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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Location
    T-town, CO. USA
    Posts
    2,098

    What if it doesn't snow again this season in CO & UT?

    Last season was biblically bad for snowfall (less than 40% of average) and the industry took a good financial hit. Most businesses have the ability to bounce back after one bad season... but two (or three) bad seasons in a row?
    If this happens again, I fear that it will be a tipping point, possibly leading to a economic downward spiral.

    Then again, it could be all-time huge this year! But what if it isn't?

    Living in a ski town, in the face of climate change, is becoming nerve-racking!
    Leave No Turn Unstoned!

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
    Posts
    12,609
    CO will be fine. Thing is, most people who come on vacation don't want it to snow. They like sunny groomer skiing.

    Our business had record numbers last season. Population boom on the FR helps too.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Oct 2005
    Location
    Wasatch
    Posts
    6,256
    The only way the lack of precip will hurt business is if they fail to get a bunch of groomer skiing ready for XMas. It was marginal even for that at PCMR last year.

    The water situation and fire danger are more of a threat than the hordes of gapers failing to show up.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
    Location
    cb, co
    Posts
    5,034
    It'll be localized. I think CB will be up no matter what due to the Epic pass, and there are a lot of ski areas that will have a bump from joining either Ikon or Epic for the first time. Some areas were even close to average last year (i.e A Basin). The far bigger problem will be drought and fires the following summer.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jan 2010
    Location
    In the swamp
    Posts
    11,124

    What if it doesn't snow again this season in CO & UT?

    Quote Originally Posted by shredgnar View Post
    CO will be fine. Thing is, most people who come on vacation don't want it to snow. They like sunny groomer skiing.

    Our business had record numbers last season. Population boom on the FR helps too.
    This. It’s hilarious to talk to tourons who complain about the cold and snow and love a good, smooth groomer under blue skies. No wonder the lower part of Breck is so popular 🤙

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Mar 2017
    Location
    Missoula DMV
    Posts
    1,527
    Then let them corporate ski lords go bankrupt
    Save your money, take out a loan
    then buy one up in the inevitable fire-sale

    boom! your own private ski area.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Location
    Alpental
    Posts
    6,564
    What if...
    Move upside and let the man go through...

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Sep 2014
    Posts
    1,899
    Quote Originally Posted by DropCliffsNotBombs View Post
    Living in a ski town, in the face of climate change, is becoming nerve-racking!
    What about hedging with the development of sand/gravel/soil/scree skiing lift access options? Easy as a skier to adapt, might be a bit more difficult for a full infrastructure shift...but, necessity is the mother of all invention.

    I was a skeptic but saw the light. Feels like the real thing.

    Master of mediocrity.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Oct 2016
    Posts
    924
    ^they have those big sand dune thingys there and my inlaws ski there in the summer. We have dunes here too but I can drive to Hood in the same amount of time so I haven't tried it yet.
    They have pretty good beer in CO and realistically I only need to spend a couple days there to visit the in-laws. I think I'd be ok but it seems like it'd be a bummer to spend the whole year there with no snow.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Apr 2005
    Location
    A LSD Steakhouse somewhere in the Wasatch
    Posts
    13,234
    well i probably wont ski a 100 days for consecutive seasons
    will work more than i should
    probably road trip with the extra $$
    will fish more than 100 days
    possibly some in the winter
    "When the child was a child it waited patiently for the first snow and it still does"- Van "The Man" Morrison
    "I find I have already had my reward, in the doing of the thing" - Buzz Holmstrom
    "THIS IS WHAT WE DO"-AML -ski on in eternal peace
    "I have posted in here but haven't read it carefully with my trusty PoliAsshat antenna on."-DipshitDanno

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Nov 2017
    Location
    Down on Electric Avenue
    Posts
    4,401
    Then I hope to see the lot of you at The Village.

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Sep 2018
    Posts
    8
    Let’s hope not

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Nov 2008
    Posts
    1,487
    You shut your whore mouth

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Mar 2012
    Location
    The Bull City
    Posts
    14,003
    Places above 8K elevation will be fine, maybe taking longer, with more manmade efforts to ramp up. But, by January they should be rocking, possibly more due to additional moisture warmer temps lower facilitate. Mid Atlantic and southern midwest places are more likely to suck more. Seems like the past 4 years in a row our annual February trips have been skiing in the rain as it washes away the base built in January. Christmas break here is now about as unpredictable as Thanksgiving used to be. Now Thanksgiving is a maybe with a strong possibility that it will all melt again before Christmas if they do manage to get lifts turning in November or early December.
    Go that way really REALLY fast. If something gets in your way, TURN!

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Jul 2013
    Location
    Taos Ski Valley or my truck
    Posts
    726
    The well at my house is getting down to the bottom. Makes me consider my long term plans. Buying land, starting family, etc.

    I have full faith it will nuke this season. Come on down to Taos, for the powder.

