White Pass BC access change

I suppose that interested parties could pass the hat and offer to buy the ski area a new RFID gate (plus paying for a lawyer to write up a contract that properly indemnifies the ski area etc. etc.), and that the ski area might accept the $, assuming the new gate wouldn't create any sort of bottleneck or hassle for the full-ticket customers who ride that lift. But otherwise, it seems reasonable enough for this business to simply allow ski tourers to pass by the area in a route that doesn't endanger either the tourers or the ski area customers.

Blame it on new technology.

I believe they are going to need to install a ticket monitoring system anyway, certainly at the Coliour Express location, as some are already exploiting the base-only RFID... example ;  three guys (or more) buy/bring two passes - two go up, with one staying up while the other returns to base with both tickets... etc.

You with the sensitive feathers, don't shoot, I'm just the messenger.  The upshot is that the likelyhood of ticket screening upstairs may make it more reasonable for the one-ride pass to return.  Just hope they pare down the $20 cost a bit - dirtbaggers gotta eat, too   

In reply to Scotsman I cannot actualy prove that the decision to raise the ticket price for one ride was because of being pissed off, but when listening to the general manager in the local news media  refer to those who opposed the expansion in a most derogatory and condescending way it was my conclusion.  I don't recall mentioning evil or greedy, but yes I have worked for large ski corporations and sadly my experience is that any decision can be spun and rationalized no matter how lame it is in reality to the low level peon skier with no connections, no clout; nothing but skis and love of the pow.
I am simply making the best of the expansion in how it affects me, there is no going back to what was and I just don't see how raising the price and then eliminating the ticket could be viewed as a regular marketing decision no matter how it's spun. 
About the new lodge it is up and running and serving burgers and brats from an outside grill and a small menu of microwave things plus hot coffee and chocolate and yes doing laps then getting a warm up is nice/ 

Let me see if I got this straight . IF myself and 3 other senior rate skiers redid our day lift tickets on line with the new system it would come to $128. Then we did a trip with 6 other skiers. A party of ten would not be unusual eh? We ride the first RDIF checked Great White lift up. then one of us skis back down twice with the other three passes and gives them to the six waiting skiers. Assuming we all ride the Paradise basin chair lifts disregarding the RCW law, Then 10 of us of can ski the backbowls for under $13 and probly a bit sooner than than before the new lifts were put in! WE would each have $7 left over (the difference between the old one way ticket and our new payment) left over to buy beer at the Sitzmark Lounge while celebrating our destruction of the back bowls.

JUST KIDDING -JUST KIDDING !

Seriously.
I hope WP can come up with a way to reinstate the one way ride that also protects their interests. I had thought the jump in price was to prep us not aggravate us.When I saw there were no RDIF at the new chairs I understood the no one way ticket policy. $20 would not be all that bad for a one way to the back bowls saving us a hour or so skinning.
There has been some talk on this site about Euro style touring Which often includes riding a tram or chair.I'm ok with that because that has been what a lot of us have been doing for a while at various areas in addition to true back country tours.
I ski back country primarily up and down the Cascades and would have liked for the old staus quo but it didn't happen. Ive thought about season passes there but my rambling around is more important. My family does prefer to lift ski at White Pass and we spend quite a few bucks on day tickets and meals there every year. It's one ski area we feel is homey not corporate. Yes I do enjoy drinking beer in the yurt or Sitzmark after a tour in the back bowls.With the surge in Back country skiing If I was White Pass or Crystal management I would see this as another opportunity.

If I was White Pass or Crystal management I would see this as another opportunity.

Given what I hear from the folks selling backcountry sliding gear at Marmot, what I read here about increase in splitboard purchases, etc., perhaps you are onto something here. But does anyone know what a set of the RFID turnstyles costs? Not an easy thing to find quickly on the interwebs, it appears. I wonder what the payback period would be for installing them on an additional lift, even if you assume a combo of eliminating a bit of fraud (still probably less than the fraud with old tickets if what's on the interwebs about RFID systems is to be believed) as well as getting some of us in there at $20 a pop. I'm guessing it would be at least thousands if not tens of thousands of tourer-days before that one pays off...

On the other hand, I wonder how well the honor system would work, and how much new business versus new fraud they'd get from a one-ride deal (and forget about more RFID gates...).

I have worked as a liftee at wp over the years and if there was ever a problem with people trying to ride for free or scam it the GM would simply inform everyone to check tickets and passes on all the lifts. It was pretty simple. I think that the new gates at the base lift are more for show and to advertise the fact that now wp has moved up from the old school mom and pop status resort to the modern business model which is a more viable commodity.
I think wp and the way it is run is a pretty good operation and have a lot of respect for those involved in its day to day success, but I don't always agree with some of the things they do, such as the one ride lift ticket status.
If the company embraced the bc community at large and tried to promote the fact that they have access to some of the best bc in the state, through awareness programs and clinics and specials instead of making it an expensive one way ride, or no ride, for whatever their reasons, I'm sure I would probably see a few more brothers and sisters back in the bowls and the steeps than I have in the past and present.