Vail's Big Northeast Improvements- 2022-2023

[Edd]

The hill isn't too bad..you can take the stairs..I never minded it..its just part of the experience..Stowe was built in the age of climbing ..everything.

if the hill from the lodge to the forerunner, that has stairs, really causes you that much trouble, you should probably pay greater attention to your general physical fitness.

Yeah, sure. It’s more annoying than anything. But Joe Dad McWeekender is not looking for annoyances. I can see trying to address it.

 

[jimmywilson69]

my wife hates the hill. I tell her its part of the historical preservation of how skiing once was!

 

[drjeff]

my wife hates the hill. I tell her its part of the historical preservation of how skiing once was!

Just tell her that it's a better workout than Crossfit!

That's how in the ski racing community we've gotten way too many to count, newbie ski racer parents to help roll b-netting after the conclusion of a race!!

 

[kingslug]

And..it can be fun to ski right to your car when conditions allow!

 

[kingslug]

Try skating around Gore to get to certain lifts...

 

[abc]

if the hill from the lodge to the forerunner, that has stairs, really causes you that much trouble, you should probably pay greater attention to your general physical fitness.

I don't find the stairs "that much trouble". That doesn't mean I like it though. Add to the fact parking near the Mansfield lodge is the first to fill up (artifact of the 4-runner being the first life to spin).

So when there's alternatives, I'd take the alternative. So far, I've opted to park in the lots near Midway lodge, which is above the Gondi and ski down to the Four Runner. It requires a bit of skating, which I actually quite enjoy. I don't enjoy climbing stairs half as much, carrying skis and in ski boot notwithstanding.

With the newly relocated triple, it's now another new alternative.

 

[Mum skier]

And..it can be fun to ski right to your car when conditions allow!

Especially if we are all still having to boot up at our cars. Ski to car, take skis and boots off, climb in car and off you go. Avoids the kids seeing the waffle cabin and insisting you stand in line for a hour for a waffle......

 

[deadheadskier]

Stowe is kinda interesting. It's both great for it's lift to parking layout and also one of the worst setups.

If you are just there to ski, it's hard to beat the ski in, ski out parking of Midway. Even on the Forerunner side, parking near the maintenance building by the Over Easy is also an easy walk and skate to the quad.

If you are a family with young children, Stowe positively sucks. You're either hoofing it uphill to the Midway lodge, hoofing it up to the Over Easy or hoofing it from the Mansfield lodge to the lifts. I never appreciated just how bad all that is until two seasons ago when I took my four year old there for a ski vacation. One of the worst setups ever if you have young kids.

 

[kendo]

Replace the Mansfield stairs with an escalator ala Beaver Creek. I'm sure the approvals would sail right thru the local review process!

I've never seen Lookout double running on the many weekdays that I'm there. I'd love an alternative to access the summit when they're blowing Liftline to recover from weekend use or building base for spring use.

 

[kingslug]

If Stowe is the same shitshow it was last season ..I'll be at SB a lot more.

 

[snoseek]

How was Stowe midweek?

The times I went the lines were pretty long for a midweek day but that had alot to do with them not filling chairs

 

[drjeff]

How was Stowe midweek?

Also, as we all know last year, with so many kids having a remote school situation to complement so many of their parents having a remote work situation, the ability for families to get on the slopes midweek was much greater than it likely will be this season, short of the standard Holiday periods.

Just reason #1001 why last season gets a bunch of asterik's next to it when trying to compare it to others

 

[kingslug]

It was crowded enough that I paid full price 4 x at Sugarbush...midweek to have some peace and quiet to go with my powder.

 

[hovercraft]

If Stowe is the same shitshow it was last season ..I'll be at SB a lot more.

I think it will be a lot different this year with kids back to school parents not working remote and both the Gondi and the quad opening at the same time should take the pressure off that we experienced last year.

 

[Whitey]

I think it will be a lot different this year with kids back to school parents not working remote and both the Gondi and the quad opening at the same time should take the pressure off that we experienced last year.

Being able to fully load lifts will be a big factor this year (if they allow that). I think that part got really underestimated last year. If you were only using 50% of your lift capacity last year, you can double the # of skiers you carry this year.

 

[drjeff]

Being able to fully load lifts will be a big factor this year (if they allow that). I think that part got really underestimated last year. If you were only using 50% of your lift capacity last year, you can double the # of skiers you carry this year.

It sounds like that unless local public health authorities have issues with fully loaded lifts this coming season, that Vail's plan is to load every lift to full capacity...

I can already see the "Karen and Ken" videos poppping up on say Unofficial Networks with "lift line rage" from folks who refuse to ride a full lift this season....

 

[ss20]

Being able to fully load lifts will be a big factor this year (if they allow that). I think that part got really underestimated last year. If you were only using 50% of your lift capacity last year, you can double the # of skiers you carry this year.

In reality it was more than 50% given groups could ride up together. In my personal travels to me it seemed quad chairs averaged 2.5-2.75 people per chair.

 

[RISkier]

The times I went the lines were pretty long for a midweek day but that had alot to do with them not filling chairs

That was my impression when we skied there midweek. The line at the quad often looked formidable. However, the queue was 1-sided and a lot of folks were practicing at least some level of distancing. At least when I was there the wait times weren't that bad. Had they been filling the chairs wait times would've been considerably shorter. I don't think I skied there a single weekend or holiday day.

 

[hovercraft]

In reality it was more than 50% given groups could ride up together. In my personal travels to me it seemed quad chairs averaged 2.5-2.75 people per chair.

Near the end of the season a person from management said they averaged 2.2 per chair……

 

[ss20]

Near the end of the season a person from management said they averaged 2.2 per chair……

I believe it. It certainly varies mountain-to-mountain. MRG with the single and all its doubles would've seen very little actual capacity reduction compared to a mountain with a bunch of high capacity chairs.