I went Monday (day 5, sheesh).
By this date last year, I was at 19.
I wanted to go today. Wednesday; got ready; didn't go. Call it intuition/reluctance/discouragement after Monday.
Amazing crowds today.
On Monday, a few things, maybe:
1. It was much more crowded than last season, which was in turn the most crowded I can recall.
( Last year, there were still almost no lines, especially compared to Monday.)
2. I went late (in line by 11:45), hoping for shorter lines in the afternoon.
The lines didn't get shorter until almost 2 p.m., and took until 2:30 to get to what would have been normal maximum last year at this date. (The lines were mostly gone a bit later, 2:45, for those who might profit from this, should it continue.)
2. Many of the older guys, the regulars, who get to LL early were no longer in evidence, even after I saw them early on a week or more ago, prepared to press onward and upwards. (I thought I'd see them going as I was coming, but even late last week they were coming less.)
3. What was in evidence were lots of folks, of all ages, who wanted to tell you how they think this Covid thing is overblown. Many expressions of Covid fatigue, you might call it. Their face masks were here and there below their noses as they were talking. They pulled em up half-heartedly as they were reminded by the lift folks, occasionally. (This correcting was happening more than a week or so ago.)
4. The crowd reminded me of the restless young that were filling the city parks last summer, where before those parks were almost empty. There were lots of young folk in line who are doing the "no nose" or "minimal nose" cover thing, or whose masks were continually slipping, even as many of them have masks so thin you can almost see through them. I watched them double up on the lifts, triple up, even go full chair with strangers, as if we were at a mixer almost. With an air of low key defiance. And again, the first thing they are apt to say is, "I'm not worried, not a big deal," or some such thing.
5. As a single, the people behind me in line were often, even usually, pressing up into my line space, since one person can't occupy it so well. And every trip up folks are asking if they can ride up with me, no big deal. For me, this is worrisome. And has a cumulative effect.
6. "You Betchyer Life" seems to be the game show we are playing.
And yet, the snow was grand, even on Monday. Upper Richards - the Spillway? - was open, and great! My skis were wonderful, just so dialed already. And the slopes were not so crowded, no problem there.
So today I didn't go.
Wonder if I will tomorrow.