Who killed all the ski bums?

I saw that bout month ago...they need OG with 2dogs?

tschumsGoldminers Daughter. Don't listen to the people on this thread. We don't work for a big corporation, we pay cheap ass rent, eat 3 meals a day and live 20 feet from some of the best skiing in the country. come work with us

snowmosexualI’d rather dig with a pick axe all summer for winter freedom than get on my knees in some corporate lodge all winter.

firefighting in the summer make 40k on a busy fire season may-september and have all winter off, works out pretty good…

Lots of negative energy on this thread, did you guys not see the WorkHardSkiPow's last post where he said all he wanted to do was put out some good vibes and get people that love skiing to come out here and ski???

I work at this very lodge, and I can say that I've had some good and bad experiences with it, but overall my time here has been positive and has kept me coming back for six seasons. This is what I got for you guys!

The Good
-I get to ski 100+ days a season and have skied more way more pow than everyone that's bringing hate and negative energy into this thread.

-After a couple season, Ive been promoted to a management role and now make enough $$$ that I come out of the season with a decent amount of savings. This is because the only money that I spend over the Winter is on ski gear, alcohol, and on food once and awhile when I go out to eat down in SLC. I can go for weeks without spending a single dollar up here if I want to (managers do also not get charged for employee housing). All this being said, over half of my paycheck comes from tips. ALWAYS TIP YOUR BARTENDERS, ESPECIALLY THE ONES SERVING ALTA BOMBS!

-I have fully embraced the Alta community and have made a ton of lifelong friends here, which to me is priceless.

-Living with other folks that live seasonal lifestyles has allowed me to do a ton of networking amongst the outdoor community. I have worked for two summers as a glacier guide for a helicopter company in Alaska because of people that I have met at Alta. My winter coworkers referred me to this company and brought me on to work with them over the summers. I am now spending my summers working as a raft guide in Idaho, all because of the connections that I have made at Alta.

-I walk down two hallways and two sets of stairs and then I am standing in line for Collins or Wildcat lifts. (I wonder how much money some people spend on gas just to get the resort and park their vehicle, and then how many hours of time they waste sitting in the red snake at the end of the day when its time to leave)

The Bad
-Living in employee housing gets old after awhile. My GF and I share a room and it sometimes feels small (On the plus side, we do have our own bathroom and a great view of Highboy and Mt. Baldy)

-The employee meals are sometimes not good, and we do not have a kitchen to make our own food. Some mangers live in rooms that have a kitchen, but most of the staff do not have this luxury.

-Even as a manager, I do not receive any benefits. No healthcare is the big one! This factor alone might be what eventually drives me to leave this place.

-As I stated earlier, a lot of the money that I make over the season comes from tips. The business does not pay people well who are employed in FOH positions. I will not state what the hourly rate for my employees is because it is laughable (I have no control over these wages). We make up for the low hourly wage we get with the tips that we make because we hustle, do a fantastic job and we are always busy. For some reason, most tourists feel like they do not need to tip their bartenders and servers, even though we're the ones making their dining experiences possible.


Conclusion

Living this lifestyle is not for everyone! The seasonal job / ski bum grind can be very difficult, yet very rewarding. If you are a person that prefers stability and security, then do not come to Alta to work for a season. If you are someone that is adventurous and willing to take whatever life throws at you and roll with it, then this could be a great spot for you. You will get to ski your face off and have very little responsibility while doing so. If you decide that you like it here and stick around for a few seasons, there's a good chance you will make your living situation here a little more stable, take on more responsibility, and earn more money over time. I have had a couple friends that work corporate jobs come out to Alta to visit me and I almost converted them to becoming ski bums after just a couple of good snow days on the hill. This place is magical and to be able to wake up here every morning is such a luxury that I do not take for granted!

All this being said, it is easy to not see the red flags while looking through rose colored glasses. New employees come here to have a good time and ski, which they will do! However, they may be taken advantage of by their employers. The down sides to the tourism / ski industry are alive and strong at Alta and the lodges of the canyon. Employees are over worked and underpaid, and it is a dam shame!

Thank you all for reading my rant.
12-20 inches in the forecast for tonight, stoked for a few morning laps before work tomorrow!

