VAIL SUCKS

[KustyTheKlown]

I've brought this up before and it was not well received. I always thought, even pre-vail, that the Mansfield lot could be a double decker. the "ski slopes" are "one level" up from the current lot. If anyone could afford to make it "discrete" its Vail. You'd have to start it west of the Mansfield lodge, since its historic, but it could be done and would go a long way in solving their parking issues. Flame away AZ

ive always preached that stowe should massively expand parking at toll house, move most ski school functions there from spruce, and put a high speed quad linking it to the rest of the mountain. toll house is wildly underutilized IMO bc of the slow chair. i like your idea too, especially since you'd basically just be putting a second level of parking above the existing parking which is already in a 'ditch' 15-20 feet below the lift terminal. to a lesser extent sugarbush could do the same and bury a layer of the A-C lots, which would put their elevation more in line with the castlerock pub and main lincoln peak plaza

i have zero issue with modern parking garages at ski areas. it solves a logistical problem. the ski areas are already eyesores massively taking away from the natural mountain environment - a parking structure won't change that much, especially if its designed discretely or buried underground. id rather park in a paved lot than trudge thru mud in the spring. whenever i ski stratton and sun bowl is not open, i make sure i am in the structure. if i have to take a shuttle from lot 2 i have already failed the day.

 

[drjeff]

The reality is that unless a resort is doing a major say base village type development, that if one is to put in a parking garage, and they can get it through permitting, then it's basically a guarentee in tis day and age that it will be a paid parking facility, which as we have seen quite well here on AZ brings about it's own degree of controversy, Especially when one considers that that multi million dollar structure won't be fully utilized probably 325 days or so a year, and isn't exactly something that the resort can/will use from a marketing perspective that will help lure more customers to the mountain

 

[Kingslug20]

I believe AIG owns the land..would have to go through them first...then the rest of Stowe would chime in..i bet negatively..

 

[ThatGuy]

I think AIG still owns everything except the lifts and mountain ops.

 

[Kingslug20]

Bet we don't get new parking..

 

[Mum skier]

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?

Thanks to those that answered. We are leaving tonight for 4 and a half days skiing. Staying right in Vail but will have a car and maybe will do Breckenridge one day. Wish us luck! I’ll report back.

 

[cdskier]

ive always preached that stowe should massively expand parking at toll house, move most ski school functions there from spruce, and put a high speed quad linking it to the rest of the mountain. toll house is wildly underutilized IMO bc of the slow chair. i like your idea too, especially since you'd basically just be putting a second level of parking above the existing parking which is already in a 'ditch' 15-20 feet below the lift terminal. to a lesser extent sugarbush could do the same and bury a layer of the A-C lots, which would put their elevation more in line with the castlerock pub and main lincoln peak plaza

Stowe would also need to add snow-making to the toll house area to do what you suggest. No way you could even think about moving any ski school functions there if you have to depend on natural snow on terrain at that elevation.

As for Sugarbush...I don't really see a need for any parking garages at SB. If all the existing SB parking is filled, then realistically the resort is pretty much at capacity and there's no value in trying to get more people on the mountain at that point. SB seems to have a pretty good amount of parking for the capacity of the resort.

 

[Kingslug20]

There ya go...parking should equate to hill capacity.

 

[machski]

Stowe would also need to add snow-making to the toll house area to do what you suggest. No way you could even think about moving any ski school functions there if you have to depend on natural snow on terrain at that elevation.

As for Sugarbush...I don't really see a need for any parking garages at SB. If all the existing SB parking is filled, then realistically the resort is pretty much at capacity and there's no value in trying to get more people on the mountain at that point. SB seems to have a pretty good amount of parking for the capacity of the resort.

Yup, Toll House would need snowmaking to make it a viable base area. That would be step one IMHO before doing anything else down there.

 

[thetrailboss]

Almost none of their maintenance and construction projects use the same type of worker as summer attractions. Decades long legacy of summer family fun at Attitash that Vail just doesn't care about. I rode those waterslides in the 80s.

Such a shame

Completely agree. Attitash was always a four-season resort. A lot of condo and vacation homeowners counted on that too.

 

[RH29]

Bolton Valley and Jackson Gore at Okemo also have garages but I believe you have to be a condo owner or staying at hotel to use them

Bolton Valley has a garage? I've never seen it there, although maybe I'm just looking in the wrong place lol.

As for ski area parking garages in general, I'm not all that opposed to them. Jay Peak is a perfect example of how discrete and useful they can be. The one next to the Ice Haus is virtually invisible from most sides, and the parking deck near the Hotel Jay is even more useful, because it keeps the lot flat while increasing capacity.
Stowe would be a logical place for a Jay-style parking deck, because of the uphill trek needed to get from the lot to the lifts. I doubt it would be allowed, though.
My initial thought is that a garage would be very useful at Mount Snow, but then again, crowds are bad enough there as it is. With new high-capacity lifts, things might be improved a bit, but increasing parking capacity would just make the problem worse all over again.

 

[ss20]

As @drjeff correctly pointed out, ROI is another factor. How many days a year is your multi-million dollar parking garage going to be needed to park cars and get capacity to 100%? 15 days? 20? And it's not like these things last forever.... concrete and steel in a winter environment getting salt on it every day from parked cars 5 months of the year. A fixed grip lift is going to last longer and give the resort more ROI.

 

[deadheadskier]

The town of Stowe recently denied parking expansion at Stowe down near the Nordic Center. I'll be curious if the mountain gets any expansion approved as there's major resistance to encouraging more traffic on 108.

 

[Kingslug20]

They may not encoursge it..but it shows up. So if they like 8 mile traffic jams..keep opposing everything..its not going to just go away.

 

[jimmywilson69]

^^^^ Exactly ^^^^

The crowds are there, Vail isn't changing their business model, and something needs done.

Maybe more limitations on available days on the pass would help some, but not enough to make a difference. The road isn't getting widened and the pinch point is at the top.

There were crowds before Vail let's not pretend Stowe was some sleepy unknown ski area prior to 2017...

But as @drjeff pointed out what is the ROI?

 

[deadheadskier]

All I'm saying is they have tried to expand and were denied already. Yes it's always been busy, but it wouldn't surprise me if the skier visits are up 30% from 20 years ago. Not a lot of information available, so that's a guess. But I certainly never sat in hour long traffic jams when I was living there 20 years ago.

My guess is most locals whether right or wrong, probably want to see the mountain invest in expanded local shuttle service vs trying to accommodate more cars.

 

[urungus]

Bolton Valley has a garage? I've never seen it there, although maybe I'm just looking in the wrong place lol.

 

[abc]

I was looking for information when Mount Snow's end of season date is, was struck by this on their main page:

"..Mount Snow specializes in lighthearted entertainment, providing a distraction from the everyday grind. "

So it's not just an impression. It's their stated goal to made the mountain a Disney land.

 

[drjeff]

I was looking for information when Mount Snow's end of season date is, was struck by this on their main page:

"..Mount Snow specializes in lighthearted entertainment, providing a distraction from the everyday grind. "

So it's not just an impression. It's their stated goal to made the mountain a Disney land.

They are hoping to make next Sunday, the 24th for closing day. Going to likely be close depending on what the weather is next week.

Daily updates on their webpage, and closing will be announced on their social media feeds if they can't make it to the 24th

 

[abc]

They are hoping to make next Sunday, the 24th for closing day. Going to likely be close depending on what the weather is next week.

Daily updates on their webpage, and closing will be announced on their social media feeds if they can't make it to the 24th

But it looks like the only runs open are for the park rats?