Just came back and saw this on my email:

Dear Snowshoe Mountain Homeowner,

Please be advised that the 2008/09 ski season will come to a close at 4:30 pm on Sunday, March 22. Looking at the extended weather forecast and with guest's priorities changing to warm weather activities, it is time to say goodbye to the ski season.

Please feel free to contact me should you have any questions.

Thank you,
Stephanie



Stephanie Dilley
Owner Relations Manager
Snowshoe Mountain
Phone: 304-572-6994
Fax: 304-572-6939
www.snowshoemtn.com

Creating The Best Memories...Again and Again

Dang, that's awfully early. I really hate to hear that...

Kind of perfunctory, dontcha think? Where's the flowery "we had a great season and snow and wonderful guests and blah blah blah." She makes it sound like she's taking out the trash.

Dang. I still have two unused Kroger/Coke promotion lift tickets for the 08/09 season. Not sure I will be able to squeeze a trip in by then.

I just really think it is horrible business for these resorts to be closing earlier then scheduled when they still have skiable terrain. Customers and homeowners have bought season passes at prices based on the scheduled season. For resorts to close early to save their profits is a horrible business practice and will surely do more harm for the business then good...I doubt any season pass holders will be refunded a percentage of an expensive season pass or homeowners will be compensated for rentals that are cancelled.

I design and build homes as well as do siding, roofing, and deck jobs etc. I could never run my business or treat customers like these resorts do. I can't imagine a scenario where I was building a deck for a customer and when all I had to do was to add a set of stairs I walk away. I can't imagine saying to the customer, "Sorry I know the original plans included stairs, but I've decided to wrap up early do to the expenses I will have to absorb. By the way I look forward to your future business next season."

I just don't understand what they are thinking. I know for sure that I wouldn't want my job at snowshoe to be to send that e-mail out with my name, e-mail address, and phone number attatched though.

I don't think these resorts have much of a valid excuse for changing scheduled dates, especially when resort like wisp are stretching their skiing season out.

So sad. I'm at Snowshoe now getting my condo ready for the Spring mud-season absence. The slopes are - albeit Spring conditions, in excellent shape. And in less than a week, the resort will close not because of lack of snow but because of lack of people.

The other side of the coin is that with the departure of the H2B foreigners, that takes away most of the service here.

Sad but true. I'm now counting the days until Thanksgiving '09.

It's a seasonal sport in our part of the world. Skiers who might be OK using man-made snow in the middle of winter, may not want to encourage the very wasteful practice of making snow late in the season.

Yeah it's definetily a novelty, but seems more wastefull to me spend time, money, energy, and water to make all that snow then to close early and let it just sit there unshredded.

All I can say is....Long live Timberline!!...The 2nd Mouse gets the cheese..can you say ..late march/early April Blizzard?

I agree it is a poor business practice...but I suspect that part of the reason this year is the general economy. Fewer people taking vacations in general (I've heard this from many resorts out West). That probably includes a place like Snowshoe -- more a destination than a weekender resort, in some ways. Nobody buying real estate right now either, so nobody to get scared off by early closings.

But, what a contrast between this news and the story about Wisp firing up the snow guns last week in order to make it to Easter weekend.

Was there on Saturday, tons of snow but not skiers. Rainy but a very good day. The whole place reeks of vacation sales even if the skiing is pretty good and it looks like an awfully expensive place to run. I guess they could have a shutdown mode where they only run skidder and balhooter lifts and close those nonsense shops and restaurants, but that would only cover two or three weeks I guess. The rest of the county looks like spring so I think its time to let it go and enjoy the summer beer season.

I can see closing if conditions warrent it, but when you set a schedule you should keep to it. I agree with Tucker on this. It's poor business practice to advertise something then not do it even if it adversly affects only a few. Not a way to build good will with your customers.

I don't remember anyone complaining when they opened a week early!.... I have been to Snowshoe every two weeks since they opened. This has been one of the best seasons at Snowshoe in about 4 years. But they need bodies on the shopes to make it feasable to stay open late, warm weather the past week has made me change plans for this week, im headed to New England to do some sping skiing. Hope next year at Snowshoe is as good as this year. Im even planning on getting in on a Bakers Dozen Season pass next year so I can ski more. Thanks Snowshoe for a great year!, just sorry thats its coming to an end....

We were there as well. I think the rain kept a lot of people indoors. Red Rovers was packed at lunch and the bar was busy at night. For all the rain, the snow was holding up well, but if it is going to be as warm as they say it will this week, next weekend may be all they can cover.

Was at SS two weeeks ago at the beginning of this latest warm up. Friday March 6th was nice (high of 48) but with a much thinner base than I expected - given that it had been cold and snowing for a week or two up to that point. Saturday was 75 degrees off the mountain and we actually went fishing on Saturday instead of skiing. They do some amazing work with patching and grooming to keep things going, but I felt then that they would be lucky to get another week or two out of it (as it turns out three).

OK, now my son wants to go to SS on Saturday, March 21, probably for his last hurrah this season.

Any ideas about conditions Saturday, esp. after last weekend's rain and this past week's warm temps?

Thanks,
Woody