WorkHardSkiPow10/day for room and board, which is subtracted out of your pay check.

As for pay, we pay 11-15/hr depending on experience level.

I can't imagine anyone over 21 being cool with that unless they live out of a van and chase seasonal jobs. And I think with everything that's going wrong in the country right now people generally want more security than that lifestyle offers.

kpellll-Even as a manager, I do not receive any benefits. No healthcare is the big one!

Wait, so the appeal is getting to do extreme sports 100 days a year but the consequences of an accident include the possibility of medical bankruptcy?

Wow, fuck that...

NateDudeWait, so the appeal is getting to do extreme sports 100 days a year but the consequences of an accident include the possibility of medical bankruptcy?

Wow, fuck that...

I pay for my own health insurance plan, luckily it is one of the only bills that I have to pay for each month which makes it affordable. However, I ski much more conservatively than I use to due to this harsh reality.

Im a ski bum been one for 2 1/2 decades doin well thanks
a season slingin drinks at steins at bambi basin in 98 ,13 at sillytudes,
been with l9 for 9 years now and ski u for 13
id need a silver pass, transferable shop passes for my crew, $20 sumthin an hour, 4 weeks pto, health insurance, gear at cost + 10%, and my dog comes with me to work so he needs a watershed exemption and
dont need a sink peeing roomy or dorm room and ill pass on your grub
dm me when i can start

Yeah I’m over trying to work at a ski hill, either I can’t afford to live close enough and I would rather work a job that lets me ski, the positions that I’m interested in are either dogshit pay/ working requirements or fall into the bs clique hiring that a lot of departments fall into, why would any sane person show an interest in working at a ski hill anymore?

byuboundHow else am I supposed to let myself know I agree?

You are so fucking pathetic.

Its a shame NS has changed so much that the user body doesnt understand the intrinsic value of working at a lodge at Alta
To OP: sad to hear . I’m sorry NS has become a bastion of rude gen Z snowflakes . My friends who worked at Alta Lodges reminsince on it being the best time of their lives .

I dont think these idiots realize the intrinsic value of the opportunities working at Alta will open up.

If I was 10 years younger and didnt have a wife, kids and a highly lucrative career I would be all over it .

Regardless , will do my part to support ASL by patroning the Snowpine for a few weeks this winter

knees and backs don't gaf about how one skis, if you going down, ... you going down

kpellllI pay for my own health insurance plan, luckily it is one of the only bills that I have to pay for each month which makes it affordable. However, I ski much more conservatively than I use to due to this harsh reality.

Thanks for all the support guys. Alta means the world to me and I just want to share the experience with others. I have been blessed throughout my life and I am grateful for the opportunity to live my life in Alta. It certainly isn't for everyone, but from what I have seen in the past 14 years there, those who make it their own and carve their own path have nothing but positive experiences.

Thanks to all who have messaged me in the last few day, I truly hope we can work something out and make some turns together this winter!!!

WorkHardSkiPowThanks for all the support guys. Alta means the world to me and I just want to share the experience with others. I have been blessed throughout my life and I am grateful for the opportunity to live my life in Alta. It certainly isn't for everyone, but from what I have seen in the past 14 years there, those who make it their own and carve their own path have nothing but positive experiences.

Thanks to all who have messaged me in the last few day, I truly hope we can work something out and make some turns together this winter!!!

Yeah let's check back on this in 5 years. I'm guessing you'll turn into a full blown alcoholic that hangs at bars telling kids how awesome being a ski bum was back in the good ol days.

@LANTASKIIts a shame NS has changed so much that the user body doesnt understand the intrinsic value of working at a lodge at Alta
To OP: sad to hear . I’m sorry NS has become a bastion of rude gen Z snowflakes . My friends who worked at Alta Lodges reminsince on it being the best time of their lives .

I dont think these idiots realize the intrinsic value of the opportunities working at Alta will open up.

If I was 10 years younger and didnt have a wife, kids and a highly lucrative career I would be all over it .

Regardless , will do my part to support ASL by patroning the Snowpine for a few weeks this winter

I think that most people on here would agree that there is value to living at Alta, its just that those things do not outweigh the benefits of not getting paid pennies, living in crappy housing, and receiving crappy benefits. Why does realizing that make people 'rude gen Z snowflakes'?

skiermanYeah let's check back on this in 5 years. I'm guessing you'll turn into a full blown alcoholic that hangs at bars telling kids how awesome being a ski bum was back in the good ol days.

