The ALTERRA SUCKS Thread

[djd66]

I’m skiing at snowmass on my ikon pass right now. To me, this has been a huge benefit of the mega passes. I have zero issues with ikon.

im sure there will be people that disagree, but reading through this thread, it seems like people are complaining just to complain. All you can come up with is an article about patrollers looking to unionize? Trust me, if any ski area employees Unionized- it will not improve your experience as a paying customer.

 

[djd66]

As a killington passholder I hate the crowds that ikon brings in. They should have a reservation system to limit how many ikons can show up.

Was killington less crowded before Ikon?

 

[letitsnow1]

Was killington less crowded before Ikon?

There were always busy days but every weekend wasn't a shitshow. Now the blackout days are the only days without huge crowds

 

[letitsnow1]

I can't remember any days before ikon with cars parked down to the lookout tavern

 

[AdironRider]

The idea that Killington wasn’t crowded before Ikon is pretty laughable. Like all that stuff on the access road just sat unused for ages previously.

 

[kingslug]

Epic has made my life better. I mainly ski at Stowe and Park city now.
Ikon ruined LCC and BCC as getting to them is a nightmare. I haven't been to those canyons in years. Park city is easy to get to.
Only thing Ikon did for me that is a plus is unlimited sugarbush access.
Now if Ikon didn't exist, I would have just bought a sugarbush pass. And never stopped going to alta/bird and solitude.

 

[urungus]

As a killington passholder I hate the crowds that ikon brings in. They should have a reservation system to limit how many ikons can show up.

Killington/Pico already has a system to limit how many IKONs show up - IKON passholders are limited to 5 days (base / base+) or 7 days (full), spread out over the longest season in the East. I’m not convinced you would see much difference if that handful of days had to be reserved in advance.

 

[jaytrem]

Not convinced Ikon is the Utah problem...

 

[NYDB]

It’s the funniest thing ever. East coasters moving to UT and complaining about crowding.

ummm………….

 

[AdironRider]

SLC has gained almost 500k in population over the timeframe Benedict references, which is over 50% overall growth in 30 years. I'm sure hardly any of them ski....

 

[kingslug]

The traffic is insane!

 

[thetrailboss]

Also, ops of individual areas within the mega-passes, (IMO) are more due to the quality of local management rather than corporate headquarters.

Maybe be so with Alterra but not Vail. (IMO)

Ask the former CEO of Deer Valley about local management of Alterra areas. In 2021 or so, he began to respond homeowner/passholder complaints about crowding due to IKON. He began publicly commenting to local news outlets about completely getting off of the IKON pass. Literally on the eve of the start of the ski season he disappeared. DVR did not have a CEO for a good portion of that season. Coincidence I think not.

Another example is Solitude management commenting about the terrain park and saying that they had to ask Alterra for permission before building one. I guess there might be liability concerns, but that does not seem like "local management" has as much discretion as folks here think.

 

[thetrailboss]

I have no issues with Alterra. They are about to upgrade lifts that financially would not be possible before. They are also going to eventually upgrade snowmaking. I also get to ski all over on my pass.

It's not exactly the same but I guess trade offs are needed for now. And eventually, like all other dynastys, they will fall and we will have all new infrastructure to thank they for and go back to the old ways.

You have to play the long game.

Like Hawk, I really have no complaints at this point. I have no major issues with anything they've done at Sugarbush so far. Sorry to disappoint you TB!

Just wait.......

 

[crystalmountainskier]

Such a shame that a brand new ski resort just opened 30 minutes from Salt Lake with 5 lifts and 3,600 vertical that is open to...75 families.

 

[thetrailboss]

Such a shame that a brand new ski resort just opened 30 minutes from Salt Lake with 5 lifts and 3,600 vertical that is open to...75 families.

I believe that Rio Tinto/Kennecott has expressed interest in building a ski resort on the west side of the SL Valley in the Oquirrh Mountains.

 

[Hawk]

Just wait.......

Your just pissed that you relocated and so did the rest of the east to Utah. Your crowding is a combination of many things including general popularity, ease of access, not to mention remote and work from home policies. IKON is just the scape goat.

 

[Hawk]

Epic has made my life better. I mainly ski at Stowe and Park city now.
Ikon ruined LCC and BCC as getting to them is a nightmare. I haven't been to those canyons in years. Park city is easy to get to.
Only thing Ikon did for me that is a plus is unlimited sugarbush access.
Now if Ikon didn't exist, I would have just bought a sugarbush pass. And never stopped going to alta/bird and solitude.

Says the retired guy with both passes that can ski anywhere all the time. I say you should have no gripes about anything. I wouldn't LOL

Ski on.

 

[Newpylong]

I have no skin in the game but I think it's important to realize that typically one has to pick their poison:

-low key mountain without crowding but aging infrastructure
-busy mountain with the traffic to support a revenue stream for the owners to spend $

Vail is doing to many of its Eastern properties what Peak Resorts could not achieve due to Epic and economies of scale.

Hard to have it both ways, unless your lucky enough to call a mountain home that has been able to successfully navigate the uncertainties of operating a ski area while making capital improvements AND maintaining the experience ie the Ragged's, Pat's Peaks, etc. Not many have been able to do that.

 

[thetrailboss]

Your just pissed that you relocated and so did the rest of the east to Utah. Your crowding is a combination of many things including general popularity, ease of access, not to mention remote and work from home policies. IKON is just the scape goat.

IKON became a major issue here in 2018-2019 before COVID.

And, as I said, we shall see what happens at Sugarbush for you.

 

[thetrailboss]

Vail is doing to many of its Eastern properties what Peak Resorts could not achieve due to Epic and economies of scale.

So you think that Vail is doing well at these resorts? You'd better not go on the VAIL SUCKS thread.