Weekend Speculation Thread - The Presidential Edition! 2/16-17

[slatham]

What were the crowds like at the big resorts? I heard a rumor Stratton had 10,000 - quoted as ticket sales but I am sure it was skier visits. Others?

Bromley had a good crowd on Saturday and more on Sunday but nothing record breaking IMHO.

 

[tnt1234]

Magic sold about 900 tickets Saturday according to the ticket booth.

 

[cdskier]

The trick is starting at 7:30.

Isn't starting when lifts open anywhere the trick (unless it is a day where it is snowing throughout the day and you get free refills)? It always boggles my mind when I see people just getting to the mountain at 11 or 12 on a weekend.

 

[BenedictGomez]

It always boggles my mind when I see people just getting to the mountain at 11 or 12 on a weekend.

You cant ski for 4 or 5 hours and be happy with that?

 

[drjeff]

You cant ski for 4 or 5 hours and be happy with that?

Skiing for 4 or 5hrs is perfectly fine. It's often though when the folks who show up at 10 or 11 to ski 4 or 5hrs and then complain that there's no good parking spaces, no table space in the lodge to boot up, the lift lines are long, the trails are scraped off, etc.....

Skiing/riding the closing 4 or 5hrs of the day is great, just don't complain about how one very often doesn't get the "benefits" that those who get there before the masses often do get

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[cdskier]

Skiing for 4 or 5hrs is perfectly fine. It's often though when the folks who show up at 10 or 11 to ski 4 or 5hrs and then complain that there's no good parking spaces, no table space in the lodge to boot up, the lift lines are long, the trails are scraped off, etc.....

Skiing/riding the closing 4 or 5hrs of the day is great, just don't complain about how one very often doesn't get the "benefits" that those who get there before the masses often do get

This...exactly!

 

[Smellytele]

Well if there has been a thaw freeze and the day will warm up starting late is better.

 

[deadheadskier]

Isn't starting when lifts open anywhere the trick (unless it is a day where it is snowing throughout the day and you get free refills)? It always boggles my mind when I see people just getting to the mountain at 11 or 12 on a weekend.

Why? There are a million and one reasons why some folks aren't there early.

*Don't live nearby
*Have young children
*Have to work in the morning (more common with locals working in hospitality than you think) I worked split shifts all the time when working resorts as a ski bum at Stowe and elsewhere.
* Have young children
* Burnt out from the work week and want to sleep in.
*Have young children
*Have snow removal to deal with in the morning

I personally try and get out as early as possible. Doesn't always happen for a million+1 reasons. Many of which are not completely in my control.


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[Glenn]

My wife and I will roll in around 10-11; usually on a Sunday. Crowds tend to dissipate after lunch. And often, you'll get a decent window from 11:30 to 1 while everyone eats lunch.

 

[kingslug]

Stowe opens the earliest of any place I know. Most people won't get up that early to get a 7:30 chair. I 'm 6 miles away and get up 5:30...most people are snoozing at that hour. It gives me at least an hour of ...non crowds no matter the holiday.
And nothing is skied to shit yet. The tops of the steeps don't last that long at times.
If its good I can get 8 hours in...

 

[skiur]

My wife and I will roll in around 10-11; usually on a Sunday. Crowds tend to dissipate after lunch. And often, you'll get a decent window from 11:30 to 1 while everyone eats lunch.

And after 2:30 the mountain starts to empty out and you can ski right onto the lift.

 

[cdskier]

Why? There are a million and one reasons why some folks aren't there early.

*Don't live nearby
*Have young children
*Have to work in the morning (more common with locals working in hospitality than you think) I worked split shifts all the time when working resorts as a ski bum at Stowe and elsewhere.
* Have young children
* Burnt out from the work week and want to sleep in.
*Have young children
*Have snow removal to deal with in the morning

I personally try and get out as early as possible. Doesn't always happen for a million+1 reasons. Many of which are not completely in my control.

Perhaps I should have been more clear. I understand the reasons and that's fine...but too often those are the same people I hear complaining about all the things drjeff mentioned. There are some people that get there at noon and are surprised they have to park far away. Or they are surprised there's no cord left and blame the mountain for not doing a good job grooming. Or they are surprised the powder that fell last night has already been skied off the bumps. Or they are surprised the mountain is crowded. If you're not getting there early, then you need to set your expectations accordingly and not complain about things that naturally are going to occur as the day goes on at a ski area. If you accept that, then by all means, go ahead and start at noon if that's what works best for you.

