NELSBEER;c-56767 wroteCrotched has typically at most had one or two Saturdays a year when the parking lots filled. Those were race days, and things started to free up after 11:00 or 12:00. The lifts were generally adequate for crowds that filled the lots. Sunapee and Waschusett frequently sent us their overflows.
Last year, with the reservation system in place & EPIC sending more skiers than we had ever imagined, the first major good skiing weekend demonstrated that they had set the limit too high (about 3,500 I think).The lots filled, the roads filled, people were parking miles away & the lifts were overwhelmed, especially with the triple out. Police & fire from Bennington & Francestown were needed to help & some people got towed for blocking driveways.
By the following weekend they cut the reservations quite a bit (2,500 I think), the lots filled, the lifts ran full with staff members trying to fill every chair and everyone got to ski. Not perfect but a reasonably good skiing experience.
This year with all the lifts working, more staff, even about 100 added parking spots the hill should be able to handle a descent crowd, the ticket sale limit will mostly prevent overwhelming the regions roads with frustrated people.
Maybe SkiNH can set up an automated billboard with the names of ski areas with space for more skiers on a given day?
Interesting info, thanks for telling us all of that. While it sucks to be in that situation, those bumps in the road are to be expected when a modest (but mighty) operation suddenly becomes part of an international force with large sales and aggressive marketing. And they learn, adjust, and move forward.
Curious where/who the decision is made regarding limits? Is it local management?
