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Should we cancel Diva East and West for 2022?

ski diva

Administrator
Staff member
Another Diva brought this up in a private message, but it's something I've been wondering about, too:

Should we still be planning to have Diva East and West this year?

I really don't know what to think. On the one hand, I think if we've all had our vaccinations and commit to getting tested prior to going, we'd be pretty well protected. On the other hand, well, the pandemic is still most definitely a thing. And the Delta variant is highly contagious. That said, I'm still going to ski here in Vermont, so other than being in a different location and staying with other people in a rental, is it all that different? We don't have to go to restaurants; we can eat in or get take out.

Cancellation is still an option, and it would certainly be understandable, if we decided to go that route.

What does everyone else think?
 

marzNC

Angel Diva
I'm not going to either Diva East or Diva West. Here's my thoughts based on travel this summer and last winter. YMMV

For Diva East, aren't most people driving? That seemed to be the case in past years.

I don't see much reason to cancel that Diva East just yet. I assume cancellation policies for lodging would allow making a decision closer to the arrival date. I did multi-state driving trips in July and August, after it was known that Delta was spreading quickly everywhere. I followed the same precautions I did when driving away from home in 2020. Given that being fully vaccinated means less worry in the unlikely event I were to get COVID-19, I felt comfortable enough. The value of having fun with friends made it worth the extra effort of deciding where to stop for restrooms or a 1-night motel stay. I stayed in a condo (timeshare) or with friends most nights for the two 9-day trips.

Diva West is a different situation. Most people are planning to fly, aren't they? The experience from last season for myself and my travel/ski buddies who flew for meetups was that flight schedules kept changing. There were times when the automated alternative was really not practical so you had to pay close attention. If the computer got stuck trying to find an alternative, sometimes that meant no notification at all. I know for one flight with a layover (always have to change planes for RDU on Southwest), I ended up having to call to get things sorted out. There was one trip to Taos last season that I and friends cancelled. But most of the group waited until November to make a final decision. That was a few weeks before the deadline for cancelling lodging. People who had already booked plane tickets were planning on flying Southwest so cancelling was simple.
 

marzNC

Angel Diva
For background for my comments in Post #2 for those who don't know me . . . bottom line is that I haven't stopped traveling but I have made adjustments in assorted ways.

* I've attended Diva East and Diva West in the past. Great way to meet Divas and have a fun time on and off the slopes.
* I flew Southwest for four ski trips out west last season, plus drove to ski in my home region in Jan and Feb.
* I have four ski trips trips planned for 2021-22, two flying and two driving. Not including skiing my home resort.
* A few weeks ago I opted not to do a second mid-season trip out west in favor of a driving ski safari in the northeast instead.

My husband and I were supposed to drive from NC to FL in early Sept to use his timeshare week. We cancelled about two weeks before we were supposed to leave. In the past, we flew when going to Orlando.
 

MissySki

Angel Diva
This is something that’s been popping into my head since I plan to attend Diva East and West this season. Diva East doesn’t pose an issue to me personally because I’m planning to stay at my condo in ME and drive over daily anyway. Though I would prefer lodging for the Saddleback portion. I will also continue skiing as normal just like last season. I did not travel West though, haven’t been on any forms of enclosed public transportation since February 2020. I also haven’t eaten indoors in public since March 2020 (and I’m still not ready to change that).. I do enjoy dining outdoors or at least open air areas like tents or buildings only if I’m directly near an open window with lots of ventilation. Unfortunately, all of that will be ending soon around here with fall and winter approaching.

Diva West poses more issues with, well everything for those of us in the East. Currently I’ve been wondering to myself, what would have to happen to cause me to not want to travel there? It’s not something I’ve been able to really place yet. It’s probably too early to make any drastic decisions, but I’m happy there will be open conversation starting to hear what others feel as well. I’m hoping we can make it work in a way that feels comfortable for anyone who wants to join in.

Maybe with boosters we’ll feel more confident. I guess we’ll see how things go and hope for no new variants that are worse than Delta. I had really thought and hoped we would be way past this for 2022.
 
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ilovepugs

Angel Diva
I've been reluctant to make firm plans for my three week long trip out west (including Diva West) because of the stress that the US health care system is under right now. I'm waiting to see if any pressure on the hospitals is substantially reduced before I make a decision. Dr Pugs and I agree that there's a real chance that his surgical conference at Big Sky will be canceled, or if not, that we won't to go out there and undertake potentially risky activities when hospital beds are in extremely short supply. I think Tahoe will likely have different conditions than Montana, but I'm still not confident about making an unnecessary trip for fun. Definitely a wait and see approach for me right now.

I would be OK with skiing with people at Diva East given its proximity to me but would probably feel more comfortable passing on the group lodging and eating activities. I don't think we know enough about COVID risk among people who are fully vaccinated for me to make an informed risk assessment about indoor activities.
 

