The New and improved Oregon 2020/2021 Ski Season Thread

**Bobcat Sig** · 11-17-2020, 07:53 PM

So... umm, anyone want to show this beater around some zones on Mt Hood? I've been back five years and save for a few resortcountry laps, I've done little in the way of touring around here. Plenty of experience in Montana, Wyoming, and Idaho. I have all the requisite gear and knowledge. I'll bring beer if I can tag along. #grindrforskiing

**Supermoon** · 11-17-2020, 08:05 PM

Damn. Strong start to the year here.

**The AD** · 11-18-2020, 11:11 AM

Just saw this in the New York Times:

When you love to snowboard as much as Rocky Freudenberg, the winter season ahead looked rather worrisome. Snow is always a gamble, but maybe less this year, a La Niña year, which could mean more powder-dumping storms for the northern Rockies and Cascades, where Mr. Freudenberg lives in Oregon. His worry hinged on the pandemic. Now, for the first time, many ski resorts big and small will require a reservation to ride the lifts — sometimes even if you own a season pass.

So, with Covid-19 concerns high on his mind, Mr. Freudenberg, who is 47 and single with flexible work hours, hatched a plan. Instead of buying a season pass to his local ski area, he spent about $1,000 on an Ikon Pass, which gives him seven days or more of lift tickets at each of the pass’s 44 participating resorts in North America and abroad.

Then he spent another $16,000 on a used motor home, a Gulf Stream, to which he added a waxing station and snowboard racks. Come January, he plans to take a 15-week, road-trip snow safari, bouncing between places like Crystal, Wash., and Mammoth Mountain, Calif., on a quest to log his usual 40-plus days of riding.

“I’ve always wanted to chase powder,” he says. “Now I’m also chasing what’s available.”

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/18/t...nds-virus.html

**Toadman** · 11-18-2020, 11:13 AM

^^^Sounds like a plan. An expensive one....

**The AD** · 11-18-2020, 11:27 AM

Sounds good if you've got the time and the money...

**puma** · 11-18-2020, 11:58 AM

Originally Posted by The AD

Just saw this in the New York Times:

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/18/t...nds-virus.html

I think I'll shoot a note to my boss at work, and at home, and see if I can do the same...

**::: :::** · 11-18-2020, 02:41 PM

live cams at mhm showing it's back to pounding snow

**Toadman** · 11-18-2020, 04:32 PM

Live cams at Bachy show a bunch of people in the tubing zone. Looks like blowing snow.

**interloper** · 11-18-2020, 04:49 PM

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**sirbumpsalot** · 11-18-2020, 07:50 PM

Any ideas how the parking reservation system doles out slots? I checked every weekend for Dec-Jan-Feb and no free parking available. Then I tried a dozen random weekdays in Jan-Feb and found no free parking. First day I found was first weekend in March.

Seriously thinking of just taking the refund before Nov 20th and say I won't ski this year rather than get stuck with a pass I can't use even one day let alone the 5 I am credited with.

Bachelor hasn't really indicated what % they have allocated per day yet.

EDIT: I have a worry because I took a week vacation to Glacier/Yellowstone in early October expecting it to be empty as it usually is...and well....both were PACKED with families and KIDS....so I am thinking with WFH and Home schooling and the lack standards for attendance....even the weekdays will be packed with skiers and no...parking.

**jayx** · 11-18-2020, 08:19 PM

Originally Posted by sirbumpsalot

Any ideas how the parking reservation system doles out slots? I checked every weekend for Dec-Jan-Feb and no free parking available. Then I tried a dozen random weekdays in Jan-Feb and found no free parking. First day I found was first weekend in March.

Seriously thinking of just taking the refund before Nov 20th and say I won't ski this year rather than get stuck with a pass I can't use even one day let alone the 5 I am credited with.

Bachelor hasn't really indicated what % they have allocated per day yet.

I tried a few weekdays and some had free parking available, but others only had the $40 paid parking available. I also tried some midwinter Saturday’s, and found no parking available.

That sucks for you as a Bachelor pass holder, that’s some BS. Not being able to make reservations now, or having to pay $40 to park some days is crazy. I kind of hate this parking reservation system compared to the Epic/Ikon systems, which I think are reasonable given the unique circumstances that we are in (don’t get me wrong, I’m no fan of them, but if it’s what makes the season happen, so be it).

I’ll be honest, I have an Ikon Pass, and plan on using all 5 of my Bachelor days - in my defense, I was prepared to buy a quad pack until it jumped onto the Ikon bandwagon. Anyway, the day that Bachelor parking reservations became available, I made the maximum number of reservations, all for weekends in late Feb through mid-March. I probably won’t use them all, in fact I’ll probably save a couple of my days for some glorious late April or May spring skiing, but I figured I had to make the reservations when I did in case they ran out (there’s some game theory shit we could dig into). What I can’t believe is that ANYONE could make parking reservations, it didn’t matter if you had a season pass, an Ikon, a quad pack, or nothing. I’m shocked that they didn’t give priority in making reservations to season pass holders, then Ikon, and so on. It feels like Bachelor gave a big middle finger to their most loyal customers.

