Eldora Uphill Access a Fall '10 possibility -Input needed...

[BDKeg]

I would maybe pay $80/year for winter access to Brainerd Lakes and 4th of July trailheads. All they would have to do is plow the roads.

haha i was just thinking the same thing

[galibier_numero_un]

Since this thread has (de)volved into a bash Eldora party, I'll happily join in.

There's only one defense they can possibly have for charging for uphill access - that with all of the gapers who flock there and how ignorant they are, they'll be careening at the skinners, & Eldora's insurance rates would likely rise.

The fact that they may have a valid point takes nothing away from the fact that I absolutely hate Eldora's management. Don't get me started.

Cheers,
Thom

[Soups]

Since this thread has (de)volved into a bash Eldora party, I'll happily join in.

There's only one defense they can possibly have for charging for uphill access - that with all of the gapers who flock there and how ignorant they are, they'll be careening at the skinners, & Eldora's insurance rates would likely rise.

The fact that they may have a valid point takes nothing away from the fact that I absolutely hate Eldora's management. Don't get me started.

Cheers,
Thom

I don't think 5yrs late to the party is considered fashionably late anymore

[media310]

you might want to look into what we did here in Jackson at the King this season. http://snowkingmountain.com/uphill-t...rogram-update/

sure some people came unglued about this, however it's a privilege we should all be stoked to be able to utilize. Especially on days with high avi danger

[galibier_numero_un]

I don't think 5yrs late to the party is considered fashionably late anymore

I've been at the skinning party (and have been donating to the cause regularly as well at Neptune's) - just not partying on TGR. I trust you don't think less of me for that. This thread popped up while I was doing some ancillary research and no one brought up the point I made.

Cheers,
Thom

[galibier_numero_un]

you might want to look into what we did here in Jackson at the King this season. http://snowkingmountain.com/uphill-t...rogram-update/

sure some people came unglued about this, however it's a privilege we should all be stoked to be able to utilize. Especially on days with high avi danger

Interesting stuff, Meida! Thanks. I fear that this will continue to be a challenge for the Boulder community. The petition we assembled had a whole laundry list of benefits to both the ski area and the community. It seems as if Snow King is much more progressive than Eldora is ... 5 years into this dialog.

It very much reminds me of my early days in corporate Amerika when I worked (to no avail) to get a locker room and showers for lunchtime workouts. This was in the heart of NYC in the mid-80's, and the running boom was in full flight. I see the same sort of deaf ears with Eldora management as I saw with my employer.

Comments like the following from Eldora spokesman Rob Linde point toward a head-in sand policy (http://www.coloradodaily.com/ci_2286...licy-at-eldora).

Linde, who's tried skinning uphill before, said the resort's Nordic area provides many of the same benefits as uphilling. Skiers can access Nordic trails before the lifts open if they have a season pass and sign a waiver.
"We feel like that's a product we offer," Linde said.

When someone chooses words like that (in red), you know it's going to be a long battle.

Cheers,
Thom

[sklar]

I made Rob's kid cry once in little league.
Eldora is dumb.

[Danno]

Eldora is possibly the most poorly run, backwards ski area in the entire state. With Boulder in their backyard, they could be killing it, and instead just rely on "Boulder in their backyard" and leave so much money on the table.

[WTF is dat]

yeah the area is horribly mismanaged.

seriously. they don't even have a fucking terrain park and they are 30 mins away from boulder. Eldora could kill it with the bro/brah crowd and they don't even understand.

and can someone install some fucking snowfences on the backside like they have in Montezuma bowl at a-basin?

[Danno]

they don't have a terrain park? Really? Wow, as if I needed more evidence.

[WTF is dat]

and from what I have heard from a pretty reliable source is that there is NO money for any of the planned expansions and boulder county is fucking them

[Ivana Huckalot]

http://www.dailycamera.com/boulder-c...dora-expansion

"Skin Eldora, uphill travel is not a crime." stickers everywhere in Boulder. Well, actually uphill travel is a crime when the uphill travel is trespassing, which is what the resort has decided to call it, and I have heard of hefty fines for offenders. It really wouldn't be too hard for the area to designate an area to uphill travel, but they just don't consider the wants or needs of their users.

