Epic Vailure - why would you buy an epic pass???

**raisingarizona13** · 04-30-2017, 05:01 PM

Unless it's dumpimg super fat I'm pretty much over skiing by mid-March anyways. Who cares that much about closing dates?

**brutah** · 04-30-2017, 05:10 PM

Originally Posted by Benny Profane

Just the way it is. ABasin and Loveland are the best April mountains in the west, hands down. I mean, talk to a few people after this weekend. And it's almost May. They just don't get the severe thaw/freeze of even Vail and Copper. Furgetabout Jackson and SLC.

man, you really don't know anything do you? haha stick to those colorado blues, bunny.

I don't know what resort is the best late season destination, I think it depends on the season. Most that I have skied late season have been awesome. its only profitable for a ski resort to stay open late if most of the other surrounding ski areas are closed, once you're the only show in town people flock for the novelty. the resort also should probably face predominately north, unless you're timberline

does it suck watching a ski area close with a 100" base? hell ya. But this is nothing new....

**Benny Profane** · 04-30-2017, 05:38 PM

Originally Posted by raisingarizona13

Unless it's dumpimg super fat I'm pretty much over skiing by mid-March anyways. Who cares that much about closing dates?

They just got a foot of snow at ABasin over the last few days, with more to come. The Spring breakers don't even leave until 4/1.

**The SnowShow** · 04-30-2017, 06:05 PM

Originally Posted by Benny Profane

They just got a foot of snow at ABasin over the last few days, with more to come. The Spring breakers don't even leave until 4/1.

33" in the past ten days, 41" at Loveland. April's been phenomenal at both.

**raisingarizona13** · 04-30-2017, 07:37 PM

y

Originally Posted by The SnowShow

33" in the past ten days, 41" at Loveland. April's been phenomenal at both.

Sounds great but I'd rather be making cocktails at my camp somewhere in the south western deserts after a sick hike or bike.

If you haven't gotten your seasonal fix at this point you are either 20 years old or you are doing it wrong.

**Benny Profane** · 04-30-2017, 07:52 PM

Tell that to the Tahoe residents before this season.

**brutah** · 04-30-2017, 08:00 PM

Originally Posted by raisingarizona13

Unless it's dumpimg super fat I'm pretty much over skiing by mid-March anyways. Who cares that much about closing dates?

Originally Posted by raisingarizona13

Sounds great but I'd rather be making cocktails at my camp somewhere in the south western deserts after a sick hike or bike.

If you haven't gotten your seasonal fix at this point you are either 20 years old or you are doing it wrong.

or maybe you're doing it wrong???

The 2nd season is great if you like skiing big lines and summits in safe conditions. Corn snow is a very close second to powder snow, ittttttttsss grrrrrrreat! Have you skied off the summit of a volcano? its spectacular! I think all skiers should experience pushing off the summit of a volcano, looking over the flat landscape that surrounds it and skiing 4-7k of continuous vert in perfect corn conditions. Not to mention skiing is traditionally a spring sport, skinning in t-shirts, moving quickly and skiing huge continuous lines, parking lot beers and sunshine, spring skiing is fucking amazing, what's not to like?

**The SnowShow** · 04-30-2017, 08:17 PM

Originally Posted by raisingarizona13

y

Sounds great but I'd rather be making cocktails at my camp somewhere in the south western deserts after a sick hike or bike.

If you haven't gotten your seasonal fix at this point you are either 20 years old or you are doing it wrong.

That's what I love about spring here. Hiking and biking in spring/summer conditions near Denver, followed by full on winter conditions at high altitudes. Or a morning mtb ride followed by an afternoon ski when it softens up, followed by beers on The Beach.

**Core Shot** · 04-30-2017, 08:26 PM

Originally Posted by Skidog

When I dumps at Jackson it's great. When it doesnt the southern exposure kills it.

You suck at routefinding.
First, the exposure is easterly.
Second, the main inbounds ridgelines (sublette and thunder) have great north facing chutes as well as south exposure
I have been there, for three weeks, skiing just north north north, waiting for fresh snow and/or sun to heal the south.
It is nice to have options. North or south. Take your pick
Also nice to have tree options if the fog or snow comes in. Skiing above tree line in a whiteout sucks

Ps, JH tried staying open later, but no paying tourists showed up. Just the local dirtbags

**hatchgreenchile** · 04-30-2017, 08:28 PM

Full on winter conditions is not corn or slop.

