VAIL SUCKS

[pinion]

I don't think that pic is from today. Or even this year. I could be wrong...

 

[ThatGuy]

The snow surfaces “team” is the guy taking the picture who pulled the groomer up in front of the only snow gun going.

 

[BenedictGomez]

Now people will think Vail made a huge effort when they really did the bare minimum to keep people placid.

I definitely think Vail has heard the complaints from coast-to-coast, is worried, and is making a last minute desperate attempt to hand out milk & cookies.

 

[BenedictGomez]

An observation about a "new" cultural phenomenon that I think is a byproduct of the Mtn under last seasons Covid operations, the parking lots have a lot more tailgating than in past years. Thats not something that MSer's did in past. I like to see it other than the trash in my side yard or tons of cans on p-lot but Ops are out every morning cleaning the parking lot pretty diligently.

That's pretty surprising to hear. Ski folk are usually very respectful of nature & not the scummy littering type. Sure, you may see a random can under a lift, but to hear a resort gets wholesale littered by its clientele surprises me.

 

[trackbiker]

I noticed Vail announced that Vail would extend opening to 1st May.
Now given we will probably ditch Epic after this year, and given that I have never skied at Vail (done Beaver Creek, Keystone and Steamboat in CO), and given that the kids have the week starting 18th April off school, should we make the effort to ski Vail once before moving to other pastures.
How much might still be open and how busy would it likely be as it’s Easter weekend. Unfortunately I start a new job in a couple weeks, so I can hardly take the full week off so it would be something like leave Thursday before Good Friday return Tuesday or Weds after Easter Monday. So a holiday and a weekend and probably limited terrain. Recipe for disaster?

I have no idea about Vail but I skied 5 years in a row over Easter in Utah going back some years but it was never crowded. People aren't usually booking trips that late in the season and the locals have church and family plans for Easter. Also, spring sports have started in most areas by then so people are in a different mode. It may be more crowded than in the past with the Epic crap but it shouldn't be crazy Epic crap crowded.

 

[trackbiker]

I definitely think Vail doesn't give a crap about the customer experience but has seen their stock price tank, is worried, and is making a last minute desperate attempt to hand out milk & cookies.

FIFY

 

[BenedictGomez]

I noticed Vail announced that Vail would extend opening to 1st May.
Now given we will probably ditch Epic after this year, and given that I have never skied at Vail (done Beaver Creek, Keystone and Steamboat in CO), and given that the kids have the week starting 18th April off school, should we make the effort to ski Vail once before moving to other pastures.
How much might still be open and how busy would it likely be as it’s Easter weekend.

This is one of those "cookies", IMO. We skied Vail Easter 2017, same timeframe as 2022. When we arrived everything was open, but we were turbo lucky as it got so warm that the place was pretty much done-done in 48 hours at the end of our stay from the base to at least 1/3 up (WROD to get down). In terms of crowds, it was great, Easter'ish usually is as many people have ended their ski season and/or their kids have moved on to spring sports. Personally, I'd say go for it. Worst-case scenario, Loveland & Arapahoe Basin (I liked both better than Vail anyway) will have snow.

 

[ss20]

That's pretty surprising to hear. Ski folk are usually very respectful of nature & not the scummy littering type. Sure, you may see a random can under a lift, but to hear a resort gets wholesale littered by its clientele surprises me.

Have you skied Mount Snow? I'm surprised the parking lots don't look like a landfill by Sunday evening.... the trails under the lifts certainly do once the snow is gone and you see nothing but PBR, Bud Light, and Red Bull cans.

 

[pinion]

Have you skied Mount Snow? I'm surprised the parking lots don't look like a landfill by Sunday evening.... the trails under the lifts certainly do once the snow is gone and you see nothing but PBR, Bud Light, and Red Bull cans.

My thoughts exactly haha

 

[ThatGuy]

Have you skied Mount Snow? I'm surprised the parking lots don't look like a landfill by Sunday evening.... the trails under the lifts certainly do once the snow is gone and you see nothing but PBR, Bud Light, and Red Bull cans.

You beat me to it. Was going to say the same exact thing

 

[BenedictGomez]

Have you skied Mount Snow?

Never.

 

[ThatGuy]

Never.

Doing yourself a favor

But in all seriousness its not a bad mountain at all. Especially North Face and Sunbrook area, some decent tree skiing as well. Weekends are a zoo but thats how most of SoVT is nowadays.

 

[kendo]

The Wintry Mix podcaster gives some advice to Vail on how to fix their epic problems. Worth the 10 min listen.

"Improving Vail's Diet"- Perfect Metaphor To Solving Vail Resorts' Problems

^LEFT: WFG on his classic Marquette Backcountry Skis. RIGHT: Wintry Mix Podcast Logo All of us love to complain about the numerous problems with Vail

unofficialnetworks.com

 

[RichT]

That's pretty surprising to hear. Ski folk are usually very respectful of nature & not the scummy littering type. Sure, you may see a random can under a lift, but to hear a resort gets wholesale littered by its clientele surprises me.

I guess you haven't been to Hunter, they used to have "drop zones" under the lifts. Vail took them away so now everywhere is a drop zone, it's horrible.

 

[Edd]

I guess you haven't been to Hunter, they used to have "drop zones" under the lifts. Vail took them away so now everywhere is a drop zone, it's horrible.

Never heard of this; can you elaborate on what a drop zone was?

 

[djd66]

Never heard of this; can you elaborate on what a drop zone was?

I’m guessing it’s a place where you can drop your trash (empty beer cans) off the lift. WTF is it with people? You are too lazy to put it in a trash can? Glad we don’t really have an issue like this at Sugarbush.

 

[Edd]

I’m guessing it’s a place where you can drop your trash (empty beer cans) off the lift. WTF is it with people? You are too lazy to put it in a trash can? Glad we don’t really have an issue like this at Sugarbush.

My guess as well, but hoping I was wrong because it sounds a bit insane.

 

[kendo]

55gal drum (under liftline near the top) with a net around the open top creating a funnel/target.

People still dropped cans along the upper liftline rocks and boulders...

 

[pinion]

The Wintry Mix podcaster gives some advice to Vail on how to fix their epic problems. Worth the 10 min listen.

"Improving Vail's Diet"- Perfect Metaphor To Solving Vail Resorts' Problems

^LEFT: WFG on his classic Marquette Backcountry Skis. RIGHT: Wintry Mix Podcast Logo All of us love to complain about the numerous problems with Vail

unofficialnetworks.com

This is good. I always liked the epicliftlines stance on Vail: constructively critical. Vail Corporate could pay a firm $2k+ an hour to identify strategic weaknesses, or just listen to this podcast and figure out the rest themselves.

 

[pinion]

55gal drum (under liftline near the top) with a net around the open top creating a funnel/target.

People still dropped cans along the upper liftline rocks and boulders...

Crazy to me, but I guess they were just trying their best to address an obvious problem? Though addressing it this way kinda condones it, no?

I skied over a Truly can under Bobcat lift at Wildcat a few weeks ago. Was pretty pissed. It's usually rare to see cans there, but maybe times are changing. Not a lift-line thing, but last week I was at Deer Valley and a guy was snowplowing down the late-day piles that build up on that last descent down Birdseye to Silver Lake. Got tossed about, turned backwards, and ate it hard after bouncing a few times. I skied up to help him get his gear together: 1 ski, 2 poles, a White Claw, and a Bud Light