When I'm not patrolling at my local hills, but just free-skiing at some other hill where I haven't made arrangements to patrol usually park close to the lodge (cause I'm usually there early) lock my skis in the ski-key rack if they have one, or leave them locked in the car (AKA mobile locker). I boot up in the lodge, and rent a coin locker if they have one, leave my other footwear in my boot bag, either in the locker or in some random spot in the lodge; nobody wants my crappy old boot bag nor my stinky shoes/boots.
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Managing Gear to / From Hill
All this reminds me of my favorite overall ski industry pet peeve: a failure to provide basic services while asking people to pay $50-150 for a day ticket. (or several hundred dollars a week etc). Would it kill any one to provide even simple pay lockers large enough to hold boots/lunch/extra gear? I bet if you charged $2 a you'd break even on the costs within a year or two. You could always elect to stash stuff under tables etc but at least you'd have the opportunity to put them in a secure area, especially things like ipads, extra gloves, etc...
Still, I shouldn't complain: here in Europe there are no base lodges, so you're stuck either sweating it out or freezing if the weather changes, and you gotta carry lunch on your back if you want to DIY...
Still, I shouldn't complain: here in Europe there are no base lodges, so you're stuck either sweating it out or freezing if the weather changes, and you gotta carry lunch on your back if you want to DIY...
Most ski areas do have lockers available, but usually it's more than $2.
Some have bag/basket check. Usually run anywhere from $6 and up.
Some areas have free cubby holes. Some even have free bag check.
Lots depends on the area.
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- May 2, 2017
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Never had any gear stolen, but at Stowe somebody snooping around bags stole my brother in law's Heady Topper. With the new pass and new skis we'll have to be more careful this year.
Like others, I'll boot-up at the car if parked near slopes. Otherwise, carry stuff into base lodge in old boot bag, boot-up and leave bag in free cubbie. If no free cubbie, I'll throw bag in corner and/or under table, or on top of pay lockers. It's been about 25 years since I rented a day-locker. Carry valuables on my person. If I'm brown bagging my lunch, sometimes I'll bring the boot bag up to a mid-mtn lodge and return to it at meal time or if changing clothes.
Where are you planning to do most of your skiing? Generally, Eastern US and all over Canada ski areas are set up better for booting-up in lodges and stowing bags there.
Base lodges are less user friendly or barely existent at many larger ski areas in the west. But there are some good places out there for boot-up and free stowage, for example:
Alta: Gold Miner Daughter's café on the ground level facing the lifts, indoor cubbies.
Jackson Hole: Nick Wilson's Cowboy Café under the tram building, facing uphill, indoor stowage available under benches in dining area.
Lake Louise: large, free cubbie area in the magnificent base lodge, towards looker's left of complex.
Snowbird: there is a brown bagger room in Snowbird Center (base lodge) and there is an atrium nearby where it is easy to find a place to stow your bag. There is a scenic brown bagger room on the ground level beside the Mid-Gad Restaurant, this is a good mid-mtn place to stow bags and/or eat DIY meals.
Where are you planning to do most of your skiing? Generally, Eastern US and all over Canada ski areas are set up better for booting-up in lodges and stowing bags there.
Base lodges are less user friendly or barely existent at many larger ski areas in the west. But there are some good places out there for boot-up and free stowage, for example:
Alta: Gold Miner Daughter's café on the ground level facing the lifts, indoor cubbies.
Jackson Hole: Nick Wilson's Cowboy Café under the tram building, facing uphill, indoor stowage available under benches in dining area.
Lake Louise: large, free cubbie area in the magnificent base lodge, towards looker's left of complex.
Snowbird: there is a brown bagger room in Snowbird Center (base lodge) and there is an atrium nearby where it is easy to find a place to stow your bag. There is a scenic brown bagger room on the ground level beside the Mid-Gad Restaurant, this is a good mid-mtn place to stow bags and/or eat DIY meals.
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Lockers out here have a comma in their price. Squaw Valley Season Lockers, starting at $1,099
I've got another one... at Aspen Mountain there's a nice bootup room with cubbies under the lift station to the left of the stairway up to the station.
They spruce that space up really nicely. I remember 11 yrs ago. it was a 3' wide hallway with lockers.
The classiest place hand down is Sun Valley. Big comfortable over stuffed wing chairs. Plenty of space. Not many skiers around. Cubbies with doors. Class act, all the way. It feels like home.
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- Oct 4, 2017
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I don't mind booting up at the car, provided it's not insanely cold or the parking lot isn't a skating rink.
One time we booted up at the car at Loveland, and although it's not too bad of a walk from the car to the lifts there the parking lot was just glare ice, and the walk was downright frightening, especially in ski boots. The worst part was our lunch was in/at the car so we had to make that walk 4 times
luckily it was a nice day overall
One time we booted up at the car at Loveland, and although it's not too bad of a walk from the car to the lifts there the parking lot was just glare ice, and the walk was downright frightening, especially in ski boots. The worst part was our lunch was in/at the car so we had to make that walk 4 times
luckily it was a nice day overall
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- Apr 24, 2017
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I can't
Mammoth is $405. Actually, I think that decreased from last year.
Snow Summit is $349.
I can't "Like" this. Yikes.
Mammoth is $405. Actually, I think that decreased from last year.
Snow Summit is $349.
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- Oct 4, 2017
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Well sure... it's a bit pricey... but you DO get free coffee and tea.
For that kind of money you should be able to sleep in the thing.
Every thing old is new again. You could find some type of ski carrying sling today without looking too hard.
I have the Patrol Locker room now but when I visit other areas I'll go to the area with the picnic tables and look for the non-skiing moms or dads that end up holding tables all day for their groups. Usually nice folks and I'll ask if I can stash my stuff with them. I don't think anyone has ever said no and I've never had anything missing.
So, how many are paying more for a season locker rental than they paid for their season pass?
Not yet. $350 for the locker, $560 for the pass. But they are converging all too quickly. Sometimes I want to not renew to "show them", but there's at least a two year waiting list. So, I've realized that that is not real imminent. Because the older I get the more I need the darn thing. They have definitely been upping the locker price far faster than the pass price because of that waiting list. I've been noticing a lot of churn in my locker room, tho, in just the last two years And the ones who have vanished are not really skiing now. I think they've aged and the combined cost is not worth it.
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- Oct 17, 2018
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- 10
I made my first trip to BC/Alberta last winter. Lake Louise has several large cubbie areas. The gondola base at Sunshine Village has super comfy chairs and couches, a coffee shop, and a glass walled room with racks for bags. What a great way to boot up! Panorama has a very convenient area with lots of cubbies right next to the cafeteria. Revelstoke was a disappointment - all I found was a couple big benches in a downstairs locker room - no coffee to be found
Is this a Canadian thing? Maybe because these areas have lots of skiers using buses? Or maybe these areas don't need to find yet another profit center? (Squaw Valley lockers starting at $1099, holy crap!)