10 ski culture faux pas

[lisamamot]

We have always found spots too @MissySki. If there truly were no spots, I imagine we would not have mentioned this as a faux pas.

The last time I had to make my way thru this I finally picked up a couple pairs of particularly egregiously placed skis and put them on the rack. Seriously, if you are going to leave them on the ground, don't block the rack aisles so I have to step over your skis while carrying mine.

 

[maggie198]

Hmmmm, I find it hard to believe that SR is the culprit. I expect most of the SR posters here are weekend/holiday skiers, which does make us encounter larger crowds - it can often just be a numbers game until you get away from the main lifts. Perhaps we're just more committed posters?!

I do ski SR on weekend days, but also do midweek vacations, Personally, I've never seen the ground covered with skis like that, and I've never had trouble finding a place to put my skis. But we're morning skiers, done by early afternoon. I was rather shocked to see the photo of all those skis! My thought was "Oh no! Has Sunday River become another Hunter?" (merely because of the apparently crowded conditions...).

 

[MissySki]

I do ski SR on weekend days, but also do midweek vacations, Personally, I've never seen the ground covered with skis like that, and I've never had trouble finding a place to put my skis. But we're morning skiers, done by early afternoon. I was rather shocked to see the photo of all those skis! My thought was "Oh no! Has Sunday River become another Hunter?" (merely because of the apparently crowded conditions...).

The worst area is definitely South Ridge, the weekend before last it was at least as bad as that photo shows on Sunday when we were leaving. I don't remember why we went to South Ridge that day to park, but we did. I normally park at Whitecap, which is blissfully devoid of mayhem most of the time, so you can certainly avoid the issue. It's certainly not that bad all of the time thank goodness!!

 

[maggie198]

With all the snow we got, it brought out a lot of people who haven't skied much (if at all) this year. We noticed the largest crowds we've ever seen at Elk in PA on the same weekend. Couldn't even get a seat at the bar or restaurant, so we gave up after a time, and went to a very good local restaurant. It was the same weekend, MissySki.

How do I know so many new folks were out? Lift conversations! Almost every ride up we were with someone who had never skied there, or hadn't skied there in several (many) years, or it was their first ski trip of the season. The recent abundance of snow brought out a huge crowd!

 

[SkiBam]

I have to say I would never leave my skis lying on the ground. Actually, I try never to leave my skis unlocked. There's usually rack space (for ski keys) but if not I'm generally parked so close they can go in the car.

 

[MaineSkiLady]

My thought was "Oh no! Has Sunday River become another Hunter?" (merely because of the apparently crowded conditions...).

Semi-long back story to it, but in spring of 2004, right up to ski season 04-05, American Skiing introduced its “tiered” season pass - and at crazy prices (then - not so much anymore) - and blitzed the urban market with the promo: tv, radio, print, ski shows, etc etc.

The idea behind it was to get a serious cash infusion NOW, with which they’d experimented the season prior (convoluted/not dialed in). It worked. There was a notable “explosion” that season in terms of traffic/slope density/visits, etc.

While it hardly “saved” ASC, it was a concept (pre-Epic pass, even) that had teeth - and evolved over the years to its current carnation. Pass prices, however, have more than doubled, nearing triple the original 04-05 offering now. Didn’t much matter, as they’d snared their target market, which has stayed despite cost increases.

 

[MaineSkiLady]

I normally park at Whitecap, which is blissfully devoid of mayhem most of the time...

2 heads-up weekends: the Firemen's hose race (not sure when this year) and chili cook-off - and Parrothead. The week prior to Parrothead, they cordon off and put large amounts of straw on the snow in front of the lodge, with ropes (and that, essentially, is "it" for snow in front of Whitecap lodge for the season afterward). There isn't an easy, direct path to Tempest lift after that, almost easier to do Little Whitecap and slide to White Heat chair.

End of thread drift!