• For more information on how to avoid pop-up ads and still support SkiTalk click HERE.

Which resorts treat their employees the best.

LiquidFeet

instructor
Instructor
Joined
Nov 12, 2015
Posts
6,698
Location
New England
....Here on the east coast we aren't as spoiled and will ski on anything any day :)
That's because if we want to ski we have to ski on what's there. But that's OK. Don't we enjoy the challenge?

We don't have couloirs and bowls and frequent powder, so we find dodging rocks and stumps in the trees and getting grip on icy groomers and dealing with ice bumps interesting. It makes for a special kind of fun. When you've got lemons, make lemonade :ogbiggrin:.
 
Last edited:

Ken_R

Living the Dream
Skier
Joined
Feb 10, 2016
Posts
5,775
Location
Denver, CO
Good employers, but is there any housing? Vermont has the advantage that there are still non-ski towns not that far (not that close, but not *that* far) from the ski areas. There is more flat space near and around the mountains in Vt.

True, pretty much everywhere in the mountains in Colorado is expensive even towns that were previously...lets just say humble.
 

Wilhelmson

Making fresh tracks
Skier
Joined
May 2, 2017
Posts
4,328
While most factors converge it depends on whether we are considering establishing a location as long term home or a seasonal gig. A gig seeker might care more about a place to crash, friends, resort fringe benefits and such A long termer is probably more concerned with full time work, salary and benefits, community, cost of a home, and maybe schools.
 
Thread Starter
TS
SEE YOU NEXT SEASON

SEE YOU NEXT SEASON

Booting up
Skier
Joined
Sep 3, 2022
Posts
30
Location
Australia
While most factors converge it depends on whether we are considering establishing a location as long term home or a seasonal gig. A gig seeker might care more about a place to crash, friends, resort fringe benefits and such A long termer is probably more concerned with full time work, salary and benefits, community, cost of a home, and maybe schools.
True, I'd say a good resort has a combination of both. They need enough rooms / beds for the seasonals with access to work and the mountains. They also need enough homes for the year round older crew who are starting families.
My gut feel is many resorts are losing a hell of a lot of multi-season veterans because the housing situation is horrendous.
 

martyg

Making fresh tracks
Industry Insider
Joined
Nov 24, 2017
Posts
2,216
My gut feel is many resorts are losing a hell of a lot of multi-season veterans because the housing situation is horrendous.
At least at our CO mtn resort (which shall remain nameless), they lost those of us who are bankrolled and gainfully retired with a toxic work environment.

It will, and does, reflect in their ability to be fully staffed, and ultimately in the guest experience, which is not on par with the competition.
 
Last edited:

martyg

Making fresh tracks
Industry Insider
Joined
Nov 24, 2017
Posts
2,216
Forgot to mention, if it hasn't snowed in a while, they local crowd thins out :) Here on the east coast we aren't as spoiled and will ski on anything any day :)

I don’t look at it as being “spoiled”. I look at it as making prudent life decisions on where to live.

Come spend two or three seasons working as an instructor out here. You will find plenty of thin days and ice. Those who think it is all pow and soft snow are speaking from a place of limited experience.
 

DanoT

RVer-Skier
Skier
SkiTalk Supporter
Joined
Nov 12, 2015
Posts
4,788
Location
Sun Peaks B.C. in winter, Victoria B.C. in summer
I don’t look at it as being “spoiled”. I look at it as making prudent life decisions on where to live.

Come spend two or three seasons working as an instructor out here. You will find plenty of thin days and ice. Those who think it is all pow and soft snow are speaking from a place of limited experience.
It depends where "out here" is. While my home mountain does not gets tons of powder, on the firm days when we call it icy, eastern skiers laugh at us and it only takes an inch or two of fresh snow to soften things up again. Soft snow is the norm, we call it ego snow as the place skis better between storms than most.
 

crosscountry

Out on the slopes
Skier
Joined
Jun 6, 2021
Posts
1,729
Location
all over the place
Forgot to mention, if it hasn't snowed in a while, they local crowd thins out :) Here on the east coast we aren't as spoiled and will ski on anything any day :)
Hell, they got so many "good" days, if you ski all the crappy days on top of that, you won't get anything else done!

The "locals" aren't on a 1 week vacation and needing to milk every single ski day with whatever condition. They get to pick and choose the best condition to ski. And the less than stellar days? There're chores that needs to be done!

You're just a weekend warrior stuck on the wrong coast trying to justify why you put up with going out in all condition and calling it "skiing". Been there done that in my younger days.

(I'm still based in the east coast. But nowadays I typically get over a month out west. So no, I don't ski every crappy day. And when the condition is good out east? I head up the mountain too. But no, I don't ski when I don't like the condition -- icy, windy, brutally cold, or just brought the wrong ski for the day ;) )

Spoiled? Hell YES!
 

martyg

Making fresh tracks
Industry Insider
Joined
Nov 24, 2017
Posts
2,216
It depends where "out here" is. While my home mountain does not gets tons of powder, on the firm days when we call it icy, eastern skiers laugh at us and it only takes an inch or two of fresh snow to soften things up again. Soft snow is the norm, we call it ego snow as the place skis better between storms than most.

