Today most of us got the long anticipated email from Stevens Pass detailing our Motorhome parking privileges on the mountain. Didn’t get it? I will forward it to you, just ask. The details of the memo are listed below; I didn’t bother to convert the file from Adobe so I just made a verbatim copy here. I did add mild punctuation repairs to the original but no verbiage whatsoever was replaced, removed or otherwise touched.
As of publish, the website for the Mountain had not yet updated to reflect this new policy.
• RV Lot will stay in the current location with space for 70 RV’s.
• The Overflow/free lot will no longer be offered.
(If the situation arises where there are more than 70 RV’s we will accommodate on a temporary basis in a location determined by Stevens Pass Parking Manager.)
• RV lot will become 100% nightly parking on a first come first serve basis.
• Nightly fee will be $30 a night.
• 50 passes will be sold at $1,000 but will not guarantee a space.
(this pass is being offered as a payment convenience only, along the same lines as a season pass for skiing.)
• Current 2009/2010 pass holders will have priority for purchase between August 16th and September 30th, 2010.
• All other policies and procedures that have normally been in place will also exist.
Here are my thoughts:
While the Mountain blew the very deadline (4-2-10) they presented for resolution to their dilemma of the lower lot, I applaud them for a decision at the very least. I am beyond pleased that this is settled and buried once and for all. All the speculation is finally over, opinions no longer matter. Democracy, rather: Stevens Pass pithy attempt at it, has died….but out of its tired ashes has risen a new season of promise for all who choose to ski/ride out of our motorhomes, a new season of promise for all of us who choose to make Stevens Pass our home mountain; the place to teach our children, fellowship with our friends and families, spend our hard earned dollars upon and carve yet even more years of fond memories upon her slopes.
Now there is only one Lot, and anyone who has been to either, can easily ascertain that this one Lot, with her 70 stalls is not enough to host the multitudes. Its easy to see there will be issues with this new program but easier than that is just dismissing everything and leaving it to the mountain to figure out. At the end of the day (for parking) I don’t care if I plug in or not or: if I pay or not, although $30 a night is another fine way to support the mountain you ride; at any rate Ive got the resources to do both and all I really want is to ski in/ski out, sit around a fire at night sipping a little vodka and trading the days’ stories with my crew. Im a pretty happy pirate wherever I drop anchor, so long as its snowing and Ive got a chest full of ice and a cupboard full of cookies. There is no feasible way those 50 $1000.00 passes will last long enough to reach my slot on the list, but I would jump on it if I could, it’s a fantastic deal whether you ride/spend as many nights there as I do or not.
I have been an outspoken critic of the process for many months, and 3 weeks ago I went dark when opinions no longer mattered, when the decisions and its architects basked, forged in the fires of resolve; all that was left was to sit down, shut up and see where I would be spending my money next season. Im as satisfied as anyone can be with this; I’m keeping my hard earned dollars at Stevens’ Pass for 2k11, I want to see how this works. I’m not going to get killer front yards and open spaces for parties next Winter in the Upper Lot but that just means we will have to deal with it; at the end of the day we get less turns to our rigs if we come through the trees but we will have to deal with it. We still get to ride in/ride out.
Im looking forward to reading the forum-rats in the coming weeks but in the meantime to Joel Martinez and his snowy henchmen: Thanks for a decision, thanks for making it work for everyone as best you could and yeah, we totally grabbed Crystal Mountain’s sweet ass a few weeks ago, but we are still going home with you and really, that’s what counts.
Joel Martinez
/ 04/11/2010Thanks for sticking with us.
See you on the hill.
Henchbot
/ 04/11/2010Joel we are thrilled we get to, thanks again for your work.
skibum6
/ 04/12/2010what a crock of shit, the pass complains about not getting enough money from the lot so they jack the rates insainly high this season and now next they cut the number of spots when the lot can hold more. what happens to those who have to work till five or six on friday nights and the lot is already full, those are the people that they need to be taking care of they are the most diehard customers that should be taken care of. Last I checked this is still a customer service driven industry it seems like the management needs to go back to business school and relearn that lesson.
Henchbot
/ 04/12/2010@skibum6: so we get thrown back into the Lower lot or across the street a few times next year. Beats driving to Crystal every weekend when your heart beats for Stevens.
‘Sides: your right we are diehards, we can drop anchor anywhere without losing our minds about a power pole; we will be fine either way.
They say there is space for 70, we all know its 80…they will get us in there. Tough weekends will be Holiday break and all other 3 day no-school weekends.
skibum6
/ 04/13/2010that is true it would just be nice to know where they will dump the overflow lot cause if they try to put us down at yodelin and shuttle us up and down will blow
Henchbot
/ 04/13/2010ive got my money on the lower lot, or across the street; esp. lower lot if they dont drop the new chair this summer back there.
skibum6
/ 04/14/2010I don’t they’ll drop that chair this summer. I doubt that they’ll do it anytime soon so hopefully the lower lot is safe for a while as the reserve lot