New Tribune article

People need to see them and experience them, or we will lose them.

What will happen to the mountains, pray tell? They will migrate to where they're appreciated?

I haven't been able to stomach the price of a lift ticket for several years now.

What will happen to the mountains, pray tell?  They will migrate to where they're appreciated?

I haven't been able to stomach the price of a lift ticket for several years now.

Why, flatten them mountains for a super, super Walmart  :  , what else?

as usual these ariticles never mention the gigantic cost to the resorts to build and maintain their artificial, man-made, improvement to "the mountains" in the form of half-pipes and terrain parks. the expense of running extra snowcats and personnel to implement these attractions is one of the major contributers to sky rocketing ticket prices. Interesting how the average age of the resort user is going up and these are hardly the people who have an interest in the parks and pipes. always thought it redundant that the mountain was so boring that these things had to be constructed.

Two things:

Remember (for me it was in the 70's) when ski areas did everything they could to keep anyone from ever having their skis leave the snow, and you could lose your pass for catching air? Now they encourage it and actually construct enormous elements so that people - anyone, no matter what kind of skier they are (and most of them probably unskilled and unqualified to do so safely) - can soar through the ether at high speeds and great height at tremendous risks to their well-being and skiing futures. Customer retention at its most calculated?

Interesting and a little ironic also that - while I can't support this thought with hard evidence - I suspect that a large portion of park users have their tickets and passes purchased by non-park users (their parents), so it's not like the areas are really generating a new market for their services.