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The Ontario Problem

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BobYohan
Posts: 3001 - Karma: 375
It's been a long cold winter in the east. Our snow base is way above average and we still haven't hit consistent positive temperatures yet. However, my local hill/park is closing tomorrow. Nothing to do with a lack of snow, but purely because the day-ticket-buying public of Ontario does not know about spring skiing.

For some reason, it seems that people in Ontario think that skiing is something you do a couple of times in January and February when it's as cold as possible. But when I show up on a bluebird 5 degree day in April there's not a soul out there. Surely the people who show up mid season could be convinced to show up in the spring if they only knew how much better it is.

How did this happen? How can we fix this? We have such pathetic 'mountains' here, can't we find a way to at least keep them open the full length of the season?
Mar 29 2014 4:36PM
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tdollo
Posts: 3744 - Karma: 17,955
Same problem too. My hill is closing tomorrow but they have the snow to keep it open for a few more weeks.
Mar 29 2014 5:33PM
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plyswthsqrrls
Posts: 838 - Karma: 2,269
what's your local hill?

definitely blows how early the season ends in ontario, but it's just the way it goes I guess.

I can't even convince my buddies to get out to the hill anymore, people just seem to get lazy in spring. oh and they're always complaining about these things called "exams", fuck that noise
Mar 29 2014 5:38PM
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DBL
Posts: 1404 - Karma: 2,211
Blue will probably be open for a while, so at least there's that
Mar 29 2014 5:41PM
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schism
Posts: 1705 - Karma: 389
Not just an Ontario problem. This happens everywhere dude.
Mar 29 2014 5:45PM
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DeFunk
Posts: 204 - Karma: 1,097
Louis could probably hold up for another week, sucks they're closing after tomorrow.
Everywhere else seems to be closing down aswell
Mar 29 2014 6:31PM
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theTRIBE101
Posts: 1175 - Karma: 856
Louis has got a massive base, they could hold up for a couple of weeks fors sure

Also, I think they should sell 20 dollar park tickets and only open the one chair that services junkyard, and the chair that services the outback (and the one to get you up the bunny hill to base of outback chair)
Mar 29 2014 7:16PM
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nutz.
Posts: 3150 - Karma: 6,712
hike it? It's a lil extra work but it'll be worth it
Mar 29 2014 7:32PM
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cornholio
Posts: 3952 - Karma: 3,057
.
Mar 29 2014 7:33PM
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DeFunk
Posts: 204 - Karma: 1,097
I agree, was their today and it was still great! 20 dollar park tickets would be genius!
Mar 29 2014 8:05PM
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Rocco_Walsh
Posts: 87 - Karma: 661
the base is 135 at Louis ridiculous
Mar 29 2014 8:46PM
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vectorized
Posts: 179 - Karma: 182
I live right in Horseshoe Valley- they are run by a bunch of morons. They shut down last weekend, two days after 15cm of fresh powder. Night skiing was shut down after march break. This weekend its open but for that stupid Snowcross championship which in turn ruins the hills. Now after this sunday, they will be stuck with a 100cm base and no revenue until golfing begins later on in late April, early May. MSLM closes down this Sunday, and again makes absolutely no sense.
Mar 29 2014 8:53PM
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ADAM.P.WAGS
Posts: 20 - Karma: 42
the resorts dont close becuase of lack of intrest they close becuase of insuance. the ski resorts buy a certian number of weeks insurance and when it runs out they close becuase it cost so much to insure all the people of the hill who think if they fall they can sue. the money to add weeks is o much for ontario resorts that arent bringing in the kind of money places like whistler, keystone, bear bring in. sorry but thats east coast
Mar 29 2014 9:08PM
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bhdonoghue
Posts: 239 - Karma: 196
sugarloaf is king.
Mar 29 2014 9:34PM
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Mr.Gaga
Posts: 2021 - Karma: 542
Yeah I think we'll havve the same problem in Quebec. Spring skiing's the funniest part of the season It sucks, I wish they wern't rushing to open in november and just stay open 2-3 more weeks...

On an other hand, I hunderstand they're not making money after mid april, everyone who's left have season pass.
Mar 29 2014 9:53PM
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AnthonyWalsh
Posts: 1571 - Karma: 1,302
tomorrows is Louis' last day with a horrible base of 135cm... thank god for blue tho, they are trying to stay open past April 25 to beat their previous record
Mar 29 2014 10:01PM
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schism
Posts: 1705 - Karma: 389
You think they would make money running the lifts next weekend? Who is going to be there? Season pass holders who have already paid off their pass long ago. Barely anyone would show up and buy a day pass. If you think they would be generating any revenue besides selling some food in the day lodge and maybe 20 day tickets you'd be very wrong. It's better for them to cut their losses now and wait for golf season to start.

They are businesses, not skiing charities.
Mar 29 2014 10:07PM
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Bergman
Posts: 7 - Karma: 19
I was talking to a St Louis (staff/patrol/ambassador)? I don't know, he was wearing the blue and yelllow coat. So I was on the lift with him last year and he says to me
"It's a shame, we have like 4 feet of base across the hill, but we're closing. It's only season pass holders who show up and old people who pack a damn lunch so we can't afford to stay open"
There you have it, first hand, the cold hard truth!

