Vail Resorts RESERVED SKIING! It's gonna be EPIC!

[Bunion 2020]

Like I said Bunny, I get your gripe, but until you realize no one gives a shit about the die hard skier, you are just yelling at clouds.

That rare occasion when we agree.

[Benny Profane]

I've run up some bar tabs in my day, but never one that approached the cost of what a daily lift ticket costs now. Covid forced everyone into paying full boat for a lift ticket, or buying a pass conveniently priced a day or two over what the average skier does in a year.

I said "profit". That ticket requires a lot of expenditure on their part to provide that service. The bar requires four or five underpaid bartenders and cheap booze marked up to gold prices.

And my Epic northeast midweek cost me maybe 3.5 days. Why the fuck do you think I bought it? Because I adore Hunter and Mt. Snow?

[Ottime]

FWIW, KW lost my family. Yes, we were, and will be again, passholders. But we’ll before Vail bought our hill, my wife and I at on the hill quite a bit and would go out to eat at resort run businesses at night. We stayed in resort owned lodging. My wife took clinics and my son enrolled in ski school on the regular. We spent $1000s more per year over our passes. We were not the biggest spenders, but that was real money we dropped each season. Now we spend nothing but our pass. It is not just the increased cost of everything. The food sucks now. Pre Vail there were four places we liked to eat. Not any more. Ski school felt better. We used to get great instructors who gave a shit about our kid. Now it is a complete crap shoot. Some instructors act inappropriately around kids even. Fuck paying for that. Vail now has a valley security team. For a few years they would go through your pack if you wore one on the lift. Cause, ya know, there might be something illegal in there.

There are so many easy ways to make the experience positive and worth spending money on. Vail fails miserably at any hill that is not a mirror image of Vail.

I know my $2k/year is not a big lose for a big company, but they claim they are losing money on operating KW.

There used to be a wait for a table at to on hill eateries in the ore Vail days. Sometimes and hour long wait. Now you can walk right in during a snow storm at 12:30 and sit in an empty restaurant. So it is not like they replaced us with newer, richer customers.

[paulster2626]

I just want to drop this here, in case anybody from Vail lurks, as they should, if they have anybody with half a brain in marketing. I just posted it in the ECRC thread. Fuck them. I'm pretty sure the patrollers sicked out at Hunter today, making a statement. Hunter released a statement on their website (it's not really Hunters website, it's more like an intrusion on the Epic sales site. Like a fucking bank branch.) telling me, after I left after a long drive, that the shutdown occured because there weren't enough patrol, or "safety officers".



"Ya think? "Excluded out of work." The fuck. First I want to meet the cube shit who wrote that and slap them up the side of the head, and, if it was written in a Colorado cube, I also want to kick him in the knee.
Forty years of skiing, and that never happened to me, and never heard of it. I hope they were on strike. I'd commend them for doing it if it was a work action. Because that fucking company sucks. I drive 2.3 hours to stand around and hear that second hand after I just went back to my car. Not one fucking notification from the mountain through email. There were still people rolling into the parking lot, and one guy said, yeah, no notification. Fuck, they have our emails. It's basically our IDs. It would have been easy to robo email us if anybody knew what the fuck they're doing, but we have seen the pathetic level of customer service that company delivers all summer, so, no surprise. Tell us what the fuck is going on. No, I have to skulk around the internet to find the real story.

I hate this company. I wish that Covid spreads through the board room. The best thing that could happen to skiing is for them to fall into financial ruin and divest anything good, before it's to late. Fuck them."

You drove 2+ hours to go skiing and when you got there, booted up and then found out via murmers from the crowd that the place was closed? That fucking sucks.

I live in a terrible wasteland of flat landscape, and the shit skiing that we DO have has all been shut down by the government. Entire fucking province. Until Jan 28 or whatever, when they think opening back up on a Saturday will be a good move. Fucking morans I tell ya.

Been joking with the wife I want to head to the parking lot, put my gear on and just walk around for a bit so it "feels" like I'm about to go skiing. Then head back to the car and have a tailgate beer and some soup. This sucks serious shit.

[Benny Profane]

Yes it does.

But, little things in life. The high Catskills were still white and snowy from the snow a few days ago, so, the scenery was nice, Better than TV.

