We can rate some aspects....
Number of Skeeters and ticks rate above average this year. Grass and flowers are growing like crazy. Trees are extending branches over trails faster than usual with all the rain. Glades are progressing nicely. No valet parking signs (yet). Requisite Lift chair grips were removed for testing months ago, no sign of returns yet. Base loading ramps on 2 lifts have been removed and will be replaced.
They appear to be doing regular summer PM on the groomers, I had been hoping we might inherit a few newer units (new appears to be an unimagined pipe dream at this point). The existing units are all high hours and getting prone to problems. We'll see if anything appears last minute.
Last year they took Crotched's AeBe lawnmower and made it a shared tool for NE Vail Areas. When it reappeared a few months later it was in good condition with a really good operator, who did a nice cutting job in time for opening. Hopefully the good cutting will be repeated this year.
The only new/unexpected improvement was the adding of 3M safety cables to the lift tower ladders which lift maintenance and trained patrollers can clip onto. This will replace the bungee type harnesses. Done with Vail's flair a team of installers arrived on at the hill with a flatbed carrying their side by side quads. They tore around the mountain adding safety cables to every tower in 2 days. Then they pushed off for Attitash and Wildcat to do the same thing. We'll probably see fancy new harnesses too. It will be nice if we see the same energy & effort on other tasks as things normalize.
There is virtually no grapevine buzz around the hill. It is a safe bet that changes for this year's Covid iteration will be held off as late as possible with the current situation evolving as quickly as it is. Cross your fingers and hope for real food service and an open bar!