  16. #16
    Join Date
    Sep 2006
    Location
    Denver
    Posts
    1,111
    I don't really understand the complaints about skiing in CO last season unless you were in SW CO. I70 resorts did very well, especially A Basin and Loveland.

  17. #17
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
    Location
    cb, co
    Posts
    5,034
    Quote Originally Posted by skiracer88_00 View Post
    I don't really understand the complaints about skiing in CO last season unless you were in SW CO. I70 resorts did very well, especially A Basin and Loveland.
    Those were the only places that did well. Vail was pretty bad, CB matched the worst year I've seen in my ~25 years here and I don't quite call it SW CO, Aspen had a decent 2 week stretch, and that was about it..

    This summer wasn't exactly wet, either. I just hope they'll be able to blow some snow given that local stream levels are near record lows. Blue Mesa is so low that parts of it have become toxic.

  18. #18
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
    Posts
    12,609
    Quote Originally Posted by skiracer88_00 View Post
    I don't really understand the complaints about skiing in CO last season unless you were in SW CO. I70 resorts did very well, especially A Basin and Loveland.
    That's what Al told you anyway. Abasin did OK, but in 21 years of skiing there, last year was one of the worst. I still had a good amount of fun, but it was definitely harder to motivate with so few powder days. Best day of the season was xmas day. I skied the enduro in April and all the runs were at least passable.

    Summit county is consistently mediocre with a few standout years. Luckily, aspect and elevation help the basin retain snow very well which in turn leads to the ability to not suck as bad on bad years.

    OTOH Vail and Beaver Creek were just slightly better than abysmal as was Monarch, CB, Aspen, etc. Didn't pay attention to Steamboat or WP but assume they were quite ugly for most of the season.

  19. #19
    Join Date
    Feb 2014
    Posts
    2,480
    Quote Originally Posted by goldenboy View Post
    Blue Mesa is so low that parts of it have become toxic.
    Blue tide Somebody commented about algae mats forming in streams at 10000'.

  20. #20
    Join Date
    Sep 2005
    Location
    Not in the PRB
    Posts
    32,776
    Quote Originally Posted by skiracer88_00 View Post
    I don't really understand the complaints about skiing in CO last season unless you were in SW CO. I70 resorts did very well, especially A Basin and Loveland.
    That isn't remotely true. Winter Park, which did about as well as any Colorado resort, had an average year. It looked great by comparison, but was strictly average.
    "fuck off you asshat gaper shit for brains fucktard wanker." - Jesus Christ
    "She was tossing her bean salad with the vigor of a Drunken Pop princess so I walked out of the corner and said.... "need a hand?"" - Odin
    "everybody's got their hooks into you, fuck em....forge on motherfuckers, drag all those bitches across the goal line with you." - (not so) ill-advised strategy

  21. #21
    Join Date
    Sep 2006
    Location
    Denver
    Posts
    1,111
    Quote Originally Posted by shredgnar View Post
    That's what Al told you anyway. Abasin did OK, but in 21 years of skiing there, last year was one of the worst. I still had a good amount of fun, but it was definitely harder to motivate with so few powder days. Best day of the season was xmas day. I skied the enduro in April and all the runs were at least passable.

    Summit county is consistently mediocre with a few standout years. Luckily, aspect and elevation help the basin retain snow very well which in turn leads to the ability to not suck as bad on bad years.

    OTOH Vail and Beaver Creek were just slightly better than abysmal as was Monarch, CB, Aspen, etc. Didn't pay attention to Steamboat or WP but assume they were quite ugly for most of the season.
    I'll take "consistently mediocre with a few standout years" over the feast and famine that you get in some places. Even with the crappy year at CB, I had a great time there last March and a good amount of the extremes was open.

  22. #22
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
    Posts
    12,609
    Yeah, I have always used "consistently mediocre" as one of the reasons not to move away from CO, but I lived in the PNW for a while and it sure was nice when you were "feasting".

    I think Jackson is probably the spot that is the most "consistently good".

    Either way though, I like skiing and snowboarding enough that I'll still go on even the worst days. I'm pretty happy that I've been able to keep that mindset throughout my life.

  23. #23
    Join Date
    Dec 2016
    Location
    In a van... down by the river
    Posts
    13,643
    Quote Originally Posted by skiracer88_00 View Post
    I'll take "consistently mediocre with a few standout years"
    Sounds like you've got the right attitude for living in Colorado.


  24. #24
    Join Date
    Jul 2016
    Location
    Mostly the Elks, mostly.
    Posts
    1,279
    Some people have said because of low runoff and dry summer - water rights for snowmaking might be curtailed. Or the water might just simply not be there.
    Not sure exactly what that impact would be, I'm kinda out of that loop.

    Think snow!

  25. #25
    Join Date
    Aug 2005
    Location
    New Mexico
    Posts
    1,465
    Quote Originally Posted by DeepHelmet View Post
    You shut your whore mouth
    This
    Fear, Doubt, Disbelief, you have to let it all go. Free your mind!

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