Kmart 5/1/11 RIP

Yep, that'd be your former Kmart customer base. Dunno what's sadder, the fact they've abandoned their once-proud tradition or that they don't seem to care. I'll bet Superstar looks almost exactly the same today as my pic from a week ago....except of course for the tumbleweeds blowing across the parking lot. Thank god there's places like Jay, just wish it wasn't so damn far away from here!
 
riverc0il":6qn0k57l said:
Lots of Killington Refuges at Jay today. Last week, it seemed like at least every other skier was from Quebec. This week it seemed like at least every other skier usually skis Killington. I bet Jay broke even if not made a profit this weekend.

:stir:

Jay OR Sugarloaf. \:D/ I know at least two regular ex-late season Kmart skiers went to the Loaf yesterday. :mrgreen:
 
riverc0il":18h9oz6q said:
Tony Crocker":18h9oz6q said:
BFD! With 633 inches of snowfall Bachelor is going to have wall-to-wall cover for its full 3,100 vertical well into July this year. And the extension is one week, to Sunday of Memorial weekend.
Whoa! Tony is starting to talk like he's in a Killington thread for real and not just arm chairing. LOL.

:rotfl:

And he completely chose to ignore my point.... which was that local management at POWDR resorts seems to have at least some autonomy. This one can be 100% pinned on Chris Nyberg as the Killington GM. It's stunning that anyone who lost 30% of their market share could keep their job. Just goes to show that Nyberg's boss in Utah is equally incompetent. In the book "The Peter Principal", a person promoted to their level of incompetence can still be promoted if their boss is also incompetent. That's called "Peter's Paradox". It's in action at a ski area near you. The good news is that it's unlikely Chris Nyberg will be around much longer. His wife refuses to live at Killington. The bad news is that his replacement is unlikely to be any better; and could easily be worse; given the demonstrated incompetence of the Utah overlords. Killington, Vermont ain't Park City, Utah.
 
Geoff":18bt9qzw said:
And he completely chose to ignore my point....
??? I'm aware the Powdr resorts are supposed to have local autonomy. But the actions at Bachelor and Killington look strikingly similar. Both have extended their spring seasons a week or so beyond recent years but are still over a month short of what they did in pre-Powdr Corp days.
 
As posted on Ski Mad World:

Here are the last 3 to close in May only since the ECT started in 2006.

2006:
Bretton Woods: May 5
Killington: May 1

2007:
MSS: May 6
Sugarbush: May 6
Wildcat: May 6
Killington: May 6

2008:
MSS: May 11
Sugarloaf: May 5
Sugarbush: May 4
Jay Peak: May 4

2009:
MSS: May 3
Sugarloaf: May 3
Sugarbush: May 3
Jay Peak: May 3

2010:
MSS: May 2
Sugarloaf: May 2
Jay Peak: May 2

2011:
MSS: May ??
Jay Peak: May ??
Sugarloaf: May 9

Kmart hasn't been in the last 3 to close since 2007. Most of those years, they didn't make it to the final 4. Before they were often a couple of weekend alone is spinning lifts.

Tony Crocker":3i7a66sl said:
Both have extended their spring seasons a week or so beyond recent years but are still over a month short of what they did in pre-Powdr Corp days.

Really? It might be a perception, but when was the last time K didn't make it to MAY 1st. You have to go wwwaaaaaaayyyyy back in time. And it's not crappy conditions/winter when the competition makes it.

Kmart closing days:
2011: May 1
2010: April 25
2009: May 2 (which was a Saturday and not making in the last 4 areas because of it!!!!).
2008: April 20 - same closing as MRG and a bunch of other areas (check out the details for yourself).
2007: May 6 (last day in the East)
2006: May 1 (4 days earlier than BW).

I read this on TGR and I was sure that Geoff would appreciate it...

On the other hand since Powdr has taken over the mountain in general has seen more snowmaking on more trails than ever before for the other 5 months of the season. I remember seasons where lower ovation , lower conclusion, devils fiddle just to mention a few wouldn't even open at anytime during the winter because they didn't blow snow on them. They even groom out some of the steeper terrain on a regular basis but still leave enough terrain natural to satisfy most anyone. I enjoy a few bump runs & even the glades but as I get older it's nice to still have some of the more challenging terrain groomed out to take it easy a little while not being limited to only blues & greens for groomed runs. Personally I think Powdr is doing an excellent job taking care of the mountain which after all is what counts the most.

:popcorn:
 
As Mont St-Sauveur announce today they were reopening on Saturday (and maybe Sunday-Monday if there isn't any rain), I was inspired in a rant and rave post about certain ski areas this Spring. :-" (see EC Closing thread).
 
Exxxcelent Kmart wrapup over there Patrick! Sums up the fall of the once mighty K very succinctly. All the corporate sycophant spin in the world can't disguise the fact that they've absolutely ruined their skiers reputation (hell, have actually bordered on a customer-as-enemy mindset!). Thank god for big-picture areas like MSS, just wish they were closer to S New England ;(

Just talked with a guy who hiked Kmart this past weekend, said that Superstar was *still* unbroken albeit getting thin in coupla spots...y'know, just like it should be a week or two before closing. Pathetic.

