VAIL SUCKS

[MadKitty]

So every year are Fails western resorts going to get the early season snow making then the move east when they aren't needed any more out west?

You may have a future in the c-suite!

 

[Kingslug20]

Welcome to the twilight zone..

 

[jimmywilson69]

Denver Post wants to hear about your Vail experiences

Amid rising customer complaints, The Denver Post wants to hear about your experience at Vail Resorts this season

The Denver Post wants to hear what your experience has been at Vail Resorts locations so far this season.

www.denverpost.com

 

[deadheadskier]

Several snowmakers from crested butte were at wildcat today. Word is they will be here for about a week. I miss only having to share employees with Attitash.

How long until all Vail's snowmakers are J1 slaves they rotate around they country?

Wonder if the Wildcat GM pressured Vail corporate for this. He was at CB last year. Maybe had some friends still at CB and gauged interest to see if it was a possibility

 

[ericfromMA/NH/VT]

i went to waterville for the first time a few weeks ago and my gps was set to waterville valley town, not the resort, and i wound up in a fairly massive 'town' with a shopping center and a shit ton of condos. looked like a major boston area family vacation destination to me. moreso than anywhere else i've visited in nh. i haven't ever been to bretton or attitash but i've skied the other big places a bit (cannon, loon, wildcat)

yeah that pretty much nails it. fun place though IMO. I get there once a year.

 

[ericfromMA/NH/VT]

You shouldn't be. Waterville peaked in the 80s and rested on their laurels until about 5 years ago when they added Green Peak and kinda half assed it. They opened a terrain pod that added 30% more terrain, BUT they only moved over a 30 year old triple chair to service the new terrain. Had they added a High Speed Quad, it would have really been a a big change to the skiing experience. Virtually all of the ski areas in NH have invested more in improvements and expansion than Waterville has since the 80s

yeah, they f'd that up good...that lift is sloooooooooooooooooow. If I try to ride it more than twice with my kids I get open rebellion. Some of the terrain over there is very fun though. mellow blues to steep. A quad was the way to go.

 

[kendo]

Wonder if the Wildcat GM pressured Vail corporate for this. He was at CB last year. Maybe had some friends still at CB and gauged interest to see if it was a possibility

Yep. Vail's VP and COO Eastern Region (grand poobah for our area) was most recently VP & COO at Crested Butte from 9/18 to 5/21.

On Stuart's podcast he mentioned he grew up in West Texas and previous worked at Beaver Creek. Perfect foundation for understanding the nuances of Eastern operations.

Podcast #60: Vail Resorts Eastern Region VP & COO Tim Baker

"We view the Eastern region as a really critical element of the future success of our company."

www.stormskiing.com

 

[2Planker]

Yep. Vail's VP and COO Eastern Region (grand poobah for our area) was most recently VP & COO at Crested Butte from 9/18 to 5/21.

On Stuart's podcast he mentioned he grew up in West Texas and previous worked at Beaver Creek. Perfect foundation for understanding the nuances of Eastern operations.

Podcast #60: Vail Resorts Eastern Region VP & COO Tim Baker

"We view the Eastern region as a really critical element of the future success of our company."

www.stormskiing.com

Look at the guys they chased away (B. Heon, Jonsey) and how good their resorts are doing so far this year...

We've actually enjoyed hitting King Pine, Black and Shawnee. Hadn't been in almost 10 years.
There's a lot to be said for friendly employees who are trying to make sure you have a good expeience.

 

[deadheadskier]

Yep. Vail's VP and COO Eastern Region (grand poobah for our area) was most recently VP & COO at Crested Butte from 9/18 to 5/21.

On Stuart's podcast he mentioned he grew up in West Texas and previous worked at Beaver Creek. Perfect foundation for understanding the nuances of Eastern operations.

Podcast #60: Vail Resorts Eastern Region VP & COO Tim Baker

"We view the Eastern region as a really critical element of the future success of our company."

www.stormskiing.com

Different guy, JD Crichton is who I'm thinking of. He was also at CB last year as F&B Director. He's originally from Maine, so he knows how vital snowmaking is here in the East. So having Stuart as his boss probably helped some.

If I were JD, I'd be inquiring with Boyne about Shawnee management positions after this year's disaster

 

[deadheadskier]

So about Heavenly lending staff elsewhere

Worth The Wait? | "Let's wait it out, I brought the winter tent." #LineToTheSendDome 👉(www.jerryoftheday.net)👈 | By Jerry of the Day | Facebook

"Let's wait it out, I brought the winter tent." #LineToTheSendDome 👉(www.jerryoftheday.net)👈

fb.watch

 

[IceEidolon]

What's the earliest they can get support crews from a western resort out here, mid December if things are going well and they can reduce their ops tempo? Where are they gonna house thermite people? What does that mean for ice, rain, and melt recovery times at midsize and smaller properties?

