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The ALTERRA SUCKS Thread

cdskier

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I think that the other rub is that for a long time folks have complained about crowding issues and Alterra's response is to monetize the solution to its advantage (like POWDR did).

Interesting note that I saw added to Sugarbush's Reserve pass page...they will be donating a portion of the proceeds from sale of Reserve Passes to the Mad River Valley Community Fund. Any other Alterra resorts donating a portion of the proceeds from this new add-on?
 

thetrailboss

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Interesting note that I saw added to Sugarbush's Reserve pass page...they will be donating a portion of the proceeds from sale of Reserve Passes to the Mad River Valley Community Fund. Any other Alterra resorts donating a portion of the proceeds from this new add-on?
Once again, a quiet "change" to a program that was rolled out at the last minute. And I would take that promise with a grain of salt. Alterra got flak a few years back for the parking reservation charges it rolled out at Solitude. Overnight Solitude suddenly said that it would "donate" some of the parking fees to clean air initiatives.

Fast forward two years later. I am riding up Milly at Brighton in May 2023. I start talking with a local who identified herself as a former administrator at Solitude. I asked her about this generous donation program.

"Do you know how much Solitude donated of its parking fees?"
"How much?"
"Not even a cent."

So I imagine that this promise is just a move to try to quiet the masses and that little if any of the proceeds go to the non-profit. Besides, who manages that Community Fund? Alterra?
 

urungus

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Interesting note that I saw added to Sugarbush's Reserve pass page...they will be donating a portion of the proceeds from sale of Reserve Passes to the Mad River Valley Community Fund. Any other Alterra resorts donating a portion of the proceeds from this new add-on?
I’ll bet that “portion” is exceedingly small
 

cdskier

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So I imagine that this promise is just a move to try to quiet the masses and that little if any of the proceeds go to the non-profit. Besides, who manages that Community Fund? Alterra?

Umm...the fund has been around since 1989...long before Alterra - https://mrvcommunityfund.org/ They have nothing to do with managing it.

But I do agree the percentage donated will likely be small.

I’ll bet that “portion” is exceedingly small

That's my expectation as well.
 

Smellytele

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Once again, a quiet "change" to a program that was rolled out at the last minute. And I would take that promise with a grain of salt. Alterra got flak a few years back for the parking reservation charges it rolled out at Solitude. Overnight Solitude suddenly said that it would "donate" some of the parking fees to clean air initiatives.

Fast forward two years later. I am riding up Milly at Brighton in May 2023. I start talking with a local who identified herself as a former administrator at Solitude. I asked her about this generous donation program.

"Do you know how much Solitude donated of its parking fees?"
"How much?"
"Not even a cent."

So I imagine that this promise is just a move to try to quiet the masses and that little if any of the proceeds go to the non-profit. Besides, who manages that Community Fund? Alterra?
It's like George Costanza's Human Fund!
 

x10003q

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I'm not really following you. I think that Edd's point (devaluing the season pass) is a bigger issue.
I do not think it devalues the other passes. They will never sell enough of the speed passes to effect the rest of us even during the few hours per week when the ability to jump the line matters.

Due to circumstances beyond my control, I have been a weekend warrior at Stratton for about the last 10 years and there has always been
a speed pass line. If the snow conditions are decent and the weather is decent, the painful lift line times on a weekend are approx Sat, 10a-1145a, 1p-230p, and sometimes Sunday, 10a-11a although that is not as common as the Saturday crowds. On Sunday the mountain clears out at noon. Painful means 10plus minutes. That is roughly the only time the speed pass has real value. The lines on holidays lately lean towards less than the weekends because there are no IKON base pass users on the mountain. If conditions on a Saturday are some mix of icy trails/temps single digits/big wind/early season lack of trails then the lines never go beyond 5-7 minutes.

A handful of speed pass users filling out a HSQ or HS6 like a singles line does really does nothing to eff up the line. When we are waiting, we might see 2 -6 people use the speed pass line, but it is more common not to see anybody using the speed pass line. It is like the ski patrol - you see them skiing, but how often do you see them getting on the lift?
 

thetrailboss

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Umm...the fund has been around since 1989...long before Alterra - https://mrvcommunityfund.org/ They have nothing to do with managing it.

But I do agree the percentage donated will likely be small.
OK. Good. I thought it was an independent fund that preexisted Alterra. If anyone knows someone there, it would be interesting to see if any donation is made that is directly tied to this promise. Methinks not. I expect that the mountain already makes a general contribution.
 
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