VAIL SUCKS

[KustyTheKlown]

I know what they mean by phone free zone. But when there are scanning issues people are going to be fumbling with their phones slowing down the line. This is dumb...

People aren’t going to be scanning their phones. It’s going to pick up a signal ambiently and open the gates and let them thru. My OP on the topic asked what happens when someone’s phone dies or they have no cell (may not need cell for Bluetooth?). The answer I suppose is a physical pass, which sounds like you will still need to carry anyway to back up your inherently unreliable phone that needs power

 

[cdskier]

People aren’t going to be scanning their phones. It’s going to pick up a signal ambiently and open the gates and let them thru. My OP on the topic asked what happens when someone’s phone dies or they have no cell (may not need cell for Bluetooth?). The answer I suppose is a physical pass, which sounds like you will still need to carry anyway to back up your inherently unreliable phone that needs power

Jimmy's point was people will be fumbling with their phones if there are issues. For example if the app needs to be open in the background in order for the signal to be picked up and the user closes the app for some reason, then the scanning won't work. Then they need to take their phone out and fumble around with it. Hell I still see all the time that people at resorts with RFID gates still can't use RFID cards properly after all these years. They put it on the wrong side or put multiple cards together in their pocket, etc. So there's a 100% chance some people will screw up using the phone as their pass somehow and run into issues.

Personally I don't understand the need for something like this. Then again, I'm also against things like Apple Pay and linking your CC on your phone. We put way too much information into our phones these days.

 

[KustyTheKlown]

Jimmy's point was people will be fumbling with their phones if there are issues. For example if the app needs to be open in the background in order for the signal to be picked up and the user closes the app for some reason, then the scanning won't work. Then they need to take their phone out and fumble around with it. Hell I still see all the time that people at resorts with RFID gates still can't use RFID cards properly after all these years. They put it on the wrong side or put multiple cards together in their pocket, etc. So there's a 100% chance some people will screw up using the phone as their pass somehow and run into issues.

Personally I don't understand the need for something like this. Then again, I'm also against things like Apple Pay and linking your CC on your phone. We put way too much information into our phones these days.

i agree that it is overkill and i also agree with whomever said the primary purpose is likely data mining. if they are in your phone they arent just picking up your RFID scans, they are following you all over the mountain and resort all day, and beyond

 

[djd66]

Are there issues with this tech? Sure.

However, usually at least 1x per year - someone leaves their pass a home or in another jacket. The nice thing about this tech is knowing I have a backup.

 

[urungus]

 

[RH29]

One of vails dumbest ideas ever.

 

[drjeff]

Having been there yesterday (Monday) the 3rd lift likely in question is one of the base area carpets, so not like that really matters for most..

As for the trail count, my hunch is they may have lost a few naturals that were hanging on by a thread when my wife and I left about 3 yesterday overnight. They were very liberal with keeping a few bump runs open!

Stowe today (Tuesday) is much stickier than Okemo yesterday. Still very good coverage at both places heading into the heat later this week

 

[snoseek]

I bet wildcat would be amazing today. I'm at cannon and it is. We'll never know because vail sucks.

 

[urungus]

Even yesterday Okemo had roped off the entrance to Everglade, but today it is still showing as open on the “Lift and Terrain Status” page

Heres what Everglade looked like towards the bottom yesterday, I doubt it has filled in since then !

 

[2Planker]

You epic Vermont people got it good. All four in nh closed today

Hiked

I bet wildcat would be amazing today. I'm at cannon and it is. We'll never know because vail sucks.

Neighbor & wife skinned up The Cat yesterday.
"Complete Ghost Town" and not a soul there to tell them of the No Uphill Travel rule.
May give it a whirl tmrw...

 

[AdironRider]

I gotta be honest, I've spent many a spring day at the Cat and the place was always deserted. Like a dozen cars in the lot deserted, including some banner weekend days.

