Edd
Well-known member
On the plus side I just easily cancelled a reservation for Cat and replaced it with Sunapee.
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VAIL SUCKS
- Thread starter thebigo
- Start date
thebigo
Well-known member
I have found the reservation system surprisingly efficient. There is not a single sold out date in NH. I ski everyday and have been jockeying mountains for my family of four with no issues. I suspect NH crowded is different from vail crowded.
Attitash today was good, the staff was more pleasant than I recollect, felt like a well run operation.
One complaint is that they really need to get some beginner terrain open. Upper illusion was bumped up shortly after open and not appropriate for beginners or low level intermediate. To my eye, the beginner area on the attitash side appeared to have enough snow. There were actually people bear hugging their children through the bumps on the top of illusion, not to mention kids snowplowing the bumps. One thought today was that a fixed grip quad, opposite the bear quad, on the bottom of illusion would solve a bunch of problems.
Attitash today was good, the staff was more pleasant than I recollect, felt like a well run operation.
One complaint is that they really need to get some beginner terrain open. Upper illusion was bumped up shortly after open and not appropriate for beginners or low level intermediate. To my eye, the beginner area on the attitash side appeared to have enough snow. There were actually people bear hugging their children through the bumps on the top of illusion, not to mention kids snowplowing the bumps. One thought today was that a fixed grip quad, opposite the bear quad, on the bottom of illusion would solve a bunch of problems.
abc
Well-known member
It's still early season here in the east. The first couple of weeks in Colorado wasn't bad either. But now, it's starting to get a bit tight there.
It'll be interesting to see how the Christmas-New Year will be like.
machski
Well-known member
Colorado is getting snow this weekend. Tried getting into Eagle yesterday, no luck after an approach, hold for 30 mins then a second. Diverted to DEN. Only issue is it was snowing good in Denver too. So if that causes powder fever like it does when it snows in the cities in the East, good luck with the reservations.
abc
Well-known member
This is going to put another monkey wrench to the storm chasers too.
If the traffic and road condition prevents one reaching the mountain originally "reserved", changing plans to hit another mountain may not be an option.
(though on the plus side, it will prevents the herd from diverting to A-basin when they found tunnel closed. Good for AB pass holders)
If the traffic and road condition prevents one reaching the mountain originally "reserved", changing plans to hit another mountain may not be an option.
(though on the plus side, it will prevents the herd from diverting to A-basin when they found tunnel closed. Good for AB pass holders)
More Vail sucks info: Lift 11 was down for a while at Mount Snow yesterday, causing big lines for Lift 17. When will Vail realize that the unreliability of this lift will lead to massive crowding at the base, which in other times, is already a pretty big problem. Now even more so.
jimmywilson69
Well-known member
I might have some insight on why communications suck so bad via snow report, social media, etc in the east. my buddies friend was just hired as the "senior Manager of Communications and Marking for Mid-Atlantic and Hunter Mountain". Perhaps they hadn't filled this positions for the VT/NH region yet either.
I found this strange for 2 reasons. 1) why didn't they hire this position in June or even last year 2) this guy used to work for Troegs brewery as their head marketing guy. He's an avid skier, so as he told my buddy this a dream job, but you've got to think there were other people in vail or peaks or even in the industry that could've been a better "industry" fit. I don't know this dude's resume so who knows. Maybe Vail didn't want someone from the industry for a "fresh look"
Hopefully it works out for him, as the position he left at Troegs was a good one they are a great employer.
I should kindly ask him to check this thread out to try to backdoor some improvements in communications from Vail! LOL
I found this strange for 2 reasons. 1) why didn't they hire this position in June or even last year 2) this guy used to work for Troegs brewery as their head marketing guy. He's an avid skier, so as he told my buddy this a dream job, but you've got to think there were other people in vail or peaks or even in the industry that could've been a better "industry" fit. I don't know this dude's resume so who knows. Maybe Vail didn't want someone from the industry for a "fresh look"
Hopefully it works out for him, as the position he left at Troegs was a good one they are a great employer.
I should kindly ask him to check this thread out to try to backdoor some improvements in communications from Vail! LOL
Vail just did a re-org of their marketing department in the Fall. So I'd suspect this position may not have even existed in June or last year.
