marzNC
Angel Diva
I agree that probably there will be more people on the slopes midweek. But not at the same level as the usual weekend in the past few seasons. If that happens, any ski area/resort will have to change their winter operations plan in order to limit access to the lifts, assuming they don't already have a reservation system of some sort in place. Any plan to open is made in cooperation with local health departments. No one, including the resort management, wants to be the first with a positive case among customers.I think it's going to be busier. Between virtual learning and working at home, I think more people than ever are going to have the opportunity to ski during the week. So I think weekdays will definitely be more crowded. Also in the East, I think fewer people will be flying out west for ski vacations. They'll be more likely to take drivable trips, which means the slopes could be busier especially during holiday times.
Any plan also needs to include what happens if an employee or guest tests positive. The experience at Timberline Lodge during the summer was interesting to read. There were a few instances when an employee tested positive. They had stayed home as soon as the had any symptoms, clear contact tracing was done, and info was provided on the website as the situation evolved. I don't have the impression that the slopes or Timberline Lodge was ever closed or that there was any guest put at risk. Certainly no more risk than if a guest had gone to a local shop while staying at the Lodge. The Lodge is only open for guests who have booked rooms. Unlike the normal approach where anyone could visit it like a free museum during daytime hours.
I've been using my annual pass at Biltmore Estate and Gardens all summer since my daughter is in college in Asheville, NC. Last week was busy since fall colors are starting, clearly with many first time guests. But at the same time, the number of tickets to visit the house are severely limited. Timed entry has been used at Biltmore for decades. Once in the house, there are not the usual crowds in the popular rooms. Only 10 people are allowed to view a room at a time, even the very large ones, and there is a staff member keeping watch for every room who encourages people to move along. My daughter and her BF went during the summer since he'd never seen it and she didn't remember going as a kid. I've been people watching the entrance line. Very organized per usual.
Many destination resorts in multiple regions were open for summer operations. Quite a few had chairlifts running for scenic hiking and/or mountain biking. Between the knowledge being shared by ski resort managers from Australia and New Zealand and the summer experiences, N. American ski areas/resorts are not starting from scratch about what changes to make to keep employees and guests safe.
VR's reservation system means that for those resorts, the numbers can be tightly controlled both for Epic holders and day tickets. I see no way that there can be the usual number of people at a resort during any holiday period. Although it was bumpy during the first few weeks at Perisher in Australia in Jun/Jul, afterwards those who had a reservation/ticket had a good time because lines on weekends looked long but moved relatively quickly. Per usual, once away from the base lifts there was hardly any wait at all. Waits at the primary base were shorter than last season. Perisher is like Sunday River in the sense that there are multiple peaks and multiple base lodges, with the ability to ski between them when 100% of the terrain is open, or there is a shuttle bus, or people can park at any base.