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Vail Resorts ends printed trail maps at all its locations

dbostedo

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Look at the joy on our faces! "So, there's an entire other section of the mountain above the clouds, you say?!"
You didn't need a trail map to figure that out... you could have just asked the people waiting in the tram-line-that-never-opened what they were doing there.
 

Tricia

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Look at the joy on our faces! "So, there's an entire other section of the mountain above the clouds, you say?!"
I got a kick out of it when I stumbled upon that picture.
 

dbostedo

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Asked:

I can't believe the report that trail maps were going to be eliminated was debunked 8 pages ago and it's still being debated.

And already answered:

We're a passionate people. :roflmao:

Plus, we like to hear ourselves tal... er... see ourselves type.
 

Tricia

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If Vail and/or any other entity discontinues trail maps, does that open opportunities for entrepreneurs to replace them with their own trail maps?
oooooh there's a thought.
 

raytseng

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If Vail and/or any other entity discontinues trail maps, does that open opportunities for entrepreneurs to replace them with their own trail maps?

Unless they are also going to just give them away for free, not sure if it's a viable business model.

The james nieuhues painting+the overlay is sort of freely passed around on the internet, but it is copywrrited and owned material. If an entrepreneur actually starts Selling it for money without any agreement, I think that will trigger the lawyers to come out of the woodwork and issue a cease and desist.
So the company will actually make their own trailmap, aka by really drawing their own map or using a public domain base map.
I don't know how much of a market there is for people to pay for that unless there is really special guide information on top of what's freely available.

Let alone the risk that Vail can just change their mind and squash them out by changing their decision and offering the same thing again for free, or at a token cost at any time. So a lot of startup risk, with very low reward.
 
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amorFati

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Unless they are also going to just give them away for free, not sure if it's a viable business model.

The james nieuhues painting+the overlay is sort of freely passed around on the internet, but it is copywrrited and owned material. If an entrepreneur actually starts Selling it for money without any agreement, I think that will trigger the lawyers to come out of the woodwork and issue a cease and desist.
So the company will actually make their own trailmap, aka by really drawing their own map or using a public domain base map.
I don't know how much of a market there is for people to pay for that unless there is really special guide information on top of what's freely available.

Let alone the risk that Vail can just change their mind and squash them out by changing their decision and offering the same thing again for free, or at a token cost at any time. So a lot of startup risk, with very low reward.
Good insight.
 

SSSdave

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If Vail and/or any other entity discontinues trail maps, does that open opportunities for entrepreneurs to replace them with their own trail maps?
See page 3 my post #53.

Anyone will always be able to print out either the online resort website map or one of the many older season maps archived on various sites. At issue is many people have only simple computer and browser skills, and don't even know how to selectively screen capture portions of their monitor displays, much less save such files in a form capable of being printed out. None of this is difficult and there are many websites with tips for doing so. An issue in this era of impatience are the large numbers that refuse to read any documentation or procedures beyond simplest instruction that is usually more an attitude issue than reality.
 

dbostedo

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See page 3 my post #53.

Anyone will always be able to print out either the online resort website map or one of the many older season maps archived on various sites. At issue is many people have only simple computer and browser skills, and don't even know how to selectively screen capture portions of their monitor displays, much less save such files in a form capable of being printed out. None of this is difficult and there are many websites with tips for doing so. An issue in this era of impatience are the large numbers that refuse to read any documentation or procedures beyond simplest instruction that is usually more an attitude issue than reality.
3 issues with printing your own even if you know how: 1) printing it as large as you would normally be able to get at the resort, 2) printing on both sides, and 3) the type of paper.

All of that, IMO, makes printing at home a non-starter.
 

James

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Printing your own map - I suppose a large format printer at kinko’s would do. But at that point it would be cheaper to pay Vail.
 

SSSdave

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A minority of people have printers and know how to print at home however far better in this era is to copy an image file to a USB memory stick and go to a service that can print whatever out. FedEx Office can do so cheaply though will advise just visiting an office via trying to do so online that is more oriented to commercial customers with larger orders. Because printing services often have a range of print machines obtained over years that vary from office location to location, one really needs to visit your local offices then ask at counters for advice of how to do so with what they possess. If one knows how to format an image for printing, one can use self-service color printers for a buck or two however each offices better printers behind counters offering a range of more durable color paper or printing on both sides will require the counter person's assistance. In any case even printing 11x17 is just a couple to few bucks.
 
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KingGrump

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KingGrump

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No map, no phone = going around lost.
 

pchewn

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Want to use your phone instead of a paper map. Good luck.


Well, I gotta agree with Vail on this one. You should NOT be consulting a phone or a map just as you are preparing to load the lift. That will result in mis-loads and lead to longer lift lines.
 

fatbob

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Vail would do better ensuring all lifts are open and that they are proactively line marshalling at the earliest opportunity to ensure lifts load to capacity.

Also a freeze ray to use on passes of anyone who deliberately holds back at the line to get a chair for themselves as that is purely selfish behaviour inconveniencing everyone behind them.
 

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