>> Is It Time for Local Governments to Set Ski Area Capacity Limits?
No, no, no, no, no.
Let's take one business that can't run something effectively and have them managed by another entity that can't run ANYTHING effectively.
The solution isn't to limit supply - that never, ever works.
The solution is to INCREASE the supply so that there is competition.
Look at the situation in Washington state. Since I've moved here 25 years ago the population in the state has doubled and there have been ZERO additional resorts built. Yes - there has been some additional capacity. Crystal Mountain added a gondola and the Northway chair. Stevens added the Jupiter chair. White Pass added additional capacity. And Crystal added extra parking.
But those are just band-aids for the amount of new people wanting to ski. I used to be able to get to Crystal around 10 and ski for 4-5 hours with no lift lines - ON THE WEEKENDS. No way that happens anymore.
We need at least one, maybe two new ski resorts on the I-5 cooridor or I-90 between Snoqualmie and Cle Elum. Perhaps at Stampede Pass.
The metro Seattle population is simply too large where the only resorts within reasonable driving distance is Crystal (2.5 hours), Snoqualmie (1-1.5) and Steven (1.5-2). And the road up to Stevens Pass is treacherous. It's a death trap all the way from Bothel to the top of the pass.
Increase supply!! But the problem isn't lack of investment dollars - it's the forest service. Building new resorts and even adding capacity is next to impossible.
I was on a chairlift with a woman at Crystal a few weeks ago who simultaneously complained about the parking and crowded lifts and then, when I mentioned the proposed expansion into Bullion Basin, complained that we need to leave the wilderness alone. I was stunned by the stupidity.
Fly over Washington state or just look at Google maps - the amount of area humans actively touch is miniscule compared to the supply And skiing is not detrimental to the environment in a serious way. Humans live here too! I mean - people actually hunt Elk in the fall at Crystal Mountain! There's TON of wildlife not caring one iota about the ski lifts.
I think it is great that Vail offer extremely competitive pricing on their passes which does make them more accessible and inclusive. The irony is that many Vail resorts are far less inclusive than basically any other ski area due to the widely documented problems, and the Vail skier visit numbers they quote seem to confirm this. They sold 47 percent more passes this year and visits are actually down? And even if you do get to your mountain, you'll often find the lifts to be less accessible than non-Vail ski areas due to long lines. Rather than change their pass pricing, they actually need to give their local mountain leaders the latitude to hire the staff to actually open all the lifts. It's pretty fundamental. And at places still suffering from overcrowding whose hours have been reduced, restore operating hours to spread the crowds out.
It doesn't have to perfect, but they just need to put in an effort. What we are seeing borders on negligence and unfortunately so far, the only changes seems to come when it looks like they are about to get sued.
Having local governments limit the ski area capacity is a ridiculous idea. That will only add to the problem. My local hill is Bear Mountain/Snow Summit. It is always busy, I have waited 45 minutes in line to ride the cattle trailers from the annex lots. The lodges are full, and the lift lines are long, the runs are crowded. I do not want local governments to limit capacity. The will negatively impact all the hotels, restaurants and other businesses in the area.
Limits should be set by the ski area based on an industry agreed comfortable lift/downhill capacity.
Keep the government out of it, let the market decide. In the last 40 years the population of California has increased by 15 million people. The skiable acreage at all ski areas in the state has increased by less than 1,000 acres. As the crowds continue I want to see local governments recognize the need for more skiing opportunities. Local/state governments should start approving shuttered ski areas to reopen.
Look at Hickory, why couldn't they reopen? Government bureaucracy. For this reason, we do not want government involved in setting capacity limits.
Re: Infrastructure—As fashionable (and lazy) as it is to blame Vail Co. for everything wrong with skiing, this is hardly a new phenomenon. I recall countless days back in the early 90's sitting in horrible traffic on my way into Park City to teach at the resort, sitting in bumper to bumper traffic in Little Cottonwood Canyon, and crawling around Lake Tahoe to get to Heavenly, Squaw, Kirkwood, etc. Same goes for any number of similar experiences over the past forty plus years at resorts all over the country. I've also had issue with parking at Stevens Pass, Baker, and Crystal for the past eight years in Washington—even had to turn around a few times due to no parking at Stevens prior to Vail's purchase.
First, so sorry for your injury and all best wishes for a speedy recovery! Your article on Hickory and the impenetrable NYS bureaucracy is spot on! The ultimate irony is that we pay the salaries of these unresponsive slugs. An observation, when the Soviet Union collapsed NYS inherited the rights to their legendary bureaucracy. Hah
Amazing how Vail is still pushing this "we're trying to get as many people on ski hills as we can" while charging over 200 bucks for a day ticket. Finally, their overlords, Wall Street, are starting to be the grown ups and lecturing them. They certainly aren't listening to the customer.
Oh, and, certainly not defending it, but, if that trash couple parked close to the Snowden bubble, checking in on the kid wouldn't be that hard, every lap. Just sayin'.
Also, Vail is just pulling out all the stops to make excuses, aren't they? The weather! The "worker shortage," which realistically is a pay shortage. And now, if you complain about lift lines, then you're not on-board with skier "diversity." The statements from Vail's public affairs folks borders on something you'd read in The Onion or Babylon Bee.
