Was this past weekend the peak...

[billski]

I've never heard the word "tourist" used to describe skiers and boarders. Tourons and gomers for sure, but that has more to do with capability. Day trippers are definitely not tourists even if they can't ski/board.

Now, I only go out west to ski once every couple years. I would definitely consider myself a tourist in that context, though I don't tour around. When I go west, I have a one-track mind and mission.

 

[highpeaksdrifter]

They have a good lift capacity somewhere around 18,000 per hour when all lifts are operating. Lines depended on which lift one was skiing off of. The quads probably had lines up to 15 minutes, particulaly Stevenson which is kind of a dead end, while the fixed grips had about a 2-5 minute lines. Asp which is bumped was the least crowded trail wise but there were some others that just had people all over them. I'm glad the mountain made money but I'm ready for the crowds to go home.

Alex

Lake Hopatcong, NJ

Your liftline wait estimates got me to do a little research. 34 trails, 800 vert, 160 acres, but they do have 15 lifts. I sure would not want to ski their with 14,000, but all those people on the trails must be something to see.

 

[highpeaksdrifter]

Of the season crowd wise? Camelback was silly crowded Saturday (est 14,000) and busy Sunday as well (est 10,000). A bunch of fellow season pass holders were on the deck waving a hearty good bye to the tourists on Sunday like the Jersey Shore residents do on Labor Day. It was thier opinion that we reclaim the mountain from here till the end.

Alex

Lake Hopatcong, NJ

I've never heard the word "tourist" used to describe skiers and boarders. Tourons and gomers for sure, but that has more to do with capability. Day trippers are definitely not tourists even if they can't ski/board.

Now, I only go out west to ski once every couple years. I would definitely consider myself a tourist in that context, though I don't tour around. When I go west, I have a one-track mind and mission.

I thought that's what 4aprice was saying. Tourons is a condescending term locals use for tourist they consider morons. Not a very flattering term for people who pour a lot of needed revenue into local economies.

 

[BackLoafRiver]

As I mentioned in my TR, Sugarloaf was the busiest I have seen it all season. Every lot was full and cars were lined up down the access road from the top where the buses park all the way to the Rack.

 

[2knees]

unless you live at an area, you're a tourist. even if you own a secondary residence, you're still a tourist.

you might be a tourist if.....

 

[deadheadskier]

Your liftline wait estimates got me to do a little research. 34 trails, 800 vert, 160 acres, but they do have 15 lifts. I sure would not want to ski their with 14,000, but all those people on the trails must be something to see.

It does seem like an extraordinary amount of skiers for such limited terrain. yikes. good for them, but I'm not sure I'd want to be there. seems like there would be no where to 'hide'

 

[highpeaksdrifter]

unless you live at an area, you're a tourist. even if you own a secondary residence, you're still a tourist.

Right cause you are visiting a place to have a good time.

I'm just playin around in this thread, but I do believe that alot of recreational skiers don't get that they're just recreational skiers and there isn't anything wrong with that.

 

[highpeaksdrifter]

It does seem like an extraordinary amount of skiers for such limited terrain. yikes. good for them, but I'm not sure I'd want to be there. seems like there would be no where to 'hide'

Seems like it would look like short track skating.

 

[2knees]

Right cause you are visiting a place to have a good time.

I'm just playin around in this thread, but I do believe that alot of recreational skiers don't get that they're just recreational skiers and there isn't anything wrong with that.

i totally agree with you. I find the terratorial chest puffing very humorous.

 

[4aprice]

Do you think tourist are undesirables who you don't want to share the mountain with?

Maybe I'm a little harsh or snobbish. Tourists to me are the people who come to mountain (any mountain) maybe one or two weekends a year. Yes they ski/board but are really not into the sport for any number of reasons. I don't really mean to put them down as they do help the areas by spending money. As someone who skis every chance I get between Nov and April I guess I have a twisted view. It just that empty trails and lift corrals with great conditions are my cup of tea. Hey its March, my favorite month of the year and the best skiing is hopefully yet to come.

Alex

Lake Hopatcong, NJ

 

[jrmagic]

I do believe that alot of recreational skiers don't get that they're just recreational skiers and there isn't anything wrong with that.

Absolutely nothing wrong with it at all and it encompasses at least 98 percent of those who ski. Myself included.

 

[ctenidae]

Tried to go to Hunter on Saturday, about 5 miles away there was a Statie who was finishing up turning traffic away. He said that they'd stopped letting people up to teh mountain for a while, but had opened back up, if we wanted to give it a try. About 3 miles up, we were at a dead stop and someone with a Channel 10 placard in his window came out of a side road in front of usHe stopped and said the mountain was completely jammed, adn they weren't letting anyone in, so we might as well turn around. We drove over to Bellayre, instead, where it wasn't too crowded, and conditions were great. Unfortunately, I got hit with some weird sinus affliction where as soon as my heart rate went up a tiny bit I got blinding (seriously) pain behind my eyes and had to stop. So, it took us about 1/2 an hour to make one run, we packed up, adn drove home. 6 hours in the car, 2 ski areas, and one run. Not a great day. To cap it off, that was the 1st chance we've had to go skiing yet this season.

So, Saturday I was a recreational skier who drove around like a tourist, benefiting from the infomration I leach on this site, and made my one run looking like a total touron.

 

[oakapple]

Maybe I'm a little harsh or snobbish. Tourists to me are the people who come to mountain (any mountain) maybe one or two weekends a year.

That is not the normally understood meaning of "tourist", which to most people implies travel over a sufficient distance to require a hotel stay. If you visit a mountain within driving distance of home, even if it’s a mountain you seldom visit, then you are not a tourist. You are just an occasional visitor. It could be because you don’t ski very much, or because you do most of your skiing elsewhere.