I thought Vail was the devil for parking , but then I saw what they charge for the Beach, geezus.

**The SnowShow** · 04-30-2017, 08:41 PM

Originally Posted by Core Shot

Ps, JH tried staying open later, but no paying tourists showed up. Just the local dirtbags

Just like Vail Resorts I guess.

**The SnowShow** · 04-30-2017, 08:42 PM

Originally Posted by hatchgreenchile

Full on winter conditions is not corn or slop.

I thought Vail was the devil for parking , but then I saw what they charge for the Beach, geezus.

They only charge for a handful of spots, not the whole thing FWIW. Still lame, I agree.

**jorion** · 04-30-2017, 09:54 PM

Originally Posted by The SnowShow

Just like Vail Resorts I guess.

I think it really comes down to the fact that those of us who still want to ski past Easter and read skiing forums in May are in the minority. Kirkwood was mostly a ghost town in April. Traffic to/from Tahoe from the Bay Area has been really mellow since then. It sucks that the general public mostly stops skiing this time of year, but that's how it seems to be. There's nobody coming up and buying $10 beer. I'd be there if they were still open but aside from my pass money, I've probably spent less than $50 while on mountain this season, and I bet that's the case for a lot of us that ski often.

It's great that Squaw is still going, but I wouldn't trade a later closure for all the clusterfucks I read about happening at Squaw/Alpine this winter. Maybe I should have higher standards, but Vail seems like clearly the lesser of two evils in Tahoe.

**DJSapp** · 04-30-2017, 10:36 PM

I was at the Heave for closing day today. Normally in April, there is concern for coverage, watch your step off trail, mind the thin coverage on the sunny side, etc. Not today. They could stay open well into June without issue. This is purely a money grab from the new Vail Resorts model of 'sell as many epic passes as possible to get stable revenue early, and then fuck them as soon as day passes dry up at easter.' Nobody there today could understand why they were closing for any reason other than money.

As we left today and the guy as the bottom of the gondola said "See you next season" it was everything I could do to not telll him "Hell no you won't. Fuck Vail and your bullshit closing dates. I bought my pass elsewhere."

**thebirdhunter** · 04-30-2017, 10:56 PM

Originally Posted by Benny Profane

How was Snowbird before that? It was slush in mid March. Betcha it's been sorta, ahem, mushy a lot since. Abasin and Loveland were pretty sweet when I was last there first week of April. Just very high and protected. And it was cold and snowing.

Bunny you truly are one of the dumbest fucks to ever grace tgr. Every ski area in the western US was slush in mid march. We had RECORD high temps. Do you know what RECORD high means you stupid fuck? It means it's never been that warm at that time of year before. Your stupid snow jinx ass just happened to be in Utah at the time, if you were at your beater home mountain of Breck the conditions would have been worse. That's awesome abasin has gotten 12" in the last few days we've gotten 50+" of cold smoke blower in 4 days you stupid east coast fucking gaper.

**thebirdhunter** · 04-30-2017, 11:01 PM

BTW Bunny, with Abasins burly 70" base, have they even broken the 300" mark of snow fall on the season yet?

**powdork** · 05-01-2017, 01:21 AM

Originally Posted by jorion

It's great that Squaw is still going, but I wouldn't trade a later closure for all the clusterfucks I read about happening at Squaw/Alpine this winter. Maybe I should have higher standards, but Vail seems like clearly the lesser of two evils in Tahoe.

I think many would agree that squaw at least responded when they realized how pissed people were. That doesn't change the oncoming clusterfuck that may be the Village. Also, other than the water park village, squaw seems more inept than evil.

Also I think it's important to note that the stuff that sucks about squaw emanates from squaw's leadership whereas what sucks about vail's tahoe resorts likely comes from colorado.

