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What happens when a mask policy is violated?

marzNC

Angel Diva
Clearly there will be a learning curve for people getting used to having a mask on any time they are around a resort base or loading a lift. Also a learning curve for resort employees for handling someone who is violating the rules regarding mask usage.

Here's what Mammoth has on their website. It's the first really clear policy that spells out consequences that I've seen so far.

Screen Shot 2020-11-29 at 9.01.58 PM.pngScreen Shot 2020-11-29 at 9.02.07 PM.png
 

TNtoTaos

Angel Diva
This policy is excellent. Very clear and sensible. It would be great if all the ski areas adopted the same policy.
 

marzNC

Angel Diva
I like Mt Baker's no-nonsense approach. From an Instagram post about the masks requirement.
Good to see that the number of Likes for the Mt. Baker responses far exceed the Likes for the initial comments about censorship. Clearly most people want to do the right thing when it comes to mask usage so that lift-served ski resorts can open and stay open.
 

contesstant

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Awesome. I don't see that happening in Utah, but we'll see. Big Sky also appears to be taking enforcement seriously, but again, we'll see.
 

Christy

Angel Diva
Good to see that the number of Likes for the Mt. Baker responses far exceed the Likes for the initial comments about censorship.

Don't you love those people (young men?) who think that they should be able to say anything they want, anywhere, and if they can't, they call it censorship? At best they have an imperfect understanding of what censorship is.
 

Christy

Angel Diva
Yeah, I've always gotten the impression Mt Baker doesn't care too much if you ski there or not. Their website doesn't have webcams or even snow totals that go back more than 48 hours. If I was the ski area that held the world record for snowfall, I'd probably post the season total snow amount. Maybe the fact that college students/young male snowboarders are such a big portion of their clientele means they have to be/get to be a little more no-nonsense than the big resorts that kowtow to wealthy people, or who compete with other resorts for market share.
 

gingerjess

Angel Diva
Maybe the fact that college students/young male snowboarders are such a big portion of their clientele means they have to be/get to be a little more no-nonsense than the big resorts that kowtow to wealthy people, or who compete with other resorts for market share.

Could be! I'd also be interested to see how Mad River Glen, as a cooperative rather than a for-profit business, handles COVID messaging.
 

marzNC

Angel Diva
Could be! I'd also be interested to see how Mad River Glen, as a cooperative rather than a for-profit business, handles COVID messaging.
A coop yes, but no snowboarders. ;-) I haven't seen much difference in how non-profits are handling pandemic adjustments compared to ski areas of comparable size in their respective regions.

In general, the messaging in New England regarding mask usage feels a bit different than other regions.
 

WhyKnot

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
This policy is excellent. Very clear and sensible. It would be great if all the ski areas adopted the same policy.
So true! Let's make it happen. I am going to send this to Epic. I already sent it to Okemo. Anyone else is free to join in. We can be the change... And we know that in no way are masks created equal. Love this language (and are they talking mostly to snowboarders?):
  • Repeat offenders or those who offer resistance to education will have their riding privileges suspended."
It was suggested I stop posting about a brace to help make masks more safe which I posted a few times -- so if anyone does not have that info feel free to DM me. I finally got it and tried it and it is really cool (if even for everyday off slope / grocery store, etc.). Thank you OP for posting this! I will send to other local mountains actually too... please join in the civic duty! Let's get it out there! I had already called Epic and another local mountain to discuss having them do something to address people showing up in non-real-masks but I got no positive response. But now that Mammoth has this policy even better to help encourage them to.... not be resistant to educating others! :smile:
 

altagirl

Moderator
Staff member
^^ I contacted Deer Valley this summer to complain about what my husband said about their lack of enforcement of their policies and to their credit they did improve throughout the bike season from what he told me.
 

StayWarm

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I like the clarity of that policy a lot, too. Of course, the people who need to hear it most are probably the least likely to be reading this guidance, so it really comes down to enforcement on the mountain and whether relatively junior employees in the lift lines feel empowered to do what needs to be done.

