VAIL SUCKS

[SnowRock]

In my experience Stowe had gotten more conservative about opening terrain pre-vail however…. Patrol had more of laissez-faire approach to enforcement when it made sense. Now it’s conservative and heavy enforcement.

 

[pinion]

At Wildcat they are still blowing snow. Yesterday and today on Middle and Lower Catapult (when's the last time that happened??) likely to groom them out and give people an option other than the Middle Wildcat ice sheet to traverse that side of the mountain.

I've only been skiing weekends this year so far, and of the Vail resorts only at Wildcat. Not sure if operations have improved elsewhere, but so far this year it's been solid effort at the Cat. Best since Vail purchased Peak anyway.

 

[snoseek]

At Wildcat they are still blowing snow. Yesterday and today on Middle and Lower Catapult (when's the last time that happened??) likely to groom them out and give people an option other than the Middle Wildcat ice sheet to traverse that side of the mountain.

I've only been skiing weekends this year so far, and of the Vail resorts only at Wildcat. Not sure if operations have improved elsewhere, but so far this year it's been solid effort at the Cat. Best since Vail purchased Peak anyway.

Yeah catapult all the way down is not something I remember in a while. Operations have been much better overall. Attitash as well. Oh yeah fuck vail.

 

[ThatGuy]

Starr is open….that doesn’t suck

 

[Kingslug20]

 

[ThatGuy]

Goaaaaat too (Starr is skiing better)

 

[ThatGuy]

 

[hovercraft]

They waited for Slug to leave town before they open more trails……

 

[Kingslug20]

Lapping CR was just as good...

 

[BenedictGomez]

Everywhere but Mad River does not have the terrain that Stowe does, not even close.

Liftline at Smuggs is worse than any of the Front Four (now three really) of Stowe. To be fair, the higher portions are often closed, but IMHO when they are there's usually good reason.

 

[deadheadskier]

I'd argue Front 2. National and Lifeline both aren't in the same class as Starr or Goat other than Upper National is a sheet of ice most of the time. Unless your third of those three is Lookout

 

[urungus]

I'd argue Front 2. National and Lifeline both aren't in the same class as Starr or Goat other than Upper National is a sheet of ice most of the time. Unless your third of those three is Lookout

National Drop-in and Upper Liftline, above Haychute, are legit IMO. FWIW, I once lost an edge at the top of Upper National when it was the sheet of ice you describe and it was pretty terrifying trying to arrest myself.

 

[deadheadskier]

To each their own, I just don't see those trails in the same challenge class as Starr, Goat or Lookout

 

[So Inclined]

That’s because Vail operates more like an insurance company. They take very little risk. They closed profitable summer activities at Attitash probably because things like the Alpine Slide are too risky for them.

Crappy decision on their part to close summer activities, but they run alpine slides at PCMR (not to mention the hundreds of miles of MTBing, which I'd bet is way more risky in terms of liabilities.) I imagine they closed the summer stuff at Attitash to evade now-perpetual staffing problems since they couldn't seem to compete with Storyland, the outlets, and other such summer-tourist places around the area on pay?

 

[Smellytele]

Crappy decision on their part to close summer activities, but they run a summer alpine slide at PCMR (not to mention MTB, which I'd bet is way more risky in terms of liabilities.) I imagine they closed the summer stuff to evade now-perpetual staffing problems?

Never hear any other people complain about or use the excuse of staffing issues anymore about other ski areas but vail defenders…

 

[Kingslug20]

Upper goat is very hard unless there's a lot of snow and you hit it early..the rest of it is no prob.
Same with upper starr...I just cut into it at the S53..as well as lookout.
Upper liftline is only sketchy at the exit..and you have to keep left or hit the concrete.
National is no prob..the headwall is not worth it..just an ice sheet.
There are much harder but less known "areas" throughout the N East...just not really on the maps.
Out west and Europe...the real terrifying stuff lurks...
Practice here...then go there..

 

[So Inclined]

Never hear any other people complain about or use the excuse of staffing issues anymore about other ski areas but vail defenders…

That wasn't any kind of defense of Vail. Shutting down the summer activities at Attitash looks like yet another in a long line of penny-wise, pound-foolish decisions made with stock prices in mind to me, but then that's Vail, isn't it? The point was, I doubt the "danger" of the alpine slide was much of a reason for it - alpine slides and mountain coasters and ziplines go on running at other Vail properties - the best guess (and it was just a guess) I've got is someone in Colorado ran the numbers and decided competing hard for workers in a very active summer tourist area and what still seems to be tight labor market wouldn't look as good financially as just keeping the gates shut. I don't live in the MWV but have spent my share of time there, at least enough to follow a bunch of local businesses there on social media and the undertones of "please be kind, we're understaffed and doing the best we can" persist as far as I can tell. It's unclear just what you're on about with "other ski areas." It was about non-ski summer business. Which doesn't drive Epic pass sales, therefore VR doesn't give an f about it.

 

[AdironRider]

Or more likely, the summer attractions at Attitash were old and tired. They were when I was a kid 30 years ago and haven’t seen a dime since.

That is a very different calculus than just finding a couple teenagers to run an alpine slide.

People seem to forget that both Wildcat and Attitash were showing serious age and have been for some time.

 

[Edd]

On the bright side, Wildcat posted they’re 100% open, which is nice to see. I’m wondering if that’s even happened during the last two seasons.

 

[BodeMiller1]

View attachment 56157
Goaaaaat too (Starr is skiing better)

Oh my, nice double fall - line and with the bumps, 3D skiing. Nice shot...