The Industry View on Spring Skiing

[deadheadskier]

There's no school June, July, and August, and there's school in September. That's a big factor as well.

You're missing my point.

School factors in very little in my point. School goes to about the 20th of June in New England before letting out for summer. However, what I said was WEEKENDS get very busy in June on the Cape. School doesn't factor into weekends in June, just like it doesn't factor into weekends in September (outside of kids sporting events for both periods).

July and August was never brought up and are irrelevant to my point.

June on Cape Cod is like November and December skiing in New England. The conditions really aren't that good, but it gets super busy and towards the end of June on the beach or December in the mountains, resorts charge HUGE money.

September on Cape Cod is like March / April in the mountains. The beach conditions are incredible in comparison to June, prices are way more affordable, but no one goes.

September weekends should be WAY busier on the Cape than they are in June, but that's just not the case. April weekends in ski country should be WAY busier than December. In both cases they aren't because people have moved on from those seasons.

 

[Jully]

I still don't understand why ski areas close mid-week during April school vacation. Seriously blows my mind.


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I've gone with family during April school vacation in MA before. The last time I went with a group for a few days in northern NH, I loved it, but there were no crowds at all. However, the people I was with thought the skiing was awful. They couldn't stand the spring conditions. The family market targeted during school vacation weeks just isn't going to enjoy spring conditions near the end of April and aren't going to go skiing.

 

[Jully]

You're missing my point.

School factors in very little in my point. School goes to about the 20th of June in New England before letting out for summer. However, what I said was WEEKENDS get very busy in June on the Cape. School doesn't factor into weekends in June, just like it doesn't factor into weekends in September (outside of kids sporting events for both periods).

July and August was never brought up and are irrelevant to my point.

June on Cape Cod is like November and December skiing in New England. The conditions really aren't that good, but it gets super busy and towards the end of June on the beach or December in the mountains, resorts charge HUGE money.

September on Cape Cod is like March / April in the mountains. The beach conditions are incredible in comparison to June, prices are way more affordable, but no one goes.

September weekends should be WAY busier on the Cape than they are in June, but that's just not the case. April weekends in ski country should be WAY busier than December. In both cases they aren't because people have moved on from those seasons.

I don't think, unless we've gotten a massive dump in early December, that mid to early December weekends actually get that busy. School vacation week is a completely different story, but many resorts have something between 1/4 and 1/2 of their terrain open in early December and don't get 100% open until mid-late January. That's around when Attitash and Wildcat were 100% this year.

I can't necessarily speak to mid December crowds at So. VT places like Mt. Snow, Stratton, or even K, but at least in NH and Maine crowds don't show up until Christmas unless its a killer snow year in the flatlands.

 

[Edd]

September on Cape Cod is like March / April in the mountains. The beach conditions are incredible in comparison to June, prices are way more affordable, but no one goes.

September weekends should be WAY busier on the Cape than they are in June, but that's just not the case. April weekends in ski country should be WAY busier than December. In both cases they aren't because people have moved on from those seasons.

Crazy. My skiing cranks up during Mar and April. I've stayed at the Cape in September with great success and we already have places reserved there in September coming up.

 

[Smellytele]

Crazy. My skiing cranks up during Mar and April. I've stayed at the Cape in September with great success and we already have places reserved there in September coming up.

Love the Cape in September. As noted - crowds are gone and it is still warm and sunny.

 

[witch hobble]

I think that's more the reality than a view.

Some might call it dharma.

 

[VTKilarney]

Love the Cape in September. As noted - crowds are gone and it is still warm and sunny.

Before we had children we would always take a vacation during the first week in September. It was the best week ever to avoid crowds. One year we went to Yellowstone National Park and felt like we had the place to ourselves.

 

[crank]

The cape in September in comparison to ski country in April does not work for me. I am just not that into spring skiing. The cape in September is still warm and sunny and the water is basically the same temps as August. The snow is the thing. Plus, this year aside, it just does not feel like winter up north in April. September on the beach is awesome. I usually take a 2 week sailing trip up to Block Island starting in early September in order to avoid crowds.

 

[hammer]

Is the cape always warm in September? To me it is analogous to March...while March can be cold (like this year) there is always a chance that it can warm up. Likewise, while September weather can be summer-like, with the lower sun angle there is a real chance that the weather will be too cool for typical summer activities.

When growing up on the Jersey Shore where September is more reliably warm, even though the tourists left after Labor Day, we were usually ready to move on to other things and really didn't bother going to the beach anymore.

 

[joshua segal]

It appears that a lot of areas are extending their seasons. It's being done ad hoc with not a lot of planning and minimal advertising. I worry that the operators will look at the crowd (or absence thereof) and erroneously conclude that it was a failed experiment.

Crotched Mountain just announced that they changed their plans for this weekend!

They will be open both days 9-5 pm with $29 lift tickets and Easter Sunday, Kids 18 and under a youth pay their age for a lift ticket.

If you live in the greater Boston area, let management know that you support spring skiing. Who knows? If enough people turn out, maybe something will happen on the weekend of April 11-12.

 

[prsboogie]

^^^ be there on Saturday for sure, gotta pick up next years season passes!!

 

[xwhaler]

If Crotched were to open Sunday 4/12 that would get strong consideration from me. Don't want to travel too far as final round of the Masters is must see tv that afternoon!

 

[Quietman]

I
Crotched Mountain just announced that they changed their plans for this weekend!

They will be open both days 9-5 pm with $29 lift tickets and Easter Sunday, Kids 18 and under a youth pay their age for a lift ticket.

If you live in the greater Boston area, let management know that you support spring skiing. Who knows? If enough people turn out, maybe something will happen on the weekend of April 11-12.

$29 tickets are listed as online specials, don't know about window pricing.

 

[WWF-VT]

If Crotched were to open Sunday 4/12 that would get strong consideration from me. Don't want to travel too far as final round of the Masters is must see tv that afternoon!

Final round of the Masters is must see TV ? Don't complain when mountains close in the spring when watching golf takes priority over a day of skiing.

 

[ss20]

Final round of the Masters is must see TV ? Don't complain when mountains close in the spring when watching golf takes priority over a day of skiing.

Ehhhh... I must admit I went home early from the slopes one day this year to watch the Daytona 500.

 

[Savemeasammy]

Final round of the Masters is must see TV ? Don't complain when mountains close in the spring when watching golf takes priority over a day of skiing.

Sounds to me like he wants to ski and THEN watch golf. Nothing wrong with that.


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[xwhaler]

Sounds to me like he wants to ski and THEN watch golf. Nothing wrong with that.


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Bingo! I'm a golf fan and casually tune in to every tournament's final round throughout the PGA season...usually just as background noise though.
However the Masters is incredible theater....the course is spectacular on TV, it can play to young bombers or older guys (Fred Couples in the hunt last yr), and the leaderboard is usually pretty bunched at the end which makes it exciting.
I try and watch as much of it as I can that wknd.

Now, that being said I fully plan on skiing...my point was that I'm not going to drive 3 hrs each way for 4 hrs of skiing. Crotched is 1 hr from home so if I can get there for 1st chair I can easily get a ton of skiing in and be home to watch the full final round of the Masters.

 

[catsup948]

The Masters is great in HD! I'll be at Jay Peak that weekend which will look the complete opposite of Augusta, Georgia! :razz:

 

[MEtoVTSkier]

Who watches live TV? DVR and no commercials...

 

[VTKilarney]

Who watches live TV? DVR and no commercials...

Very true, although the Masters coverage has limited commercials.