Mad River closing already?

2

20thSkier

New member
Was hoping to go up to MRG for some sunday/monday skiing...avoiding at least half the telefest nonsense. What do I see but that they're closing midweek ALREADY? They say they'll be open next weekend, but still, BOO!

:( :( :( :( :( :( :( :( :( :( :( :( :(

I know mad river came under criticism for closing early a couple years ago, and thought that was total BS at the time...I was there on that closing day and the mountain was absolutely done -- there just wasn't any snow left. But this year I have a hard time believing it after skiing knee-deep powder on plenty of base in the woods just one week ago. Has the skiing really deteriorated that fast? Was anyone from the forum there this weekend? It's only March 11!

:( :( :( :( :( :( :( :( :( :( :( :( :( :( :( :( :( :( :(
 
Correct, this is from their web page but no other explanation . I left last Thursday and is was still in good shape overall .

Quote from web page

! AS OF THIS COMING WEEK THE MOUNTAIN HAS DECIDED TO SUSPEND ALL MID-WEEK OPERATIONS AND WE ANTICIPATE OPENING FOR THE WEEKEND WITH REGULAR OPERATING HOURS OF 8:30 AM- 4:00PM. ALL PASSES WILL BE HONORED.
 
ouch, i was planning on using up my three mad card passes mid-week during the week of 20-24. looks like that isn't going to happen! i wanted to ski somewhere else tomorrow due to the telefest and possible NCP, but i feel like i might be leaving a ticket on the table... with an anouncement like that, i suspect they may shut down for the year after next weekend if we don't get any snow. ouch.
 
Maybey they could open it to snowboarders during the week! :lol: :lol: :lol:
And there is nothing stopping anyone from climbing for some turns! Even the Boarders!
((*
*))NHPH
 
I know mad river doesn't really get anyone skiing there midweek, and those that do all have passes, so I'm sure that finances are a big part of this decision. But knowing a ski area is likely to pull this kind of stuff in early March does make me think hard about getting a season pass at Jay or Stowe next year...

Generally I think MRG does a pretty good job staying open whenever they can, and they have reasonable passes and rates and aren't some giant corporation, so I don't want to rag on them too much. But it still bites.
 
I know mad river doesn't really get anyone skiing there midweek, and those that do all have passes, so I'm sure that finances are a big part of this decision. But knowing a ski area is likely to pull this kind of stuff in early March does make me think hard about getting a season pass at Jay or Stowe next year...
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same here having purchased a mad card. i can't take it out on MRG for me getting hurt and not being able to ski until march. but i was certainly counting on those mid-week vacation days to utilize my passes now that i am back. that would also make me a pre-paid skier not generating additional revenue. the web site is uncharacteristiacally silent on the reason for this change. are they trying to preserve snow pack for the most amount of people? or is this a financial and operational decision? if it is the latter, i am dissatisfied having purchased prepaid tickets. kinda makes me understand better what kmart pass holders have gone through these past few years of cutting back the end of the season run.
 
NH has a law that says "gift certificates" issued from NH buissnesses under $100 have no expiration date. I have often wondered about just such a scenario as Riverc0il's in the ski industry.
Now I know we are talking Vermont and the point is kind of moot but for the sake of argument lets say we pre purchased tickets to ski Wildcat but did not get to use them during the season. Are we ship out of luck?
But what if our moms bought us all "Gift certificates" for x-mass? By the letter of the law they retain thier value forever.
Somebody has paid for a service that has never been rendered in both instances but by a loophole in the law only one person may actually get those services.
Werent we talking about MRG? How did I spin this? I should run for office!
((*
*))NHPH
 
don't run for office quite yet, NHPH ;) my mad card specifically says valid for 05-06 season only. in other words, you snooze you loose. my only beef is i made (what i think is valid) an assumpation they would operate normal business hours for a longer period of time than they did.

further, i would stipulate that a mad card or a wild card are different than gift certificates. normally, a gift certificate allows the user to purchase any service or item from a company. in the case of a mad card, i already purchased a very specific product, not a chance to spend money on any product the company offers.

i find it very interesting that ultra-pro-business new hampshire has this type of law. most businesses love gift certificates because they do expire, usually in a year or two from the purchase date. so any money not spent is instant profit for the company. the worst example of this is simon mall gift cards in which they begin charging interest on the card holder if the money is not used in a certain amount of months, which i think aught to be illegal everywhere (speaking as a manager of a retail store).
 
I love how gift cards charge you interest. Let's see: I loan you $50, and YOU charge ME interest?

But anyway, unfortunately the mad card isn't really a gift card -- it's more like a limited season pass, since you're buying skiing early at a big discount. It's not like you just gave the mountain $150 in return for $150 in lift tickets sometime later...So even in NH I'd think you're probably SOL.

I know it doesn't work this way, but IMO though if a ski area closes early when there's snow and they could operate, but simply choose not to, they ought to be responsible for refunding people's prepaid money. What if you bought a season pass at an area and it snowed but they just decided not to ever open all year and keep the money? That would be total BS...when you buy a pass or madcard there's the implication that when there's snow the ski area will provide skiing.
 
It's all in the wording. Call it anything but a "gift certificate" in NH and youre all set as a retailer. But if it's called a gift certificate and its under $100 in NH then it must be honored regardless of any printed expiration date. But it is only worth what you paid. There is no special exemption for any buisness. This is mostly an issue for a small buisness that would be unaware of the law. I got into it with a local restraunt with gift certificate that was past the expiration date. I told them I would call the police and they caved in and accepted it :D !
((*
*))NHPH
 
well, i doubt they've had the most financially sucessful year, so it may be a move to save some cash. it keeps the conditions better for the weekends anyway (when i can get there :)
 
We skied MRG this last week-end, and I can understand why they are closing.

