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VAIL SUCKS

2Planker

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May 16, 2007
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MWV, NH
Attitash is DEAD, BUT everything else in the MWVis now staffed,open and seemed petty packed today
 

dblskifanatic

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May 24, 2019
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Loon is only 15-25 minutes longer of a drive and quite a stark difference in terrain/product. Possibly more important they aren't Vail.

I can only ski weekends for the most part. I have been to Loon only one weekend on comp tickets so I really cannot complain about how busy it was. Saturday was a shit show and Sunday was better after 12. Thai was also about 10 years ago and never had any desire to go back. In fact, the following season I actually got a Cannon Season Pass.

Then again with Ikon you can be selective since you are limited to either 5 or 7 days.
 

Newpylong

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Dec 20, 2005
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Upper Valley, NH
Sunapee is just as congested as Loon, and far less acreage. Crotched is a good mole hill, but still a mole hill, and one that got considerably busier with Epic.

Was just throwing it out there :)
 

dblskifanatic

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yUP
Sunapee is just as congested as Loon, and far less acreage. Crotched is a good mole hill, but still a mole hill, and one that got considerably busier with Epic.

Was just throwing it out there :)
Yup, I have been to Sunapee several times and I am not a fan. Every time we have been there it was a madhouse as well. Sunapee and Loon are two Boston locations. Loon seems to almost be a status location from Boston. During the ski shows Loon diehards were abundant. Almost like they liked to say it "No thanks - we ski Loon!"
 

Edd

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Nov 8, 2006
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Location
Newmarket, NH
Sunapee is just as congested as Loon, and far less acreage. Crotched is a good mole hill, but still a mole hill, and one that got considerably busier with Epic.

Was just throwing it out there :)
I’ve been to both about 15 times each. Weekdays, though. Sunapee somehow has better conditions and is a better experience, and lacks what may be the worst gondola in the east.
 

p_levert

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Sep 23, 2014
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440
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The evil sucky empire posts quarterly results: https://investors.vailresorts.com/n...ports-fiscal-2021-third-quarter-results-early

It's a little hard to digest. But one interesting takeaway is that an appreciable number of guests, in response to the 20% price cut, decided to upgrade to higher cost passes. Have to admit, I hadn't considered that angle. So a 20% price cut only resulted in a 10% reduction in revenue.
 

deadheadskier

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Mar 6, 2005
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Southeast NH
Sunapee is just as congested as Loon, and far less acreage. Crotched is a good mole hill, but still a mole hill, and one that got considerably busier with Epic.

Was just throwing it out there :)
Without a doubt Crotched is a different place now with the crowds. It does have killer glades when they're in. But that's rare. I found some exceptional off map glades at Sunapee this season as well, but again they just don't get the natural. Really the only NH areas with consistently good glade skiing are Cannon, Bretton Woods and Wildcat.
 

cdskier

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Mar 26, 2015
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Vail is apparently increasing their minimum pay rate to $15/hr in their western locations. They will increase the starting wages at their eastern resorts on a "market by market" basis though.
 

ss20

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A minute from the Alta exit off the I-15!
Vail is apparently increasing their minimum pay rate to $15/hr in their western locations. They will increase the starting wages at their eastern resorts on a "market by market" basis though.

That's a game-changer for the resort labor market. $15/hr coming to the ski industry...never thought I'd see the day.

Good on Vail.
 

cdskier

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That's a game-changer for the resort labor market. $15/hr coming to the ski industry...never thought I'd see the day.

Good on Vail.

I wouldn't jump up and down too quickly...
CA's minimum wage is $14/hr this year, and goes to $15/hr next year
CO's minimum wage is $12.32 this year and will be adjusted next year if the CPI changes
WA's minimum wage is $13.69 this year and again increases annually
So for those 3 states in the west, most will be at or pretty close to $15/hr anyway. UT is the big one for Vail though as there the minimum wage is only $7.25

Let's see what they do in the east. NH's minimum wage is only $7.25, PA is only $7.25... The "market by market" increase they plan to do in the east gives them a lot of leeway.
 

BenedictGomez

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Jan 26, 2011
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Wasatch Back
I wouldn't jump up and down too quickly...
CA's minimum wage is $14/hr this year, and goes to $15/hr next year
CO's minimum wage is $12.32 this year and will be adjusted next year if the CPI changes
WA's minimum wage is $13.69 this year and again increases annually
So for those 3 states in the west, most will be at or pretty close to $15/hr anyway. UT is the big one for Vail though as there the minimum wage is only $7.25

Vail probably needed to jack the rate in UT anyway, as housing costs absolutely skyrocketed there the last few years.
 

crystalmountainskier

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Aug 20, 2006
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A sampling of Jackson Hole classified postings:
Dishwasher: $23 per hour
Subway sandwich artist: $18+
Housekeeper: $22
Airport security screener: $22 + housing stipend
Bus driver: $22
Delivery driver: $28

JHMR is at $13.77.
 

ss20

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A minute from the Alta exit off the I-15!
If it wasn't for the housing stipend ..you make more washing dishes than airport security...hmmm

As someone in the food industry... dishwasher is honestly not a bad gig. You'll make more money than a busser or a hostess. Crappy job few people want so pay is surprisingly OK as places try to keep staff turnover down. Some states you need a permit as well.



Another decent gig most would consider a shit job- Tollbooth collector


The toll collectors, Gerald Flint and Lawrence Stokely, were the top two overtime earners at the Thruway in 2015, according to state records. Flint's full pay for 2015 was nearly $107,000 and Stokely's was more than $104,000, Thruway records show. Flint works on the Northway in Albany and earned $51,081 in overtime pay last year. Stokely works at the Depew interchange and made $48,812 in overtime, according to state records. Flint worked, on average, 64 hours a week, according to the Thruway. Stokely worked an average of 62 hours a week. Both have worked at the Thruway since the 1970s and make $24.24 an hour in base pay.

About 86 percent of the Thruway's 1,181 toll collectors are part-time workers; their pay starts at $12.59 an hour.

$12.59 in 2015 is $14.19 in 2021 dollars. Not a bad gig for some of the communities in the rural areas of the Thruway.
 

crystalmountainskier

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icecoast1

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Good move by NY. Now if only NJ would smarten up and do this...
Good move in spirit, but like anything else in NY, being executed horribly. People are being over/mis charged left and right by the new system. If you ever drive in New York, make sure you check your ezpass bill or bill the state sends you, New York can't seem to figure out how to scan and invoice people properly
 

cdskier

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Mar 26, 2015
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NJ
Good move in spirit, but like anything else in NY, being executed horribly. People are being over/mis charged left and right by the new system. If you ever drive in New York, make sure you check your ezpass bill or bill the state sends you, New York can't seem to figure out how to scan and invoice people properly
I've had 0 problems so far on any of my drives on the thruway with the new system...
 
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