And, Windham, of all places, actually looks like a nice place to go up to and skin for an exercise day. They have a Mac and cheese and taco truck in the plaza at the bottom.

[Benny Profane]

Wow, the fuck ups continue.

As mentioned, Hunter Mountain has been closed for three days do to the patrol being understaffed because they were infected with Covid or pulled a work action or both with other factors worked in, time will tell.

They opened today, and this guy drives two hours to get there with no reservation, because the reservation system was basically still down, and he figured that he could do it in the parking lot. He sees that they are selling day passes. This text exchange ensues. I got this off of Facebook, the only real source for real time info.

God, I hate this company.

[Ottime]

Dude. I told you about how shorty Vail was this summer. I told you last winter. And the winter before that. But you refused to listen and kowtowed to your Vail overlords and gave them your money. Again. This shit is on you.

[Benny Profane]

Oh, that's cute. You are so fucking smug. Like, in October, when most of us thought that maybe there won't be any skiing at all, and pondered what pass to buy, if any, instead of subjecting ourselves to walk up pricing if there was skiing, and I saw the pricing on a midweek Vail northeast pass, and thought, what the fuck, that ain't much of a loss if things go to shit, and, it gets me Hunter, a respectable day trip, for sure, especially if it snows, like that pre Xmas storm, which was quite fun, I'll say. It's hardly what I wanted, but, fuck, better than nothing, right? And, I'm trying to only do day trips, not actually jump in a plane and travel a few thousand miles IN THE MIDDLE OF A WORLWIDE PANDEMIC! You know, just to ski, of all things. Which a lot of people are doing. Like some people here.
You don't think I know Vail sucks? You don't think I've owned an Epic pass for maybe ten seasons and skied their properties all over in that time? But, this is beyond the pale. This company is in serious trouble. They are in the resort business, which means, more than anything, customer service, and they suck at it right now. I have to go to Facebook for critical info? What the fuck?

This shit is on everybody, genius.

[paulster2626]

Huh. That's balls. Maybe it's a good thing I bought a pass only to have all my local hills shut down by the government. At least I'm not getting all the way there with the wife and kids for a giant hassle. 2021 is the year of silver linings!

[The SnowShow]

Oh, that's cute. You are so fucking smug. Like, in October, when most of us thought that maybe there won't be any skiing at all, and pondered what pass to buy, if any, instead of subjecting ourselves to walk up pricing if there was skiing, and I saw the pricing on a midweek Vail northeast pass, and thought, what the fuck, that ain't much of a loss if things go to shit, and, it gets me Hunter, a respectable day trip, for sure, especially if it snows, like that pre Xmas storm, which was quite fun, I'll say. It's hardly what I wanted, but, fuck, better than nothing, right? And, I'm trying to only do day trips, not actually jump in a plane and travel a few thousand miles IN THE MIDDLE OF A WORLWIDE PANDEMIC! You know, just to ski, of all things. Which a lot of people are doing. Like some people here.
You don't think I know Vail sucks? You don't think I've owned an Epic pass for maybe ten seasons and skied their properties all over in that time? But, this is beyond the pale. This company is in serious trouble. They are in the resort business, which means, more than anything, customer service, and they suck at it right now. I have to go to Facebook for critical info? What the fuck?

This shit is on everybody, genius.

I know a guy and his wife who are flying all over to skiing in the west every weekend. Such selfish POS.

[Benny Profane]

I wish some media outlet would run with that story like they did with Sturges in the summer, but, rich liberal journalists ski.

[BC.]

Looking for advice from the collective.....Does anyone know the procedure for using Epic Buddy/SWAF passes this year?...

I know that as the Epic Pass holder....make my reservation at the resort of my choice.....but how does “my buddy/SWAF” go about doing theirs?.....considering I have to “get their ticket” for them? Do they have to make a reservation too?

Anybody do this yet?

[snowaddict91]

Looking for advice from the collective.....Does anyone know the procedure for using Epic Buddy/SWAF passes this year?...

I know that as the Epic Pass holder....make my reservation at the resort of my choice.....but how does “my buddy/SWAF” go about doing theirs?.....considering I have to “get their ticket” for them? Do they have to make a reservation too?

Anybody do this yet?

I was just looking on the website for a friend. I think buying the ticket is their reservation.

[BC.]