Amie H

Angel Diva
Flights into Reno from ORD were constantly changing each quarter (or season?) even pre-pandemic, so no matter what, I was going to wait and see how the flights looked closer to the week of the event. I would also be looking at the Washoe County infection rates at that time, as well. I wasn't planning to share lodging w anyone, so that's not an issue for me. TBH, my worst covid pinch point is going through O'hare and any other large airports because we all know most airports have outgrown their baggage check in and gate seating areas and can get really crowded. (TBH, Reno isn't usually too bad in that regard, in my experience.)
 

Jilly

Moderator
Staff member
I was waiting to see if you guys were going to let us Canucks in!! But I do agree that travel right now is not exactly desirable. A friend has a condo booked for Banff in February. If is was right now, it would be a no go for me.

I'm really hoping that the IDBF decides that Florida is too dangerous and moves our World Championships to somewhere safer next summer.

And @ilovepugs - I just had a conference set for May changed to September of next year.
 

marzNC

Angel Diva
TBH, my worst covid pinch point is going through O'hare and any other large airports because we all know most airports have outgrown their baggage check in and gate seating areas and can get really crowded.
Did you fly through O'Hare in the last 12 months?
 

newboots

Angel Diva
I have wondered about this myself. I cancelled both my Western trips this year due to (1) my daughter's pregnancy (timing) and (2) my shortness of breath. I have test results that sort of explain it but no clear diagnosis yet. It suddenly occurred to me that altitude was not the right plan for me right now!

I am scheduled for Diva East. Sharing a room. And I'm worried. No clear vote either way yet.
 

liquidfeet

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I cancelled both my Western trips this year due to (1) my daughter's pregnancy (timing) and (2) my shortness of breath. I have test results that sort of explain it but no clear diagnosis yet. It suddenly occurred to me that altitude was not the right plan for me right now!
So sorry to hear of the shortness of breath. I hope you find treatment and heal fast.
 

SallyCat

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I'm limiting travel and contact as much as possible, so I won't travel by plane or share rooms for the foreseeable.

My concern is that the unvaccinated population is cultivating and spreading variants, and eventually one of those is going be impervious to the vaccine. Working in EMS puts me at a risk that to some degree is uncontrollable, and yet many of my patients are frail and elderly or otherwise vulnerable. So I'm back to limiting travel and contact as much as possible.

That means no ski trips that involve overnight stays, no plane travel, and no hanging out in lodges.
 

Abbi

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I'm limiting travel and contact as much as possible, so I won't travel by plane or share rooms for the foreseeable.

My concern is that the unvaccinated population is cultivating and spreading variants, and eventually one of those is going be impervious to the vaccine. Working in EMS puts me at a risk that to some degree is uncontrollable, and yet many of my patients are frail and elderly or otherwise vulnerable. So I'm back to limiting travel and contact as much as possible.

That means no ski trips that involve overnight stays, no plane travel, and no hanging out in lodges.

I can meet you for a beer in a parking lot as long as I can go back inside to use the bathroom! :beer:
 

teppaz

Angel Diva
For background for my comments in Post #2 for those who don't know me . . . bottom line is that I haven't stopped traveling but I have made adjustments in assorted ways.

* I've attended Diva East and Diva West in the past. Great way to meet Divas and have a fun time on and off the slopes.
* I flew Southwest for four ski trips out west last season, plus drove to ski in my home region in Jan and Feb.
* I have four ski trips trips planned for 2021-22, two flying and two driving. Not including skiing my home resort.
* A few weeks ago I opted not to do a second mid-season trip out west in favor of a driving ski safari in the northeast instead.

My husband and I were supposed to drive from NC to FL in early Sept to use his timeshare week. We cancelled about two weeks before we were supposed to leave. In the past, we flew when going to Orlando.
Let me know about your northeast trip, I could try to join you for a day at one of your stops!
 

jthree

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I'm on the list for Diva East which is driving distance for me so I am just answering that part.

I think we should hold on making a decision for now. I'm somewhat optimistic. Even with the spread of the Delta variant, the current data show that even when infections occur in the vaccinated, they are frequently asymptomatic/mild and the period of contagiousness is brief.

I'm not worried about my own health or household- we are all vaccinated. My parents, in-laws, close friends- all vaccinated. However like SallyCat I work with patients and don't want to put them at risk. I haven't actually been out of state (except for a 1-day essential trip) since the start of the pandemic.

What are the lodging plans for Diva East? Am I remembering correctly that one thought was to go in on a condo?
 

DebbieSue

Angel Diva
I’m in the cautiously optimistic camp, planning/hoping for road trips within New England (and 1 or 2 trips out West) as I did last year. If health care delivery is compromised in the region of the resort, that would cause reevaluation. I think it is too soon to cancel DivaEast or DivaWest. That being said, each Diva has circumstances that will affect her decision to ski, share transport or accommodations, or fly.
 

MissySki

Angel Diva
Meanwhile, I had multiple healthcare workers in my seasonal program last year (doctors and nurses). They were Maine or Massachusetts residents, and testing a lot like the rest of us. Interesting to hear the stance taken on travel based on patient exposure for different folks though.
 

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