I believe in limited user numbers but not by creating more expensive season passes. Places like the Yellowstone Club have their right to exist and remain completely exclusive, but land that is leased from the tax payers, such as national forests, should not become the domain of the ultra rich which I could easily see happen on the slopes in my geographic area. It already is at the food establishments on and off the hill where affluent local and non local guests will buy out a whole establishment paying tens of thousands for a table of 6 to eat without other guests near them.
When dropping an extra few thousand dollars a day for no crowds does not even cause a moment of reflection for many skiers, I worry that our hills will be completely out of reach for even the upper middle class skier. What starts off as a hundred or so dollars per day can easily escalate. Many guests already pay over a thousand a day to cut lines and ski more. I do not in any way blame them as that is an option, but pay to play can make the entry point to the sport impossible.
I am not sure that there is an easy answer, or one that would work for all resorts given differing demographics and user peaks. Lottery? Tickets tied to hotel reservations?
Who gets priority? Locals with passes, visitors with reservations?
I enjoyed the outcome of the longer lines for less riders on each lift, the empty slopes!
I also get to cut the lines with my students, but even those lines were longer than I have ever seen them before, even on big powder days.
I don't think the issue is just limited to skiing. Living in a natural beauty destination, I have seen parking lots to lakes and hikes fill up earlier than ever, trails littered with masks, etc....