That sounds like a better outcome than being a troll on the internet for the past decade. Good luck with your future, it looks bright.

skiermanYeah let's check back on this in 5 years. I'm guessing you'll turn into a full blown alcoholic that hangs at bars telling kids how awesome being a ski bum was back in the good ol days.

You’re describing yourself, right?

I didn’t want to share a room with 3 other people in a basement before a pandemic and I sure as shit don’t want to now. Also it’s super uncertain times right now, attempting to find some stability with a goodish paying job is important to me.

@LANTASKIIts a shame NS has changed so much that the user body doesnt understand the intrinsic value of working at a lodge at Alta

If I was 10 years younger and didnt have a wife, kids and a highly lucrative career I would be all over it .

Lol read that back slowly.....


You're just as much of the problem as us lololol. Like you do realize that the majority of NS core base is 25+ and has hit the same point in life as you right?? Most of us have careers and lives that don't agree with working for chump change and living with 3+ roommates.

WorkHardSkiPowThat sounds like a better outcome than being a troll on the internet for the past decade. Good luck with your future, it looks bright.

You could have just posted, "I'm alone and have a drinking problem, you're right"

Fuck you, skierman, you meany you.

skiermanYeah let's check back on this in 5 years. I'm guessing you'll turn into a full blown alcoholic that hangs at bars telling kids how awesome being a ski bum was back in the good ol days.

Profahoben_212Lol read that back slowly.....


You're just as much of the problem as us lololol. Like you do realize that the majority of NS core base is 25+ and has hit the same point in life as you right?? Most of us have careers and lives that don't agree with working for chump change and living with 3+ roommates.

Yea but I worked shitty jobs during my gap year to fund my ski pass. Worked graveyard shift at a Ski Town taxi company for a pass for a few weeks before getting an instructing job at like $12 an hr in 2008. When you are 19 years old with no discernable skills or a degree, that is a fair wage. ZOOMERS OF NS: You aren't entitled to $50k per year just for existing.

**This post was edited on Dec 31st 2021 at 11:43:47pm

WorkHardSkiPowThat sounds like a better outcome than being a troll on the internet for the past decade. Good luck with your future, it looks bright.

more like going on 2 decades. Send me a DM with a job rec and I'll circulate it amongst my old fraternity house's list serv. We may be able to round up a few ol boys who don't want to join the real world after graduating this Spring for an awesome year in Alta in 22-23. We have a fine tradition of producing world class ski bums from The boat to Big Sky to J Hole.

@LANTASKIYea but I worked shitty jobs during my gap year to fund my ski pass. Worked graveyard shift at a Ski Town taxi company for a pass for a few weeks before getting an instructing job at like $12 an hr in 2008. When you are 19 years old with no discernable skills or a degree, that is a fair wage. ZOOMERS OF NS: You aren't entitled to $50k per year just for existing.

**This post was edited on Dec 31st 2021 at 11:43:47pm

We all worked shitty jobs to afford ski passes my dude what are you talking about?


Also 12 bucks an hour in 2008?? That's damn good pay. That's 15.50 an hour today which is damn reasonable for a starting instructor.


Why do you keep going off on zoomers my dog you aren't on Twitter and nobody is asking for 50k to exist.

byuboundI think that most people on here would agree that there is value to living at Alta, its just that those things do not outweigh the benefits of not getting paid pennies, living in crappy housing, and receiving crappy benefits. Why does realizing that make people 'rude gen Z snowflakes'?

"Nobody wants to work anymore"

I only ever hear this line from the crappiest employers who can't fill their positions.

@LANTASKIZOOMERS OF NS: You aren't entitled to $50k per year just for existing.

**This post was edited on Dec 31st 2021 at 11:43:47pm

hahaha quit with the strawmen bro nobody is saying this

Rparr"Nobody wants to work anymore"

I only ever hear this line from the crappiest employers who can't fill their positions.

Can't blame a Mormon for thinking Mormon things. He's probably just upset no one wants to work for his parent's multilevel marketing nutrition company.