**powdork** · 05-01-2017, 01:42 AM

Originally Posted by gimpy

If your free to cruise around the country then yeah the mc is a no brainer over the epic.
I will be buying another epic pass cuz I can walk out my door and ski to their lifts at that totally sucky mtn known for it's groomy groomers and great views. travelling to ski other resorts is not a possibility or a desire for me anyway. Other then my kids' season getting shut down (they could care less), I could give zero fucks they are closed. When it does snow again, it'll have mostly turned to shit by the time the lifts are spinning anyway. Skiing dank pow in tahoe in May requires skiing at sunrise. The corn in the bc is as good as it gets right now. east side roads are popping and mtns are still stacked. I'll still be skiing heave terrain into June this year. Was nice of vail to groom stagecoach after they shut it down for us

yeah heavenly isn't much for corn anyway but kirkwood is. the backside (which is always closed by now anyway) north shore and all the stuff above emigrant lake is awesome this time of year. temple of doom is going off too.

also, it didn't affect you up there but they fucked the pooch closing powderbowl. they were crazy busy and most had to take a shuttle from the california lodge to the gondola when they figured out they couldn't go higher than the face. others drove and got pissed off and parked all over the grass behind harrahs.

the kirkwood and heavenly facebook pages are both going off with people complaining about the early season closures and the ridiculous lift closure decisions at heavenly. they are absolutely losing hundreds of passholders (or multiples more) for their decisions and it's awesome to watch.

Originally Posted by jorion

I think it really comes down to the fact that those of us who still want to ski past Easter and read skiing forums in May are in the minority. Kirkwood was mostly a ghost town in April. Traffic to/from Tahoe from the Bay Area has been really mellow since then. It sucks that the general public mostly stops skiing this time of year, but that's how it seems to be. There's nobody coming up and buying $10 beer. I'd be there if they were still open but aside from my pass money, I've probably spent less than $50 while on mountain this season, and I bet that's the case for a lot of us that ski often.

Yeah but the spring is when we spend money. Spring fling was awesome. I always bought beer and food there (although the beers weren't $10. the $25 ticket for other resort's passholders was awesome. They could offer single lift rides for sidecountry users. They have events that get people there in the summer when there is no snow so I think they could come up with something. Besides, we still have a ton of snow even at lake level on the west and north shore so there's not a whole lot else going on in tahoe now for the average joe and we do still have tourists coming in.

**old goat** · 05-01-2017, 05:23 AM

Little known fact--the best "spring" skiing in Tahoe is usually in Jan-March, during dry spells.

**Benny Profane** · 05-01-2017, 05:33 AM

Haha. That's funny.

**schindlerpiste** · 05-01-2017, 06:19 AM

Epic in UT is great, if you live in Park City, less than two miles from either Canyons or PCMR, you like to ski/ride everyday (often for less than 2 hrs./day), and you don't want to spend over 1/2 hr. getting to and then home from the mountain. For these people (like me), this pass needs to be supplemented with either an Alta Gold card or Snowbird 10 to share, and a DV 10-pack

**Skidog** · 05-01-2017, 07:24 AM

Originally Posted by Core Shot

You suck at routefinding.
First, the exposure is easterly.
Second, the main inbounds ridgelines (sublette and thunder) have great north facing chutes as well as south exposure
I have been there, for three weeks, skiing just north north north, waiting for fresh snow and/or sun to heal the south.
It is nice to have options. North or south. Take your pick
Also nice to have tree options if the fog or snow comes in. Skiing above tree line in a whiteout sucks

Ps, JH tried staying open later, but no paying tourists showed up. Just the local dirtbags

South east at best, and still primarily south. Ive skied pow on one side of jackson and the hobacks on the other side were a chore in wet glop.....East is hardly a great aspect in the later winter and early spring months. You do realize thats where the sun rises right? The east? The angle of the sun in late feb early march is such that it bakes shit quick. Sorry man...when Jacksons deep/snowing its awesome, when its not, well..i can think of many better places to ski in the west. Lots of vert though for sure, and the towns cool as hell.

**Benny Profane** · 05-01-2017, 07:49 AM

There's better towns.

**Skidog** · 05-01-2017, 07:52 AM

Originally Posted by Benny Profane

There's better towns.

sure aint saying its the best "ski town" just sayin its pretty cool FOR a "ski town".....Salt Lake is fucking boring, and Park City is well...Park City...honestly im not skiing somewhere for the town anyway..

**Benny Profane** · 05-01-2017, 08:03 AM

Well, yeah, but, it's nice to have a cool town near the base. Jackson is miles away, for one thing, and filled with fat tourists buying crap. There's a much better town on the other side of the pass.