Vacationers at the largest ski resort in the United States were outraged over the three hour long waits for lifts caused by a worker strike.
The week after Christmas is usually the busiest time of the year for skiing, and that is no exception for Utah's Park City Resort, the biggest ski area in the US by slope length.
On December 27 the Park City Professional Ski Patrol Association went on strike against Vail Resorts, the owner of Park City ski mountain, and demanded a living wage.
Despite a January 4 message from Vail claiming the mountain was 'open and operating safely despite the patrol union strike,' skiers have noticed huge delays in using the facilities.
In his post, he included a picture of the obscenely long line he had been stuck in for the chairlift.
It costs $288 for a single-day lift ticket at Park City Resort, while for children aged 5 to 12, parents will need to fork over $187.
A video posted to a local news outlet's Instagram showed a line for a lift winding through a huge section of the resort.
People carrying all their gear were seen waiting with no end in sight.
'You have less than 20 percent of the mountain available to ski, but they’re not limiting the amount of guests or consumers they’re allowing on the ski mountain, which made it very unsafe and very challenging for, I think, everyone,' Nystrom later told ABC4.com in an interview.
As of Monday morning, nearly 30 percent of the mountain's trails are open, while about 60 percent of the lifts are operational.
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Ski Patrol asked for a $2/Hour Raise.
Instead of paying you choose to have 14% of your mountain open and 3 Hour Lift Lines.
I feel bad for families that spent their Vacation Budget on a trip to Park City and got left with this.
I know I’m going get flamed for this but, at least in my experience, Airbnb wrecked ski town affordability for the workforce (read: ski patrol) and it will only get worse.
Anything rentable was yanked from the workforce and STR’d in <decade. Massive problem.
The problem is the government. You can’t build adequate supply in these areas because of regulations. My buddy owns a bunch of rural land close to ski resorts and he can’t develop it. They have so many restrictions, he can only have like 1 home per 10 acres or something stupid
@ParliamentPorpoise1yr1Y
Absolutely, the Nimbyism and Airbnb makes for a perfect storm
I live on Cape Cod and used to be in the country club business. Here and on Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard nearly all hospitality businesses have been buying housing or providing it for the seasonal employees. Country Clubs have been doing this for 30 plus years. Many clubs house the entire staff.
@ParliamentPorpoise1yr1Y
Exactly. How are the ski lodges not at least providing dorm style housing.
@GranolaEliSocialist1yr1Y
NIMBYs combined with increasing numbers of rich boomers looking to park their money wrecked ski town affordability. Airbnb effect is marginal by comparison.
@ParliamentPorpoise1yr1Y
Boomers somewhat for sure but equally wealthy remote workers from both coasts during the pandemic. Boomers don’t ski like they used to.
@GranolaEliSocialist1yr1Y
Well not equally wealthy haha
The boomers own a lot of the homes they just let them sit empty lol or rent them to the digital nomad types
@5P69887Libertarian1yr1Y
I don’t understand why people are still lining up for this.
Make better choices, people.
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