Vail Resorts Cuts More Marketing Jobs, Reorganizes - Ski Area Management
SAM Magazine—Broomfield, Colo., Oct. 1, 2020—Vail Resorts underwent what it called “the final step of a restructuring of our marketing organization.” The move cut existing in-resort marketing teams across the company’s 34 North American resorts, and created new teams and responsibilities...
Not sure if this is exactly the spot you're referring to, but there used to be one of those crappy 90s (pre-magic carpet) era handle tows in the spot you may be describing (lift 12s - where the mini terrain park is today). I recall that thing opening twice at most during the time it was there. It started above is the crossover from Bearfoot, so it was essentially impossible to get to for a beginner without braving a ride up the Kachina Triple first.
If there were a place to start a lift near the base that runs to where moonbeam cuts over to Avenger (or a bit lower), that would probably be the best place for a beginner lift of decent length on the resort layout. The problem is trying to find a place to put the bottom terminal between the Kachina Triple and Flying Bear.
Good to hear you've been able to get out without much issue.
jimmywilson69
Well-known member
ok that makes more sense then.
jimmywilson69
Well-known member
Well Vail is SCREWING us in central PA. They had a tentative opening date of 12/11. Ma nature was not kind and there wasn't enough cold to blow enough snow. With the cold this week, and the impending storm there would be more than enough snow to open damn near the entire mountain on Friday the 18th. I've heard from current employees that they will not be opening because they didn't hire enough people early enough to "ensure proper operation". This even as people were volunteering to work multiple shifts this weekend to get open. There was initially a date of 12/22 thrown around, but management has since reneged and isn't commiting to a date.
This is completely unacceptable. We are about to receive a snow storm that will drop at a minimum of 12+ across the region and they aren't going to be able to open. We'll likely get more snow in this storm than combined with the last 2 winters.
They have absolutely no idea how to run eastern resorts or understand the eastern ski culture. I honestly don't understand how they could be so inept.
This is completely unacceptable. We are about to receive a snow storm that will drop at a minimum of 12+ across the region and they aren't going to be able to open. We'll likely get more snow in this storm than combined with the last 2 winters.
They have absolutely no idea how to run eastern resorts or understand the eastern ski culture. I honestly don't understand how they could be so inept.
kingslug
Well-known member
Mega Corp VS private owned. They just don't care.
jimmywilson69
Well-known member
its obvious they don't care. I actually know several people who asked for refunds. People can't or aren't willing to travel this year so they should be trying to open areas as soon as they can so that they can generate as much revenue as they can. with a storm like this reservations would've been sold out all weekend. Likely with lots of day tickets. Now they've lost that revenue because they couldn't hire people quick enough? You'd think that would be obvious to the morons in Colorado who only really see $$$$.
They were supposed to try for the 11th the staff should've been in place by the 4th at the latest... total amateur hour...
They were supposed to try for the 11th the staff should've been in place by the 4th at the latest... total amateur hour...
kingslug
Well-known member
And considering what Covid has done to employment.. How hard can it be to find people who need jobs.
VAIL=FAIL
VAIL=FAIL
mbedle
Well-known member
I am pretty sure I read on the lift and trail report that it was down on purpose to allow for some snowmaking.
jimmywilson69
Well-known member
I'm totally trapped too... I live 5 miles from my local hill. So the convenience factor is high. I drove 2 hours 1 way to Jack Frost last weekend and was like this blows....
It's not the greatest skiing but its by far the closest skiing
It's not the greatest skiing but its by far the closest skiing
No, my post was from Sunday. It was clearly down due to a malfunction. I was there, in the lift line, when they shut it down for repair. Just to add further, it was down again today, Tuesday, for additional repair for about an hour. It's basically held together by duct tape and makeshift parts at this point.
Plenty of people need jobs, but with the extra unemploymet people were getting, there wasn't much incentive to go out and get a minimum wage paying job when you can just sit at home and collect unemployment. and in many cases make the same or more than if you were working. This was a huge problem accross the board in all industries. That at least for now is coming to an end.
Vail in previous years also relied heavily on Internationals to staff their resorts, but with there being a ban on H1/H2b workers through the end of the year, they were unable to hire any of these people
Don't forget Gov. Wolf, he's not helping. Did anyone notice that PANdemic and PANic start with the same three letters?
Pan, Panama, Panorama, Pancreas, Pandora, Panacea, Pants...lots of words start with the same 3 letters...