Looking for advice from the collective.....Does anyone know the procedure for using Epic Buddy/SWAF passes this year?...

I know that as the Epic Pass holder....make my reservation at the resort of my choice.....but how does “my buddy/SWAF” go about doing theirs?.....considering I have to “get their ticket” for them? Do they have to make a reservation too?

Anybody do this yet?

Found it....it’s all on website...I have to buy it for them through “my account.”....(that kinda sucks)

[snowaddict91]

Found it....it’s all on website...I have to buy it for them through “my account.”....(that kinda sucks)

Yeah I agree. Should be able to send the friend a code or something.

[gimpy]

Word I heard was hunter trollers were striking........rumors been flying here in Tahoe about walkoffs as well..... bunch’s squaw lifties didn’t show the other day and some other stuff was sposed to happen at various resorts here
Soooooo...... not to defend hunter or Vail but.....How the fuck are they supposed to foresee a walkoff? The whole point of walkoffs are to piss off customers just like Benny who will in turn chastise the resort for their ineptitude. It sounds to me like it worked...... good for them and sorry you got fucked as a result

[Toadman]

I wish some media outlet would run with that story like they did with Sturges in the summer, but, rich liberal journalists ski.

Poor conservative journalists don't?

No one is going to stop traveling to ski because some liberal douchebag, fake news journalist writes a story about rich, privileged
white folks flying all over the place to ski.

Shitty situation to be sure about the garbage heap called Hunter, but it is what it is.

[Toadman]

Word I heard was hunter trollers were striking........rumors been flying here in Tahoe about walkoffs as well..... bunch’s squaw lifties didn’t show the other day and some other stuff was sposed to happen at various resorts here
Soooooo...... not to defend hunter or Vail but.....How the fuck are they supposed to foresee a walkoff? The whole point of walkoffs are to piss off customers just like Benny who will in turn chastise the resort for their ineptitude. It sounds to me like it worked...... good for them and sorry you got fucked as a result

What's the beef with the 'trollers and lifties? No hazard pay?

[old goat]

Walkoff:


Walkout:

[Shredhead]

What's the beef with the 'trollers and lifties? No hazard pay?

Probably shit pay and a poor work environment, period. VR really screwed their J1’s back in March.

[Benny Profane]

Word I heard was hunter trollers were striking........rumors been flying here in Tahoe about walkoffs as well..... bunch’s squaw lifties didn’t show the other day and some other stuff was sposed to happen at various resorts here
Soooooo...... not to defend hunter or Vail but.....How the fuck are they supposed to foresee a walkoff? The whole point of walkoffs are to piss off customers just like Benny who will in turn chastise the resort for their ineptitude. It sounds to me like it worked...... good for them and sorry you got fucked as a result

You're not getting it. I'm all for worker's rights. Good for them. I just want real time transparency from the company, direct to phone, before and after stop events. I hate driving for nothing. I'm not THAT bored.

Another week begins. I was thinking of Tuesday. But the fuck I'm driving all the way up again, WITH a reservation, and get shut out.

[Benny Profane]

The story so far with Hunter, an ancient ski culture in the northeast (there's pictures of Bobby Kennedy skiing there), is that Vail bought in and eliminated family passes for volunteers. Duh. Poof, a ton of patrol gone (they're old, anyway) and the remaining in a Covid year thinking, eh, maybe not me. Smart.

[Canada1]

Why did they take the job if they were afraid of covid? Seriously weird to be angry that your resort job is writing you a pay check and not shut down. I guess I must be missing something here?

[gimpy]

^^^^ yeah you are missing something

No j1s this year........local employees have some leverage for once
Shitty pay for front line jobs....... especially during a fucking pandemic. My 17 yr old is a ticket checker at Sierra and is just fine making shit pay....... but the 30+ yr old troller making a similar wage with much more responsibility should be making a living wage

[Vets]

Word I heard was hunter trollers were striking........rumors been flying here in Tahoe about walkoffs as well..... bunch’s squaw lifties didn’t show the other day and some other stuff was sposed to happen at various resorts here
Soooooo...... not to defend hunter or Vail but.....How the fuck are they supposed to foresee a walkoff? The whole point of walkoffs are to piss off customers just like Benny who will in turn chastise the resort for their ineptitude. It sounds to me like it worked...... good for them and sorry you got fucked as a result