The last two seasons should have been epic for resorts as a business (you couldn't ask for better conditions-some lowland resorts where even closing because there was to much snow
). There should have been decent or atleast above average profits. A smart business would put a percentage of there gross back into their business...and the business for ski resorts in the Mid-a is snowmaking...without competitive snowmaking there just isn't much to bring customers in early (which is crucial in the short seasons in Mid-A).
Unfortunately, looks like this season, atleast at the get-go, will be a good indicator of where resorts stand vs. each other on snowmaking...as well as a good indicator of who has taken some of there gross, or atleast there savings in snowmaking, over the last 2 seasons and put it back into the snowmaking infrastructure.
All things being equal the higher elevation WV resorts should open from the top and open with more trails much sooner than the lowland resorts. However, it should be interesting to see how quickly individual resorts open trails up compared to 3 winters ago when the start was slower.
So who's been nice and upgrading there snowmaking and who's been naughty and takin' profits out in pizza boxes. Who's makin' the list...who's checkin' twice???
