Boot Up Areas: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly (Don't Forget the Nonexistent)

[James]

Big Sky (A-) - We had semi-dedicated or dedicated cafeteria space each day

Was that public space or in the Huntley Lodge?

Killington used to have good hooks up on the rafters.

Why do you need hooks? They have shelves and a room.

Mansfield at Stowe is ok, it’s the walk up to the lifts that’s bad.

Here's my thoughts on this boot up thing.

I have never ever and never will ever decided on which ski area to ski based on whether or not it has a nice booty space. Snow, yes. Terrain, yes. Lifts, possibly, Booty space - nope.

That wasn’t the question. Care to answer the question?

 

[Wilhelmson]

As far as design goes storage is always an afterthought. All cubies should be 8 feet tall. Windows over the cubbies would avoid the dark wall effect. Most cubbies could be slightly smaller. Open concept is ok but solid wood posts add a nice touch and allow for more hooks.

Cannon has a back room/closet adjacent to the sitting area which allows for shelves on two sides and keeps the bags out of eye sight. The space underneath stairwells could have racks or hooks. Designated cooler areas outside would free up space inside. The lower level at many lodges has plenty of wall space between the bathrooms, ski shop, and ancillary areas.

 

[DoryBreaux]

I think Roma's at Mammoth is my favorite. I always take the back way through the old locker hallway because, even though I never went to Mammoth as a kid, it has a nostalgic feeling.

 

[Crank]

Was that public space or in the Huntley Lodge?


Why do you need hooks? They have shelves and a room.

Mansfield at Stowe is ok, it’s the walk up to the lifts that’s bad.


That wasn’t the question. Care to answer the question?

Sure.

Sunape because they have cute little high school kids who will check your bag for free. But the skiing is meh. Ok you will feel obligated to tip a dollar, but if you can afford a lift ticket you can afford a few bucks for a tip.

Mansfield at Stowe is better because there are plenty of hooks, cubbies, shelves and it's easier to park close to the lodge. We are not talking about what you have to do after booting up in order to get to the lifts.

 

[SKI-3PO]

I’m not a big fan of Stratton, but they do have a free bag check.

 

[KingGrump]

I’m not a big fan of Stratton, but they do have a free bag check.

We generally do not use the free bag check unless we can't find a open cubby.

 

[Mike Rogers]

Most of the areas I visit have some space, but I just boot up at the car. The lots are usually plowed, and away from the highway, which is a step up from most back-country starts!

 

[SKI-3PO]

We generally do not use the free bag check unless we can't find a open cubby.

Beats not finding an open cubby without a free bag check.

 

[CalG]

Mt Snow lodge, for what it is, IS one large boot up area with benches, some fire side ;-), chairs and lots of places to jamb gear bags. PLUS, bag check is always free. The NEW lodge over at Carinthia area has lots of benches and huge cubbys plus bag check. (We will see if that stays with VA in the mix. Stratton, Ktown, Always felt comfortable as well.

 

[dbostedo]

Was that public space or in the Huntley Lodge?

Either depending on the day. The room moved around a bit.

 

[David Chaus]

I like Banff Sunshine. They have super comfortable chairs at the lodge at the bottom of the gondola and racks to store your bags. Or, boot up during the 20 minute gondola ride to the Village. Or when you get the Village, boot up at the day lodge and store your gear on hooks or near the fireplace in the cafeteria seating area.

Lake Louise also has nice gear storage racks in one of the day lodges.

Schweitzer has a great boot up area where the season lockers are in the basement level, and free cubbies, not to mention the cafeteria level seating.

I think the absolute best is Sun Valley. Plenty of free cubbies, plenty of seating, some of it with nice comfy sofa-type chairs, nice carpeting, feels like you’re in a luxury hotel. Snowbasin come close, even without the private room we had at the Gathering.

 

[CalG]

Bridger isn't bad, the area is small, clean and carpeted, but most people walk in from the lot ready to ski!

There is (was) little more than a concrete breezeway to boot up at the gondola base at Sport Gastein in Austria ;-)

Kirkwood has some snow piles that you can sit in if you haven't got your boots on before you get to the base area lifts ;-)

 

[noncrazycanuck]

if your walking further than the covered creekside parking lot,
try booting up on the gondola and leave your shoes/pack outside Raven hut,
in spring we've often hung our shoes on the racks by Dusty's or even village if heading up Blackcomb, they are always there on return who steals shoes?

 

[SpikeDog]

I boot up in the parking lot at my truck. There's another way to do it? I think I've maxed out at Vail and Alpine Meadows at well over a 1/4 mile walk to the slopes in my boots. At Jackson . . . well, I'm not giving away any secrets, but there are a few insider tips I could give.

It was nice to boot up in Big Sky and Snowbasin with Pugski, but that's a luxury I'm willing to do without.

 

[Chris Walker]

I always appreciated the locker room at the Balcony House at Winter Park. They don't have cubbies per se, but the top of the lockers is flat so you can just put your shoes up there, and there are ample benches, it's right near the hill and has a bathroom on the same level. I heard a rumor Alterra was going to remodel, so it might not last.

 

[DanoT]

At Jackson I drive half way to Teton Village and park for free at the Stilson Lot and get the free shuttle to Teton Village. If you get their early enough there are free granola bars and coffee and washrooms in the heated change room. No cubbies.

Sun Peaks has tables and chairs in the Village Day Lodge (VDL) Great Hall. Downstairs their are more tables and chairs, shelves and hooks, small coin lockers, vending machines, and washrooms for the public. There is also a private locker room with combination lock entry.

This private locker room, well the actual lockers really, are the gold standard for ski lockers. They are very wide and can accommodate 4 pairs of skis and there are 2 stacked shelves that hold one pair of boots each with tubes pumping room temperature air into the boots. There is room above the boot shelves to build more shelves as some have done or just stack several plastic bins.

I was on a waiting list for 7 years before I got my locker and then it was only because some people dropped out when they changed from season to year round rental and doubled the price. I should probably leave my locker to my beneficiary in my will.

Oh yeah, when you head out of the VDL from the locker room to the skiing, one chair is 100' away, the other 200'. And should there be an electric power outage, no problem as the two lifts outside the VDL have diesel backup engines that run at 80% capacity of electric and the VDL also has its own backup diesel generator.

 

[crgildart]

Snowmass ski school locker room .

Out the door and a few yards to the snow. I am so spoiled that it is hard to justify riding the bus to Aspen.

+1 to ski school employee room, We had a tuning bench and tools, GOOD tools in the one where I worked too. I've seen places where employees get close up parking spots too.

 

[skiki]

Mount Sunapee (B-) - Boot room space with pay lockers, somewhat limited

The cubby area downstairs is kind of bare bones, but they do have a free bag check room with more benches for booting up, and couple of changing rooms too.

 

[WynnDuffy]

I think there are a lot of families that would choose a home resort based on having a large boot up room with plenty of benches and locker rooms (also a large cafeteria with a well-enforced "no unattended gear on tables" policy). Before we bought our condo it was an enormous headache just getting two kids into their gear, it must be a nightmare for large families.

 

[clong83]

The space outside my truck doesn't seem to change much from resort to resort.

What's with everyone changing into boots at the lodge? I seriously thought that most people only did that if you had rental gear that you had just gotten that day. Not judging, I've just never ever skied with anyone who said, "Hey, let's carry extra stuff with us and change at the lodge"