You gotta look at it from the hill's perspective. They're not going to stay open unless they're making money, or at least breaking even.
Mar 29 2014 10:54PM
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schism
Posts: 1705 - Karma: 389
Blue and yellow jackets are for the most part volunteer patrol run by the canadian ski patrol service.
Mar 29 2014 11:16PM
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jca
Posts: 4162 - Karma: 6,262
onterrible.
Mar 29 2014 11:25PM
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tomPietrowski
Posts: 7099 - Karma: 17,045
Sucks for all you guys. Is it do you think that it's partly to do with having so many small mountains? What I mean is if you have a load of small resorts all trying to share the same customers then each mountain ends up with very few customers. Here in the uk the Scottish resorts will say open well into may if they can and there will be demand. The only skiing for everyone in the uk is about 6 hills. So even as it gets quieter there are still always skiers for the small number of hills.

Does Ontario have any bigger resorts? Could one place try to become the go to hill so you could get a longer season by everyone going to the same place ?

Of course though that means you may lose the smaller family resort feel but you will get a longer season so good and bad maybe.
Mar 30 2014 11:25AM
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FSKP
Posts: 332 - Karma: 2,214
Same thing at Mont Orignal in Quebec.
All trails open, great conditions and a lot of snow.
Closing next week -_-.
Mar 30 2014 12:24PM
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Blurst
Posts: 13577 - Karma: 10,168
Blue Mountain, Ontario's biggest resort will probably try to stay open until may this year. They always run the longest season in the province.

Mar 30 2014 12:32PM
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nCrow
Posts: 1034 - Karma: 5,857
the resorts here in ohio closed two weeks ago and they still have plenty of snow
Mar 30 2014 12:40PM
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humpty
Posts: 1189 - Karma: 3,150
In feburary, a saturday at my local mountain is a 15-20 minute lift line, the lodge is a mad house, and parking sucks. But a saturday in march is a 0-5 minute lift line, theres actually open tables in the lodge, and you can park in the first 5 rows.
Mar 30 2014 12:41PM
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Drail
Posts: 14011 - Karma: 10,001
As previously said - it's not Ontario, its the entire ski industry. I've been trying to figure out a solution for this and the only way it will ever change is if the skiing population, as a whole switches their mentality. We (they?) need to stop looking at the Christmas holiday season as the time to go on a family ski vacation, and go over Easter instead. Easier said than done, due to the power that Christmas holds over North American society.
Even families with no religious fucks to give consider Christmas this be all end all occasion and would never even think about shifting their thoughts and beliefs.

Late December sucks for travel, the weather is usually stormy, temperatures are cold, a lot of hills don't have full coverage yet, and the days are short. The ski resort industry AND the skiing population need to shift into a spring trip mentality together or it will never happen.
Mar 30 2014 2:43PM
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Mayrandpodcast
Posts: 757 - Karma: 13,231
this
Mar 30 2014 4:42PM
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gohamsam
Posts: 326 - Karma: 2,930
urban?
Mar 30 2014 4:45PM
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JahLiam
Posts: 2321 - Karma: 7,823
Well for all my fellow Glen Eden season pass holders, if you bring your GE pass to blue mountain, you get a $25 lift ticket (usually around $45)
Mar 30 2014 8:18PM
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DBL
Posts: 1404 - Karma: 2,211
I believe the $25 offer stands when you bring a seasons pass from any resort
Mar 30 2014 8:32PM
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Flyingnugget
Posts: 487 - Karma: 221
The struggle is real.
Mar 30 2014 8:34PM
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MMikolainis
Posts: 3 - Karma: 14
Usually Louis still has snow on the hill in like may, and this year we had a shit ton of snow, so I bet they could stay open until like at least the three more weeks, its just sad that everyone in Toronto thinks that when there is no snow in the city that theres no snow up north
Mar 30 2014 10:21PM
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vectorized
Posts: 179 - Karma: 182
It does, and yes Blue is getting my money for the next 3 or 4 weekends, not my literal neighbour Horseshoe- Last to open, First to close.
Apr 2 2014 7:50PM
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The.Doctor
Posts: 194 - Karma: 832
My mountain has a Marmot population, and since marmots are endangered the mountain has to close by a certain point to protect them (which is bullshit because I doubt anyone would hit one) and the mountain can usually stay open til mid may. All I want is to ski on my birthday... at least once.
Apr 2 2014 10:35PM
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pikes
Posts: 165 - Karma: 818
People just loose interest, plain and simple the warmer weather comes around and the get different thoughts on how they want to spend there saturday no use keeping the hill open for 50 die hards there isnt any profit there.
Apr 9 2014 1:16PM
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ChipDirt
Posts: 54 - Karma: 54
Same here in buffalo
Apr 9 2014 2:13PM
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theabortionator
Posts: 51275 - Karma: 157,686
schismNot just an Ontario problem. This happens everywhere dude.


Yup. Even mount snow is planning on closing this next weekend and they have a ton of nice stuff still in.


About 2 weeks ago- this weekend seems to be when most people are shutting down this year.
Apr 9 2014 11:56PM
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