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Resort or industry workers: are you not working this season because of COVID?

ski diva

Administrator
Staff member
Just wondering: For anyone on the forum who works at a resort or in a ski-related business, are you planning to not work this year because of COVID? If so, is it your choice or the choice of your employer?

I work part time at the ice rink at Okemo during ski season, and I'm fairly certain I'm not going back. First, I doubt the resort will even open it this year. And second, I really can't see working the register, handling credit or cash transactions, or dealing with rental skates during the pandemic. The chance of infection seems far too high to me. I like the perks I get from working at the mountain, but it's not worth the risk of getting sick.

Anyone else?
 
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BackCountryGirl

Angel Diva
I will be returning as a coach in a race program, but I have many coach friends in the snowsports school who will not be. I live in Maine, which had a fairly low positivity rate. I really can't imagine what will happen when the season starts and weekenders from states with more infections start to show up. I think all hell may break loose.
 

snoWYmonkey

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I plan on returning to my ski instructing position for Jackson Hole Mountain Resort. I will make certain changes, which include driving to work and paying (gasp) $40 a day to park in the front lot, and using my truck as my locker and lunch space, as I am not comfortable using shared indoor spaces. I know of a handful that will not be teaching this winter and many more who plan on returning. No formal announcement yet on changes that will directly affect the instructors, though I think it is imminent. I really hope the spousal pass benefits won't be pulled.
 

marzNC

Angel Diva
I really hope the spousal pass benefits won't be pulled.
Given that Vail Resorts is offering to let employees and their dependents with a pass avoid the reservation system, I'll be surprised if other resorts pull back on perks for instructors. Especially long time instructors like you.
 

snoWYmonkey

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Just wondering: For anyone on the forum who works at a resort or in a ski-related business, are you planning to not work this year because of COVID? If so, is it your choice or the choice of your employer?

I work part time at the ice rink at Okemo during ski season, and I'm fairly certain I'm not going back. First, I doubt the resort will even open it this year. And second, I really can't see working the register, handling credit or cash transactions, or dealing with rental skates during the pandemic. The chance of infection seems far too high to me. I like the perks I get from working at the mountain, but it's not worth it to me.

Anyone else?
I am sorry to hear your decision, but fully support it. I was just offered a temporary position processing 280 "bathers" a day at a desk with no plexiglass... Pass.
 

liquidfeet

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I am not returning to my ski instructor job in New Hampshire this upcoming season. Our mountain is a crowded one. The locker room situation and the lodge can't be made safe enough for me to enter them.

If things change and the situation becomes safe, I still won't be able to return even though I'd like to. That's because I had to make a decision in May about renting a condo for the 2020-21 winter season and decided not to because of the virus. My official home is too far away for me to commute to the mountain to work.

I plan on renting the following season as in the past and going back to work as before. It may be difficult to find an affordable seasonal rental given the weirdly developing real estate situation.
 

kiki

Angel Diva
I am not returning to my ski instructor job in New Hampshire this upcoming season. Our mountain is a crowded one. The locker room situation and the lodge can't be made safe enough for me to enter them.

If things change and the situation becomes safe, I still won't be able to return even though I'd like to. That's because I had to make a decision in May about renting a condo for the 2020-21 winter season and decided not to because of the virus. My official home is too far away for me to commute to the mountain to work.

I plan on renting the following season as in the past and going back to work as before. It may be difficult to find an affordable seasonal rental given the weirdly developing real estate situation.
@liquidfeet
That will be a big change for you. I’m guessing it’s a sad time right now looking ahead (sending hugs!!)
How long have you been teaching in the winter? Have you figured out what you will fill your time with this winter?
 

liquidfeet

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Thanks, @kiki, for asking.

I'm uncertain how this upcoming season will go for me. I am rather (haha) passionate about skiing, obsessed really. I think about it all during the non-skiing parts of the year. I feel a big void in front of me now that the green season is leaving and cold weather is moving in. It's scary and depressing.

Finding a replacement activity that doesn't involve a long drive is a challenge but one I need to deal with. So I've geared up for hiking and trail running through the winter. The trails near where I live and which I am running on now will still be there. I've purchased new snowshoes and micro-spikes (thank you eBay). Someone gave me a set of cross-country skis and boots which I'll maybe get some use from on the local golf courses and public flats.

