And then last March all the ski hills, from the mom-and-pops to the blown-out mega-resorts shut down.
When they reopened this winter, everything was different.
Going skiingfeelsdifferent at most ski resorts than it used to.
And a different crowd of people is experiencing skiing in a different way than they used to.
And thats a good thing, Im all for more people falling in love with skiing.
Plenty of those people are also fleeing cities due to the pandemic.
This new ability to work remotely has them taking extended vacations in ski towns.
Anecdotally, in my area, medium-term (3+ months) rentals are up.
And season pass purchases at my home hillare also up.
Like your small mountain town.
That brings us to an interesting conundrum.
But now, theres a third group, sitting nebulously somewhere in the middle.
Season pass holders who will be gone as soon as the lifts stop turning.
I think most of us ski differently when were on vacation.
We approach the entire experience with a different attitude than we would at our home hills.
No parents, no rules!
But this new group of skiers poses a more pernicious threat.
kindly, kindly dont let that happen.
Treat this place like you wish visitors would treat your neighborhood at home.
Learn about what makes it incredible, and find a way to contribute to that.
More people skiing more days wont kill the core skiing experience.
Fuller parking lots and longer lift lines dont really endanger the soul of the resorts we love.
Ski like you own the place.
Treat it like you love it, like you want to preserve this experience.
Ski towns are great because theyre full of people working to make them better.