Cannon was nice yesterday, other than the saltiest ticket window ladies I've ever encountered it skied great. Pretty much wall to wall coverage on every trail outside of a few areas. Place felt a little tired infrastructure wise though which is not the case at Vail properties.

Was talking with a ski instructor in the lot who used to work with my wife and now works at Crotched, and he was raving about Vail, almost the point of unbelievability. Said the pay rate basically doubled when they bumped it to 21 or whatever company wide, and the ability to ski for free at other Vail properties was a nice perk. Spent two weeks in Whistler and skied for free. I suppose Vail is a pretty decent deal for ski instructors from the smaller places they have gobbled up.

 

[Kingslug20]

Always a silver lining somewhere.

 

[2Planker]

I gotta be honest, I've spent many a spring day at the Cat and the place was always deserted. Like a dozen cars in the lot deserted, including some banner weekend days.

Cannon was nice yesterday, other than the saltiest ticket window ladies I've ever encountered it skied great. Pretty much wall to wall coverage on every trail outside of a few areas. Place felt a little tired infrastructure wise though which is not the case at Vail properties.

Was talking with a ski instructor in the lot who used to work with my wife and now works at Crotched, and he was raving about Vail, almost the point of unbelievability. Said the pay rate basically doubled when they bumped it to 21 or whatever company wide, and the ability to ski for free at other Vail properties was a nice perk. Spent two weeks in Whistler and skied for free. I suppose Vail is a pretty decent deal for ski instructors from the smaller places they have gobbled up.

Not buying that one bit..... Total BS !! I can name over 100 folks in MWV who walked away from Vail in the last 3 years.
As a 40+ year patroller, Vail was without question the worst place I have ever worked for in ME, NH or VT. Didn't care about their employees. Doesn't really care about the guest experience as long as they keep over paying for everything - 8.95 for COLD small fries.

The PBR Beer guy made a Killing on both Sat @ Bear Peak & Sun @ Cat.
10 30packs @$3/beer is $900 each day

 

[AdironRider]

If you were a part time ski instructor making like 10 or whatever an hour, with reciprocal skiing at places like places like Wisp, and overnight you go to making double that and get free skiing at Whistler, Crested Butte, Breck and Vail, you aren't going to complain.

Ski resorts churn employees. That was the case before Vail, and will be long after there supposed implosion. News at 11.

 

[doublediamond]

The “no phone zone“ was Vail’s attempt to stave off EpicLiftLines by banning people from taking pictures of the length of lines.

 

[Former Sunday Rivah Rat]

"By this time next year I will have stolen all of your data. I will be the one laughing then VAIL SUCKS people. "

 

[icecoast1]

Hope you never encounter a situation where you need to call patrol for either yourself or someone injured you may happen upon on the slopes..

Had to call patrol twice to date in my ski career

You can ski down to a lift and have an employee call patrol, I've done it on occasion. I've never been In a situation where I've needed to call patrol for myself and couldn't get down the mountain. Maybe I'm living on the wild side....

 

[KustyTheKlown]

just seems odd to chose to not carry a tiny little supercomputer in your pocket that could maybe save your life or someone else's

 

[ThatGuy]

Never a problem till it is…as most things in life
Personally I wouldn’t feel safe in the woods without my phone, I ski solo most of the time and even though I don’t push my limits accidents happen. Also have ran into people who need help and called patrol for them. Never know when you might save a life or your own ass…

 

[RichT]

My take on Epic Mix............you download it on your phone and hit the slopes. Vail tracks everywhere you go, so X Mtn has just spent X amount of money for snowmaking on X trail. Vail looks to see just how many skiers actually skied that trail in X amount of days as compared to other trails. Boom!!!! limit snowmaking and opening of the less popular trails, continue snowmaking on the more popular trails. Did you notice that the Double Diamond trails were limited this year. Easier trails less chance of being sued due to shitty grooming and lousy snowmaking.