I still think about skiing. I may find a way to do it. The drive to the nearest ski area with terrain I am interested in skiing is 1.5 hours each way. I am not willing to use public bathrooms. Dunno what to do. There may be a solution. I'm working on it, and have enough hope that I even am thinking of getting a new pair of print ski pants since I won't have to wear black pants as an instructor.

There's a local bump 45 minutes away but it doesn't have moguls or steeps or, well, much of anything terrain-wise and all the runs are very short. Its website is showing absolutely nothing. I don't know if they even survived last season's swift ending. I can't see myself going there. Oh, unless I decide to get into ballet skiing. I've always wanted to do that. I could work on ballet maneuvers this season there. But again, they are not selling season passes or saying anything about being open this season.

So... dunno. How about you. What will you do?
 

kiki

Angel Diva
Thanks, @kiki, for asking.

I'm uncertain how this upcoming season will go for me. I am rather (haha) passionate about skiing, obsessed really. I think about it all during the non-skiing parts of the year. I feel a big void in front of me now that the green season is leaving and cold weather is moving in. It's scary and depressing.

Finding a replacement activity that doesn't involve a long drive is a challenge but one I need to deal with. So I've geared up for hiking and trail running through the winter. The trails near where I live and which I am running on now will still be there. I've purchased new snowshoes and micro-spikes (thank you eBay). Someone gave me a set of cross-country skis and boots which I'll maybe get some use from on the local golf courses and public flats.

I still think about skiing. I may find a way to do it. The drive to the nearest ski area with terrain I am interested in skiing is 1.5 hours each way. I am not willing to use public bathrooms. Dunno what to do. There may be a solution. I'm working on it, and have enough hope that I even am thinking of getting a new pair of print ski pants since I won't have to wear black pants as an instructor.

There's a local bump 45 minutes away but it doesn't have moguls or steeps or, well, much of anything terrain-wise and all the runs are very short. Its website is showing absolutely nothing. I don't know if they even survived last season's swift ending. I can't see myself going there. Oh, unless I decide to get into ballet skiing. I've always wanted to do that. I could work on ballet maneuvers this season there. But again, they are not selling season passes or saying anything about being open this season.

So... dunno. How about you. What will you do?
I feel for you. I only ski weekends so a much smaller part of my life than for you, and I had not planned on skiing this season, and was getting more and more depressed as the days went.

In the end, I decided to do the ski season as battling weight gain and depression is as dangerous for me or more than Covid due to my health history. I was up all night on the last day to buy my pass debating. Lots of unknowns. Now to see how it goes and prepare for the wierdest season ever!

A lot of folks I know are have gotten in to snowshoeing the past couple of years—you can often do it on local trails and golf courses in winter . You may like that too. It is good fitness.

On the matter of bathrooms, this kept me off the golf course for a good Two months this year (which I regret) and then I tried it out. I found if I just use a baby wipe to open the doors, can wipe off the seat etc and then TP or paper towels to touch the handles for the taps on the sink etc it is not that bad. I can get in and out without touching anything. It takes longer lol! Don’t let this be the one thing that keeps you off the local hills.
 

Abbi

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I feel for you. I only ski weekends so a much smaller part of my life than for you, and I had not planned on skiing this season, and was getting more and more depressed as the days went.

In the end, I decided to do the ski season as battling weight gain and depression is as dangerous for me or more than Covid due to my health history. I was up all night on the last day to buy my pass debating. Lots of unknowns. Now to see how it goes and prepare for the wierdest season ever!

A lot of folks I know are have gotten in to snowshoeing the past couple of years—you can often do it on local trails and golf courses in winter . You may like that too. It is good fitness.

On the matter of bathrooms, this kept me off the golf course for a good Two months this year (which I regret) and then I tried it out. I found if I just use a baby wipe to open the doors, can wipe off the seat etc and then TP or paper towels to touch the handles for the taps on the sink etc it is not that bad. I can get in and out without touching anything. It takes longer lol! Don’t let this be the one thing that keeps you off the local hills.