Never let em forget!
 
cd":1kqkbjzc said:
Exxxcelent Kmart wrapup over there Patrick! Sums up the fall of the once mighty K very succinctly. All the corporate sycophant spin in the world can't disguise the fact that they've absolutely ruined their skiers reputation (hell, have actually bordered on a customer-as-enemy mindset!). Thank god for big-picture areas like MSS, just wish they were closer to S New England ;(

Just talked with a guy who hiked Kmart this past weekend, said that Superstar was *still* unbroken albeit getting thin in coupla spots...y'know, just like it should be a week or two before closing. Pathetic.

Never let em forget!

It wouldn't be Jonathan by any chance? I saw a picture on TGR.

People that know me know that I've been pretty critical of MSS in the past (over hyped marketing and a few others things that aren't that important in the big picture). Do I have to give them credit. I don't crash talk about Tremblant, because they never been or claimed to ski until there is snow. I believe that they could also still be open and run as late as MSS if they wanted to.

As mentioned in the blog, I really appreciative of what Jay and Sugarloaf has done. They are now the new reference to late season skiing in the East despite (especially Loaf) favorable geography.

PS. My Edelweiss pass is good at MSS.
 
Haha yes I do believe we're talkin about the same guy!

Not familiar with TGR, got a link for that report?
 
cd":zzueu6vb said:
Haha yes I do believe we're talkin about the same guy!

Not familiar with TGR, got a link for that report?

Not really a report, just one post inside the crazy "It's Back EC Roll Call version 4.0". Post number 9985 in that thread. :shock:

http://www.tetongravity.com/forums/...-call-version-4.0(beta)?p=3268243#post3268243

It was in reply from Steamboat1 which I posted a quote a few post above. Praise about Powdr and job at Killington.

http://www.tetongravity.com/forums/...-call-version-4.0(beta)?p=3268041#post3268041
 
Thanx for that, actually had googled my way to that forum but just hadn't dug in enough to see his short report/pic. Yes make no mistake Kmart could *easily* have been open *3 more weeks* to this Sunday with Superstar top-to-bottom or very close to it, even longer if had gone by their old snow stockpiling specs (never mind additional "walking required" margin).

They can improve the operations all they want but it's moot if they destroy their deep customer base.
 
Patrick":2qs3cj9h said:
I read this on TGR and I was sure that Geoff would appreciate it...

On the other hand since Powdr has taken over the mountain in general has seen more snowmaking on more trails than ever before for the other 5 months of the season. I remember seasons where lower ovation , lower conclusion, devils fiddle just to mention a few wouldn't even open at anytime during the winter because they didn't blow snow on them. They even groom out some of the steeper terrain on a regular basis but still leave enough terrain natural to satisfy most anyone. I enjoy a few bump runs & even the glades but as I get older it's nice to still have some of the more challenging terrain groomed out to take it easy a little while not being limited to only blues & greens for groomed runs. Personally I think Powdr is doing an excellent job taking care of the mountain which after all is what counts the most.

:popcorn:

The facts aren't quite correct but I agree with the gist of this.

Fact #1: Killington stopped making snow before Presidents week

Fact #2: For the first 2 1/2 weeks of January, much of Killington's snowmaking capacity was diverted to Bear Mountain to make the terrain features for the "Dew Tour". Trails that are usually open by the time you get 1 week into January like Double Dipper, Ovation, and Panic Button hadn't seen any snow yet. Because they had a national event at Bear, they blew Fiddle.

Fact #3: Killington got really lucky with the weather. They didn't have a January thaw. They saw average snowfall... 260-ish". They had the coldest spring I can remember.

Killington midwinter is just fine as long as the resort isn't stressed. They chased away 30% of the people. Unless you own a local business or want to sell your vacation home in a collapsed real estate market, 30% less people is a good thing.

In my opinion, Killington will never see another May 1 closing as long as Chris Nyberg is around. He doesn't believe in it and he has the reputation that he'll fire any staff who contradict him on major policy issues. Killington only closed on May 1 this year because the season passes for 2010-2011 were sold with a season from early November to early May. Last year, they were forced to give vouchers to their season pass base for closing before May 1 with wall-to-wall cover after advertising a May closing. You'll never see a May Killington closing associated with a season pass sale again until Nyberg is replaced.
 
Am dredging up this relatively recent of the classic "Kmart early closing" threads because i just received an email outlining Killingtons plans to revive their late season operations after all these fallow years! I always said I'd give them props if they looked like they'd change back to the once -proud tradition so I am. Time (and yes weather) will tell but they at least look to have activities planned into May. They claim a renewed effort to stockpile snow on Superstar which was always one of the key components (tho I have not seen it myself). Anyway fingers x'ed and here's their link: http://www.killington.com/winter/beast/ ... elebration
 
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