Worst Ski Season Ever?

[ss20]

I'm changing my vote to the worst. I'm young, so this is me getting my "once in a lifetime" winter over with.


Still infinitely times better than the Pacific Northwest last winter.

 

[Glenn]

What makes it really tough is the winter we had last year. What a shift.

I'm thankful for snowmaking. We've at least been able to get out and make some turns this year. While we've had some good days, it's been ok skiing for the most part.

Haven't done any snowmobiling outside of the yard in VT. Thankfully, I've got less expensive older sleds. That's been a really really crappy season.

 

[SIKSKIER]

I know that at least at Cannon we probably would not have opened yet this year without snowmaking.At best only for a few days.

 

[hammer]

I'm changing my vote to the worst.

Same here. Still going to get out at least a few more times though.

 

[jaybird]

Didn't your mommy and daddy teach you not to be a quitter?
Pretty sad to kick nature to the side of the road with weeks to go before it's truly over.
Nothin gonna breaka my stride.

 

[VTKilarney]

Didn't your mommy and daddy teach you not to be a quitter?
Pretty sad to kick nature to the side of the road with weeks to go before it's truly over.
Nothin gonna breaka my stride.

My mother and father taught me how to accept objective facts.

You can make the best of this season, but you can't deny its characteristics.


.

 

[wa-loaf]

Season salvaged with trip to Jackson Hole last week. Got one good powder day in. Have some ski races and stuff left for the season, but unless we get a couple good March storms up north I'm pretty much done.

 

[wtcobb]

For the 11-12 comp and average from Mansfield:

Picked up a lightweight camp pad and some slings. Time to look ahead to backpacking and climbing season!

 

[slatham]

This season, at least from a ski area income statement perspective, is already toast and the worst since 82/83 or 79/80, if not ever. No amount of snow in March or April is going to change this (there is nothing significant in the forecast until after March 1, and even that is questionable). Sure, skiing could get good and maybe resurrect the skiing season for us hardcores (again, this is a stretch and approaching wishful thinking) but financially 15/16 its effectively in the books.

 

[wtcobb]

11/12 season I spent the last weekend of March at Stowe for a bachelor party. 80's weekend, and not in the bright onesie sense. We hiked the Chin in t-shirts.

If nothing else, this has been a good year for winter hiking. I know a few folks who hit the single season winter 4K list already.

 

[jaybird]

My mother and father taught me how to accept objective facts.

You can make the best of this season, but you can't deny its characteristics.


.

Best fat biking winter season in recent history.
March ain't even started and the girlie-men have wedgies.

Change the dynamics ... open the wallet like wa-loaf did.
Conditions west of Denver can save your NEK soul.
Burke sure ain't doin that :roll:

 

[Abominable]

This season, at least from a ski area income statement perspective, is already toast and the worst since 82/83 or 79/80, if not ever. No amount of snow in March or April is going to change this (there is nothing significant in the forecast until after March 1, and even that is questionable). Sure, skiing could get good and maybe resurrect the skiing season for us hardcores (again, this is a stretch and approaching wishful thinking) but financially 15/16 its effectively in the books.

I know next to nothing about ski area managment. How do you think a winter like affects the sort of well run, mid range independent areas? Places like Bromley, Berkshire East? I have to imagine they finance at least a certain portion of capital and operating expenses through short term debt. They obviously feel the pinch in a season like this, but is it devastating? When you read Nelsap histories you often come across phrasing like "a couple bad winters in the 80s and they shuttered."

How's Bromley been this year, in terms of.. I dunno, general feeling? Lot's of bitchin' and moanin' at the bar? Empty bar? I'm sure there's a lot of folks, lifties, instructors, that have been more or less laid off or not gotten near the hours / wages they'd expect in a normal winter. I feel bad for folks like that. It's one thing when a lousy winter affects your recreation; another when it's your livelihood at stake.

 

[billski]

They obviously feel the pinch in a season like this, but is it devastating? When you read Nelsap histories you often come across phrasing like "a couple bad winters in the 80s and they shuttered."
.

It depends all over the place, cash flow, angel investors, deep pockets, dreamers, paupers. What you can count on is very restrained capital improvements. From an expense perspective, Killington called it early and stopped spending good money on advertising. I thought at least I'd see some agressive ticket discounting. Guess they don't want to set a precedent. Oh well, back to real estate.

 

[billski]

It sucks if you have to plan ahead this year. If you can pounce, (within a day) you can get some pretty good tracks right after a "snowfall", then the torch sets back in to screw up the next seven days. Friggin' 60 at my house today, prolly above freezing on every summit.

 

[billski]

I remember ski areas being closed this time of the year before the advent of snowmaking. So no it's not the worst I've seen. Not that I was alive then but did you know that the first year MRG was scheduled to open they never did because of lack of snow.
I started skiing in 1960 so I've been around longer than most here.

Today's difference is that we have a lot of spoiled skiers who expect a lot. Gourmet food, High speed lifts, bindings that fit, boots that don't break, special clothing, snow making. It simply sets the expectation bar higher. "back in the day", if it didn't snow, hey, maybe you did something else. Advanced sales are also somewhat to blame for that whine.

That's just the way it was. If the trails had ice, dirt or snow you dealt with it. The only snow report you got was from a friend who skied there a week ago. Nobody expected wall to wall unblemished trails, t-bars were common. Getting over 10 runs a day was a big deal.

A memorable day at Stowe always included some blue ice with no way around, and waiting for my under-confident friends to make it over the patch in 45 minutes.

What's really discouraging is that one resort in particular started to pitch this as "spring skiing". In February. OMG. Places are going to close early;have you seen the NWS snow depth chart? I expect the trail count to be going down precipitously. Was at Sugarbush last week and it was sad how many closed trails I saw. Skiable to me, but it's about expectations.

 

[slatham]

I know next to nothing about ski area managment. How do you think a winter like affects the sort of well run, mid range independent areas? Places like Bromley, Berkshire East? I have to imagine they finance at least a certain portion of capital and operating expenses through short term debt. They obviously feel the pinch in a season like this, but is it devastating? When you read Nelsap histories you often come across phrasing like "a couple bad winters in the 80s and they shuttered."

How's Bromley been this year, in terms of.. I dunno, general feeling? Lot's of bitchin' and moanin' at the bar? Empty bar? I'm sure there's a lot of folks, lifties, instructors, that have been more or less laid off or not gotten near the hours / wages they'd expect in a normal winter. I feel bad for folks like that. It's one thing when a lousy winter affects your recreation; another when it's your livelihood at stake.

I haven't heard much grumbling about the mountain and ops, just the weather (personally I was very surprised with how well the mountain skied after last weeks thaw). It does seem that they've cut back a bit on things here and there, and they do not have the base depth that they typically do. Given no more snowmaking (which is typical for them after Presidents) there are questions as to how long they can stay open. Today obviously not helping. I would not be shocked if they go the way of Pico and move to weekends or Thur-Mon much earlier than usual, but that's pure speculation.

I am sure the powers that be at Bromley are very happy they have a good summer business!

 

[wtcobb]

Best fat biking winter season in recent history.

I've heard the opposite from many riders. Lack of a good snowbase and rain (mud) affects bike trails too.

 

[ironhippy]

It was thundering on the way to work this morning...

 

[slatham]

Another depressing datapoint. Per Win Smith (CR=Castle Rock):

"CR chair by the way has run only 12 days. In a mediocre season it normally runs around 55 days. That probably sums up the winter."

 

[Smellytele]

Best fat biking winter season in recent history.
:roll:

How many fat biking seasons have there actually been?