FREE $25.00 Mt Baldy Gift Cards
- Thread starter socal
- Start date
baldyskier
Member
Now the site says "Sorry, We are sold out." Thanks for the heads-up, though. It will be interesting to see how much impact that offer has on the turnout. I think they gave out quite a few. I tried getting on the website yesterday after I got the email and it was jammed. I did manage to reserve one later last night. Conditions tomorrow should be similar to last Saturday (i.e. very good spring conditions). I would go up, but have prior commitments.
baldyskier
Member
What's the verdict? Did the promotion bring out more customers compared to last Saturday?
Tough to tell honestly. It was probably less crowded than last weekend and I noticed significantly less people taking the lift up for a view from the notch. Obviously the weather was a major reason. I think when you combine the fact it was pretty cold (temp in the lodge at noon read something like 40 with gusts to close to 40) and the fact that it was the first real "beach day" down in the valley it makes sense that there wouldn't be that many people.
I kinda wished I'd have slept in, nothing really ever softened and it was actually cold riding the lifts. On the bright side, they really did just give me a free $25 gift card (and my girlfriend too). I bumped into the new owner, nice guy who seems to "get it" except the for when we talked about sellling lift tickets before they run the lifts on a powder morning. He thought it would be a problem if they never got opened and had to deal with returns/rain checks. I said, it seemed crazy not to take $ from people standing in line waiting to pay; take their money and give a voucher or 2 if you don't open, everywhere else would do something similar i'd think and I can't think of any ski resort that doesn't just sell tickets before the lifts open.
I kinda wished I'd have slept in, nothing really ever softened and it was actually cold riding the lifts. On the bright side, they really did just give me a free $25 gift card (and my girlfriend too). I bumped into the new owner, nice guy who seems to "get it" except the for when we talked about sellling lift tickets before they run the lifts on a powder morning. He thought it would be a problem if they never got opened and had to deal with returns/rain checks. I said, it seemed crazy not to take $ from people standing in line waiting to pay; take their money and give a voucher or 2 if you don't open, everywhere else would do something similar i'd think and I can't think of any ski resort that doesn't just sell tickets before the lifts open.
SoCal Rider
New member
Is there really a new majority-stake-type owner?
Just buy a pass — no more waiting 45 minutes in ticket line on a powder day. I applied my gift card, so it was $234, which is less than I paid when I was a Mountain High passholder. True, you run the risk of a skunk season blowing it all, but I figured I've boarded for about $15 a visit for three seasons, so why not give (pay) something back, so to speak.
Just buy a pass — no more waiting 45 minutes in ticket line on a powder day. I applied my gift card, so it was $234, which is less than I paid when I was a Mountain High passholder. True, you run the risk of a skunk season blowing it all, but I figured I've boarded for about $15 a visit for three seasons, so why not give (pay) something back, so to speak.
SoCal Rider
New member
Well, it was soft on 4 still. But, it's a letdown when Thunder bumps never soften despite the mush show on 4.
He said he was "the owner" not one of the owners so I'll take his word for it.
As for a pass, at $250 that's like 7 days of $35 discount tickets and you can usually do better than that with all their promotions. Even in a good winter I can't imagine ever getting up there that much, assuming I still have a job. I got 3 days in this winter and 2 last winter.
As for a pass, at $250 that's like 7 days of $35 discount tickets and you can usually do better than that with all their promotions. Even in a good winter I can't imagine ever getting up there that much, assuming I still have a job. I got 3 days in this winter and 2 last winter.
Just got an email from baldy offering their "Free Virtual Pass" that actually costs $69/$99. I hate that they advertise it that way, just feels deceptive. One change is that the cheaper pass has blackout days. Unfortunately they don't tell you what they are. I'm not going to do it, I figure I'll go up a few times and if it costs a little more so be it (plus I've got the free $25 card already).
I rode Thunder with the new owner Feb. 13. He is a partner/investor, not sole owner, but since he's spending the $ he had the say in what got improved this season.
We had the "powder morning" discussion on that thread. I believe after those big storms they honestly don't have any idea what's happening until they get some staff up the hill. Besides excavation, the big problem can be ice riming on the lift cables and towers. The latter job can take a whole day in the worst case scenario, and I wouldn't want to start selling tickets until I had an educated estimate of when the lfts would start operating.
Garry was up there yesterday, but not until 1PM. He probably figured out that the softening process would be slow with the wind. He said it was OK on Thunder in early afternoon and excellent for the last hour. He did not ski chair 4 as he assumed it was too late, but said coverage is still holding up on most terrain there. Bentley's was good, but walk that last ~100 feet under chair 1 if you care about your skis.
We had the "powder morning" discussion on that thread. I believe after those big storms they honestly don't have any idea what's happening until they get some staff up the hill. Besides excavation, the big problem can be ice riming on the lift cables and towers. The latter job can take a whole day in the worst case scenario, and I wouldn't want to start selling tickets until I had an educated estimate of when the lfts would start operating.
