Loveland tomorrow?

**doebedoe** · 02-13-2020, 12:27 PM

OTR was closed during the entire storm cycle. Patrol did mitigation work on starting on Monday. Including upper OTR. Pretty sure it was not a natural.

**skiingislife** · 02-15-2020, 08:06 AM

Free the "steeps"

**Full Trucker** · 02-23-2020, 04:11 PM

Met a local celebrity dropping in to poma line today... real cool customer for sure.

**doebedoe** · 08-22-2020, 08:49 AM

https://skiloveland.com/coronavirusupdate/

Lots of weird going down this year at Loveland. The suggested on hill changes seem to speak to an area trying to stay open for skiing at all costs -- even if that means a big reduction in staff, food and bev sales, rentals, lessons, etc.

Seems like it'll be a real bare bones experience -- skiing and just skiing. BYO chair lift beers.

Some of the high/low lights:

- Only grab and go food and bev. No microwaves.
- No bars open (including the Rat)
- No Ridge cat
- No on mountain warming huts
- Reduced lessons/programming
- Reduced lodge capacities everywhere. No leaving personal gear inside.

**Name Redacted** · 08-22-2020, 09:02 AM

Originally Posted by doebedoe

https://skiloveland.com/coronavirusupdate/

Lots of weird going down this year at Loveland. The suggested on hill changes seem to speak to an area trying to stay open for skiing at all costs -- even if that means a big reduction in staff, food and bev sales, rentals, lessons, etc.

Seems like it'll be a real bare bones experience -- skiing and just skiing. BYO chair lift beers.

Some of the high/low lights:

- Only grab and go food and bev. No microwaves.
- No bars open (including the Rat)
- No Ridge cat
- No on mountain warming huts
- Reduced lessons/programming
- Reduced lodge capacities everywhere. No leaving personal gear inside.

Pretty much as expected. No real surprises there and pretty much how a lot of people ski there anyway.

I heard A Basin is breaking up the A-Frame into 3-4 separate restaurant zones that will each offer seating for 50 ppl max.

**The SnowShow** · 08-22-2020, 10:25 AM

^^^ I would be fine, even happy with all mountains operating this way, not just Luv. Could be a cool, low key year without all the gapes hoarding all the mountains.
It’s 15° and you can’t eat lunch in the lodge and drink beers? Too fucking bad.

**CLsurf** · 08-22-2020, 10:56 AM

Originally Posted by The SnowShow

^^^ I would be fine, even happy with all mountains operating this way, not just Luv. Could be a cool, low key year without all the gapes hoarding all the mountains.
It’s 15° and you can’t eat lunch in the lodge and drink beers? Too fucking bad.

This is the type of season I am hoping for honestly. I've never been one to need to step into the lodge to warmup or eat and if that reality turns people away I'm all for it.

**The SnowShow** · 08-22-2020, 11:09 AM

Originally Posted by CLsurf

This is the type of season I am hoping for honestly. I've never been one to need to step into the lodge to warmup or eat and if that reality turns people away I'm all for it.

Exactly. If they can weather it financially then hopefully they can do this.

**bigdude2468** · 08-24-2020, 05:05 AM

Originally Posted by Name Redacted

Pretty much as expected. No real surprises there and pretty much how a lot of people ski there anyway.

I heard A Basin is breaking up the A-Frame into 3-4 separate restaurant zones that will each offer seating for 50 ppl max.

Went to Loveland's website to read the fine print, I did not see anything about limiting the number of people on chairs??

**doebedoe** · 08-24-2020, 06:26 AM

Originally Posted by bigdude2468

Went to Loveland's website to read the fine print, I did not see anything about limiting the number of people on chairs??

It's in an earlier post:

"Chairlift capacities will be decreased as only related parties will be permitted to load together. "

**bamboocoreONLY** · 08-24-2020, 07:00 AM

So basically skiing will be skiing again. Hooray! Only time I have a beer at the bar is if someone else is buying anyway haha

**Rideski** · 08-24-2020, 08:13 AM

Are they going to invest a few grand in extra corral ropes and traffic police to manage the lines? Markers showing where 6 feet in line is?

**Danno** · 08-25-2020, 10:21 AM

Originally Posted by Rideski

Are they going to invest a few grand in extra corral ropes and traffic police to manage the lines? Markers showing where 6 feet in line is?

for the most part, all you need to do is separate the maze lines, the only issue is adjacent lines. Because the people in front of you or behind you are almost by definition 6' away. So no markers needed, but maybe a few more ropes for the maze.

**smmokan** · 08-25-2020, 10:30 AM

Originally Posted by doebedoe

It's in an earlier post:

"Chairlift capacities will be decreased as only related parties will be permitted to load together. "

I bet that changes once you get into ski season. I read that Aspen (and maybe Alterra?) isn't going to have that requirement, since the current science says it's not necessary to socially distance under the given conditions (masks required, wind/cold/snow, and being outside for short periods of time).