 

[abc]

Vail down to $279.16. Good work guys!

You should have waited till the end of day...

 

[abc]

What's the earliest they can get support crews from a western resort out here, mid December if things are going well and they can reduce their ops tempo? Where are they gonna house thermite people? What does that mean for ice, rain, and melt recovery times at midsize and smaller properties?

Much more importantly, if you were a ski bum who makes snow at CB, would you like to be flown "out east" for a few weeks in the prime of your home mountain's prime season?

Or Would you quit and go work for another mountain that doesn't "rotate" you to the ice coast?

 

[drjeff]

Much more importantly, if you were a ski bum who makes snow at CB, would you like to be flown "out east" for a few weeks in the prime of your home mountain's prime season?

Or Would you quit and go work for another mountain that doesn't "rotate" you to the ice coast?

Given that out West a snowmakers season tends to end a good month or so sooner most seasons than it does for an Eastern (or even Midwest) snowmaker, who knows?

If these rumors/reports are true, then these folks coming East, if they're not already full time Vail Resort mtn ops employees (and some may very well be just that) then they're adding to their income, probably also getting however many weeks of free lodging and some other types of stipends, and getting to do what so many of them enjoy on a level that many who haven't done it themselves can't fully grasp, which is being outside on a mountain making snow.

 

[thetrailboss]

Well, the New England Ski Museum decided to give Wildcat some much needed love.

 

[abc]

Given that out West a snowmakers season tends to end a good month or so sooner most seasons than it does for an Eastern (or even Midwest) snowmaker, who knows?

If these rumors/reports are true, then these folks coming East, if they're not already full time Vail Resort mtn ops employees (and some may very well be just that) then they're adding to their income, probably also getting however many weeks of free lodging and some other types of stipends, and getting to do what so many of them enjoy on a level that many who haven't done it themselves can't fully grasp, which is being outside on a mountain making snow.

You're assuming those people care more about making snow, but not so much about skiing it?

Besides, what rumor did you hear about extra pay?

 

[deadheadskier]

You're assuming those people care more about making snow, but not so much about skiing it?

Besides, what rumor did you hear about extra pay?

Ever get to know any snowmakers? A lot of them are super into it. Many don't even ski at all. It's not inconceivable Vail gave some of these folks a choice of a nice package to head East for a few weeks or stay and do some other mountain ops job like bumping chairs or parking cars that they have zero interest in.

 

[jimmywilson69]

How do we know they are sending snow makers? Obviously the position of need, but maybe they're sending others to free up the "home" snow making staff that might be working other positions.

 

[drjeff]

You're assuming those people care more about making snow, but not so much about skiing it?

Besides, what rumor did you hear about extra pay?

By extra pay, I was referring to working a longer season, not more per hour.

As I said, most Western snowmaking crews are already done for the season. As DHS said in his post, many of them, if they are still on Vail's payroll, may be doing other jobs such as bumping chairs or scanning passes or running parking lots.

By potentially coming East to make snow for a few weeks, that may very well be far more enticing than bumping chairs, etc. For many a snowmaker it's a true passion that they have, and not just a job. I understand that that might be a tough thing for some people to grasp. I am sure that there are a few people who have chimed in on this thread who could speak to this far better than I can

 

[MogulMonsters]

How do we know they are sending snow makers? Obviously the position of need, but maybe they're sending others to free up the "home" snow making staff that might be working other positions.

Rumors were in fact very true! This morning's snow report from Attitash:

Snow & Weather Report | Attitash Mountain Resort

www.attitash.com

On this lovely Tuesday, January 25th, 2022, four lifts will operate from 09:00 AM – 4:00 PM, Summit Triple, Learning Center, Snowbelt, and the Flying Bear.



We received a couple of inches overnight. Today, expect the weather to be much warmer than it has been, with temps getting up to 29 degrees in the base areas by 3 PM and snow showers with less than an inch of accumulation.



Bear Peak will have Avenger and Upper Kachina open with natural snow and no grooming. Attitash Peak will have Carrigan, Turkey Chute, Middle Highway, and White Horse open with natural snow and no grooming. If you choose to enjoy these trails, plan on expert snow sliding with early seasons conditions.



We have no race training anywhere today, and we’ve groomed all trails with people-made snow.



Snowmaking is working on Lower Saco/Ammo, Grandstand/Lower Moat, and moving off Trillium/Moonbeam to Wandering Skis. Thanks to our sister resorts, Heavenly, Vail, Crested Butte, and Northstar, we can run all three systems, sending snowmakers to support our team. If you see jackets from other resorts today, give them a high-five!

We should have a new mantra. See a snowmaker? Bring em' a beer and say THANK YOU!