Season Pass 2010-11 Roll Call

[Raymo40]

1 down 10,000 to go.

[Snowballs]

Well Ray, I doubt we'll be saying that if there's not enough customers. It's not like Gore is swarming in business.

People with area cabins like Sponge, et al, People who live close to Gore like myself, et al....these people will likely continue at Gore.

Many people are without those ties. Many people have the same drive to other ski areas as they do to Gore. If they're going for a Holiday, likely they won't care if it's even a bit farther drive as long as it's good skiing. This Easter week break is a good example. Gore will likely be closed midweek and VT open.

The internet and I-phone apps were all a buzz with bad Gore rap this past season. People will remember that. Gore is no longer able to BS their way through bad conditions and unopened trails. Another repeat and a bad reputation will grow fueled by Albany's and ORDA's performance.

To me, this is where Gore is hurting and with whom Gore is vulnerable. Destination skiers unfettered by cabin, pass, proximity or emotion can change their ski haunts real easy. This is a large income group for Gore. Pratt claims us Season Passers are only 20% of the annual business.... actually didn't he say less % than that?

Not saying it will happen, but it very easily could. ORDA is gonna have to stand and deliver next season.

[Harvey44]

IMO Snowballs is right ... in the short term, people with ties, will stay. The long term is a different story. While there is a lot to do in North Creek that doesn't depend on Gore .... some component of long term real estate value is tied up in the mountain.

If Gore's ability to deliver a good ski experience declines, real estate values, both residential and commercial, will decline, or rise more slowly than the VT competition.

Day skiers, and those with flexibility, are key to most ski areas, not just Gore. The 20% passholder number that Mike quoted is actually a reasonably good number. Tony Lanza at Belleayre told me his revenue was 7% passholders and he'd be very happy with 20%. Even if a resort is getting 50% of revenue from passholders - which seems unlikely - non-passholder revenue will always be the difference between success and failure.

Snowballs... I'm not exactly sure what you mean by "stand and deliver." If you are talking about upgraded snowmaking and more midweek lift ops .... I don't see it happening. I'm not saying next year won't be good, but I think it's unlikely your going to see MORE spending on anything in 2010/2011. I suppose it's possible that ORDA could lose funding and leave Gore's budget untouched. But that doesn't seem likely to me.

Even if the Gore budget is only cut by 10% - roughly a million - that is going to have a big impact on ability to spend on things most of us care about. IMO how much impact that reduced spending will have on Gore's product and revenue will depend on some factors that are outside of ORDA control - the economy and the weather.

I think, this budget crisis will eventually pass. How well we come thorough it in the next couple years may be more closely tied to the MegaHarv Snow Totals than any other factor.

[Snowballs]

Very well put. You should Blog.

They truely need a better snowmaking performance next year. Not perfect, just markedly better or people will bail. I think they did improve with more lifts open midweek this year. Not perfect, but improved some.


You're right about.....http://harvey44.blogspot.com/2009/10...tals-0910.html. A rising tide does float all boats. It just seems Ma Nature is going thru the change.

[TomCat]

I'd be happy if snowmaking went back to where it was two years ago. It wasn't as good as VT but still buch better than last year. That might be enough to geep the faithful happy.

They will then need to improve from there if they don't want to lose the skiers without ties to the area. But hopefully by then the budget problem will be over.

Assuming they will be facing a fairly large budget gap, I think they should consider delaying the new lift. Operating a new lift (along with BR) as well as the additional snowmaking needed to keep the trails covered is going to be a tough act with less money.

tom

[SIAWOL]

I'd be happy if snowmaking went back to where it was two years ago. It wasn't as good as VT but still buch better than last year. That might be enough to geep the faithful happy.

I'm in. + 2 kids. If only I can get the wifey to learn!

Hey--I'd like to see more snowmaking as much as the next guy. But its effectiveness (and skier visits) are driven by weather more than many of the comments on this board lead you to believe. Sure, you need money to make snow. But if they absolutely buried the mountain and the daytrippers from Clifton Park can still see the grass on their front lawns, it won't be as effective as you'd think at getting that daytripper and their dollars in a car headed up to Gore.

And this was an "interesting" season for weather. Very few bone rattling cold days, WAY below average snowfall, and when the snow did fall it was in a bunch of 1" and 2" dustings. Folks asked me how the skiing was this year and I have to answer "actually, pretty good!" Coverage wasn't fabulous, but it was decent and the lack of snow at least was offset by a lot of sunny, 25-30F days.

[CUskibum]

The season pass deal that WF/Gore had for college students in the north country was pretty good. $260 for both with no black out dates. I would be really surprised if it was the same price next year. Since I live in the 518 when I'm not in Madstop, it really makes sense, and its pretty convenient. At the same time, I skied 7 days at Jay this year. The drive over there sucks, especially for one day at a time. The snow at Jay is better than anything I've seen everywhere else in the east, and snowmaking is less of a concern. Jay's price for a student pass is $200. So its definitely a tough decision. Now, if somehow, Gore/WF didn't open next year, then it would be a pretty easy decision.

[Harvey44]

I was surprised to find out that the Kmart full pass was "only" $999. I'd thought it was more than that.

Somebody told me that the price is actually less than it was a few years ago. Anybody know?

I put together a chart of basics on Kmart and Gore:

Kmart Chart

Not intended to truly compare the two, but it seems like some of y'all are eyein up the big K.

[Frostillicus]

Killington/Pico season pass is $999 for the full (it was around $1100 a couple of years ago). The Blackout Pass (blacking out days when crowds are the heaviest/ 14 days, but you get two floaters for signing up now) is $649 and you can ski the rest of this season too.

http://www.killington.com/winter/pla...ass/index.html

They also offer a nice list of perks (not limited to 1 day or 1 week a season):

http://www.killington.com/winter/pla...its/index.html

When ASC owned K/Pico I would buy the $350 bronze pass and the Gore/Whiteface as well. K can be a zoo, but if you know where to go you can avoid the crowds. On the weekends, most of the crowds started late (after going out) and would only really be heavy for an hour or so. When it got too crowded we'd go to Pico.

[Snowballs]

That does sound good. Just keep in mind gas may be $3.40. The rest of the World is taking off economically. Demand is growing.