>> Is It Time for Local Governments to Set Ski Area Capacity Limits?
No, no, no, no, no.
Let's take one business that can't run something effectively and have them managed by another entity that can't run ANYTHING effectively.
The solution isn't to limit supply - that never, ever works.
The solution is to INCREASE the supply so that there is competition.
Look at the situation in Washington state. Since I've moved here 25 years ago the population in the state has doubled and there have been ZERO additional resorts built. Yes - there has been some additional capacity. Crystal Mountain added a gondola and the Northway chair. Stevens added the Jupiter chair. White Pass added additional capacity. And Crystal added extra parking.
But those are just band-aids for the amount of new people wanting to ski. I used to be able to get to Crystal around 10 and ski for 4-5 hours with no lift lines - ON THE WEEKENDS. No way that happens anymore.
We need at least one, maybe two new ski resorts on the I-5 cooridor or I-90 between Snoqualmie and Cle Elum. Perhaps at Stampede Pass.
The metro Seattle population is simply too large where the only resorts within reasonable driving distance is Crystal (2.5 hours), Snoqualmie (1-1.5) and Steven (1.5-2). And the road up to Stevens Pass is treacherous. It's a death trap all the way from Bothel to the top of the pass.
Increase supply!! But the problem isn't lack of investment dollars - it's the forest service. Building new resorts and even adding capacity is next to impossible.
I was on a chairlift with a woman at Crystal a few weeks ago who simultaneously complained about the parking and crowded lifts and then, when I mentioned the proposed expansion into Bullion Basin, complained that we need to leave the wilderness alone. I was stunned by the stupidity.
Fly over Washington state or just look at Google maps - the amount of area humans actively touch is miniscule compared to the supply And skiing is not detrimental to the environment in a serious way. Humans live here too! I mean - people actually hunt Elk in the fall at Crystal Mountain! There's TON of wildlife not caring one iota about the ski lifts.
I think it is great that Vail offer extremely competitive pricing on their passes which does make them more accessible and inclusive. The irony is that many Vail resorts are far less inclusive than basically any other ski area due to the widely documented problems, and the Vail skier visit numbers they quote seem to confirm this. They sold 47 percent more passes this year and visits are actually down? And even if you do get to your mountain, you'll often find the lifts to be less accessible than non-Vail ski areas due to long lines. Rather than change their pass pricing, they actually need to give their local mountain leaders the latitude to hire the staff to actually open all the lifts. It's pretty fundamental. And at places still suffering from overcrowding whose hours have been reduced, restore operating hours to spread the crowds out.
It doesn't have to perfect, but they just need to put in an effort. What we are seeing borders on negligence and unfortunately so far, the only changes seems to come when it looks like they are about to get sued.
Having local governments limit the ski area capacity is a ridiculous idea. That will only add to the problem. My local hill is Bear Mountain/Snow Summit. It is always busy, I have waited 45 minutes in line to ride the cattle trailers from the annex lots. The lodges are full, and the lift lines are long, the runs are crowded. I do not want local governments to limit capacity. The will negatively impact all the hotels, restaurants and other businesses in the area.
Limits should be set by the ski area based on an industry agreed comfortable lift/downhill capacity.
Keep the government out of it, let the market decide. In the last 40 years the population of California has increased by 15 million people. The skiable acreage at all ski areas in the state has increased by less than 1,000 acres. As the crowds continue I want to see local governments recognize the need for more skiing opportunities. Local/state governments should start approving shuttered ski areas to reopen.
Look at Hickory, why couldn't they reopen? Government bureaucracy. For this reason, we do not want government involved in setting capacity limits.
Re: Infrastructure—As fashionable (and lazy) as it is to blame Vail Co. for everything wrong with skiing, this is hardly a new phenomenon. I recall countless days back in the early 90's sitting in horrible traffic on my way into Park City to teach at the resort, sitting in bumper to bumper traffic in Little Cottonwood Canyon, and crawling around Lake Tahoe to get to Heavenly, Squaw, Kirkwood, etc. Same goes for any number of similar experiences over the past forty plus years at resorts all over the country. I've also had issue with parking at Stevens Pass, Baker, and Crystal for the past eight years in Washington—even had to turn around a few times due to no parking at Stevens prior to Vail's purchase.
First, so sorry for your injury and all best wishes for a speedy recovery! Your article on Hickory and the impenetrable NYS bureaucracy is spot on! The ultimate irony is that we pay the salaries of these unresponsive slugs. An observation, when the Soviet Union collapsed NYS inherited the rights to their legendary bureaucracy. Hah
Amazing how Vail is still pushing this "we're trying to get as many people on ski hills as we can" while charging over 200 bucks for a day ticket. Finally, their overlords, Wall Street, are starting to be the grown ups and lecturing them. They certainly aren't listening to the customer.
Oh, and, certainly not defending it, but, if that trash couple parked close to the Snowden bubble, checking in on the kid wouldn't be that hard, every lap. Just sayin'.
Excellent article, as always.
Also, Vail is just pulling out all the stops to make excuses, aren't they? The weather! The "worker shortage," which realistically is a pay shortage. And now, if you complain about lift lines, then you're not on-board with skier "diversity." The statements from Vail's public affairs folks borders on something you'd read in The Onion or Babylon Bee.