SAM Magazine—Cambridge, Vt., Mar. 3, 2022—The Presidents' Day holiday week proved fruitful for North American ski areas. Wilmot Mountain, Wisc.Operators from coast to coast were overwhelmingly positive regarding skier enthusiasm for the late-February holiday period, and operationally resorts seem to finally be finding their groove in this difficult season. 

West

Much of the West had been starved for snow for a month or more prior to the holiday. Presidents' Day saw low temperatures and storms across the country. Heavy snowfall in California early in the holiday week was very welcome, said Ski California president Michael Reitzell. 

“We did well despite the fact that we went six weeks without any snow,” he said of holiday performance at California’s ski areas. “Our huge snowpack from December is holding up very well and skiers and riders continue to come out. Thankfully, we did see up to 18 inches of cold, light snow at the beginning of last week, which set up a great week following the holiday.”

Utah also benefited from some much-needed snow throughout Presidents' Day and into the holiday week. Deer Valley, Utah, senior communications manager Emily Summers reported that the resort’s ski school and lodging were at 100 percent capacity for several days throughout the holiday period. 

Summers added that a new approach to on-hill guest engagement over the busy period also saw positive results. “We increased our staffing on the mountain, including ski patrol in high-traffic areas, and stationed a snowcat and members of our snow grooming team on the mountain throughout the day to educate guests on our grooming operations that happen each night,” explained Summers. Additionally, according to Summers, Deer Valley is continuing to find success with an app it introduced last year to support grab-and-go food ordering, real-time messaging, and resort wayfinding.

Sunlight Mountain, Colo., had its single busiest days in history on Saturday, Feb. 19 and Saturday, Feb. 26, said marketing and sales director Troy Hawks. The recent partnership with Indy Pass helped drive day guest traffic for the holiday weekend, said Hawks, but Sunlight passholders accounted for the bulk of visitation from Presidents' Day onward. Sunlight had capped ticket sales in 2020-21 to manage capacity amid the pandemic, but removed caps this season, allowing for increased volume year-over-year. 

Hawks linked the holiday success to the mountain’s commitment to its independent character. “I think the times and new technologies have a tendency to make us want to operate in a more corporate way,” he said, “but the key for small ski areas, in my opinion, is to not succumb to whitewashing and micro-managing our employees, but instead to maintain our unique character. That’s what our guests are looking for and appreciating right now.” 

Midwest

Although many midwestern resorts got off to a rocky start early this season, Mount Bohemia, Mich., reported it is on track for its second biggest year in operational history. “We are up in visits but got off to a late start—Jan. 8—so we will likely not have our biggest year attendance-wise, but likely our second biggest,” said president Lonie Glieberman. 

“Per day [visitation] is the highest it has ever been, and lodging is having its biggest year ever, even with missing Christmas and New Years,” Glieberman added, noting he’s pleased with the operational decision to move all lift ticket orders online, which has drastically reduced wait times. 

New Wilmot Mountain, Wis., general manager Chuck Randles was pleased to report that the Vail-owned Chicagoland feeder resort saw a smooth holiday week with strong visitation. “Wilmot had a high-energy Presidents' Day weekend,” he said. 

“We also saw a significant amount of interest in our rentals, as this mountain is a great place for new skiers and riders,” Randles added. To enhance that aspect of operations, he said, Wilmot rolled out an online reservation system this season.

East

In the East, a mixed bag of weather woes tried to put a damper on the week, but many resort operators were able to round the holiday out on a high note. For Waterville Valley, N.H., skier visits were up year-over-year, but heavy rain heading into the week set the resort back by about 10 percent for the holiday period overall. 

Despite the inclement weather, Waterville’s marketing operations manager, Jamie Cobbett, remained outwardly positive, describing the conditions as “great all week” thanks to quality grooming. “We had 4 inches of rain in one week leading up to the holiday break,” said Cobbett. “Our grooming staff did an amazing job, and then we received 7-8 inches of natural snow, which groomed in perfectly.”

Waterville’s central artery, the White Peaks Express Quad, was down all-day Friday, Feb. 25, after its control panel failed. Cobbett said transparency in communication regarding the issue and changes to operating schedules were met with positive feedback from guests. “We offered other lifts to the summit and ran our Northside lift, which many guests were extremely happy about as it doesn’t operate often,” said Cobbett, adding that the quad back online by 9 a.m. the next morning. 

Snowshoe Mountain, W.Va., was up in skier visits this Presidents' Day weekend over 2020-21. PR manager Shawn Cassell attributed the growth, in part, to loosened capacity restrictions this season versus last. “We were cutting off ticket sales more quickly than we have this winter. Our cap is higher and therefore our skier visits are higher,” said Cassell, who noted consistent holiday period growth throughout the 2021-22 season.

Strong visitation coupled with Vermont school vacation demand led Smugglers’ Notch, Vt., to limit lift ticket sales on the weekends bookending the holiday week. “Having the usual Vermont skiers and riders coming in a week later would have given us some extra breathing room to spread things out,” said Steve Clokey, VP of marketing. “But overall, we have had a terrific week despite some crazy weather patterns,” he added, noting that temperatures on Presidents' Day reached as high as 50, but normalized again, allowing snowmaking to resume during the week. 

Senior communications manager for Vail Resorts’ Northeast ski areas Adam White maintained a similarly positive sentiment regarding the weather. “Some unfortunate weather—unseasonably warm and rainy—posed a challenge leading into Presidents' weekend, but our mountain ops crews did a fantastic job revamping surfaces and getting the trails in good shape for skiing and riding,” said White. “Snow in the forecast later in the week seized the attention of the storm chasers, who are always eager for fresh powder. That made for a very popular Friday and weekend.”

White complimented guest behavior at Vail’s Northeastern resorts when faced with the adverse weather. “Snowy weather does affect travel, and we saw that reflected in arrival and departure patterns over the course of the holiday. Guests took their time traveling and that helped spread out arrivals,” said White. “Overall, fresh snow and enthusiastic guests helped make it a successful holiday period at Attitash and all of our Northeastern resorts.”

Holiday Valley, N.Y., also considered the week a success, especially the holiday weekend, where revenue records were set. Marketing director Jane Eshbaugh joked that creative parking was a key performance indicator, adding that lodging properties were full and snowsports private lessons completely sold out. Eshbaugh is optimistic that Canadian visits will climb following the recent easing of Covid testing requirements for travelers crossing the border, adding to the already robust season for the ski area. 

In general, operators seemed pleased with visitation for the February holiday traditionally hailed as the busiest of the season. Those who began the season with concerns over staff safety and shortages, ever-changing health protocols, and wild weather patterns, seem to have shifted focus toward revenue goals and planning for next season. 

Report compiled by Michael Chait.

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