Garry was up there yesterday, but not until 1PM. He probably figured out that the softening process would be slow with the wind. He said it was OK on Thunder in early afternoon and excellent for the last hour. He did not ski chair 4 as he assumed it was too late, but said coverage is still holding up on most terrain there. Bentley's was good, but walk that last ~100 feet under chair 1 if you care about your skis.
35 years of data shows that is about a 1/3 probability. Caveat emptor.SoCal Rider":25l4qpil said:
That has been my pattern. Max was 7 days in 1997-98, and we all know how exceptional that year was. Nowhere are flexibility and making last minute calls more important than Mt. Baldy. A good day at Baldy is easily worth the $60 or whatever walk-up price. Being forced to reserve even a day or two ahead reduces your chances of nailing the right day. If you're skiing 3-7 days a year at Baldy I think buying anything with blackouts/advance purchase requirements is a fool's errand. If you're on some kind of flex schedule where you could get up there 20+ times if it's a good year, that's a different situation.socal":25l4qpil said:
Tony Crocker":2dmw4jcg said:
It's ok, the groomer in the middle which name I don't know had a spot about 1/2 way down where it hand melted 2/3rds of the way across but otherwise it was okay. The snows getting dark and there's probably no more than a foot of snow on most of it. They do a good job grooming it but with warm weather it won't last long.
SoCal Rider
New member
I know it's a risk — from being a visitor to bestsnow.net over the years 8) . I know that I shouldn't try to justify my purchase as some version of halfway charity — Mt. Baldy is private enterprise that isn't forced to permit these "giveaway" deals.
And I figured other cheap deals, such as the one socal mentioned, would pop up. Before my $50 virtual pass (five visits so far + no reservation fee = great deal), I bought lift ticket sheets for $60 at San Diego's version of Ski Dazzle.
But I look forward to a day or two next season where I will get to skip a long line. And I'll have a big knowing smile on my face.
And I figured other cheap deals, such as the one socal mentioned, would pop up. Before my $50 virtual pass (five visits so far + no reservation fee = great deal), I bought lift ticket sheets for $60 at San Diego's version of Ski Dazzle.
But I look forward to a day or two next season where I will get to skip a long line. And I'll have a big knowing smile on my face.
SoCal Rider
New member
socal":2sfoh0w1 said:
Spring Ridge.
Now I try to always be positive when I can escape the flatlands, but Saturday was one of those kinda disappointing Baldy days where 4 gets too soft but Thunder stays too hard. I didn't even get onto my first run, Turkey Shoot, until 2. (Cold winds prompted me to go hiking early — the regular, by-foot kind.) I did South Bowl once, last run of the day, and that was best snow of the day.
I do wonder about the flood of giveaway deals at Mt. Baldy this season. I think it's bad policy in the long run. But given the above average snow year and the improvements made for this season it's probably a good idea to get more people up there to have a look at the place. And maybe a few of the "I'll never go back there after {fill in horror story}" types will be pleasantly surprised by the improvements and want to return.
With regard to the deals, I think the $39 Sport Chalet vouchers are unrestricted.
With regard to the deals, I think the $39 Sport Chalet vouchers are unrestricted.
SoCal Rider
New member
I've seen Baldy employees exchange vouchers for lift tickets with people waiting in line, so there's a point for the Sport Chalet route.
Edit to add that I checked my personal e-mail today at work, and I too got the same offer as socal. If we get a good season next year, I won't regret my decision.
Edit to add that I checked my personal e-mail today at work, and I too got the same offer as socal. If we get a good season next year, I won't regret my decision.
What? I bought a club card for this season literally days before the "virtual pass" was offered, and so spent almost $200 more on the season than I would have with the pass. And did so gladly. But I have not been emailed the offer for next season's virtual pass, even though I was on the chamber of commerce's list for the $25 gift card (which I missed when out of town).
Kinda miffed! Does the email contain a customer-specific link or is it a generic site containing the offer?
Kinda miffed! Does the email contain a customer-specific link or is it a generic site containing the offer?
SoCal Rider
New member
Maybe cuz you don't have a virtual pass for this season?
No, it says: Please remember this is a limited offer which can be withdrawn at any time.
Get your passes today and then forward this email to your friends so they can get in on the deal too.
No, it says: Please remember this is a limited offer which can be withdrawn at any time.
Get your passes today and then forward this email to your friends so they can get in on the deal too.
Anyone have any thoughts on what it'll be like up at Baldy tomorrow? NWS says high close to 50, but it's been chilly down by the beach and west la the last few days and not supposed to warm up so I can't imagine that it'll be warm enough to really soften stuff up at 7000 ft and up.
SoCal Rider
New member
I thought maybe given It's April that the subsurface would soften and it'd be like packed pow giving way to spring by early afternoon, but who knows? Was going to go Friday, but I decided against burning PTO ahead of a vacation next week.