VAIL SUCKS

[deadheadskier]

So let me ask you this: I know that Crotched is relatively easy for you, but why not drive to Sunapee? Too far for a day?

I'll be skiing Sunapee quite a bit this season starting Friday.

But there are a couple of reasons I'll likely be skiing Crotched more.

1. Parking. This is a big deal with young kids during normal times, but especially true this season. Almost all of Crotcheds parking is an easy walk to the lift. Vast majority of Sunapee parking requires a shuttle ride. No bueno when the car is your base lodge

2. Crotched is a better mountain for beginners. Hopefully by mid season my son progresses enough that this is less of an issue.

 

[Cobbold]

I'll be skiing Sunapee quite a bit this season starting Friday.

But there are a couple of reasons I'll likely be skiing Crotched more.

1. Parking. This is a big deal with young kids during normal times, but especially true this season. Almost all of Crotcheds parking is an easy walk to the lift. Vast majority of Sunapee parking requires a shuttle ride. No bueno when the car is your base lodge

2. Crotched is a better mountain for beginners. Hopefully by mid season my son progresses enough that this is less of an issue.

Ot, any one here ever ski stevens pass? Love the look of the place from their Mtn cams

 

[thetrailboss]

I'll be skiing Sunapee quite a bit this season starting Friday.

But there are a couple of reasons I'll likely be skiing Crotched more.

1. Parking. This is a big deal with young kids during normal times, but especially true this season. Almost all of Crotcheds parking is an easy walk to the lift. Vast majority of Sunapee parking requires a shuttle ride. No bueno when the car is your base lodge

2. Crotched is a better mountain for beginners. Hopefully by mid season my son progresses enough that this is less of an issue.

So I have not been to Crotched, but being a former Sunapee Passholder, I agree that the parking really sucks. I was only an hour or so away so early starts assured decent parking, but now with EPIC I imagine it is a different story.

 

[Cobbold]

So I have not been to Crotched, but being a former Sunapee Passholder, I agree that the parking really sucks. I was only an hour or so away so early starts assured decent parking, but now with EPIC I imagine it is a different story.

only been to Sunapee once but like the vibe, had a similar vibe like catamount. Never been to crotched but its on my bucket list

 

[eatskisleep]

Good find, looks like this dude is running wildcat. He has a doctor of law from Rutgers and was in charge of risk management for vail. We are screwed.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshua-klevans-a85bb982

Vail Resorts Names Four New Resort GMs - Ski Area Management

SAM Magazine—Broomfield, Colo., May 20, 2020—Four of Vail Resorts’ properties in the East and Midwest will have new general managers starting as soon as June 1. The new GMs are: Peter Disch, Mount Sunapee, N.H.; Josh Klevans, Wildcat, N.H.; Shannon Buhler, Snow Creek, Mo.; and Scott Leigh,...

www.saminfo.com

Risk management????? Probably won’t allow any rope ducking anymore at the Cat. Sad.

 

[Smellytele]

only been to Sunapee once but like the vibe, had a similar vibe like catamount. Never been to crotched but its on my bucket list

Not sure when you went to Sunapee but I haven’t liked the vibe since the state stopped running it. Overgroomed, slow to open trails even after a large dump and as others said parking now an issue.

 

[Cobbold]

Not sure when you went to Sunapee but I haven’t liked the vibe since the state stopped running it. Overgroomed, slow to open trails even after a large dump and as others said parking now an issue.

St Patrick’s day five years ago give or take a year or two, conditions great, tailgating in the parking lot, yeah it was a fun day

 

[Cobbold]

Risk management????? Probably won’t allow any rope ducking anymore at the Cat. Sad.

Feel bad for the dude, wonder if the powers to be in Broomfield co have it figured out yet?

 

[thetrailboss]

Not sure when you went to Sunapee but I haven’t liked the vibe since the state stopped running it. Overgroomed, slow to open trails even after a large dump and as others said parking now an issue.

I was there during the Mueller Reign. Definitely groomed A LOT and quite polished.

 

[Katahdin]

Apparently Vail doesn't know where Attitash, Crotched & Wildcat are. They are listed in the midwest on the buddy ticket page:

 

[cdskier]

Apparently Vail doesn't know where Attitash, Crotched & Wildcat are. They are listed in the midwest on the buddy ticket page:


View attachment 49913

There's a bunch of others on that list I wouldn't consider mid-west either (Jack Frost/Big Boulder is in the Poconos, and Liberty/Roundtop/Whitetail are in South-Central/South Eastern PA).

And even better, on another place on their own website they DO classify all those as part of their "Northeast" region:

 

[thebigo]

Got out to wildcat today for our 20th day of the season. Cannot believe first time back at the cat since opening day but vail has not given us much choice, Lynx still the only run open. Had to work in AM, we got there are around 1:00, parked in c lot and hopped the tomcat. Good to see the tomcat running, lynx was bulletproof on all but around 5 ft on one the side of the trail. We enjoyed several runs through the soft bumps on the side but there many people in way over their heads. Still cannot believe it is almost new years, feels more like veterans day at the cat; lynx was in much better shape when I skied it two years ago in October than today.

