Colorado Weather Discussion Thread

[Foggy_Goggles]

My middle manager type friends in lifts, patrol, retail actually find it easier to take vacation in the middle of winter when they are fully staffed and business as usual that in the in between seasons.

[Jtlange]

Oh boy, required $20 parking reservations at ABasin next year.

Four or more in the car is free, still need a reservation. Limited Parking passes at $150 which at per day puts it at 7.5 days for breakeven. Interesting breakeven point, I wonder if they are going to go unlimited on full and limited otherwise.

[bamboocoreONLY]

My middle manager type friends in lifts, patrol, retail actually find it easier to take vacation in the middle of winter when they are fully staffed and business as usual that in the in between seasons.

Heck that’s how it is for me. We start doing more consistent bike service right about now then I have a period in between employees where I’m flipping the store from winter to summer. I can take a vacation way easier in February than I can in May. Same for summer, easy to take one in July/August than in September.

[turbomike15]

Oh boy, required $20 parking reservations at ABasin next year.

Four or more in the car is free, still need a reservation. Limited Parking passes at $150 which at per day puts it at 7.5 days for breakeven. Interesting breakeven point, I wonder if they are going to go unlimited on full and limited otherwise.

Beginning of the end...

[DeadSnow77]

Oh boy, required $20 parking reservations at ABasin next year.

Four or more in the car is free, still need a reservation. Limited Parking passes at $150 which at per day puts it at 7.5 days for breakeven. Interesting breakeven point, I wonder if they are going to go unlimited on full and limited otherwise.

My outrage cannot be contained. Insane that even with a season parking pass you still need a reservation. What is this, COVID? Fuck off. Major major disappointment.

[Danno]

I don't have a problem with the reservation idea, it's the $20 for a reservation that is absurd; basically doing away with free parking entirely on weekends. And while you can do away with that if you have 4 people, not sure how that will work functionally (do you not pay when you make the reservation? do you get a refund if you prove you have 4? how do you prove that?). And 4 people is pretty hard to do anyway.

[The SnowShow]

My outrage cannot be contained. Insane that even with a season parking pass you still need a reservation. What is this, COVID? Fuck off. Major major disappointment.

I’m flipping out about this too. $20 fucking dollars each time you go on the weekend? I’ve had my daughter in weekend lessons there for two seasons but now I’m bailing. Weekends at Loveland now. Fuck all the other mountains.

[gmorgg]

need to get a remake on the Legend is Burning stickers

[DeadSnow77]

I’m flipping out about this too. $20 fucking dollars each time you go on the weekend? I’ve had my daughter in weekend lessons there for two seasons but now I’m bailing. Weekends at Loveland now. Fuck all the other mountains.

Yup. And in the event I ever do go back, I sure as shit am not giving them one more red cent for food or Bloody's. It's been real, sad that it is fucking over.

I also laugh so much at Al claiming on his blog that this is solely to preserve the skiing experience, and claiming that some feedback is positive because people are happy knowing they'll have a spot when they arrive. To those people I say, fuck you straight to hell and back. If first come first serve doesn't work for you, YOU are the problem.

[uglymoney]

The model is to sell the idea of skiing vs. the reality in the form of a mega pass. A long season is good marketing copy.

Yep. The social media exposure is almost free and huge. We are seeing a huge late season push in the midwest this year after a horrendous winter by the big players, Boyne, Lutsen group, Cascade. Guns running in late March would have been unthinkable in the past. Flashed all over social media daily.

On another note, going to try to get to Breck before they close this year. I can't remember when I last skied there, late nineties for sure, maybe once in the early 2000's but can't place it. Vail priced me out until this year when I finally succumbed to dancing with the devil. I remember skiing there when Peak 10 was new. Always underwhelmed.

Looking forward to it. Ski area has way more to like and explore than it did. Can't really go wrong with late spring trips to Colorado.


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[skaredshtles]

And so it goes...

[The SnowShow]

Next casuality will be the free Mary Jane parking.

[skaredshtles]

Next casuality will be the free Mary Jane parking.

And so it goes...

[EWG]

I've said this in the Wasatch thread before (reservations and pay to park have been happening there over the last 3 years.) Everyone wants to blame Ikon, but in reality there has been an explosion in the number of skiers, and no corresponding change in the available ski areas. In 1997 something like 23,000 cars moved through the tunnel every January day. Now its 37,000.

Ski technology has made it so so much easier for beginners. Ski clothes have gotten way better at the cheap end. The average gaper can now have fun on a powder day. In 1997 they could not. Almost anyone can skid-carve a ski now. In 1997 most could not. It gotten more understandable, approachable, doable and fun for casual participants, and the number of people in CO has grown massively in the last 30 years.

And so the ski areas, and mtn bike trails, and backpack locations are overrun. Everything is moving to reservations or pay-to-play and without that days outdoors would kinda suck. If A Basin doubled their parking it would be overrun.

$150 to keep that from happening doesn't seem awful to me. It does, however, make a sport for rich people even more a sport for rich people.

[The SnowShow]

^^^ yes but it’s $150 here, $35 there, $400 there….adds up quick.

And yes, they can’t double their parking. It will destroy the mountain.

It’s hilarious that some asshole who gets the last last chance space and has to schlepp his stuff from there will still have to pay the same as someone who parks by the beach.

[skaredshtles]

^^^ yes but it’s $150 here, $35 there, $400 there….adds up quick.

You just need to get rich(er) - so you don't notice any of this shit.

[The SnowShow]

You just need to get rich(er) - so you don't notice any of this shit.

Hahah that’s true. But it’s the principal. Ugh.

[ColMan]

1750 parking spots. 6 months of $20 paid parking 2 days per week plus 4-5 holidays (is gaper day a holiday?). Even at 80% on average they are looking at around $3M/yr.

[The SnowShow]

Another huge question is: do reservations come out all at once at the beginning of the year or do they go live a few weeks ahead each day throughout the year? How will they keep people from just hoarding reservations?

[Name Redacted]

Why cant they just charge more for lift tickets again?

[m2711c]

cause nobody buys tickets anymore... it's all about them pass sales.



fact.

[skaredshtles]

Hahah that’s true. But it’s the principal. Ugh.

If you're really going to stand on principal you should just quit skiing.

[wkd-rdr]

I'm so over it
I'm going to the desert


This place is fucking lame
I'd rather be skiing

[ENDOOO]

Has anyone here done the Argo mine tour in Idaho Springs? I'll probably have some extra time between when my flight lands at DIA and when I can check into my condo, so looking for something interesting to do on the drive up.

summit county boomers playing dead tunes, if that's your scene. I mean that in the best possible way. Not the worst way to kick off a week of spring skiing.

scratch that-big onions saturday not sunday

[The AD]

With the weather forecast we'll probably just get up to Summit as quickly possible Sunday. Perhaps try to get in a half day ski on Sunday, conditions dependent.

Which mountain would be the quickest to get onto the hill fastest driving up from DIA? Hard for me to gauge between Keystone or Breck, or is it a bit of a toss-up?