Vermont Business Magazine Vermont ski areas and other snow sports have had historic seasons the last couple of years. This year, bad history is being made at many venues, including at Mad River Glen, and at many events, like the Stowe Derby. For skiing alone, the 2013-14 season was the second best on record, only to be pushed to third best on record because the 2014-15 season saw the most skiers and snowboarders ever visit Vermont. The 4.7 million visits broke the record from 2001. Vermont also had an epic amount of snow last year, as the season started early, remained late and stayed cold, with winter skiing conditions lingering into April and some resorts staying open on a limited basis until June. Such is not the case this year, of course, as warm weather and frequent rain has damped the snow conditions and the Vermont economy. Consumption tax receipts are down, as is employment. The full impact on the economy will not be known for a couple more months. Ski Vermont will not release actual skier visits until its annual meeting in June.
Mad River Glen's webcam from Wednesday morning shows a little snow and absolutely no people.
"The 2016 ski season has turned out to be a bust of historic proportions, the worst in the past 35 years in fact," Mad River Glen announced in a statement Tuesday. "We received just a bit over 100" of snow for the season, well below our 225" average, made worse by the fact that whenever we did get snow it was followed up with rain, a thaw or both. Normally we budget for about 100 days of operation each season. This year we only ran for 45 mostly unspectacular days.
"Beyond the less than stellar skiing, the season has had a major impact on our entire community:
-
Our pass holders had a tough time getting the value out of their purchases.
-
Mad Card skiers had a hard time using up their tickets.
-
Our seasonal staff members saw significantly diminished hours and were laid off very early.
-
Our full time employees are looking at unpaid furloughs this off-season.
-
The mountain finds itself in the most challenging financial situation it has seen since the founding of the Co-op in 1995.
-
Other regional ski areas are experiencing similar or even worse financial challenges.
-
Many of our friends and neighbors in the Mad River Valley have had a rough time of things this winter too.
"We very much wish that there was something that we could do for all the folks who felt the force of "El Nino's" punch. We wish that we could allow Season Passes and Mad Cards to be used next season. We would also love to be able to compensate our loyal staff for lost hours of work. Unfortunately, the Co-op is not in a position to do that from a fiscal perspective: To do so would simply be guaranteeing another bad financial year next season and would threaten the long-term financial health of Mad River Glen. Our entire community, our skiers, employees, neighbors, local business owners and our families feel the pain. While we know that the situation impacted you, we ask that you take the longer view, chalk it up to a bad season and look forward to lots of snow next year.
"The strength of the Mad River Glen Cooperative is in our community, our resiliency and our unique business model. The 2016 season was the 20th year under skier-ownership and while it was our worst financial one to date, it is important to keep in mind that we finished in the black 15 of the past 20 years. We also have many other positives to dwell on:
-
Our kids ski school and race programs were our anchor this year.
-
Our various departments did better financially than we ever could have hoped.
-
Ticket sales actually performed better than expected given the weather.
-
We continued to receive tremendous positive press attention.
-
We partnered with our neighbors at Sugarbush to help provide skiing for MRG skiers.
-
The spirit of the community remained steadfast.
From the Mad River Glen newsletter on March 16, the caption to this photo read "We'll Be Back!"
. "As we look forward to the next ski season we are well aware that you have options on where you ski and that there are many factors to consider when making that choice. Mad River Glen offers a ski experience that is unavailable elsewhere. When it is good it is world-class, and even when conditions aren't outstanding it provides memories that will last a lifetime. Our dedicated staff is committed to providing you this exceptional experience and sense of place that is so rare to find in today's world. Please know that we will all be working hard to ensure that this special place is here for you and your family for years to come. Thanks for your continued support."
Meanwhile, the Stowe Derby (www.stowederby.com) is not making history this year because of its huge success, large participation, its new Ben & Jerry’s Short Course for Kids, or its unique point-to-point 14 km fat bike race; 2016 will be remembered as the year when the Stowe Derby was cancelled due to lack of snow.
The Derby is a race on cross-country skies (and now also fat wheel bicycles) from the top of Mount Mansfield to Stowe village. It was first run iin 1945.
The event this year was originally scheduled for February 28 but when icy conditions and a bony Toll Road were judged unsafe to tackle on skinny skis or fat tire bikes, organizers opted to grant the legendary cross country ski and bike race a second chance by rescheduling the event to a later date, Sunday, March 20.
"Sadly," Event Organizer Pascale Savard wrote Wednesday, "not much has changed with the weather in the past three weeks; the snow never came, and a warm spell set in, melting every speck of snow... and hope to hold the event, even if only on nordic ski trails at Stowe Mountain Resort.
"Few remember such a challenging snowless winter, but many also recall the numerous times that the Derby course had to be altered over its legendary 71 years of existence. History tells us that the event was only cancelled two times over all those decades; once post WWII, in the early 1950s from a lack of interest, the other instance for lack of snow at a time when snowmaking and grooming capabilities were nowhere near what they are today. Many times over the years, the course had to be altered (but not cancelled) due to weather, construction, or other uncontrollable reasons.
"Last year, Vermont had a record year for snowfall, and close to 800 people skied or biked in the Stowe Derby. In 2016, the lack of snow resulted in lower than ever registration levels, and like other favorite Vermont events including the Frozen Onion Winter Bike, the Trapp Marathon, and Winterbike, there was no way to run the race, and sadly no other choice but to cancel the perennial favorite.
Face plant during Stowe Derby. Very top photo of Stowe Derby 2015. Photos by Mike Hitelman Photography.
"The 325 participants signed up and pre-paid for the Derby will be reimbursed for their entry in the week to come. This is obviously a great loss for the Mt. Mansfield Ski Club, the presenter of the race who is feeling the crunch this year after having canceled multiple alpine ski races earlier this season due to the lack of snow in the East.
"In the week to come, MMSC will communicate via email with Stowe Derby racers to offer a coupon code to roll over the entries to 2017, or to offer a special rate for a limited time for early sign ups to the 2017 race. Those opting out of this will be refunded. This will hopefully help recover some of the costs incurred this year, and encourage people to sign up for 2017 at a greatly reduced rate of $50. For the first time in years, the price of registration for the Derby is expected to go up in 2017, mainly to cover the ever-increasing costs of insurance, advertising, busses, and various permits, to name only a few of the many expenses.
"Sincere thanks to everyone for the support, Derby love has been pouring in from all angles. We look forward to having you skiing and fat biking in the Stowe Derby next year. Follow the Stowe Derby on Facebook and if you were signed up, be somewhat patient as we sort through all this, but expect a refund and updates in the coming week or so.
"Major cheers for this year’s sponsors including SkiRack, Louis Garneau, Ben & Jerry’s, Dr. Danger Coffee, Concept2, Faster Skier, Larabar, Boxed Water, Vermont Smoke and Cure, Skida, Seventh Generation, Powershift, Rossignol, Vermont Ski and Sports, The Stowe Reporter, and Darn Tough Vermont."