We had an AWESOME week-end, but that's just in comparison to the icicle we skied xmus week, the mountain being closed to drain the week-end we were up in January, the wind holds, rain and ice we got in February.
Anything would have been better.

Saturday dawned warm, blue skies all around, soft spring sking conditions.
The lower half of the mountain was interesting. All the ice patches had warmed up and were rapidly turning into slush puddles, birdland was a wasteland HUGE patches of dirt with just enough snow to pick you way down. The upper mountain off the single was great spring skiing, big soft bumps.. just a joy.

Sunday however was a different story. It was so bad it was funny. The "snow" on the lift lines was pretty brown. Catamount had slashes of bare ground to maneuver, as did just about anything off the double.

The upper mountain was still mostly white and if you could just load on and off at mid station it would make for a a good day of skiing, but rain came in on Sunday around 1 pm, and more is expected.

Rumours of how many hundreds of thousands of dollars the mountain has lost this year were rampant, as were people trying to sell unused mad cards.

March came in like a lamb. With any luck, it'll go out like a lion and we'll get another chance to play on our favorite mountain to get rid of the pocket full of lift tickets we're carrying around.
 
I understand people not being happy about MRG closing this week, but did you see the forecast? At 2pm Monday 3/13 it is pouring at 43 degress in Burlington. It will stay warm enough to melt until sometime Tuesday night, at which point a cold front will come through - without a major dump - and it will start to set up like you read about :( I'll bet that had they "planned" to be open this week that they in fact wouldn't open the mountain until Thursday. And I though this before I read the above reports of the snow on Sunday. Bottom line, its Mother nature that you should be complaining about and not MRG.

Now, how about the 2+ foot mid-spring elevation dump that gets us well into April????
 
i don't think there is any doubt the mountain would be closed following a rain storm, that is par for the course. but snow showers are expected weds-fri so i just thought it premature to announce a full week closing when things could freshen up by thurs or fri. also, the lack of forthcoming on the reasons for the closure or reassurances that they may open back up mid-week next week if conditions allow would have been nice. if any one is going this weekend, i will have at least one spare ticket i am looking to let go of. PM and name your price and i will meet you at the base box.
 
Thanks maggie and slatham for the reports. Hard as it is to believe, it sounds like the great snow+base that we skied a week ago really has managed to mostly melt away. Guess my previous good opinion of MRG will have to stay that way. I suppose it's good to hear that mad river isn't closing when it could be open, but now I'd rather that than them closing because there really isn't much snow left.

I suppose this may have a bright side for me personally -- I strained something in my knee falling in the powder in 20th last week. If not for this garbage weather I would have skied on it and possibly done serious damage.

Will this be one of the earliest closings ever? I've been out east for half a dozen years and this is by far the worst winter yet...thought we might have a saving march like last year but even if it does snow a bit more it's sounding like we're on the last legs of the ski season already.
 
riverc0il":2cu4slzf said:
also, the lack of forthcoming on the reasons for the closure or reassurances that they may open back up mid-week next week if conditions allow would have been nice.
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Yeah it would have been a lot nicer if they had posted some long message explaining the situation rather than "we had a great weekend of skiing, the base is holding up well, we'll be closed this week, will probably open next weekend." Huh??? What's anyone supposed to make of that?
 
Notice from the MRG website that advises that a major snowfall will be required to re-open .

Message below from MRG

" Good News! The forecast is calling for SNOW every single day this week and we should see some of the white stuff this afternoon as the temps drop. Due to the spring-like temperatures we have decided to close the mountain for the week. We have lost quite a bit of our base and will need substantial snowfall to re-open for the weekend and to host our Mogul Challenge and Jr. Mogul Challenge. The decision on whether we can open for the weekend will be made on Thursday. In the event that we cannot open this weekend, the mountain will be closed for the season. Stay tuned for any updates....and hope for SNOW! "
 
Anthony":dy4898r7 said:
Notice from the MRG website that advises that a major snowfall will be required to re-open .

Message below from MRG

" Good News! The forecast is calling for SNOW every single day this week and we should see some of the white stuff this afternoon as the temps drop. Due to the spring-like temperatures we have decided to close the mountain for the week. We have lost quite a bit of our base and will need substantial snowfall to re-open for the weekend and to host our Mogul Challenge and Jr. Mogul Challenge. The decision on whether we can open for the weekend will be made on Thursday. In the event that we cannot open this weekend, the mountain will be closed for the season. Stay tuned for any updates....and hope for SNOW! "
Click to expand...

Good news!!! They might not even open this weekend! Or at all for the rest of the season! That's fantastic!

I'm so depressed.
 
20thSkier":2ighdxaf said:
Good news!!! They might not even open this weekend! Or at all for the rest of the season! That's fantastic!

I'm so depressed.
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yea, the lead in with "Good news!!!" certainly led to an anticlimatic finish to that statement. i think someone else mentioned it already either on here or ski vt-l, but mrg may quickly acquire two new marketing slogans: "mad river glen, ski it if its open" and/or "mad river glen: skin it if you can." i would gladly ski some thin cover with some fresh on top, but i do know the 48 hours plus of straight run and warm temps likely killed the snow pack or what was left of it. c'mon 12 inches!!!
 
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