Ski Resorts Finally Figured Out Crowd Control, Just in Time for Huge Weekends
It’s been the best ski season in years at places like Jackson Hole and Vail.
Skiers in places like Aspen, Colorado, say this year they haven’t had to contend with exhausting lines at ski lifts.
Photographer: Jakob Helbig/Image SourceOn a powder day, especially over a holiday like Presidents Day weekend, the scene outside of Jackson Hole Mountain Resort’s cherry-red tram can look like a rock concert. Fanatical skiers camp out with stoves and coffee as early as 6 a.m., hoping to be amongst the first 100 passengers to ride the tram up 4,139 vertical feet at 9 a.m.
Over the years, the lines had deterred Dave Barnett, a 20-year Jackson Hole resident, from even attempting to reach the expert terrain off the top of the tram. But this season, one of Jackson’s snowiest on record, he’s been pleasantly surprised by the lack of crowds. Recently, Mr. Barnett, 49, and his 12-year-old son arrived at the resort at 8 a.m. and were able to score a spot on the first tram. They skied all day, and he says they never waited more than five minutes in a lift line.