How much would you pay to park (not premium parking)

Ski area prices are pushing people away from the sport. Season passes and the multi pass deals help a lot but try and get a beer at the lodge and you get bent over without lubrication. A pitcher of beer will run you around 18 bucks.

Here at Snowbowl we have a huge parking lot scene. Lots 5,6 and 7 have ski in ski out spots and over the last few years there have been more and more people grilling and bringing coolers full of beers. It’s pretty fun but if the weather isn’t so nice everyone still heads to the lodge or home.

Snowbowl does offer incentives for people carpooling during the peak weeks. Beverage tickets and whatnot. That’s pretty cool.

JH and Aspen have parking lots that are free with extra passengers, either 3 or 4 total.  I know it used to be 3 at JH because I went with two of my ski buddies but might have gone up to 4.  For Snowmass and Highlands, I think it's been 4 for a while.  There are also several parking options with free bus service.

The idea of pay parking has been discussed for Alta.  Parking is actually a bigger issue during the summer in LCC.

I vaguely remember people complaining when fees for parking were implemented for Big Bear in CA, which is also more for locals.

$20 does seem pretty steep for a locals ski area.

JTG4eva! wrote

So I take it nobody is buying their claim that this is, essentially, an environmentally friendly change, one aimed at having fewer greenhouse gas emitting vehicles fouling the mountains on busy days?

No, silly. I mentioned this in another thread. It's absurd for a ski hill company to suddenly talk Green after they have butchered the hillside to put in trails, install large, power sucking mechanical devices to transport skiers up the hill, install a power and local water sucking snowmaking system, and unleash large tractor like devices on that hill every night, spewing diesel fumes, to groom the trails. Like encouraging people to car pool is even near to atoning for all that.
No, it's Vail Inc. charging for parking again. Fees, fees, fees. The airlines proved how a company can make billions by nickel and diming customers, and the nerds at Vail learned well. I think that it will backfire, and just send thousands up I70 to Summit or Loveland, especially the Epic pass holders, therefore, creating more pollution in that weekly epic traffic jam up and down to the tunnel. Like Eldora is actually worth paid parking.

raisingarizona wrote

Ski area prices are pushing people away from the sport. Season passes and the multi pass deals help a lot but try and get a beer at the lodge and you get bent over without lubrication. A pitcher of beer will run you around 18 bucks.

Here at Snowbowl we have a huge parking lot scene. Lots 5,6 and 7 have ski in ski out spots and over the last few years there have been more and more people grilling and bringing coolers full of beers. It’s pretty fun but if the weather isn’t so nice everyone still heads to the lodge or home.

Snowbowl does offer incentives for people carpooling during the peak weeks. Beverage tickets and whatnot. That’s pretty cool.

You should lighten up on the beer. Just one glass instead of a pitcher, ok? It's a long, icy road down to home.

But I’m a professional Benny.

The routine is you sit with a group and everyone takes a turn at getting a pitcher. It’s still too damn expensive but man, the Agassiz Social Lounge is one of my most favorite ski hill bars anywhere. It’s our Cheers.

 

unless the parking is premium..It is down right absurd to pay to park, then pay to ski..Imagine if your favorite restaurant or store charged you to park. you would tell the to F themselves..this is just a no cost money grab..

imo a seasons pass is a interest free loan , i wonder how many people never break even..

JasonWx wrote

unless the parking is premium..It is down right absurd to pay to park, then pay to ski..Imagine if your favorite restaurant or store charged you to park. you would tell the to F themselves..this is just a no cost money grab..

imo a seasons pass is a interest free loan , i wonder how many people never break even..

Well not restaurants, but when you go to a concert or sporting event, especially in a city, you can almost guarantee you are going to pay for parking.  You'll also pay $5 for a shitty beer, $5 for a crummy hot dog, and whatever else they can gouge you for.  No one HAS to go skiing.  It's no surprise to me really.  In fact the bigger surprise is they don't just charge everyone the $20 and actually offer some incentive if you carpool or come as a family.

There's actually been a big fuss that this pay-for-parking has killed city businesses.  I don't really see it though.  Expressways, commuting and suburban sprawl killed cities (especially small ones in NY) but that's another story.

Cunningstunts wrote

JasonWx wrote

unless the parking is premium..It is down right absurd to pay to park, then pay to ski..Imagine if your favorite restaurant or store charged you to park. you would tell the to F themselves..this is just a no cost money grab..

imo a seasons pass is a interest free loan , i wonder how many people never break even..