To some other people's points, yes, there are times when skiing later is better (i.e. spring skiing or thaw/freeze days where warming temps throughout the day will help conditions). But those are usually not the majority of days.

 

[Jully]

Perhaps I should have been more clear. I understand the reasons and that's fine...but too often those are the same people I hear complaining about all the things drjeff mentioned. There are some people that get there at noon and are surprised they have to park far away. Or they are surprised there's no cord left and blame the mountain for not doing a good job grooming. Or they are surprised the powder that fell last night has already been skied off the bumps. Or they are surprised the mountain is crowded. If you're not getting there early, then you need to set your expectations accordingly and not complain about things that naturally are going to occur as the day goes on at a ski area. If you accept that, then by all means, go ahead and start at noon if that's what works best for you.

To some other people's points, yes, there are times when skiing later is better (i.e. spring skiing or thaw/freeze days where warming temps throughout the day will help conditions). But those are usually not the majority of days.

Wow, I'm not sure I've ever heard of people complaining like that before. That's wild and hilarious. If you like groomers, you need to be prepared to ski from 8-9:30 on a weekend before lovely eastern hardpack shows through.

Parking is a mixed bag though, especially on Sundays if I show up at 11 or later, I can usually park closer than if I arrived at 9:30.

 

[machski]

Parking is a mixed bag though, especially on Sundays if I show up at 11 or later, I can usually park closer than if I arrived at 9:30.

Yup, at SR the preferred parking rows open up after 11 as a first come, first served. Since those are roped off for only those paying for the benefit early and thus blocking all others from the closest parking, you can definitely score the closest parking later. Just have to time it right [emoji6]

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[abc]

Bottom line, there're a lot of people on the mountain overall. But they move in a certain pattern. So if you move anti-pattern, you CAN find windows of time to enjoy the mountain without having to deal with the big crowd.

Whether that window is early in the morning or late in the afternoon, it's up to the individual to choose.

For me, I'm happy for those who show up on first chair and leave at 11. I do take advantage of that. I'm not a big groomer cruiser. So the "freshly groomed corduroy" doesn't hold as much appeal to me as it does to some here.

Unless of course, if it snows overnight, then I'll be the one who's at the first chair and may leave by 11!

 

[GregoryIsaacs]

Its Wed can we start speculating about this weekends conditions already! Hoping to hit Jay on Saturday think it'll be worth the trip from Boston? These wintry mix storms need to end ASAP

 

[kingslug]

Showing a decent amount for N VT in the coming days..hoping its a little heavier than the last..and sticks!

 

[BenedictGomez]

Yeah, I have to say I find the myriad of these "benefits" listed by the early birds as mostly imaginary & in their head, with the exception of powder days, obviously.

In fact, unless you show up BEFORE the joint opens, I actually think showing up around first chair is perhaps the most stressful time to show up to ski and frankly, I dislike it. It's crowded, somewhat rude, & hectic with all the high blood pressure, "we must be FIRST" sort of people here speaking of these imaginary perceived benefits. LOL

 

[kingslug]

Not at Stowe..very mellow. A 9am start would be different though. Only thing is ...it fucking freezing that early...

 

[cdskier]

In fact, unless you show up BEFORE the joint opens, I actually think showing up around first chair is perhaps the most stressful time to show up to ski and frankly, I dislike it. It's crowded, somewhat rude, & hectic with all the high blood pressure, "we must be FIRST" sort of people here speaking of these imaginary perceived benefits. LOL

Crowded? I've had quite the opposite experience. It is pretty empty at Sugarbush at 8AM (unless it is a powder day...then it can be a zoo no question about it).

On a typical weekend day (non holiday, non-powder) at Lincoln Peak you'll have maybe a dozen or two people standing in line at Super Bravo for first chair. At Mt Ellen you'll often have just a handful of people if that. I find the time skiing from 8AM until about 10AM incredibly relaxing as I can often just keep doing laps with lifts that are virtually ski on.