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Thread: Crystal Mountain Becomes Alterra
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01-15-2020, 11:15 PM #426
I'm just here to say you can't use a picture of that entirely avoidable line and claim local knowledge/experience in the same post, Brit!
I'm also here to say in my now pretty long life of skiing CM, I've never seen a crowd arrive nearly as early as last weekend. Alterra oversold and created massive demand, those of us who wish to continue skiing there every weekend in upcoming years will have to pay a premium no doubt. I can't image they don't add black out dates for CM on the base pass in the future.Our great works of human enterprise will fade away with time. The mountain will endure. ~nps
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01-15-2020, 11:23 PM #427
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01-15-2020, 11:29 PM #428
Haha I know you knew better! I had the perfect 2 and out back there that morning.
Our great works of human enterprise will fade away with time. The mountain will endure. ~nps
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01-15-2020, 11:34 PM #429
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01-16-2020, 04:50 AM #430
i love this thread. I'm still waiting for our ikon overlords to arrive in europe with full force.
It's a war of the mind and we're armed to the teeth.
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01-16-2020, 08:36 AM #431
Not sure if this is answered properly later in thread. Y’all are moving too fast for me to keep up.
Full Ikon is $300 more. Base prices were $649 and $949 back in March.
Squaw/Mammoth have blackout dates. I don’t think Solitude does. Which seems dumb. When I saw Crystal was bought and would not have blackout dates, I thought it would be a shit show up there with Seattle and all. No surprise.
Aspen and partner reports have the limited number of days (5 or 7). Aspen skiers buy an Aspen Pass and get a free IKON.
Kirkwood is part of Vail Resorts, but locals made such a stink we. They bought the place they offer a KW Only Pass. It is has no blackouts, but cost the same as the Tahoe Pass (Heavenly, N*, KW with 5 days at other VR Resorts and blackouts). We literally can’t even look at another Vail owned resort with our pass.
Anyway, I doubt Alterra will move backwards. Likely more parking and better access are being planned. Those crowded lodges are a money maker.
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01-16-2020, 08:43 AM #432
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01-16-2020, 08:47 AM #433
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01-16-2020, 09:51 AM #434
Yeah, I am glad it worked out for you and by extension to anyone who books a vacation and travels to ski at a far away place.
The shitstorm or circumstance I referenced above has nothing to do with you however, you were merrily along for the ride. If you approach this the way you might think of chaos theory, pull back and look at the wrinkles:
1) No new PNW ski areas or significant opening of new terrain in a long time, population density in the Puget Sound continues to grow on the other hand increasing demand and crowds.
2) Alterra creates the Ikon pass, after having (or in the process of) acquired a number of ski resorts, also including Crystal Mtn, meanwhile selling passes at an apparent high volume making shareholders happy.
3) Fast forward to the beginning of the PNW ski season which started late and with very little coverage creating region wide pent up demand at all levels of the sport. This includes sold out ski lesson programs that drive volumes higher on weekends.
4) After a weak December an unprecedented storm cycle rolls through with colder than usual temps creating stress on operations, who, either by poor luck, poor planning and short handedness, or incompetence get caught with their pants down.
5) Powder fever ensues at a fevered pitch creating bottlenecks and scarcity.
IMO, Alterra/Ikon contributed significantly to the mess, but wasn't the only factor.
Your, "I checked the 10 day forecast" comment is telling. Anyone who has lived and skied out here any length of time will tell you the forecasts and models more than two days out are always subject to adjustment, generally down grades. The further out you get, the lower the odds on accuracy. So, at best, you had a 50/50 shot at success.
The fact that you've had a high ratio of success only means that you've been really lucky. The fact that you think otherwise is hubris and confirmation bias talking.
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01-16-2020, 10:34 AM #435
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01-16-2020, 10:55 AM #436
it seems we're parking out earlier and earlier down on our humble volcano too
admin is monetizing by group sales (buses), team hill rental, encouraging busing/carpooling (in the name of environmental stewardship & reducing parking hassles)
but this has the effect of increasing ridership into what seems to be a limited arena
our upper mountain doesn't even run when we're in storm mode
& we don't have the added pressure of ikonepic
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01-16-2020, 11:01 AM #437
The Cascades need at least 3 more ski areas or massive expansion of footprints & parking of current areas to address future growth.
edit: and transportation infrastructure upgrades. Why many of the slide paths on Highway 2 don't have bollards or snow sheds or both is mind boggling.
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01-16-2020, 11:04 AM #438
Perfect shit storm brewing for the holiday weekend:
Stevens Pass closed EB
Crystal "sold out"
Ruh Roh...
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01-16-2020, 11:08 AM #439
Dang, guess everyone is going to have to head up to Baker!
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01-16-2020, 11:40 AM #440
Could you imagine all those Ikon folks from Texas, Oklahoma, Florida, Georgia, the Carolina's and New England states showing up in France, Austria and Swissland? Holy hell, that would be a a nightmare. At least they wouldn't have to worry about the parking situation...
"We don't beat the reaper by living longer, we beat the reaper by living well and living fully." - Randy Pausch
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01-16-2020, 11:52 AM #441Registered User
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I booked another ticket on the luxury coach with departure time of 10:30 from Enumclaw. Ill report back later on whether things work better this time. I would have gotten a 930 departure but in worried about catching it if im leaving maple valley/Covington after 8
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01-16-2020, 12:54 PM #442Registered User
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I don't know where you could put another ski areas in the Washington Cascades that could service Puget Sound. And parking lots are similarly constrained at locations walking distance from the lifts.
Area lift days is not particularly rising. But the number of areas is decreasing, but maybe not as much as the data indicates.
http://www.nsaa.org/media/303945/visits.pdf
http://www.nsaa.org/media/378733/participants2019.pdf
http://www.nsaa.org/media/367755/ski...eason_1819.pdf
http://www.nsaa.org/press/industry-stats/
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01-16-2020, 12:56 PM #443
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01-16-2020, 12:58 PM #444
They'd need to widen the bridge first.
Hopefully the bureaucratic difficulty of doing that across the White River will prevent it happening because we don't need that many extra people. Replacing damaged bridges has been so prohibitively difficult that they haven't been replaced/now no longer exist.
(there is a huge new environmental/erosion study of this whole stretch of the river just kicking off at the moment.. so years down the road...)
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01-16-2020, 01:00 PM #445
And dig a half-dozen pit toilets, which would be on brand for Crystal.
The trumpet scatters its awful sound Over the graves of all lands Summoning all before the throne
Death and mankind shall be stunned When Nature arises To give account before the Judge
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01-16-2020, 01:06 PM #446Registered User
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01-16-2020, 01:12 PM #447
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01-16-2020, 02:27 PM #448Registered User
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Back in the 1960's when the NCNP as well as the adjoining Ross Lake Recreation area were being proposed it included the development of a ski area on Ruby Mountain off Hwy 20! Which is absolutely incredible terrain. There were also a number of other development proposals included such as a tram to Price Lake.
My understanding is that these proposals were included to create support from local communities. Unfortunately the environmentalists who really pushed the bill through stripped out all development at the last moment.
50 years later the Recreation Area is managed by NCNP who treats it like inviolate wilderness where you can't scrub moss off a boulder much less build a full service ski area
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01-16-2020, 02:45 PM #449Registered User
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There are at least half a dozen areas that could support a small-to-moderate sized ski area from a terrain viewpoint. Almost all of the best places are in the National Forests though. There might be a few areas on timber company land that would be suitable. Getting any of it developed and approved in the cultural context of Western Washington and the era of climate change is a near impossibility though.
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01-16-2020, 02:50 PM #450
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