Well not restaurants, but when you go to a concert or sporting event, especially in a city, you can almost guarantee you are going to pay for parking.  You'll also pay $5 for a shitty beer, $5 for a crummy hot dog, and whatever else they can gouge you for.  No one HAS to go skiing.  It's no surprise to me really.  In fact the bigger surprise is they don't just charge everyone the $20 and actually offer some incentive if you carpool or come as a family.

There's actually been a big fuss that this pay-for-parking has killed city businesses.  I don't really see it though.  Expressways, commuting and suburban sprawl killed cities (especially small ones in NY) but that's another story.

Good point...
I don't go to many events and i'm pretty lucky finding street parking in NYC
Beer at MSG is now $15..

Hey , I was at Eldora Nordic last year!  Free parking then . Nice Family feel to the place. The snow was poor last year, so they only had half the Nordic trails open, but very nice. If the upper trails would have been open would be awesome.
You can ski from the Nordic area to the main lodges for warm up and lunch. Prices were pretty reasonable as I remember.

Isnt the interest on the pass loan the potential for a lower cost per ski day?

Put in perspective what if Gore said ok it’s now $20 per car for one or two people.   Multiple the day trips by $20.   I don’t have 3 people just 2.  Eldora added that $20 after season passes purchased?   That’s BS.   Another $40 a weekend or $160 a month or $640 for four months assuming sat and sun no holidays.    Think my non holiday ORDA pass was only $649

I recall when I went to Montreal a few years ago, everything was pay parking unless you went to a neighborhood on the outside of downtown and tried to find side street parking.  Most cities I've been to having a car is always a liability and expense.  I prefer to put it in a garage (and of course you have to pay) and take public transport.

Sounds like Eldora is a family oriented ski area from the Grief's post.  I would have guessed that in that I've never heard of it and it isn't on the I70 corridor.  So that policy probably won't affect many of those people.

There was even some stuff I read a little while back about making parking paid at trailheads.  I believe that was in California but you can bet if it ever became busy enough, our state might try doing that.  I mean if you park at the ADK Loj, you have to pay to park.  There was a big issue in the last few years with people parking along the road - I was one of them.  I went and hiked Mt. Jo with my wife and mother-in-law on a nice summer day and you couldn't even get a spot at the Loj lot.  Shortly after I read about how that was illegal and they were enforcing it.  Signs all over now, I believe.

Cunningstunts wrote

There was even some stuff I read a little while back about making parking paid at trailheads.  

Learned in May that Washington, Oregon, and California have "Sno Park" passes that can be bought for a day or a season.  A day pass was $5-10 depending on where it's bought.  Season pass was under $50 I think.  There are small parking lots along the 2-lane highways in the park areas used for winter hiking, snowshoeing, nordic skiing, and/or snowmobiling.  The parking lots at Mt. Hood Meadows and Timberline require a Sno Park sticker.  Money goes towards keep those parking lots clear after snowstorms, along with the roads.

Looks like Idaho has a Sno Park system too.

NH white mountains have similar and cheap season long parking pass for its trailheads.   Like $20 or $25 per season if I recall correctly

Yeah - that sounds right.  Might have been something about adding summer parking too, because I think I read it on a MTB forum (MTBR I believe).

And yeah, $20-25 isn't bad for a season parking pass, but right now, unless you go to a campground, all parking at NYS DEC managed lands is free.  I'm thinking that's gonna change in the future though, especially in the high peaks area.

No way I support the concept, mind you.....but if all that environmental concern was the true driver of their decision, shouldn't they be donating the parking proceeds to a legit green organization or initiative to help further the cause?

raisingarizona wrote

 

Snowbowl does offer incentives for people carpooling during the peak weeks. Beverage tickets and whatnot. That’s pretty cool.

that's the way to do it

not this BS about claiming to be green

campgottagopee wrote

raisingarizona wrote

 

Snowbowl does offer incentives for people carpooling during the peak weeks. Beverage tickets and whatnot. That’s pretty cool.

that's the way to do it

not this BS about claiming to be green

Right. Incentivize good behavior with benefits, don't punish "bad" behavior with penalties.

So two things, Camp and MC.  

Where does the "free money" come from for incentives?

And you still get no incentive for showing up alone in your electric car.




Would it have been better if they charged a parking fee for everyone for a year and then made the incentive for carpooling next year?

 

They  want you to pay for parking in addition to a lift ticket or a season pass?  What are they smoking?