If they had a crystal ball

I don't know that anyone has too much knowledge of the P&L of resorts but GD this early season has been traumatic.  If Killington had a Crystal Ball do you think they would have still blown all that snow so early?  Do you think they're even close to breaking even this season?

I feel terrible for these resorts, like Hunter who just blew 100k? on snowmaking and it's back to MUD on Dec 18th?

Yeah they're (Killington) getting skier visits but jeesh, the money they've put into snowmaking already must be tremendous, all for such a limited amount of terrain.  Same with Gore/Whiteface and really anyone that's holding on for life right now.

I feel bad for them as well, but it's a seasonal business relying on Ma-Natch so owners etc better be prepared for such years or they won't be around long.

We now have a pretty good idea of Hunter's P&L since the sale.  Not sure how the change in ownership matters (ie if Peak is a solid company or not) but if it was the same owners I'd say they'd be fine.  (BTW Slutzkys well timed sale!).

That said I assume Hunter is in the minority with their big margins.

 Whether or not it is "worth it" for K to have blown not sure... but the marketing/branding was not a complete waste as the word across the northeast has been "man the skiing sucks this fall, but it's decent at K."  That has to be worth something.  I know there are a lot of Gore passholders who now hold K midweek passes and are feeling pretty good about it.

I bet K wishes they spent more. They probably have by far the most skier visits on the coast this year, and will be one of the only mountains to see pass sales go up again next year.

my brother in law was a bartender for mnt snow for years. he use to say christmas week and presidents week were the difference makers. if the crowds came those weeks then the mnt made money. if one or both of those weeks sucked it was a struggle to make a profit.
 

I'm sure the guys in management always share thier P&L spreadsheets with the bartenders
That is unless the are drinking Jack and crying over them

I know it looks grim now but every El Niño has started crappy and end good up here.  The being north and high is going to be the key this year.  It's going to be ugly down south.

WF seems to be doing what I proposed a few weeks back on here.    They are blowing up high and keeping the powder dry and the budget in place at the bottom waiting for colder weather.  

I agree with Coach Z. I worked at Killington in the snowmaking control room one season in the 90s. I was just a worker bee but I sat right next to where they posted the snowplan for the day and usually got to eavesdrop when the VP went over the plan with the dept head and the supervisors. The impression I got was that the budget for the early season was pretty much set based on the previous years revenues. I'm sure the execs are all bummed that the season isn't going better but the big mountains aren't going broke over this. Where this weather is going to hurt the industry is at the smaller mountains. If a place like Catamount or Mount Peter can't get open til the second week of January, their season pass holders are gonna have to think hard about re-upping next year.  The little guys are gambling with the rent money and, if they don't manage things right, could get knocked out by one bad year. Gore and WF and Belleayre are state owned so they'll get a de facto bailout from my tax dollars no matter how badly things go. What's really insidious about this weather is that the casual skiers don't even think about going until they see snow on their front yard.

Coach Z wrote

I'm sure the guys in management always share thier P&L spreadsheets with the bartenders
That is unless the are drinking Jack and crying over them

possibly ,but guess where the execs wind up at the end of the day, especially the days we are having.

As a passholder, I don't give a fuck about an area's budget, just blow the fucking snow!!!!!

Coach Z wrote

I'm sure the guys in management always share thier P&L spreadsheets with the bartenders
That is unless the are drinking Jack and crying over them

It seems i was wrong. resorts don't make 20% of there revenue christmass week, its 25%. see quote below from
jiminy peak.

"Fairbanks says he doesn’t know whether to laugh or cry when he sees 72 degree weather Christmas week. That’s a time when school are closed, families plan winter vacations, and ski resorts are banking on 25 percent of their annual revenue."

link to entire storyhttp://wnyt.com/article/stories/S4003673.shtml?cat=300

It wasn't a wate of money if they could claim that they are open, therefore they don't have to refund already made ticket purchases and lodging packages. Every mountain has a clause in the agreement during reservations that they do not garauntee conditions. Imagine how much Killington would lose if that happened.

I tell ya, if I was Mr. Gaper with the wife and the two kids, I'd be thinking real hard of alternatives to skiing for next Xmas week. A beach on an island somewhere has to be looking real good after this. I'll bet there's a bunch of people who dropped a few thousand dollars for mud outside and watching their kids stare at screens or fight with each other inside.