Anybody else getting a sneaking feeling that the season isn't going to work out?

[Dakine]

I was really hoping for skiing as a way to fight the Covid Blues.
Starting to wonder how far into the season we will get.
Last year we got cut off at March 12th and that left me feeling short.
Now, with community spread of Covid everywhere things are looking iffy to me.
Austria has gone into a three week lockdown to try and get things back under control.
Most areas have plans but their plans won't hold up to a raging epidemic I think.
Venting on SkiTalk, hope I'm wrong!

 

[ADKmel]

How about we skiers prove we can do this?!! Prove them wrong- that we can ski and survive this!

Let's all behave, stay alert, stay smart, wear a mask, Social distance. oh yeah, and wash your hands!

 

[Doug Briggs]

So far, the reports I'm hearing in CO say people seem to be, for the most part, responsible and complying with health orders. My personal experience today at Breck supports that which I found mildly surprising. I'm guardedly optimistic about skiing at the ski area all season long.

 

[crgildart]

We know more than we knew last March with regard to the effectiveness of masks and lower risk of surface contamination spread. If we do what we know works, and dial indoor things that can't be done wearing masks back just a little, that might be enough.. However, if people can't follow what we know works, then no alternative but to shut it all down.

 

[Tex]

I had a trip all booked in New Mexico. Well they locked down, so had to cancel. Now I got a trip booked in colorado. My guess they will not lock down, why? Money talks and BS walks. Too much money at stake in CO, I would be shocked if they locked down. They seem to be all over this and dealing with it in the appropriate manor, be reasonable lowering risk of spread, but don't kill the business and fun for those willing to take the risk. If you are worried, stay home!

 

[Blue Streak]

So far, the reports I'm hearing in CO say people seem to be, for the most part, responsible and complying with health orders. My personal experience today at Breck supports that which I found mildly surprising. I'm guardedly optimistic about skiing at the ski area all season long.

The spread is not coming from skiing; it is coming from the relatively unfettered gatherings of "locals." Apparently, the early closing of bars has had limited effectiveness, because many just lock their doors and keep pouring.
I was young once, and I have been there. But if we have any hope of staying open, it will require behavior modification of those who are least likely to do so.
Polis is not going to issue a "stay at home" order, until Congress passes a relief bill.
And even if he does, he will likely exempt skiing, as it is an outdoor recreational activity.

 

[Tricia]

How about we skiers prove we can do this?!! Prove them wrong- that we can ski and survive this!

Let's all behave, stay alert, stay smart, wear a mask, Social distance. oh yeah, and wash your hands!

Today at Mammoth, we ran into an employee who asked some people to cover their nose with their mask.
He said the county health department official can and will make pop visits to see if guests are being compliant and "for the sake of the health of their community" they will shut Mammoth down, so .... Please just wear the damn mask and wear it right.

Lets show them we can do this!

 

[slowrider]

If that's what it takes.

 

[Jwrags]

I like that the Mammoth employees can spin it that the health department is watching them. Takes the onus off of the employee. Immediately frames it as “don’t shoot the messenger”.

 

[kayco53]

Keeping my fingers crossed. Our hill is getting pounded with snow and the forecast looks good. But Covid is really up in numbers in the lower mainland of BC. Would be cruel if they did not open. Don't want to resort to my 1982 cross country skis and old snowmobile.

 

[PlainsSkier]

Resorts need to be like the airlines and hold their ground to people that refuse to comply.

As for the season, the vaccine news is a bit of gamechanger of sorts for March to the end of the season. There is some light at the end of the tunnel hopefully we can hold things together in the meantime. I think so far things are going well in regards to what the resorts are doing.

 

[SSSdave]

Well we may end up victims of broad stroke state wide decrees though I hope our leaders have gotten beyond that despite those that continually ask for lock down strategies. With the election over, we don't have to worry about the political reasons that was a major thorn. Contagion issues are not likely to occur at ski resorts or during skiing. Those that use airline travel are more likely to get crimped by restrictions while drive to regional skiers not.

It is too easy for resort workers to ban those that are resistant and other skiers are also likely to be vocal when they see others doing things that could lead to shut downs. No skiers will want to be banned due to their behaviors even if they might do so where they live. Even in lodging communities outside resorts there is so much economically at stake that I don't expect resistant people will have a free pass to do as they wish versus where they come from without receiving pressure from others. Also the skier demographic is more science educated, more well read, more well to do, while most of those catching the virus are either at the other end of those Bell Curves or young and hardly concerned. The greatest threat is likely to be at resorts regions where bars and restaurants have minimal restrictions as one can expect issues with young adult skiers.

As a Tahoe skier, no am not worried at this point though our governor could shut it all down if conditions in other areas of the state go critical because sadly there seems to be a public relations attitude that in order to get those at the non-compliant end of the curve to comply and be safer, they cannot just target restrictions at that demographic as it is too politically incorrect despite data showing otherwise.

 

[Tricia]

I like that the Mammoth employees can spin it that the health department is watching them. Takes the onus off of the employee. Immediately frames it as “don’t shoot the messenger”.

We did an interview with him at the top of the lift. Here is a link to it just in case it doesn't play
He talks about how they worked with public health officials to have an approved practice in place.



Signage was clear and we only rode the lifts with each other and two other friends who were skiing.
The lift mazes were set up so that there was 6 feet between lines (side by side) and blue marks on the snow to define 6 feet apart.

 

[Tex]

Let's all behave, stay alert, stay smart, wear a mask, Social distance. oh yeah, and wash your hands!

This is all we can do. Doing more is silly, doing less is dumb!

 

[James]

The limiter could be the hospitals. It would be hard to justify the risk of ski injuries if the hospital is overloaded. And while no one wants to hear it, a lot of health care workers are already burned out, we’re not at the peak, and the whole country is going off so it’s hard to move people around.

 

[LuliTheYounger]

I don't think Utah will shut our mountains down for much of anything, but it's definitely hard to be optimistic about having a reasonably safe season after the summer we've had.

 

[mikel]

Copper is now using a daily screening tool for employees. You have to register and then use the tool each day you are scheduled to work before starting. All new as of today so I'm not sure exactly how it works yet.

 

[Bad Bob]

It is going to be tough sledding for everything and everybody this year. The plague is like that, and that is what we have. Any and every ski day we can get will be a gift; anybody messing with masks should be looked at as a real ace (that is spelled with 2 S's).

In the big scheme of things skiing is only really important to a small number of people. Even the industry is not to critical compared to food, transport, education, or medical. Skiing will be cut off like a weed in the yard if very much happens, like it was last year, and this year is going to be much much worse. There is no getting away from this bug, we have to see it through to the other end.

WEAR YOUR MASK, DISTANCE, and VACINATE ASAP.

 

[Seldomski]

Resorts need to be like the airlines and hold their ground to people that refuse to comply.

This is key. I flew recently and american airlines wasn't taking any excuses. If you don't wear a mask, you get kicked off the plane and put on a do not fly list. I think the resorts need to take a hard line so that if cases go up and the hammer comes down, they aren't an obvious target.

 

[Pequenita]

Just as a quick example here in Orange County, So cal, the county has just gone Purple,because of a spike but hair salons will be allowed to stay open.

But that was always the scenario for Purple/Tier 1 - 25% indoor capacity for salons and many retail establishments. It’s not like salons have a special exemption. The rule was always that they could operate as long as there isn’t a complete shutdown. A shutdown would take us back to March when only essential functions were open.