PE’s role in ruining ski towns

**Buster Highmen** · 04-27-2024, 11:16 AM

Originally Posted by yeahman

Based on hundreds of conversations I've had with tourists on chairlifts at Big Sky over the years, the thing they bring up the most often is the lack of crowds and liftlines compared to other ski destinations they have visited. They can hardly believe they "found" a place like BS. They come back year after year for that reason. While a 15 minute wait at Swifty on a crowded weekend is aggravating to us, to them it's nothing. And nine times out of ten as we all know Big Sky lifts are practically ski-on. Given the lack of a ski town and weird vibe, you'd think people would not want to return over and over, but for a certain type of skier the perceived lack of crowds is their #1 priority. And these people are not tram types skiing steeps in the alpine. Just regular families and retired couples. I'd be willing to bet PE ruining ski towns etc. is stuff that never even comes across their radar.

Crowds and costs are why we stopped going to the "destination" resorts in the 90s. The first alternative were the smaller resorts like 49N, Silver Jackass, Turner, Disco, BB, MSB, Lost Trail. The second alternative was the Alps.

Both alternatives provided not only less cost and longer soft snow, but an exposure to the odd locals that have been driven from the destination resorts, the people that give unique color and character to a place.

**stuckathuntermtn** · 04-27-2024, 04:26 PM

Originally Posted by Mudfoot

Until Ikon and Mt. Collective BS survived on heavy marketing to the midwest and northeast. Those folks loved the thousands of acres of intermediate groomers and think flat light is a normal skiing condition.

It's not?