peoplepeoplepeople and a story

[Ski]

Lots of people.

 

Ty, Amy, and, I went up at around 1pm, just for Ty to grab a couple of quick NASTAR runs, then ski some blues with her mom. I figured I'd be able to to hit it just right, with some morning people leaving and grab a parking spot near the NF lift. Wasn't happening. We had to park waaaay the F down in a section past where you first pull into the lot.

 

So we just waited a couple of minutes and the really nice driver picks us up. I usually ride the shuttle back up when I have Ty on a weekend and he's been driving since they started the shuttles, so I've gotten to know him a little. He always checks on us when we're booting up, in case we want a ride down---then, he never needs me to tell him where I parked when we're leaving because he remembers. Very Okemo-like service and it's really appreciated.

 

Anyway, Zaldon was on the bus this afternoon and he got to experience our friendly driver--maybe a little too much. He made sure the bus was packed and he drove up to just about every car that looked to have someone booting up. I ended up separated from Ty and Amy and was sitting next to a littl girl that was separated from her dad. I tried to get her to play Marco Polo with her dad, but she was really scared of me. She was headed to the tubing hill, so I wasn't offended. Ty would have played...

 

I can't report on the more important lift lines down on the NF, but the Iron Horse was never more than three or four minutes. Mostly just because people come in from both side and it's a mix of jibbers in a hurry and newbies coming in off from Upper Fast Track/Runaway and Whistler....

 

But after Ty raced, the Iron Horse had a mechanical problem and that's where the current problem really showed itself. There's no blue or green access down to either the Phoebe Snow or the Long Haul lifts. People that can't ski/board a fairly steep diamond are screwed. They had to walk a few hundred yards back up to the lodge area. It's a shitty walk. I'd never take Ty down the NF on a weekend, let alone a holiday weekend, so we hiked. Lower Runaway isn't too bad and it's really wide, but there are just too many out of control people for a little kid to meander down.

 

Okay, so a mechanical problem is one thing...but then we got on a shuttle bus and the really old guy takes the three of us and one other family of four snow tubers up to the lot. Their dad says, "We're way back in the left corner" and I add, "Yep, that's where we are, too."

 

The old guy says, "I'm dropping you folks in the middle isle. That's as far as I go."

 

I asked him if he could at least get us in the same lot as our Jeep, since we all have ski boots on and all out gear, but he simply said 'no'.

 

Not a really huge deal, except for the fact that we did have a little kid that had to hike up from a broken lift. But okay. The other driver really spoils all of us. So we grab our gear and start hiking around the huge snow mounds, maybe three hundred yards, having to constantly get out of the way of oncoming cars. I ended up carrying Ty on my shoulders, along with two sets of skis.

 

I suppose the only time I really got pissed was when the same shuttle driver pulled my Jeep, just as I set Ty on the ground and drop my skis. He opens the bus door and asks if we want a ride down.

 

It's funny now. Well, a little funny.

 

But since I want Sno to succeed, I almost want to point out how this would seem to a casual skier. That Sno will drive up and down isles to get you to the ticket window, but boot you off the bus 300 yards from your car once you've spent your money.

 

But it's because of our regular driver that I'm not emailing Sno. I wouldn't want him confused with the old guy...

 

So that was my mild vent, along with my repeated suggestion that they get some easier access down to the Long Haul and/or whatever the new lift will be called.

[Ski]

Nice report...Was it significantly more crowded today at Sno than last season during Presidents weekend? Did you hit any woods or anything off trail??? As for the shuttle bus situation..that's crazy..300 yards is a long way..at Blue it's about 100+ yards typically..Now in my head I remember how huge that parking lot is..bigger than the lot at Jackson Hole I think..since there you're always a minute to the shuttle stop..

 

Are they still blowing snow???

 

Guns are off for the weekend, but ready for Tuesday. I'm not sure about last year. I think I was at a race at Belleayre for one day, then at the Hideout race for another. But all the employees I talked to were shaking their heads from what is crowded for here.

 

There's no shuttle 'stations' in the lot...they just cruise around doing pick-ups. I've never been on a shuttle bus with more than five other people, so it was really weird to have standing people. And the new "tram" they bought is too long and can't make the turns at the end of the isles. We've ridden it once since Sno opened.

[zaldon]

nf lift was only a short wait but their were too many corpses on the blacks to make going fast worth while. i ened up just taking lapes on the long haul and hitting the glades

[trackbiker]

ski, thanks for the reports. I was wondering how things were this weekend at Sno.

I didn't make it up Fri. night as I was sick on Thurs. and didn't get the wash, packing, etc. done to head out right after my son got out of school on Fri.

We headed straight to Elk on Sat. morning. I was surprised to see that the Rt. 80 Exit on the PA.TPK was still closed! You couldn't even get off to get on Rt. 940! I was wondering if people heading to JF/BB maybe stayed on the TPK and went to Sno instead?

Your comments about the shuttle are right on. Some one pulling into that lot for the first time has no clue where the lodge is! They should have a big sign on the light poles saying, "LODGE" with an arrow pointing towards the stairs. And they should have Shuttle Stops! Like Bus Stops with the canopies. I think we had the same grumpy bus driver you had when we were there. Not a great first impression. Plus, the ski racks are useless on the shuttles. They must have been designed for straight skis from the '70's!

Hey, I understand you regulars are in heaven right now compared to past years. But if Sno is going to be succesful, you have to compare them to the current standards, not the $1million/yr. money pit that they were! Short lift lines are great on a holiday weekend if you are a customer, but they don't pay for HSQ's!

Before some one throws up the "hater" sign; It's not "bitching" if you also offer a realistic solution, it's constructive criticism.

Sno has done a great job in the time they had, but I'm sure that they wouldn't mind some feedback to make things better.

I think a such a thread in March would be a good idea. But each item must have a solution or an impact. i.e. $3.00 ski check = stolen ski's/boards, a bad rep. and "I'm going to Blue Mt. where it's FREE.

 

 

Ski, If you don't want to dis the bad driver, get the good one's name and write a positive email mentioning how much you appreciate his service.