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Ken_R

Living the Dream
Skier
Joined
Feb 10, 2016
Posts
5,775
Location
Denver, CO

Wilhelmson

Making fresh tracks
Skier
Joined
May 2, 2017
Posts
4,328
It's very irksome to pay a few thousand for season passes for a bad snow year and the management only has 2 or 3 guns running.
 

James

Out There
Instructor
Joined
Dec 2, 2015
Posts
24,453
Good, gets people away from Abasin and Loveland. I suppose they'll get Mikaela to go to Keystone or Vail?
 

Doug Briggs

"Douche Bag Local"
Industry Insider
SkiTalk Tester
Joined
Nov 9, 2015
Posts
7,484
Location
Breckenridge, CO
Good, gets people away from Abasin and Loveland. I suppose they'll get Mikaela to go to Keystone or Vail?

While the Basin is still on the VR pass, the 'lines' on Breck's upper mountain terrain have been pretty much non-existent during the late season. Next year will really tell how many ponied up for a Basin pass vs staying straight VR.
 

coskigirl

Skiing the powder
Skier
SkiTalk Supporter
Joined
Nov 12, 2015
Posts
4,591
Location
Evergreen, CO
Oh, good! Geez, what a slap in the face to her home Mt eh?
She should still ski Loveland.

I suspect she'll still ski both Loveland and Abasin given that Abasin is no longer on the Epic Pass. As far as I know her brother is still coaching for the race team at Loveland.
 

James

Out There
Instructor
Joined
Dec 2, 2015
Posts
24,453
Last Nov Killington had 135 guns just on one trail, Superstar. Of course the wcup had something to do with that. Still, I've seen them make snow on that trail when it was snowing in March.
 

Nathanvg

Out on the slopes
Skier
Joined
Oct 29, 2016
Posts
525
Spending big money on snow making at big western ski areas never made much sense to me. If the trip is relying on snow making, the conditions are going to be poor. If you're locked into a trip and going anyway, is it better to have 10 runs open instead of 3? I suppose but I'd argue both are pretty bad.

If it's the worst xmas in 50 years, will snow making save the day? No, it will be a zoo. Worse yet, the lift tickets will be a lot more expensive EVERY year to pay for it. Plus all the snow making infrastructure is there all year every year making a natural environment feel like an industrial zone.

Snow making has it's place. Mid-west and eastern ski areas have much more inconsistent weather and need it. Western ski areas always have a few trouble spots that lose snow cover which is a good use of snow making.
 

Wilhelmson

Making fresh tracks
Skier
Joined
May 2, 2017
Posts
4,328
Sure, like booking a trip to Disneyworld in hurricane season. Either way Vail is installing more snowmaking for the same reason we need it in the northeast. Makes some sense, if there's snow at higher elevations but not as much at the base they can alleviate crowding and attract more crowds.

From the article:
Nearly 200 acres of new and enhanced snowmaking terrain will provide guests with earlier access to higher-elevation terrain, top-to-bottom skiing/ snowboarding, access from two base areas and improved early-season ski school terrain.
 

James

Out There
Instructor
Joined
Dec 2, 2015
Posts
24,453
You don't even need natural snow in many eastern resorts. I'd take consistent cold and no snow over snow then rain, then repeat. Esp in December.
 

Bill Miles

Old Man Groomer Zoomer
Skier
SkiTalk Supporter
Joined
Nov 16, 2015
Posts
1,315
Location
Hailey, Idaho
Spending big money on snow making at big western ski areas never made much sense to me. If the trip is relying on snow making, the conditions are going to be poor. If you're locked into a trip and going anyway, is it better to have 10 runs open instead of 3? I suppose but I'd argue both are pretty bad.

If it's the worst xmas in 50 years, will snow making save the day? No, it will be a zoo. Worse yet, the lift tickets will be a lot more expensive EVERY year to pay for it. Plus all the snow making infrastructure is there all year every year making a natural environment feel like an industrial zone.

Snow making has it's place. Mid-west and eastern ski areas have much more inconsistent weather and need it. Western ski areas always have a few trouble spots that lose snow cover which is a good use of snow making.

It sure makes sense at a low snow resort such as Sun Valley, which barely opened in 1976-77 prior to extensive snowmaking. Early season is admittedly only a few runs, but they are top to bottom, and Sun Valley is admittedly not typical of large western resorts. Snowmaking is expensive, but it is difficult to tell its effect on lift tickets prices, since Sun Valley financials are not public, ticket prices are competive with other large resorts with less snowmaking, and supply and demand may affect prices more than costs do.
 

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