Breck has Identity crisis?

[rfarren]

It is amazing how the marketing strategies are polar opposites in the top two Rocky Mountain ski markets.

I think it makes sense. SLC is a large metro area literally within 15 minutes of all the resorts. Its resorts are by and large shunned by many destination skiers: lack of towns, the slopes are too hard, mormons, you can't drink etc. That isn't the truth but is the perception. Park City is the exception to the rule, and gets plenty of destination skiers. In the case of LCC it makes sense to have really expensive season passes. If you make it too cheap the slopes will be swamped. That being said it's amazing how often you meet locals on the chairs. IMHO LCC's bread and butter are it's locals, so they pump up revenue via season passes, then poach vacationers away from the Park City resorts with inexpensive day tickets.

 

[Tony Crocker]

In the case of LCC it makes sense to have really expensive season passes.

I agree. For the dedicated skier Alta/Snowbird are so far beyond anywhere else over the course of a whole season. Their only real competition is each other, as Admin and I have discussed a few times. :sabre fight:

the slopes are too hard

We nutcases forget about this. My friend Richard says he's unlikely to come back to the Iron Blosam for the whole week, and believes the many intermediates in that group must be coming back more for the social aspects than the skiing. He did enjoy his last day at Alta but never set foot off the groomed. Even Ballroom.

 

[jamesdeluxe]

He says he's unlikely to come back to the Iron Blosam for the whole week, and believes the many intermediates in that group must be coming back more for the social aspects than the skiing. He did enjoy his last day at Alta but never set foot off the groomed. Even Ballroom.

Mineral Basin, Cecret, Sunnyside, Lower Collins, Wilbere?

 

[rfarren]

I think some people get freaked out by the idea more than what really exist. I think they get this image that Alta and Snowbird are just tough, and that when you get off the piste you're playing with fire.

 

[Tony Crocker]

Aside from that Island Lake trip in 2004, Richard rarely leaves the groomers anywhere. He's been to the Iron Blosam before, but just for 2 or 3 days. Longer than that the groomers get too repetitive in his opinion. Most of us here look at AltaBird terrain and see inexhaustable variety. I'm just giving some perspective here how the more typical recreational skier might look at it.

Back on topic, it turns out Becky was skiing Breck and Copper during the week of March 29. She did not experience the crowd issues discussed here at Breck, but the weather probably held down the crowds (she never skied Imperial due to marginal visibility) and she had local guidance that kept her away from base area congestion. She liked Copper a lot, barely remembered it from her one previous day there in 1986.

I think some people get freaked out by the idea more than what really exist.

That has been Becky's issue. Admin and BobbyD believed that her technique was up to Alta off-piste and helped her get past some of the mental stuff. Admin never tried to coax Richard off-piste, presumably because there are more serious ski technique issues.

 

[ChrisC]

Where do the locals park?

With those giveaway season tickets, I'm sure Vail Resorts doesn't feel that it owes locals or Front Rangers a bloody thing.

That is true for sure. However, if you do like I, that is stay nearby but not in town, and don't have a season pass, the parking is unreasonable. $25 on top of a $93 dollar lift pass is ridiculous. You should be able to get discounted parking if you are paying full price for a lift ticket. Frankly, the cost of parking should be absorbed in the cost of the ticket and season passes. I

Rob - if you read all these ski forums and pay full price for a Colorado Front Range day ticket....



I think it is completely fair that Vail/Breck/Winter Park charge for parking. It is simply a different business model/pricing strategy.

Do you all really believe you are entitled to a ~$300 pass with no strings attached? Or a $50 day pass? Mission accomplished to the marketing dept to let you believe you can ski for that cheap. Just keep sloganeering the price to entice your friends. There is every expectation that you should walk away with a $70 dent in your wallet per day & reality to prove that....

However, Colorado should charge a tax per skier day on the resorts, not %. The burden on i-70 is too great.