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The End of the Ski Trail Map - The New York Times

SquidWeaselYay

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Interesting read. I hope they don't get rid of them all together - batteries die, and single digit temps make it pretty unappealing to take your gloves off to operate an app. I do like that they are printing less and making them available by request only though. Should cut down on the number of maps littered everywhere, but you can still get one if you want one.
 

newboots

Angel Diva
I couldn't get one at Stowe to save my life. I asked at several different lodges, and was told they don't have any. I don't want to take out my phone every time I want to look at a map, and the 3" wide display is far too small to read trail names, etc. I don't want to take off my gloves to see where I'm going. I don't want to spend time on my phone while I'm skiing!

I absolutely think it's great that they aren't giving out hundreds of maps a day. But to make them unavailable? They need to add more huge map-signs by trail intersections, IMHO.
 

marzNC

Angel Diva
I haven't had much trouble finding paper trail maps this season. But then so far I've been skiing independent ski areas on the Indy Pass in the northeast/mid-Altantic or independent ski areas/resorts out west.

The best maps are the ones printed on "stone paper." Then it doesn't matter if the map gets wet. The idea was mentioned in the March 2022 article in Post #1.

Rad Smith has been mentored by James Neihues. As far as I can tell, he is continuing to get requests for painting new trail maps.

 

NewEnglandSkier

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I think it would be asinine to not offer a paper map option. Skiing takes place in a cold environment where people wear gloves and mittens and batteries drain more quickly. Not to mention that when you look at a trail map on a small screen you can only see a tiny fraction of the mountain clearly; you can't get a good overview of how it all ties together. It's like relying exclusively on gps vs a paper road map.
Or like Starbucks just announced wanting everyone to bring their own cup.
If some people don't like paper maps (or cups!) then don't take one, but don't try to deny others the ability to do so.
 

Christy

Angel Diva
All of the above, plus the glare on bright days! Or your phone getting snowed on! I'm all for not consuming, but maps are important. I'd be fine with paying $50 or $1 for one I could keep an reuse. Maybe that's the solution to having people consume too much paper thoughtlessly.
 

Chuyi

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I don't understand the grievance. Paper maps use trees (think ugly clear cut) & water (Lo snow on west coast) & get trashed. Skiers/boarders who want paper maps can print their own. In the US all groomed runs lead 2 a chair. There r maps at the top of chairs.
 

Christy

Angel Diva
See our posts above--the problems are pretty clear. I can barely read a text on my phone when skiing, especially when its sunny or snowing. And my 2300 acre home mountain has exactly 1 map at the top of a chair.

The most recent map I printed was at Bachelor--it was 16" x 24" and on laminated paper. Not something I could print. I am happy to buy it, but I want the option.
 

marzNC

Angel Diva
I don't understand the grievance. Paper maps use trees (think ugly clear cut) & water (Lo snow on west coast) & get trashed. Skiers/boarders who want paper maps can print their own. In the US all groomed runs lead 2 a chair. There r maps at the top of chairs.
Might also be a generational thing. I grew up planning road trips with my family using paper maps. No comparison to a map on a screen. Even though I use Google Maps all the time on my desktop to plan out driving trips, I fully appreciate the existence of GPS for road trips. But even for that, now that I have Apple Play to see Waze, it's much better than just the phone or the Garmin.

No way I could print a map at home to compete with the trail map for a large destination resort like Big Sky or even Snowbird. At least there is no need for that level of printer in my house for any other reason.

As mentioned, not all ski areas/resorts have trail maps all over. The ones that have one at the top of every chair are the exception, not the rule.

I'd be fine with paying $50 or $1 for one I could keep an reuse. Maybe that's the solution to having people consume too much paper thoughtlessly.
That's a reasonable approach, especially for the stone paper maps for destination resorts that aren't likely to change that often.
 

SquidWeaselYay

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
All of the above, plus the glare on bright days! Or your phone getting snowed on! I'm all for not consuming, but maps are important. I'd be fine with paying $50 or $1 for one I could keep an reuse. Maybe that's the solution to having people consume too much paper thoughtlessly.
Good idea, I'd pay a few bucks to have one on that nice stone paper. And TBH, most people don't value what they don't pay for, so having a little price on it might encourage people to not just grab a stack of them and lose most of them and chuck the rest in the trash at the end of the trip. Plus, I wouldn't want to be bothered even having to go back to buy another somewhere, regardless of the price.

I got one of those goggle wipe maps for Big Sky since we go there yearly. Best investment! My husband has one for Killington, which is where we also go frequently.
 

santacruz skier

Angel Diva
Both Heavenly and Northstar have maps on the pull down bar on chairlifts. These resorts are big destination resorts. I know my way around no problem However, others do not. Also, many need glasses to read the trail maps on the bar. And many locals do not pull the bar down. So, there's that.
 

newboots

Angel Diva
I got one of those goggle wipe maps for Big Sky since we go there yearly. Best investment! My husband has one for Killington, which is where we also go frequently.

Is that actually usable as a map? I've never seen one, but I've seen buffs with the map - they didn't seem all that usable.
 

newboots

Angel Diva
I would be thrilled to have maps on the safety bar! And I would gladly pay for a map. I don't pick up maps willy-nilly and then discard them; I save them for my next trip. And I don't pick up maps when I know my way around. I know people waste them, but there are other alternatives. Not having a map when you're an intermediate (or beginner) and you don't know your way around can be dangerous.
 

Christy

Angel Diva
I've seen those bar maps at Whistler, but I can't read them without digging around for reading glasses, which is not something I want to do on the lift, and if you are on the end (thinking of the one on a Whistler 6 Pack) you can't really see it. And of course, they aren't very helpful when you are on the ground and at an unmarked junction.
 

SquidWeaselYay

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Is that actually usable as a map? I've never seen one, but I've seen buffs with the map - they didn't seem all that usable.
It's not as good as a normal map, some of the words are a little blurry. But if you have little familiarity with the mountain, it gets you where you need to go. The Buff ones seem useless to me. How do you read a map on something you wear around your neck...?
 

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