Of course, there is also a pejorative undertone to it. Somehow, if Bode Miller were skiing on your mountain, I don’t think you would call him a tourist.

As someone who skis every chance I get between Nov and April I guess I have a twisted view. It just that empty trails and lift corrals with great conditions are my cup of tea.

Wouldn't everybody prefer to have the mountain to themselves, and never have to wait in line for a lift? The trouble is, if that were the case, most ski resorts would not exist. Hard-core skiers aren't numerous enough to keep most ski resorts in business.

 

[billski]

Tried to go to Hunter on Saturday, about 5 miles away there was a Statie who was finishing up turning traffic away. He said that they'd stopped letting people up to teh mountain for a while, but had opened back up, if we wanted to give it a try. About 3 miles up, we were at a dead stop and someone with a Channel 10 placard in his window came out of a side road in front of usHe stopped and said the mountain was completely jammed, adn they weren't letting anyone in, so we might as well turn around. We drove over to Bellayre, instead, where it wasn't too crowded, and conditions were great. Unfortunately, I got hit with some weird sinus affliction where as soon as my heart rate went up a tiny bit I got blinding (seriously) pain behind my eyes and had to stop. So, it took us about 1/2 an hour to make one run, we packed up, adn drove home. 6 hours in the car, 2 ski areas, and one run. Not a great day. To cap it off, that was the 1st chance we've had to go skiing yet this season.

So, Saturday I was a recreational skier who drove around like a tourist, benefiting from the infomration I leach on this site, and made my one run looking like a total touron.

Wow you had it bad all around. Nothing worse than being skiing disabled when you have the time and are at the place. Sux for you.
Thanks for the beta on what was going on at Hunter from the outside. That's pretty incredible. Stratton had turn-aways, but that's because 2-wheel drive vehicles couldn't make it up the access road.

 

[4aprice]

It does seem like an extraordinary amount of skiers for such limited terrain. yikes. good for them, but I'm not sure I'd want to be there. seems like there would be no where to 'hide'

There ways to get around it. Like I said Asp, a legitimate expert pitch, with moguls on it had plenty of room (and excellent snow) on it and thats where I stayed. I actually skied all day despite the crowds and enjoyed it. Its not really till 11 that the crowds become intolerable and I start at 8. Its interesting in that you run in to a wall of people right at the base area and have to manuever around there. One section where three trails all commence was just a sea of people but I only went through there twice. Its an amazing view from the top when you see where they are parking cars.

To HPD and others I agree everyone is entitled what ever form of recreation they desire and good for them if its at the ski areas. I didn't really mean to sound condesending to anyone. I will refrain from using the term tourists anymore.

Alex

Lake Hopatcong, NJ

 

[billski]

Its interesting in that you run in to a wall of people right at the base area and have to manuever around there. One section where three trails all commence was just a sea of people but I only went through there twice.
Alex

Lake Hopatcong, NJ

Reminds me of areas out west like Squaw and Vail. In the morning, getting on the base area lifts is madness. As you say, spreading out is the key to minimizing, don't return to base unless you have to. Thanks for your stories, they are illuminating.

 

[andyaxa]

And here I'm such a newb I didn't even realize to be a recreational skier might have a bad connotation. Ignorance is bliss. Even if I ski every chance I get until the day I die, unless I plan on hitting the World Cup circuit, I'll always be a recreational skier. That's why I do it and plan on doing it more! The tourist classification is not as cut and dry, but again, coming from a novice's perspective, I don't really care if I'm a tourist or local. I'm too preoccupied with staying out of the backseat.

This is not a reflection on the OP but I used to be in the restaurant biz down on the Vineyard and was always amazed at how a number of the locals viewed visitors and summer residents, especially those in the support trades (not direct hospitality) They didn't seem to realize their livelihood depended on those morons they were laughing at.

FWIW back to the OP...lines were nonexistent at Crotched this weekend, but I'm not sure they're ever very long there. Funny thing is, on Sunday the lots were full, but lifts were ski-on. I'm not sure where all the people were.

 

[billski]

And here I'm such a newb I didn't even realize to be a recreational skier might have a bad connotation. Ignorance is bliss. Even if I ski every chance I get until the day I die, unless I plan on hitting the World Cup circuit, I'll always be a recreational skier. That's why I do it and plan on doing it more! The tourist classification is not as cut and dry, but again, coming from a novice's perspective, I don't really care if I'm a tourist or local. I'm too preoccupied with staying out of the backseat.

This is not a reflection on the OP but I used to be in the restaurant biz down on the Vineyard and was always amazed at how a number of the locals viewed visitors and summer residents, especially those in the support trades (not direct hospitality) They didn't seem to realize their livelihood depended on those morons they were laughing at.

FWIW back to the OP...lines were nonexistent at Crotched this weekend, but I'm not sure they're ever very long there. Funny thing is, on Sunday the lots were full, but lifts were ski-on. I'm not sure where all the people were.

Good points my man. I'm a recreational skier - I think that is how you classify most of us, barkeater, blue cruiser or newbie. I don't see "rec skier" as negative at all. I kind of see two camps: the passionate/obsessed skier/boarder and everyone else. The "everyone else" pay the bills. As someone who is obsessed, I just learn how to deal with "everyone else" so that I can get what I want. I'm not dissin' anyone - if you're out to have fun, however you define it, I'm with you. Go for it. It's not my private reserve, I just get the benefit of another great resort staying in business.

 

[SIKSKIER]

99% of the members on this board would be considered a recreational skier/boarder.

 

[2knees]

99% of the members on this board would be considered a recreational skier/boarder.

actually, i'd say 100%. I dont know anybody who is skiing competetively and for a living on this board. outside of that, its all recreational.


wait, how about 99.99999% i forgot about highwaystar....