Passholder loyalty -- and vice versa.

<br>I'm sure there are more than a few season passholders out there that sunk a ton of change into a whole lot of nothing. With that in mind, read the following management decisions on what happens next...<br><br> www.stevenspass.com/html/misc/gm_letter_to_passholders.shtml

www.summit-at-snoqualmie.com/info/winter/seasonpass.asp

So, where will you be spending your money next year?
As I read it, not at Stevens.

<br>I'm sure there are more than a few season passholders out there that sunk a ton of change into a whole lot of nothing. With that in mind, read the following management decisions on what happens next...<br><br> www.stevenspass.com/html/misc/gm_letter_to_passholders.shtml

www.summit-at-snoqualmie.com/info/winter/seasonpass.asp

So, where will you be spending your money next year?
As I read it, not at Stevens.

<br><br><br>Yea, Snoqualmie wins out big on this PR move.

As a pass holder at Stevens for the last four years the 'Chump Change' they are handing out is a bit, cough, cough, of a slap in the face compared to Snoqualmie and indeed points out that the bottom line is more important then the pass holders. &gt;

Keep in mind that Booth Creek is a much larger company and one that had a very successful year at some of their other resorts - Northstar and Sierra-at-Tahoe among them. They can absorb a larger hit, though having some insight into the number of season passes they sell, I can assure you it's big money.

Mt Hood Meadows is responding similiarily to Stevens, though I believe they were open significantly more (in fact they re-opened today!). They are:<br>- Letting us buy passes next year at the same price we bought them this year, which is $25 less then next year's price.<br>- Giving us a $40 gift card that can be used at any of their restaurants, retail shops, rentals, demos, etc.<br>- Claiming they are "deeply in the red" and that over the summer they spent, "$5,000,000 on capital improvements", with the new lift costing $3,000,000. They stated this has compounded their financial problems.<br><br>Their letter to pass holders is here:<br> www.skihood.com/Pricing/SeasonPasses/SPletter.aspx

I wish they were doing more for us but that's *sigh* not going to stop me from buying a pass again next year.

Edit to add: For those curious, MHM has been open 69 days (and counting) this season. Most of which were pretty lackluster.

Sure, Stevens' stinginess looks bad compared to Snoqualmie's generosity. But considering how few days their areas operated, did Snoqualmie really have any choice but to extend their passes to next season? Here's a list of roughly how few days the Snoqualmie areas operated in 2004-5:<br><br>West: 16 days, 1/1 - 1/16, plus maybe 1/20?<br>Central: 9 days, 1/8 - 1/16<br>East: 0 days<br>Alpental: 2 days, 1/15 - 1/16<br><br>vs. Stevens Pass: 40 days<br><br>It's really unbelievable that ski areas with an average annual snowfall of 440" (i.e. Summit West and Alpental) could ever have a season so bad that they operated only 2 weeks or 2 days. The average season at those areas is roughly 135 days (Dec 1 to mid-April), and maybe about 150 days at Stevens (just estimates, I don't have the actual numbers).<br>