VAIL SUCKS

[FBGM]

Hunter follow up

I just paid for a ticket. $84 at window. There was a nice 3” of snow overnight. First turns were nice. First hour was empty and nice. Snow in most spots was decent. Had the 6 pack open, quad and that triple. The back side was closed.

Okemo ticket checkers were there. Blasting their own music un-edited. F bombs in lift line music. I don’t care but saw some people rolling their eyes.

Lunch was basic and expensive. Pre made burger. Bar area was a joke. No seats at bar. No cash transactions.

Short staff all over in general. Nothing new there.

Was not busy at all. But that place on a weekend or holiday? No way. Weird trail layout. Must be a blood bath there on weekends.

 

[Kingslug20]

Check the web cam..looks a bit busy

 

[BenedictGomez]

Blasting their own music un-edited. F bombs in lift line music.

Tell me you're low-class without telling me that you're low-class.

 

[Pez]

completely inappropriate.

 

[FBGM]

Check the web cam..looks a bit busy

I’m sure it’s busy today. I was there Thursday. There would have to be a line of dimes each ready to fluff me at the top of the lift for me to be there on a weekend.

 

[Kingslug20]

I did it for over 20 years..but it was better back then..you coukd hide on the west side all day.

 

[FBGM]

I did it for over 20 years..but it was better back then..you coukd hide on the west side all day.

That was my first time skiing there since I was like 13 so it was kinda cool to go back. I remember all the real skiers here in Poconos would always go up and ski when I was a kid. Always talked it up back then

 

[deadheadskier]

I did it for over 20 years..but it was better back then..you coukd hide on the west side all day.

Has the West Side opened all year?

 

[catskillman]

Short staff all over in general. Nothing new there.

and the foreign workers are going back this weeek, the next group on the 17th and the last group on the 31st. that leaves about 6 people to run the lifts.....

 

[deadheadskier]

I was at Cannon today with my son. We rode the chair with a guy from Boston and his daughter. Typical small talk, where you from, where do you typically ski etc.

Guy says,

"Well, we made the dumb choice of buying an Epic Pass. Made sense for us as my in-laws have a place in Ludlow for Okemo and we can day trip to Sunapee and Crotched pretty easy from Boston. The experience was so bad, we've pretty much just been buying day tickets to Cannon or Gunstock since late January."

Won't even use the pass anymore. Would rather shell out day ticket rates. Definitely hopping ship next season.

Very curious to see what Vail's numbers look like in the East next season. Has it become common knowledge that they absolutely suck at operating Eastern ski resorts?

 

[Kingslug20]

Report shows only way out and way in open..so no..the real west is not open..what a joke...

 

[eatskisleep]

Report shows only way out and way in open..so no..the real west is not open..what a joke...View attachment 53517

 

[Edd]

Very curious to see what Vail's numbers look like in the East next season. Has it become common knowledge that they absolutely suck at operating Eastern ski resorts?

I’d say so, based on chairlift and ski bar chats over the last couple of months.

 

[RichT]

and the foreign workers are going back this weeek, the next group on the 17th and the last group on the 31st. that leaves about 6 people to run the lifts.....

I'd be surprised if they are open till the 31st. Fail would love it if they could close earlier than that!

 

[ctdubl07]

That was a common refrain this week in PkCty....while a fairly crapping snow season, there was a decent amount of terrain open but comments from staff that a number of lesser traveled faces would be closing next week due to loss of Int. workers and lifties transitioning around. I was also surprised to see the significant number of on mtn services closed due lack of labor.

 

[catskillman]

I'd be surprised if they are open till the 31st. Fail would love it if they could close earlier than that!

that seems to be the opinion of most. Most are fed up Vail, not just at Hunter. I spoke to a BB employee last week on the lift, and they are making the instructers bump chairs.

The Paying People will not forget what Vail dished out this season, and it was about as bad as they could have made it.

Today the place is empty. The weather is not ideal at all, which most likely is the issue.

 

[pinion]

Anecdotal evidence but my social network is split almost evenly into 2 groups:

Group 1 hates Vail and cheap passes and the crowds it brings. Since I spend a lot of time in MWV you can name 100 reasons why this is the case, and almost everyone that falls into this group are MWV regulars.

Group 2 are new to skiing regularly. Mostly families with kids. Never really known anything outside of weekend/holiday crowds. Like everyone, disappointed at NH mountains but LOVING Stowe/Okemo/Snow. Some have already made a trek out West with their passes. Others are planning do so next year.

I think Vail is betting on Group 2 being the “new normal” Epic client.

 

[So Inclined]

Hunter follow up

I just paid for a ticket. $84 at window. There was a nice 3” of snow overnight. First turns were nice. First hour was empty and nice. Snow in most spots was decent. Had the 6 pack open, quad and that triple. The back side was closed.

Okemo ticket checkers were there. Blasting their own music un-edited. F bombs in lift line music. I don’t care but saw some people rolling their eyes.

Lunch was basic and expensive. Pre made burger. Bar area was a joke. No seats at bar. No cash transactions.

Short staff all over in general. Nothing new there.

Was not busy at all. But that place on a weekend or holiday? No way. Weird trail layout. Must be a blood bath there on weekends.

Those aren't Okemo ticket checkers. They're just wearing re-purposed jackets. It looks pretty confusing if not really chintzy on Vail's part, but I guess the old orange HH instructor jackets they had the scan crew in finally wore out over the last year or two. Anyway, it's been the same people wearing them all season long.
If you heard f-bombs coming from music in the lift line, I'd put money that it was coming from a customer's speaker, not from the workers. The lifties' music is almost always en espanol.

 

[So Inclined]

that seems to be the opinion of most. Most are fed up Vail, not just at Hunter. I spoke to a BB employee last week on the lift, and they are making the instructers bump chairs.

The Paying People will not forget what Vail dished out this season, and it was about as bad as they could have made it.

Today the place is empty. The weather is not ideal at all, which most likely is the issue.

I'd call today a pretty great spring skiing day weather-wise (and compounded by the fact that the mountain was almost eerily empty.) But you don't get more than a couple of those days without losing a lot of terrain if you're not sitting on a ton of base that's been banked. Which..well, If the next 24 hours brings a great big pissing rainstorm as forecast, things are going to bleed out quick.

 

[FBGM]

Those aren't Okemo ticket checkers. They're just wearing re-purposed jackets. It looks pretty confusing if not really chintzy on Vail's part, but I guess the old orange HH instructor jackets they had the scan crew in finally wore out over the last year or two. Anyway, it's been the same people wearing them all season long.
If you heard f-bombs coming from music in the lift line, I'd put money that it was coming from a customer's speaker, not from the workers. The lifties' music is almost always en espanol.

Nah the ticket checkers had a big ol speaker on like a saucer on the lift line. It was a party.