Every community is going to have to organize their priorities. In the ski community, it is really no different. One of the biggest challenges for people in the ski community often occurs in the wee hours of the morning, when a snow report is seen that 40+ cm of snow fell overnight. To call in “sick” to work, or miss an epic day of powder. These are the decisions that must be made!
More seriously, there are many things that the communities at resorts need to make. Funding definitely is something that needs to be prioritized. Does money go to new lifts, new terrain, or new staff? All things that are very important.
The group at Castle Mountain was typically not interested in upgrading the chairlifts at the expense of the hill becoming much busier. Sometimes having a quieter hill is more important to people than having a hill that has better equipment. The community values the quiet feel that is expected at castle rather than adding condo development and making more money. There is something to be said about that. By limiting what can be done at the resort, the loyal users can feel more at home.
Nice blog! I've been to Castle a few times and I absolutely love it! I am very happy that they have decided to keep the "quaint" feeling at the mountain. It is a nice change from the bigger hills that get so busy!
ReplyDeleteI'm sure it was tempting for the staff of Castle to upgrade to faster chairs and more terrain, but i think that keeping the hill as is will pay off for them in the long run!
This post is a great example that Change isn't always needed - and the quote " if it ain't broke don't fix it." Castle Mountain made a great decision, it shows that they have trust in their hill and no that the people will always come.
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