It would appear word has gotten out on the product they are offering. Quad was ski on all afternoon with chair in front and behind typically empty. There is still grass showing on upper polecat, appears they had a frozen pipe, about half a dozen snowmakers walking down the hill carrying propane cylinders and torch, banging the pipe with hammers.

They were blowing on the snowcat when we arrived, guns were off when we left. Drove by attitash on way home, massive line for the bear quad.

After a few runs on the lynx, daughter needed sugar. Went into lodge to buy one beer and hot chocolate. This is comparatively a small thing but only beer in the cooler was coors light and bud light, seriously? There are a bunch of great local beers, how about some moat or tuckermans in the cooler?

I know they like to get polecat open early for marketing reasons but it never seems to work out and takes a massive amount of snow. I would argue for something on the otherside after lynx: catapult, middle wildcat, bobcat would make sense.

 

[xlr8r]

I selfishly hope they keep delaying finishing South Peak. I love how simple of a base area it is right now. Park nice and close to the lift with no stairs or other bullshit to have to walk through. Nice basic "lodge" with all you need...cubbies, a bar, a cafeteria, and a ticket window. Then you have some of the best terrain at Loon all to yourself most days while people wait in 20 minute lines for the Gondy and Kanc after parking in the sometimes horror show of a main base area.

While,it's obviously in their best interest to get it completed, I'll enjoy each year that they don't get to it.

Got out to wildcat today for our 20th day of the season. Cannot believe first time back at the cat since opening day but vail has not given us much choice, Lynx still the only run open. Had to work in AM, we got there are around 1:00, parked in c lot and hopped the tomcat. Good to see the tomcat running, lynx was bulletproof on all but around 5 ft on one the side of the trail. We enjoyed several runs through the soft bumps on the side but there many people in way over their heads. Still cannot believe it is almost new years, feels more like veterans day at the cat; lynx was in much better shape when I skied it two years ago in October than today.

It would appear word has gotten out on the product they are offering. Quad was ski on all afternoon with chair in front and behind typically empty. There is still grass showing on upper polecat, appears they had a frozen pipe, about half a dozen snowmakers walking down the hill carrying propane cylinders and torch, banging the pipe with hammers.

They were blowing on the snowcat when we arrived, guns were off when we left. Drove by attitash on way home, massive line for the bear quad.

After a few runs on the lynx, daughter needed sugar. Went into lodge to buy one beer and hot chocolate. This is comparatively a small thing but only beer in the cooler was coors light and bud light, seriously? There are a bunch of great local beers, how about some moat or tuckermans in the cooler?

I know they like to get polecat open early for marketing reasons but it never seems to work out and takes a massive amount of snow. I would argue for something on the otherside after lynx: catapult, middle wildcat, bobcat would make sense.

I agree going after Polecat after lynx is a waste. They should have gotten several runs off of Bobcat including Wild Kitten which IMO is better than Polecat and Snowcat open before starting on Polecat

 

[abc]

Slightly positive news. After a "mere" 30 minutes on hold, I was able to get through to a Vail "customer service representative"! Woohoo!!!

Seeing I probably won't be skiing for the next 10 days at the minimum, given the current lack of snow on the ground and lack of storm with cold air in the atmosphere, I asked if they could send me my new pass by mail, WITHOUT charge. A very short and courteous "yes" and a quick verification of address, it's done.

Length of conversation: less than 1 minutes. Time on hold: 30 minutes.

Had they offered to send it free of charge in the first place, it would have not needed this additional call to their over-worked "customer service" center. (and of course, had the mountains be more efficient in facilitating new pass pick up, this phone call would NOT have been necessary either)

So much for the cost/benefit of a business decision to charge for the shipping of new passes early on. You would have thought people getting paid $$ to make such decisions know what's best to their bottom line?

 

[SLyardsale]

here's your Mt. Snow WX forecast for the next 4 days courtesy of Vail Resorts: (on the high end = 3 1/2 feet of snow in the next 4 days - who saw that coming?)

 

[abc]

who saw that coming?

Who? Vail marketing team!

 

[Mainer]

Anybody want a good laugh. Attitash and wildcat are getting destroyed on the Facebook comments. My favorites are them getting called out for the fake pictures. There is absolutely no natural snow in the mount Washington valley, yet the pictures show a ton of snow in background. Oops

 

[deadheadskier]

A friend was at Wildcat today. They opened Upper Polecat!

Well, the first 100 feet of it to the cutoff back to Lynx. Way to go Vail!!

 

[Edd]

A friend was at Wildcat today. They opened Upper Polecat!

Well, the first 100 feet of it to the cutoff back to Lynx. Way to go Vail!!

I can’t believe this is even real.

 

[abc]

Anybody want a good laugh. Attitash and wildcat are getting destroyed on the Facebook comments. My favorites are them getting called out for the fake pictures. There is absolutely no natural snow in the mount Washington valley, yet the pictures show a ton of snow in background. Oops

More the reason to post real picture on here of what it's actually like each and every day.

Foil the Vail information blackout with truth!