VAIL SUCKS

[BenedictGomez]

One might think that folks decided that today was a good day to take off after the recent storms and the Super Bowl. Unfortunately now there are a lot of folks in UT that think the same way......

This Saturday was the most crowded I've ever seen Park City. Everyone was shocked & none of us could figure it out. The line at the cab went into the parking lot and then all the way past the drop-off line onto the "road". Never seen that before. The line at OBX just to get on the mountain took 36 minutes. Even the 3 'D' lifts which usually dont have lines had 5 minutes or so waits. Got a text that the Cab lot was "full" by 9:15, and on Sunday it was full at 8:58, which is before lifts even start spinning.

My hypothesis is that all the people who cancelled their Park City vacations in January due to the strike simply rebooked here instead of going elsewhere, and so now they're just all stacking up their vacations on top of each other, causing crazy crowding. Just my hypothesis, no idea if I'm correct or not.

 

[BenedictGomez]

I could ski Alta the rest of my life and be very happy.

Were you not able to get a job there? Or Snowbird?

 

[Former Sunday Rivah Rat]

I still cant really fathom living in Draper and skiing PC instead of Alta to begin with.

Neither could I, we didn't want to deal with either BCC or LCC traffic. So my wife and I looked at houses in Midway + Heber City. Then I looked at the map and realized it gave us a choice of an Epic pass at PC (too crowded) or Deer Valley (too much $). That's why we bought North of SLC and settled on Snowbasin, much better than PC.
The Epic pass has become the KMart of skiing.

 

[BenedictGomez]

Ehhh....the skiing at PC is much better than the skiing at Snowbasin though. Neither Powmow or Snowbasin impress me much.

 

[thetrailboss]

This Saturday was the most crowded I've ever seen Park City. Everyone was shocked & none of us could figure it out. The line at the cab went into the parking lot and then all the way past the drop-off line onto the "road". Never seen that before. The line at OBX just to get on the mountain took 36 minutes. Even the 3 'D' lifts which usually dont have lines had 5 minutes or so waits. Got a text that the Cab lot was "full" by 9:15, and on Sunday it was full at 8:58, which is before lifts even start spinning.

My hypothesis is that all the people who cancelled their Park City vacations in January due to the strike simply rebooked here instead of going elsewhere, and so now they're just all stacking up their vacations on top of each other, causing crazy crowding. Just my hypothesis, no idea if I'm correct or not.

Or folks were excited because it snowed…..

 

[BenedictGomez]

Or folks were excited because it snowed…..

No doubt, 11" up top and 7"'ish mid-mountain drew people in especially given how terrible of a season it's been for snow this year, but still, that cant explain all of it.

 

[ThatGuy]

Ehhh....the skiing at PC is much better than the skiing at Snowbasin though. Neither Powmow or Snowbasin impress me much.

Plus their snow is worse

 

[ThatGuy]

No doubt, 11" up top and 7"'ish mid-mountain drew people in especially given how terrible of a season it's been for snow this year, but still, that cant explain all of it.

I think it explains alot of it. Bad snow year with a weekend storm and Fridays/Mondays are getting crazy everywhere now, people just turn it into a three day weekend. Also alot of people are opting out of the Cottonwood madness and turning it into the PC madness

 

[ThatGuy]

After today..I think im done with pc...
If you cant get away from a zoo on a monday..im done..

Just gotta go later in the day and out of bounds. Didn’t wait in any lines and had 4 untracked runs.

 

[Hastur]

freaking hilarious. and my favorite thing on this forum now.

A bunch of northeast transplants wondering why it’s so crowded in UT.

looks good that guy. Avy risk mitigated?

 

[BenedictGomez]

freaking hilarious. and my favorite thing on this forum now.

A bunch of northeast transplants wondering why it’s so crowded in UT.

I can't speak to the "Cottonwoods Madness", but the recent crowds at PC this season has nothing to do with people moving here in the last 2 months. Everyone's skis have square sticker's on them.

 

[jaytrem]

If I ever went west again idaho would be the place. Or one of those obscure Montana areas.

My longest line of the year was at an obscure Idaho/Montana place last Thursday. Lost Trail opens for the week on Thursday and it was the first big powder day in a while. Apparently EVERYBODY showed up. Locals said it was the most crowded day they've ever seen. Luckily we got there early and the Indy/Powder Alliance/Online ticket line was short. Oddly enough, passholders need to get a ticket every day, and that line was much longer. The regular ticket line was just bonkers. We got 3 runs in before there was a line, then made the mistake of going over to the Saddle Mountain chair, took about 25 minutes to get on that one. We headed back to the Idaho lift and had more reasonable 5 minute lines for a few runs. Did an early lunch and afterwards there were no waits at any lifts. Great day, but still a bit shocking to see a place like that being such a mob scene.

