With this season coming to an end, post a few long overdue powder days, it is time for reflection. We can all agree that it has been another disappointing year in terms of snowfall and the impact on our reservoirs and water supply is concerning in light of the ongoing drought. Besides the often less-than-optimal snow conditions, our local resorts struggled with COVID and related staffing challenges.
That said, it was great to see the majority of these resorts, both those owned by multi-resort operators and the independents, pull off the season in relative style by continuing to provide a great guest experience in terms of lift operation, snow grooming and making, ski school, food and beverage service, parking and traffic management and general customer service.
Sadly, it has been well documented in both traditional and social media that Vail Resorts did the opposite by falling down on all these fronts at Park City Mountain Resort (PCMR) and across their roster of North American resorts.
Great guest experience starts with controlling guest visits. While several members of the community were concerned when Alta implemented a weekend and holiday parking reservation system this season, I believe most people would agree that it proved to be manageable, not that much of an inconvenience, and did not impact its old school guest experience and corresponding cult status as one of the nation’s most iconic resorts.
Similarly, Jackson Hole’s recently implemented mountain access reservation system has been deemed an overwhelming success at controlling crowds and maximizing guest experience, even on the biggest powder days. This system was a byproduct of collaboration between the town’s citizens and businesses and the mountain company, and is now being emulated by several other large national resorts, including Aspen, Big Sky, Brighton and Taos, who are requiring reservations for national pass holders starting next year.
Alterra also made it clear that they are focused on perpetuating Deer Valley’s renowned premium guest experience by not including the resort in their Base Ikon Pass, thus limiting day visitors. Several non Alterra owned Ikon resorts, including Alta, Aspen, Jackson Hole and now Snowbasin and Sun Valley (post defecting from Vail’s Epic Pass), are limiting guests by requiring Ikon Base Pass holders to pay a premium fee for access that almost equates to the cost of Alterra’s full Ikon Pass.
Contrarily, Vail’s recent investor communications and Epic Pass structure and pricing for next year signal they have no intentions of limiting guest visits and instead believe their resorts have the capacity to support significantly more visitors. Unfortunately, Vail also confirmed that they consider PCMR to be one of their second tier resorts, despite its rich legacy, by continuing to not limit access to the resort in their Local Epic Pass as they do with Beaver Creek, Vail and Whistler, where you get 10 days combined access across all three resorts.
At this juncture in the ski industry’s evolution, it is important to note that most events, activities and attractions (e.g. concerts, sporting events, golf courses, state and national parks, etc.) limit the number of guests and tickets sold for reasons that are rather obvious. Why should ski resorts be any different?
Yes, skiable terrain and lift capacity at some resorts can be expanded. However, many resort host communities do not have the infrastructure, physical space and resources to handle an ever increasing number of visitors.
Clearly, nobody likes higher prices and not being able to do what you want when you want. However, when faced with the prospects of potentially ever shorter seasons, Utahns and the broader skier and snowboarder community must decide now more than ever what resort operators and pass companies (Epic, Ikon, Mountain Collective, etc.) we want to support with our dollars. Those focused on maximizing daily guest visits for the benefit of their investors or those focused on guest experience?
Our beloved mountain towns and culture are facing an existential threat. While the industry’s progressive operators should be commended, the most surefire way to bring about change is for companies to see the consequences of their actions reflected in their financial performance and stock price, if publicly traded. Promises are easy to make, execution is hard.
Eric Moxham
Eric Moxham is a Park City resident, outdoor sports enthusiast and entrepreneur.