**doebedoe** · 08-25-2020, 10:40 AM

We will see. Aspen is a whole lot more fucked if related parties can't load together than Loveland.

Only thing that is basically a guarantee is that operational policies will change -- probably both for better and for worse -- throughout the ski season.

**smmokan** · 08-25-2020, 12:43 PM

Originally Posted by doebedoe

We will see. Aspen is a whole lot more fucked if related parties can't load together than Loveland.

Agreed, but they also have a lot more to lose if something goes wrong.

**JaytaeMoney** · 08-25-2020, 02:24 PM

I predict a shit show in Aspen this year. Look at what has happened in the mountain bike and golf industries. Skiing is another sport where you can easily socially distance. Locals are going to ski a lot this year, and locals already ski a lot in Aspen. If this summer's tourist season is any indicator, the destination skiers will not be scared away by COVID. Skico is talking about blacking out chamber passes (which is what most locals get thru their employer) in order to mitigate crowds.

**Rideski** · 08-25-2020, 03:55 PM

Originally Posted by Danno

for the most part, all you need to do is separate the maze lines, the only issue is adjacent lines. Because the people in front of you or behind you are almost by definition 6' away. So no markers needed, but maybe a few more ropes for the maze.

I’m mostly thinking of the powder day pre opening que. 100 people standing in one small spot for an hour with vapor trails lingering in a cloud. Have to figure out a way to stretch that out. Maybe make everyone walk up Richards.

**skiracer88_00** · 08-26-2020, 02:20 PM

Originally Posted by JaytaeMoney

I predict a shit show in Aspen this year. Look at what has happened in the mountain bike and golf industries. Skiing is another sport where you can easily socially distance. Locals are going to ski a lot this year, and locals already ski a lot in Aspen. If this summer's tourist season is any indicator, the destination skiers will not be scared away by COVID. Skico is talking about blacking out chamber passes (which is what most locals get thru their employer) in order to mitigate crowds.

naa, dropping aspen from Ikon base pass should mitigate any increase due to more people getting outside during covid.

**bendtheski** · 08-31-2020, 08:21 AM

If this summer was any indicator, the destination skiers might actually increase this year. The few Air B&B’s near our house in Georgetown, have been almost constantly occupied by out of staters all summer, some longer term.

The outdoor recreation opportunities and relative low infection rates (if people even care) will continue to be a draw IMO. I could see Loveland needing to go to a lottery system like others are proposing, so they’re not getting overrun/turning people away daily.

The BC is going to be much worse.

**Name Redacted** · 08-31-2020, 08:31 AM

Originally Posted by bendtheski

If this summer was any indicator, the destination skiers might actually increase this year. The few Air B&B’s near our house in Georgetown, have been almost constantly occupied by out of staters all summer, some longer term.

The outdoor recreation opportunities and relative low infection rates (if people even care) will continue to be a draw IMO. I could see Loveland needing to go to a lottery system like others are proposing, so they’re not getting overrun/turning people away daily.

The BC is going to be much worse.

Might not affect business this season, but all that housing being built in G-town is pretty crazy. That should help improve LL's local skier traffic some day if anyone actually moves there. I can imagine a G-town to LL shuttle could exist someday maybe. Still, having a place there would set you up for a lot of disappointment from the I70 shitshow.

**bendtheski** · 08-31-2020, 09:34 AM

We’ve been here 12 years, I know all about the I-70 disappointment, but have weighed our options, and know it can get worse.

I’m guessing the majority of new condos are being purchased as rental properties, which I don’t believe is the best thing for full-time residents. It’s definitely not providing affordable housing for locals, who with the hit the service industry has taken are running out of options.

IMO, a shuttle only makes sense if it is somehow immune to the I-70 shitshow, otherwise it’s just another vehicle stuck in the queue.

The one good thing about living here, is I know pretty quick whether I need to make different, non-I-70 dependent plans, hopefully before getting caught in the closure queue.

**The SnowShow** · 08-31-2020, 09:57 AM

Would it be frowned upon to drive up the Loveland Valley bike path from Bakersville to avoid any tunnel backup?

**Hacksaw** · 08-31-2020, 11:52 AM

Originally Posted by The SnowShow

Would it be frowned upon to drive up the Loveland Valley bike path from Bakersville to avoid any tunnel backup?

You better be on a snowmobile, since the path isn't plowed.....

**Name Redacted** · 08-31-2020, 01:43 PM

Originally Posted by The SnowShow

Would it be frowned upon to drive up the Loveland Valley bike path from Bakersville to avoid any tunnel backup?

I know a guy who did this a few times. When there was little or no snow. Probably not something you should bank on being able to do and or not getting caught but he didn’t care.