I was back at Loveland this weekend and while the majority of folks were being good about keeping masks on in line, there were a lot more people breaking that rule than on opening day. A few got reminders from ski patrol and occasionally from lifties, but I don't think that Loveland has a system for tracking continued non-compliance or folks who've been warned. Signs in the lift lines to the effect of "wear a mask or you get booted" would be welcome.
 

WhyKnot

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
^^ I contacted Deer Valley this summer to complain about what my husband said about their lack of enforcement of their policies and to their credit they did improve throughout the bike season from what he told me.
Good on him and then them. And we are all learning and growing through this (including for sure the resorts who are operating in unprecedented times) so policies and enforcement (etc) are bound to change/evolve/etc. @StayWarm I hear you about junior and low wage paid employees with enforcing, that is for sure an issue and very understandable. Yes signs would be great and love the wording of yours. Complete with ski boot!
 

snoWYmonkey

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I sadly have found that policies are written as part of marketing moves more than any real attempt at being safe. I have personally found enforcement to be poor, inconsistent, and at times non-existent. I personally, immediately, spoke out to two supervisors about an instructor teaching unmasked in a very crowded area, literally 6 inches from the face of his young unmasked student, and neither one adressed it in the spot. We are told to enforce mask policies directly with the guests, but if our own staff is failing to uphold the standard, it seems like lip service to me.
 

marzNC

Angel Diva
I sadly have found that policies are written as part of marketing moves more than any real attempt at being safe. I have personally found enforcement to be poor, inconsistent, and at times non-existent.
Depends a great deal on the region, and local management. Sorry that JH Ski School hasn't quite got the message yet about how COVID-19 spreads. In particular that a negative test doesn't mean someone is guaranteed to be free of SARS-CoV-2.

In some regions, one picture that goes viral of unmasked employees can cause a pretty quick reaction, especially when it's picked up by a local news report.

An example from NC happened recently in Raleigh. Totally unrelated to ski operations though. NC ski resorts won't really be open for another week or two. The story was about two police officers doing a traffic stop on a city street. Someone saw them and snapped a picture. Neither officer was masked. One was well within 6 feet of the driver's open window. Fair to say that both the mayor's office and Police Commissioner were quick to say that was not acceptable behavior.
 

liquidfeet

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
....We are told to enforce mask policies directly with the guests, but if our own staff is failing to uphold the standard, it seems like lip service to me.
This would drive me crazy. It's one of the reasons I've decided not to teach this season. I don't trust people in general to uphold the protocols at the mountain because, well, more people than not will be predictably non-compliant and this includes people in executive positions. "Rugged individualism" rules at the mountain.

At least giving up a season of teaching is not a financial hardship for me since It costs quite a bit to teach - there's a seasonal rental involved. It's a mental hardship though. :smile:
 

snoWYmonkey

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
@marzNC it is tough as the policy is sufficiently vague to leave room for interpretation when not specifically in line, on the lift, or indoors. However, since the virus likes cold dry environments, I do not like being within the 6 foot radius without at least both parties wearing minimal, if not optimal, coverings.
 

marzNC

Angel Diva
@marzNC it is tough as the policy is sufficiently vague to leave room for interpretation when not specifically in line, on the lift, or indoors. However, since the virus likes cold dry environments, I do not like being within the 6 foot radius without at least both parties wearing minimal, if not optimal, coverings.
I think that's why a few ski resorts state that mask usage is required everywhere, indoors and outdoors. Then there is less question when someone is anywhere near another person and isn't actively skiing down a slope.

Here's what the VR policy looks like as an FAQ. Comes from Mount Snow, but should be the same for all VR locations. Haven't seen anything in writing about consequences if someone with an Epic pass refuses to follow rules for face masks. Since it's an RFID pass, easy to suspend it for a short period of time as a warning. For people with day tickets, I would hope there would little hesitation to pull the ticket if someone is really uncooperative about putting up their mask. However, have seen comments about lifties at VR resorts in CO who are getting pretty major grief from a few people who don't want to mask up.

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snoWYmonkey

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
@marzNC I love their policy! Oddly, employees, have to wear a mask at all times, guests do not. Wish it were the same for everyone's safety, especially as the resort employs a lot of seniors.
 

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