**sirbumpsalot** · 11-18-2020, 08:33 PM

Originally Posted by jayx

I tried a few weekdays and some had free parking available, but others only had the $40 paid parking available. I also tried some midwinter Saturday’s, and found no parking available.

That sucks for you as a Bachelor pass holder, that’s some BS. Not being able to make reservations now, or having to pay $40 to park some days is crazy. I kind of hate this parking reservation system compared to the Epic/Ikon systems, which I think are reasonable given the unique circumstances that we are in (don’t get me wrong, I’m no fan of them, but if it’s what makes the season happen, so be it).

I’ll be honest, I have an Ikon Pass, and plan on using all 5 of my Bachelor days - in my defense, I was prepared to buy a quad pack until it jumped onto the Ikon bandwagon. Anyway, the day that Bachelor parking reservations became available, I made the maximum number of reservations, all for weekends in late Feb through mid-March. I probably won’t use them all, in fact I’ll probably save a couple of my days for some glorious late April or May spring skiing, but I figured I had to make the reservations when I did in case they ran out (there’s some game theory shit we could dig into). What I can’t believe is that ANYONE could make parking reservations, it didn’t matter if you had a season pass, an Ikon, a quad pack, or nothing. I’m shocked that they didn’t give priority in making reservations to season pass holders, then Ikon, and so on. It feels like Bachelor gave a big middle finger to their most loyal customers.

Thanks....Given it might be the best they can do....If everyone has 7 days they can use....and they are all employed at all times...only being given up the night before....and you come from out of town...you probably will have stress and trouble trying to get a reservation every day you come until 1am the night before....Am I wrong in the gaming of this cluster?

I am mainly interested in the % given out now and % to be held in reserve for later. If 75-80% are given out now....I am screwed I think.

**jayx** · 11-18-2020, 08:35 PM

Originally Posted by sirbumpsalot

EDIT: I have a worry because I took a week vacation to Glacier/Yellowstone in early October expecting it to be empty as it usually is...and well....both were PACKED with families and KIDS....so I am thinking with WFH and Home schooling and the lack standards for attendance....even the weekdays will be packed with skiers and no...parking.

The Parks Service, Forest Service, etc. have reported crazy visitation numbers for our national parks and forests this summer. Way busier than usual. It kind of makes sense - people can’t do a lot of what they normally can do, but hiking/backpacking/biking/etc. could all be done relatively normally.

I agree with you, I am guessing that midweek skiing will be up this season. I’m part of the problem. Normally I’m a weekend warrior, but I got laid off from my 9-5, M-F job along with a lot of other people in my company. Lack of demand during COVID, existing clients cancelling contracts. I’m doing some part-time work right now, but I’m taking advantage of temporarily being out of the grind to do some midweek skiing.

That said, even if midweek skiing is up this season, imagine the crush of people who will be wanting to ski on the weekends this season! Even though I don’t like reservation systems, I hope that they can help a bit with weekends. I’m also happy that places like Meadows and Crystal aren’t doing walk-up tickets, although I still imagine they’ll be packed on weekends.

**The AD** · 11-18-2020, 08:38 PM

Originally Posted by jayx

I tried a few weekdays and some had free parking available, but others only had the $40 paid parking available.

$40 parking? Are they out of their fucking minds?

**sirbumpsalot** · 11-18-2020, 08:42 PM

Originally Posted by jayx

The Parks Service, Forest Service, etc. have reported crazy visitation numbers for our national parks and forests this summer. Way busier than usual. It kind of makes sense - people can’t do a lot of what they normally can do, but hiking/backpacking/biking/etc. could all be done relatively normally.

I agree with you, I am guessing that midweek skiing will be up this season. I’m part of the problem. Normally I’m a weekend warrior, but I got laid off from my 9-5, M-F job along with a lot of other people in my company. Lack of demand during COVID, existing clients cancelling contracts. I’m doing some part-time work right now, but I’m taking advantage of temporarily being out of the grind to do some midweek skiing.

That said, even if midweek skiing is up this season, imagine the crush of people who will be wanting to ski on the weekends this season! Even though I don’t like reservation systems, I hope that they can help a bit with weekends. I’m also happy that places like Meadows and Crystal aren’t doing walk-up tickets, although I still imagine they’ll be packed on weekends.

I prefer midweek skiing....just worried about getting a reservation for more than one day at a time since I live 3hrs away.

I did however notice this from just now on FB:

The Passholder Promise provides a no questions asked refund — for any unused 2020/21 pass — and is now extended to 12/15/20 (previously 11/20).

**jayx** · 11-18-2020, 08:51 PM

I know it’s not the same, but what about getting a pass at Hoodoo? I doubt that they’re doing reservations.

**Toadman** · 11-18-2020, 09:07 PM

Originally Posted by The AD

$40 parking? Are they out of their fucking minds?

4 people to a vehicle = $10. Just pick up random strangers at the SW Mt Washington - Century Drive traffic circle and charge them $10. And then, if they want to get a ride back, charge them $20. Problem solved.