 

[drjeff]

My longest line of the year was at an obscure Idaho/Montana place last Thursday. Lost Trail opens for the week on Thursday and it was the first big powder day in a while. Apparently EVERYBODY showed up. Locals said it was the most crowded day they've ever seen. Luckily we got there early and the Indy/Powder Alliance/Online ticket line was short. Oddly enough, passholders need to get a ticket every day, and that line was much longer. The regular ticket line was just bonkers. We got 3 runs in before there was a line, then made the mistake of going over to the Saddle Mountain chair, took about 25 minutes to get on that one. We headed back to the Idaho lift and had more reasonable 5 minute lines for a few runs. Did an early lunch and afterwards there were no waits at any lifts. Great day, but still a bit shocking to see a place like that being such a mob scene.

The post pandemic era has certainly seen a great degree of popularity in skiing/riding, and when you take that popularity and add in places on the mega passes (and arguably now even Indy affiliated resorts can fall into the mega pass category moreso than they may have in the past), and then throw in a powder day and you get crowds, even at lesser known places mid week. And the popularity is a GOOD thing when it comes to the economic health of this sport that we all love at the end of the day, even if longer lines at times is frustrating

 

[AdironRider]

No doubt, 11" up top and 7"'ish mid-mountain drew people in especially given how terrible of a season it's been for snow this year, but still, that cant explain all of it.

Yeah it can. You haven't been there that long.

Salt Lake metro is one of the fastest growing population centers in the country and one of the youngest. That means lots of skiers chasing pow days on cheap mega passes.

For someone who knows everything I'm surprised you are falling into the newbie local trap of thinking.

 

[kingslug]

Were you not able to get a job there? Or Snowbird?

Need a level 1...need to learn how to teach to have any chance of passing that.

 

[BenedictGomez]

Yeah it can. You haven't been there that long.

Salt Lake metro is one of the fastest growing population centers in the country and one of the youngest. That means lots of skiers chasing pow days on cheap mega passes.

For someone who knows everything I'm surprised you are falling into the newbie local trap of thinking.

Again, a dopey comment. There were no crowds like that last year. Ever. More importantly, many said they'd never seen it like that. SLC grew less than 1% in the last year. LOL So no matter how many times you crow about this issue, you will always be proven wrong by easily verifiable US Census data.

The better & far more logical answer was the previous one, that there's been so few powder days that everyone showed up for that one specifically, that I can believe. Still, PC is far more of a destination mountain than a locals mountain, and I think delayed visitation from the strike is also playing into this.

 

[kingslug]

When you look at the numbers...most utah resorts are at their halfway totals.
I think having 2 mega years got people thinking thats the new norm.
Funny how all tge storms are weekend ones.

 

[AdironRider]

Again, a dopey comment. There were no crowds like that last year. Ever. More importantly, many said they'd never seen it like that. SLC grew less than 1% in the last year. LOL So no matter how many times you crow about this issue, you will always be proven wrong by easily verifiable US Census data.

The better & far more logical answer was the previous one, that there's been so few powder days that everyone showed up for that one specifically, that I can believe. Still, PC is far more of a destination mountain than a locals mountain, and I think delayed visitation from the strike is also playing into this.

For someone who knows everything, you would think you'd understand what "chasing pow days" means.

 

[BenedictGomez]

Funny how all tge storms are weekend ones.

To say it's statistically improbably is an understatement. This is Alta's snow, stratified by day.
And the crazy thing is it's going to get even more statistically improbable after this weekend's big storm.

 

[4aprice]

Crowds are everywhere. If its not the "Canyon Chaos " of Salt Lake, It's the madness of I-70 up to the tunnel. Heck I even have hit tie ups on the NY Thruway heading north to Vermont. (would not be surprised to see that this Friday night.)

The good news, it's almost over. The high of high season is the Christmas to Presidents Day time period. I always consider it half time of my season and like this past Super Bowl many people start tuning out at half time. It always surprises me how people will scramble for the WROD but not go in Spring with 100% open. To steal one from Christmas, "(spring) It's the most wonderful time of the year".

Of course powder days will "charge" the crowd but down the line even those crowds thin somewhat.

Getting ready my 2 favorite months to ski March and April.