Been taking a my kid up there for the past two seasons and gotten to witness other naive parents show up expecting a normal friendly price to ski with a 3 year old on the kid hill for an hour, and end up getting gouged a hundred bucks only to be shortly thereafter bouted by the combination of high winds and slow lifts. It's frustrating for sure, and too bad Eldora couldn't be a better place, but I suspect we are in for more of the same for years to come.... if their own mismanagement doesn't do them in.

I like that they want to replace some of their lifts with high speed chairs, but the proposal of new trail onto the wind-blasted, south-facing hillside of Jenny Creek seems like a really bad idea.

And then there's the mountain biking potential....

[galibier_numero_un]

http://www.dailycamera.com/boulder-c...dora-expansion

"Skin Eldora, uphill travel is not a crime." stickers everywhere in Boulder. Well, actually uphill travel is a crime when the uphill travel is trespassing, which is what the resort has decided to call it, and I have heard of hefty fines for offenders. It really wouldn't be too hard for the area to designate an area to uphill travel, but they just don't consider the wants or needs of their users.

Been taking a my kid up there for the past two seasons and gotten to witness other naive parents show up expecting a normal friendly price to ski with a 3 year old on the kid hill for an hour, and end up getting gouged a hundred bucks only to be shortly thereafter bouted by the combination of high winds and slow lifts. It's frustrating for sure, and too bad Eldora couldn't be a better place, but I suspect we are in for more of the same for years to come.... if their own mismanagement doesn't do them in.

I like that they want to replace some of their lifts with high speed chairs, but the proposal of new trail onto the wind-blasted, south-facing hillside of Jenny Creek seems like a really bad idea.

And then there's the mountain biking potential....

Agreed about the Jenny Creek side of things.

I mentioned my gripes to someone on the lift and they misinterpreted them as a dislike of small areas. Nothing could be farther from the truth. For examples of friendly, small family areas, one need look no further than Sunlight (South of Glenwood) and Howelson Hill in Steamboat.

With respect to Sunlight, my wife and I showed up there and went into the office for skinning passes. When they learned that this was our first visit there, they gave us coupons for hot chocolate. What Eldora doesn't get is that good will doesn't always "cost" you up front. Bad will OTOH, you will be paying for, for a long time.

Cheers,
Thom

[hatchgreenchile]

Yes, instead of skinning RMNP, IPW, or James Peak area, let's go up fuckin' Jolly Jug at Eldora.

[bobsdesk]

I had an interesting conversation with someone checking nordic center passes at 650am (yeah, they check at 650am now). As it was told to me, you are NOT allowed to access Jenny Creek outside of normal operation hours (9am to 4pm).

No question that Eldora would have 100+ people up there skinning on a busy day, and that might be part of the problem. If if Eldora's ownership was willing to deal with the liability issues, which are pretty simple...sign a waiver, skinning is still a big issue if 100 people are doing it up the bunny slope on Saturday.

[Lurch]

they don't have a terrain park? Really? Wow, as if I needed more evidence.

They have two terrain parks but they are not very good.

[Lurch]

Yes, instead of skinning RMNP, IPW, or James Peak area, let's go up fuckin' Jolly Jug at Eldora.

When you have kids in Eldora Trek, skinning RMNP, IPW or James Peak is not an option. But skinning Jolly Jug on a bad snow day might be if it was allowed.

[WTF is dat]

They have two terrain parks but they are not very good.

Oh yeah that's right they FINALLY got those open and they both suck ass.

It's like they don't have a parkcrew

[Kinnikinnick]

Skin the Jenny Creek trail. That is allowed. Just not on the downhill ski runs.

[hatchgreenchile]

When you have kids in Eldora Trek, skinning RMNP, IPW or James Peak is not an option. But skinning Jolly Jug on a bad snow day might be if it was allowed.

I never understood skinning resorts, but that's just me.
Maybe they're keeping it closed for AM avalanche control work on Challenge.

[RustyGroomer]

I find this hilarious. Little ole' Magic Mountain Vermont let's you earn your turns for free. Then they give you one free lift ride for doing so.

http://unofficialnetworks.com/2015/0...-uphill-policy