Passholder loyalty -- and vice versa.

I'm with you Joe! I forgot the $189.00 I threw down long ago. I looked at it like ski area charity. Now I'm pleasently surprised, but would have returned to Alpental next year regardless.

Joe - I also agree with you. I'm impressed by the gesture by the Snoqualmie owners. I skipped buying a pass this year due to the predictions of a sketchy season, but if I had bought one, I'd have bought another next year even if they hadn't offered such a great deal.<br><br>I suspect the owners/managers are in the business due to a love of the sport first, and as a business second. Having seen areas close due to repeat bad seasons, I feel for them (and for all their employees) more than I feel for the passholders this season. I hope they can all feed their kids right now.

I concur with Jim on the class act of The Summit! Also the trickle effect of the industry to employees and those who feed off of the giant. EG.. sports shops, small stores on the routes, the maintanence employees that rely on the income of the ski area on a year round basis.<br>On the other hand if you need a boot fitting you don't have to wait long to get the service done. <br>Although limited terrain aspects-I have hiked to ski some pretty great snow in this otherwise brutal ski season. I have not skiied as much (lift access), but what I have skied (BC) has been rather good! If I focus on the skiing/hiking-experience, not the lack of snow- it has been a great season! This season has created much thought on avalanche conditions, route finding, and safe access and exits. Closely monitoring weather and wind has kept me in the grins more than the frowns. Areas open or closed.

How many of the "addicted" will wait to buy your pass next year?<br><br>As for me, I'll be buying my Crystal pass at the same time as always. What are the chances of this happening two years in a row? <br><br>If this happens again next year it's time to move......

As for me, I'll be buying my Crystal pass at the same time as always.  What are the chances of this happening two years in a row?  <br><br>If this happens again next year it's time to move......

<br><br>jinx alert!<br>

What are the chances of this happening two years in a row?

<br>Quote from Stevens Pass Letter to Pass Holders:<br>

History shows we don't have two low snow years in a row. That's good news for next season.

<br><br>Apparently, the Stevens Pass management is failing both the generosity test and the history test (and maybe math, too).<br><br>The last time there were two consecutive very low snow years (under 50-60% of normal) in the WA Cascades was 1940-41 and 1941-42, with 1940-41 being much worse. However, 1939-40 was also quite poor, about 70% of normal, so it was actually 3 bad years in a row. Data for Stevens Pass is available back to 1939. See the facts at www.skimountaineer.com/CascadeSki/CascadeSnowNWAC.php .<br><br>So it is unlikely, but not inconceivable, that next season could also be far below normal for snowfall in the WA Cascades. The probability of that happening is roughly a few percent. However, the probability of next season being below normal is about 50% (roughly half the seasons must be below normal, right?). Unfortunately, it's really even more than that, since about 55-60% of seasons fall below the average (mean) in the type of probability distribution that snowfall stats have. In other words, the median value is less than the average, which is skewed upward by the occasional huge snow years.<br><br>Sorry for talking about math and stuff.<br>