I am less worried, although I do not discount the necessity for safety, about touching things as I am about breathing the air. Pretty much everything suggests this is an airborne disease. But I am also a 66-year-old woman and I need to pee on a annoyingly regular basis! Thank you for the bathroom suggestion. That leaves me only dealing with the fact that my feet go numb in my ski boots from a neuroma! But in the greater scheme of things I can deal with that! Including perhaps skiing less time if the foot is giving me a bad day. There’s going to be a lot of creativity required this year!
 

newboots

Angel Diva
I don't work in the industry, although last year I picked up a few hours a week at a ski shop. Not this year. Mr. Blizzard is seriously considering not going back there this year. He says he won't go back if the shop is doing rentals (this is the bread and butter for ski shops, and it gets a lot of customers in the door). It's hard to imagine them halting the rental program.

In the peak times for renting skis, the rental area is jammed with people trying on boots, needing help filling out their forms, getting full packages for the parents and four children, etc. It's a germ nightmare.

And of course, we're in Vermont. When you stay away from tourist spots, you run only a small risk of encountering the virus (assuming you're also wearing your mask - mandated - and taking common-sense precautions). Once the skiers start pouring into the state on Thursdays and Fridays, the risk is going to go up dramatically. What will happen to our two-week quarantine? My guess is it will be ignored even more than it is now.
 

Abbi

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I don't work in the industry, although last year I picked up a few hours a week at a ski shop. Not this year. Mr. Blizzard is seriously considering not going back there this year. He says he won't go back if the shop is doing rentals (this is the bread and butter for ski shops, and it gets a lot of customers in the door). It's hard to imagine them halting the rental program.

In the peak times for renting skis, the rental area is jammed with people trying on boots, needing help filling out their forms, getting full packages for the parents and four children, etc. It's a germ nightmare.

Likely some form of rental will remain in some places. But it wou have to be highly structured with very few people in at a time, distanced and masked. I did not expect that Mr. Blizzard would want to return this year with that as an issue.
 

liquidfeet

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I am less worried, although I do not discount the necessity for safety, about touching things as I am about breathing the air. Pretty much everything suggests this is an airborne disease. But I am also a 66-year-old woman and I need to pee on a annoyingly regular basis! Thank you for the bathroom suggestion. That leaves me only dealing with the fact that my feet go numb in my ski boots from a neuroma! But in the greater scheme of things I can deal with that! Including perhaps skiing less time if the foot is giving me a bad day. There’s going to be a lot of creativity required this year!
That neuroma may be fixable with a bit of shim added under the ball-of-foot. Just put some layers of duct tape under the footbed, in the middle of your ball-of-foot, and go ski. I've done this in my running shoes as well. Trial and error will guide you towards the perfect shape for your shim.
 

Abbi

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
That neuroma may be fixable with a bit of shim added under the ball-of-foot. Just put some layers of duct tape under the footbed, in the middle of your ball-of-foot, and go ski. I've done this in my running shoes as well. Trial and error will guide you towards the perfect shape for your shim.

I’ve been dealing with this for years. I have the boot fitter’ number on my cell phone and I can text him personally! I have been working with my foot doctor on this for years as well. The only thing that sets it off is ski boots as the plastic does not give. Some days are not bad, some days are almost fine and some days are miserable. But I also don’t want the surgery as it would lay me up for weeks. And I drive a standard transmission and it is my left foot that is the problem!
 

kiki

Angel Diva
Guess I should ramp up selling toilet seat cover dispensers...They are not a big thing in Canada, but I know I've seen them in the states/
We used to see them a lot here but not so much the past couple of years. Maybe some fresh advertising... would be good in the Covid times
 

Tvan

Angel Diva
<tangent> @newboots - can I mail my skis to Mr. Blizzard for tuning? He’s the only one I trust... </end tangent>
 

MissySki

Angel Diva
I plan on renting the following season as in the past and going back to work as before. It may be difficult to find an affordable seasonal rental given the weirdly developing real estate situation.

Real estate in ME has been CRAZY!! I take it that’s the case in northern NH as well?
 

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