Superpasses: more crowds?

[machski]

A 40 minute wait for the tram, on a refreeze, basically spring, midweek day is absurd.

Jackson has increased its skier visits almost 40% in two years. Your memories are wrong.

5 tram wait at 8:30am this past Sunday. It was almost 8 by the time the mountain opened. That is an hour and a half wait.

Unfortunately, Trams are not high capacity lifts even if you can stuff over a hundred people in a box at a time. And unfortunately, it's the only way to the very top so it more than likely draws big crowds for first runs. I feel for you, but again I circle back to the fact that JHMR (and Snowbird for that matter) have put a ton of capital investments in over the last decade. The resorts didn't do this just to please the few of you who have been or are now "locals.". That wouldn't produce the ROI they are looking for. So the fact they have done these investments publicized those investments and happen to be many skier and rider's top destination "proving grounds" didn't have anything to do at all with attracting people to the mountain. The fact JHMR has had some of the best snow in the country the last 2 seasons hasn't helped your situation either as that is increasing folks wanting to hit their "dream" mountain when it is good as well.

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[jimk]

I defer about crowds to AdironRider as a local at JHMR. But all I know is last week wasn't too bad. My visits in 15 and 18 are very anecdotal memories, but they were weekdays around same time (late Feb/early Mar) and many chairs had significant lines those visits. Not so last week. Last Monday 2/24 was a 6" new snow day, about 2" wind drift on Tuesday at JHMR.

BTW, all skiing is great skiing. I've been skiing Snowbird quite a bit the last month. There have been a couple 45 min drives up the canyon. But maybe only one day worse than that and I went elsewhere.
This thread needs some photos:razz:
Grand Targhee


Jackson Hole

 

[abc]

jimk, you definitely have selective memory filtered by rose colored lens, I'm afraid.

Targhee in clear weather? That's exceptional. It's not called the Grand Foggy for no reason!

 

[kingslug]

Ive been there 3 times and have no idea what it looks like.

 

[abc]

Ive been there 3 times and have no idea what it looks like.

Only twice. No idea what it looks like either.

 

[jaytrem]

Only twice. No idea what it looks like either.

I guess I lucked out with a blue bird day there. But I've been to Big White (aka Big Whiteout) 3 different years and still have no clue what the top of the moutain looks like.

 

[pauldotcom]

In a strong economy, of course lines are going to be worse.

 

[chuckstah]

Only twice. No idea what it looks like either.

3 days for me. 3 feet of snow the first, and then bluebird the following 2. Great mountain.

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[machski]

Great article here on A-Basin and how its jump from unlimited Epic to partner Ikon has changed its skier days make-up. Sounds like they have really seen a reduction in skier days using Ikon 7/5(with blackout) structure vs unlimited Epic.

https://www.summitdaily.com/news/ar...-visits-are-down-35-after-ditching-epic-pass/

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[jimmywilson69]

Here is a direct Link to Al's blog at ABasin. Very informative.

http://arapahoebasin.blogspot.com/2020/03/state-of-basin-numbers-and-comments.html

 

[abc]

Great article here on A-Basin and how its jump from unlimited Epic to partner Ikon has changed its skier days make-up. Sounds like they have really seen a reduction in skier days using Ikon 7/5(with blackout) structure vs unlimited Epic.

https://www.summitdaily.com/news/ar...-visits-are-down-35-after-ditching-epic-pass/

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Does that means Sugarbush will see the exact opposite when it goes to unlimited next year?

 

[Edd]

Does that means Sugarbush will see the exact opposite when it goes to unlimited next year?

Well, Sugarbush will be unlimited so I highly doubt that will be the result.

Edit: Read your post wrong, I think. Yeah, of course they’ll get slammed.

 

[JimG.]

Megapasses rock!

 

[ScottySkis]

Megapasses rock!

Lol

 

[WinS]

Does that means Sugarbush will see the exact opposite when it goes to unlimited next year?

I do not think any of us yet fully understands what is occurring as more people buy a multi-resort pass instead of day tickets. We have been seeing a decline in the number of people walking up to the window and buying a ticket and a growing number of people buying passes. This has been a trend for awhile even before Ikon was introduced here. So does that cause more crowding? We will see.

 

[bdfreetuna]

I do not think any of us yet fully understands what is occurring as more people buy a multi-resort pass instead of day tickets. We have been seeing a decline in the number of people walking up to the window and buying a ticket and a growing number of people buying passes. This has been a trend for awhile even before Ikon was introduced here.

Wonder if $139 window rate has anything to do with that lol

 

[hovercraft]

I do not think any of us yet fully understands what is occurring as more people buy a multi-resort pass instead of day tickets. We have been seeing a decline in the number of people walking up to the window and buying a ticket and a growing number of people buying passes. This has been a trend for awhile even before Ikon was introduced here. So does that cause more crowding? We will see.

What’s so hard to understand? Raise the day rates, lower the season pass by 30% conservatively. The pass can be used at 30 plus other mountains and people are surprised that the mountain gets more visits. Doesn’t take a genius to figure that out.... SB will be more crowed just like all the other mountains that are in the Epic or Ikon systems. Let’s get real here. It’s part of the new price of admission!

 

[BenedictGomez]

a growing number of people buying passes.....does that cause more crowding?

Yes.

 

[BenedictGomez]

SB will be more crowed just like all the other mountains that are in the Epic or Ikon systems. Let’s get real here.

SB will actually be worse. As you're alluding to, we have enough data now already to understand how this works.

I'm coining a new term here, the "Sacrificial Mountain", which are the unlimited IKON & EPIC hills. They're necessary to "move" IKON pass sales, and those are the places that get jammed to the rafters.

Examples of core IKON geographical "Sacrificial Mountains" are: Copper, Mammoth, Solitude, Sugarbush, etc..

 

[abc]

Except I haven’t heard too much grumbling at Copper nor Mammoth.