Attendance at the presentation tonight was very low, and average age of attendees (excepting the Stevens employees) was about 60 yrs.
seattlest.com/2007/10/03/stevens_pass_pl.php
is an article about the downhill mountain bike plans for summer 2009 (if approved.)
The off-topic Yodelin outrage "ski report"
www.turns-all-year.com/skiing_snowboardi...dex.php?topic=8799.0
includes a reference to the plans Stevens has begun to present to the Forest Service for review. Old news (2003) declares Stevens the most environmentally sensitive area in Washington:
seattlepi.nwsource.com/getaways/151907_obok11.html
and their approach to new development presented tonight sure is more average guy and gal friendly than others in the state.
See it at:
www.stevenspass.com/Stevens/the-mountain/future-plans.aspx
In regard to the "Yodelin parking outrage" thread, it turns out that Stevens Pass (Harbor Properties - Stim Bullitt's company) does own the employee lodge in that parking lot and Stevens plows the lot, part of which is owned by a private party as is all of the former Yodelin Ski area. For any of you who are interested, the property is for sale! Maybe you could buy it, build a bigger parking lot and make a living selling parking and access to the Yodelin ski slopes?
The Stevens staff at the meeting tonight were aware of the entrepreneurial (sp?) employee parking attendant, and it sounds like he is a candidate for further customer service training. Also, part of the master plan calls for returning the Tunnel Creek area permitted to Stevens in exchange for enlarging the permitted area east of the current eastern boundary of the Southern Cross lift. The DOT is not interested in a parking lot down there with cars and busses entering and leaving Highway 2, just as they discourage (ie stiff fines) walking along the highway there (after skiing down from the top of Cowboy?) and between Yodelin and the pass (also after skiing off piste.)
Industry standards indicate that Stevens ski acreage can support about the same number of skiers as the lifts can carry, and less skiers than there is parking. So in a way, the limited parking helps keep the lifts less crowded; and when folks who don't pay for a pass get a spot in the lot for free, they should feel fortunate. After all, snowpark lots cost $30 a season, eh? As for the suggestion to buy busses, Stevens has already done that, transports 250 employees to the area each day and provided $7 round trip transport for any visitor who wants to park in Sultan and leave the Death Highway drive to someone else.
Let the flames begin.....