I was specifically speaking of the West, from Coastal ranges to Intermountain West.

Even legendary Mt. Baker is not immune. This is a photo from the winter (I believe Feb) of one of the runs at the upper area - the place that usually has a base of over 200". I sent this to Steve Casimiro. He thought is was Baker's parking lot. Nope. It is a ski run.
Mt Baker 02.10.15 1 (640x361).jpg


This is the same area, a few years later, mid-June. It the the clearing of the access road.
Snowpack 06.08.13 2.JPG



I have well over 100 days of heli and cat skiing. The latest was the month of April in Iceland. Everyplace receives shit conditions. Even storied heli locations. The hardest snow that I ever skied, for example, was Snowbird. And that is with 1,000+ days of skiing the East.

Some years winter doesn't come. That year I rode my bike a lot and steelhead fished.
 

DanoT

RVer-Skier
Skier
SkiTalk Supporter
Joined
Nov 12, 2015
Posts
4,788
Location
Sun Peaks B.C. in winter, Victoria B.C. in summer
Some years winter doesn't come. That year I rode my bike a lot and steelhead fished.
Many of the resorts in the B.C. Interior offer less temp fluctuations and more reliable ski conditions than anywhere in North America. I have skied Sun Peaks with a 18" compacted base in early January in a bad snow year with 100 of 126 runs open, no rocks to speak of, just some weeds and soft brownish snow in spots. I maintain that the good years in the B.C Interior are not as good as good years elsewhere, but the bad years are never as bad as elsewhere.
 

New2

Out on the slopes
Skier
Joined
May 3, 2017
Posts
728
Location
Spokane
I've never worked at a ski area, but how you treat employees definitely shines through to the customer experience. Snowbird stands out to me as the spot with the most consistently genuinely happy employees, which indicates to me at least that the resort is treating them well.
 

Wilhelmson

Making fresh tracks
Skier
Joined
May 2, 2017
Posts
4,328
You're just a weekend warrior stuck on the wrong coast trying to justify why you put up with going out in all condition and calling it "skiing". Been there done that in my younger days.
Not really, we just like to get out in the mountains and aren't wusses so the weather and conditions don’t really bug us. Like saying it’s too hot out to go to the beach lol.
 

DanoT

RVer-Skier
Skier
SkiTalk Supporter
Joined
Nov 12, 2015
Posts
4,788
Location
Sun Peaks B.C. in winter, Victoria B.C. in summer
You're just a weekend warrior stuck on the wrong coast trying to justify why you put up with going out in all condition and calling it "skiing". Been there done that in my younger days.
Yeah, I have always maintained that compared to skiing in B.C., skiing in Ontario is like a different sport.
 

East Coast Scott

Getting off the lift
Skier
Joined
Apr 3, 2021
Posts
251
Location
Maine
Hell, they got so many "good" days, if you ski all the crappy days on top of that, you won't get anything else done!

The "locals" aren't on a 1 week vacation and needing to milk every single ski day with whatever condition. They get to pick and choose the best condition to ski. And the less than stellar days? There're chores that needs to be done!

You're just a weekend warrior stuck on the wrong coast trying to justify why you put up with going out in all condition and calling it "skiing". Been there done that in my younger days.

(I'm still based in the east coast. But nowadays I typically get over a month out west. So no, I don't ski every crappy day. And when the condition is good out east? I head up the mountain too. But no, I don't ski when I don't like the condition -- icy, windy, brutally cold, or just brought the wrong ski for the day ;) )

Spoiled? Hell YES!
It’s all just joking around, I have friends in Colorado and I tell them the same :) Luckily I can ski weeks at a time, I’d go crazy only skiing weekends putting up with those crowds. I honestly will go even if it’s raining, 20 below or not much snow, I just enjoy it too much.
 

crosscountry

Out on the slopes
Skier
Joined
Jun 6, 2021
Posts
1,729
Location
all over the place
I honestly will go even if it’s raining, 20 below or not much snow, I just enjoy it too much.
I will go when it's raining. But that's because I like the snow condition when it's raining! ;) (it's like skiing whip cream)

But I don't like 20 below. The snow is hard and squeaky. I don't enjoy it.

To each their own. It has nothing to do with toughness.

But out west, there're just "too many" good days. The season is so long, I'd get bored. I need to do other things. I bet many "locals" feel the same. Not everyone is a ski addict.
 
Last edited:

spudbumkin

Booting up
Skier
Joined
Sep 19, 2022
Posts
14
Location
Boise
Schweitzer is working hard on their employee housing complex down just North of Sandpoint, ID. 3 good sized buildings should be ready for this season. Combine that with an employee shuttle bus and it will be a big step forward.
Brundage is as well, at the old high school in New Meadows. It is nice to see, and I think the only way to get a reliable work force these days.
 

Sponsor

Staff online

Top