clock. I got to the hill around 11. The lift was supposed to open at 10:30, it ended up being closer to noon.

IMG_20121230_121922.jpg
About a foot-o-fresh, the steep part at the bottom of Mars Hill was fun, the flat part here was pretty slow going, fun nonetheless. How was Elk?
 

ScottySkis

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 16, 2011
Messages
12,294
Points
48
Location
Middletown NY
Day 5 at GP, I was the first customer of the year on chair 5, GP East. I wasn't sure I was going to ski today. By the time I shoveled the driveway, it was 10 o'clock. I got to the hill around 11. The lift was supposed to open at 10:30, it ended up being closer to noon.

View attachment 7165
About a foot-o-fresh, the steep part at the bottom of Mars Hill was fun, the flat part here was pretty slow going, fun nonetheless. How was Elk?
Elk was nice no lots of crusing runs and some nice expert runs.Bigger then I thought it would be snow all day huge +, some lines but that is expected this week.:)


Sent from my ADR6410LVW using Tapatalk 2
 

Cornhead

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 4, 2010
Messages
2,836
Points
48
First time at Elk Scotty? They have two discount days per season, $25, they're always on a Friday, one is a demo day. Jan 11th, Jan 25th. I live equidistance from Elk and Greek, 37 miles to both. I like Elk except for zero tree skiing, better grooming an bumps than Greek.
 

ScottySkis

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 16, 2011
Messages
12,294
Points
48
Location
Middletown NY
First time at Elk Scotty? They have two discount days per season, $25, they're always on a Friday, one is a demo day. Jan 11th, Jan 25th. I live equidistance from Elk and Greek, 37 miles to both. I like Elk except for zero tree skiing, better grooming an bumps than Greek.



Sent from my ADR6410LVW using Tapatalk 2
Friday not a good day for me, I'm only off weekends and get very limited vacation time from my job totals 15 days including all sick days and all personal days, I use to have have more personal time but that is for a different thread. Elk first time I liked it more then I thought I would, price was reasonable really seemed liked a small Mountsow,.and I'm sure I will go back.:)
If it snows over 12 inches Monday - Friday, I will be sick and going to my powder haven,.no need to mention were sure you all know lol.
 
Top