Patrick wrote:Geoff wrote:The vast majority of Colorado skier visits don't go to places like that. They drive up I-70 and ski the Vail empire.
The vast majority doesn't like to ski powder and only ski the equivalent one week a year. Again, no one implied that the MRA way was the way to go, but I believe there is a demand for it for a certain minority in which aren't served by the ski resort model.
In colorado more people ski vail because it gets considerably more snow, and has considerably more terrain. All my friends that live in denver go up every week, and get somewhere in the 40 to 50 days a year. I think your statement isn't grounded in reality as to why the vast majority of Colorado skier visits go to Vail. It also helps that a season pass there is around $699 for all those resorts. There's a ton of value in that.
Patrick wrote:[ Every towns had their ropetows in the 50s (at least in the Laurentians), so there was a considation of the skiing business with the newer model stuff in the 70s. The ski resort model became the thing, but after 20-30 years of it, what have they learned?
If it didn't make economic sense it wouldn't have become "the thing." Again, I don't think you're grounded in reality. It's one thing to have mom and pops ropetows, but when people want to ski a mountain and not a hill, that just won't suffice. If I had a cheap molehill and a big mountain to choose from and a season pass were at stake, which one would I choose?... And that's from the local perspective. Now, put yourself in a vacationers shoes... nuf said.
Patrick wrote: Bringing skiing back to the essentials is coming back. Not saying everyone is going to go that way, but I see the ski areas industry going the way the ski sport has done. From the mecanised liftserved skiing on artificial snow groomed trails to a more back to nature skiing where snowmaking, facilities and lifts aren't necessarily as essential. Telemark was dead for how many years before coming back? Prior to that, Cross-country skiing got a rebirth after being virtually being dead once the lifts started showing up.
Snowmaking in the east coast is essential for 99.9% of the paying public. If you like ski seasons where the good terrain can open in january and can be closed by the first week of april... well, let's put it this way, you'll be traveling far and long to keep your streak going.