Anti Vail Sentiment

[Posaune]

In fairness, you're talking about three seasons, and it sounds like staffing in 2018-2019 was better than the two Covid seasons. With international travel (necessary for whatever those visa programs are) pretty much shut down, and with unemployment paying better than $20/hour and no look-for-work requirement, Stevens Pass is definitely not the only business in Washington struggling to get adequate staffing. With luck, we'll be able to look back at the 19-20 and 20-21 ski seasons as pretty anomalous because of the Covid impacts, not indicative of a new normal.

I compare Stevens and Mt. Baker. Baker has a similar sized operation and is running more lifts this year than last. Every day without a break. Their web site is consistently and regularly updated with current information. They have no problems with staffing, yet they operate in a similar, yet smaller, retail environment.

Today Stevens still had the previous day's info up on their web site ("we're closed") until I sent them an email. They then fixed it and tried to blame me in a reply.

 

[dbostedo]

...and tried to blame me in a reply.

OK, I gotta know. How exactly did they try to blame you for their website not being up to date?

 

[pchewn]

OK, I gotta know. How exactly did they try to blame you for their website not being up to date?

Maybe something like: "Did you clear the cache on your browser?"

 

[dbostedo]

Maybe something like: "Did you clear the cache on your browser?"

Oh... that would make sense. I was imagining/hoping for something much more ridiculous.... like "How do you know it's out of date? Have you hacked into our servers?" Or maybe even "Well why didn't you update it for us?" @Posaune, any comment?

 

[Blue Streak]

Stevens Pass. One of the main hills for Seattle.

Sounds like there are a lot of disgruntled customers.

 

[Posaune]

Maybe something like: "Did you clear the cache on your browser?"

They mentioned cookies, but essentially you are correct.

 

[dovski]

They mentioned cookies, but essentially you are correct.

Speaking of cookies, I remember when Whistler was not Vail owned and they used to give you hot chocolate and cookies while you waited in line to download on the Gondola at the end of the day during the early season. Vail buys them and in the process Whistler lost its cookies so to speak.

 

[Erik Timmerman]

Speaking of cookies, I remember when Whistler was not Vail owned and they used to give you hot chocolate and cookies while you waited in line to download on the Gondola at the end of the day during the early season. Vail buys them and in the process Whistler lost its cookies so to speak.

And then in every internal Vail video they show happy people eating cookies at Beaver Creek. I'm sure they do a nice job of managing Vail and Beaver Creek, but everywhere else is just getting squeezed.

 

[Jersey Skier]

And then in every internal Vail video they show happy people eating cookies at Beaver Creek. I'm sure they do a nice job of managing Vail and Beaver Creek, but everywhere else is just getting squeezed.

I was at Hunter yesterday. There was a woman on the lift line wearing head her B&W houndstooth Bogner body suit with fur collar. Surefoot boots and leather backpack with a bottle of San Pellegrino sticking out. All I could imagine was her internal thought that this is nothing like the Vail resort she is used to.

 

[Roundturns]

And then in every internal Vail video they show happy people eating cookies at Beaver Creek. I'm sure they do a nice job of managing Vail and Beaver Creek, but everywhere else is just getting squeezed.

My ski buddy is out at Vail this week . His condo is behind the Arabelle in Lionshead.
Anyway the escalator going up from the Arabelle to the plaza is still broken since his last time out in January.
Maybe some maintenance belt tightening going on at Vail too. (Lol)

 

[Erik Timmerman]

I was at Hunter yesterday. There was a woman on the lift line wearing head her B&W houndstooth Bogner body suit with fur collar. Surefoot boots and leather backpack with a bottle of San Pellegrino sticking out. All I could imagine was her internal thought that this is nothing like the Vail resort she is used to.

 

[dbostedo]

My ski buddy is out at Vail this week . His condo is behind the Arabelle in Lionshead.
Anyway the escalator going up from the Arabelle to the plaza is still broken since his last time out in January.
Maybe some maintenance belt tightening going on at Vail too. (Lol)

In my few days spent at Vail, I was thankful for that escalator, given my very tired legs at the end of each day!

 

[Wilhelmson]

In whatever year Vail bought Stow they were offering free chocolate in the parking lot.

 

[SkiSchoolPros]

Vail Resorts replies to lawsuit over alleged violations of federal labor laws, labor laws in 9 states

Vail Resorts on Friday made its first response to a proposed class action lawsuit filed in December on behalf of three former and current employees at its Beaver Creek Resort.

www.vaildaily.com

 

[Ogg]

Vail Resorts replies to lawsuit over alleged violations of federal labor laws, labor laws in 9 states

Vail Resorts on Friday made its first response to a proposed class action lawsuit filed in December on behalf of three former and current employees at its Beaver Creek Resort.

www.vaildaily.com

My first thought was screw Vail but after reading the article they do have a point, but I'm not a lawyer. The plaintiffs should have gotten people from the other states to join the class action before they filed it. It probably wouldn't have been difficult to find others with similar complaints.

 

[doc]

I am a lawyer and am helping to defend one of these cases against my company. In our case, the plaintiffs' claims are utter BS. I don't know enough about the Vail facts to make the same assessment of the plaintiffs' claims against VR, but I do know there is a prosperous cottage industry of scumbag lawyers chumming for potential plaintiffs to sue companies under fabricated Fair Labor Standards Act claims. These bottom feeders know the companies will usually settle rather than fight even if the claims lack merit. The plaintiffs will get almost nothing, the lawyers will chuckle on their way to the bank, and the defendant company will have a substantially lighter wallet. Its an unethical practice at best, and close to a crime at worst.

 

[pchewn]

My ski buddy is out at Vail this week . His condo is behind the Arabelle in Lionshead.
Anyway the escalator going up from the Arabelle to the plaza is still broken since his last time out in January.
Maybe some maintenance belt tightening going on at Vail too. (Lol)

Maybe that escalator will be broken for years -- like the elevator in "The Big Bang Theory" .

 

[Ogg]

I am a lawyer and am helping to defend one of these cases against my company. In our case, the plaintiffs' claims are utter BS. I don't know enough about the Vail facts to make the same assessment of the plaintiffs' claims against VR, but I do know there is a prosperous cottage industry of scumbag lawyers chumming for potential plaintiffs to sue companies under fabricated Fair Labor Standards Act claims. These bottom feeders know the companies will usually settle rather than fight even if the claims lack merit. The plaintiffs will get almost nothing, the lawyers will chuckle on their way to the bank, and the defendant company will have a substantially lighter wallet. Its an unethical practice at best, and close to a crime at worst.

Sounds quite plausible. I've seen some of their commercials on late night TV.