aspen and the economy

[FRITOLAYGUY]

Sooo i just picked up my aunt and uncle at the airport who spent the last 10days at snowmass, they go every year ive even joined them a few times. They said except for sunday where they waited behind about 10min to get on the main lift they skied right up every time, never waiting behind 2 or 3 people, unreal ive been there many times never seen anything like that. They never had to wait once for a seat and ate out everynite at nice restaurants, and every jewelry store in Aspen has 50percent off sales signs for every item in the store, i never thought id see that ritzy ski-town feeling the pain like that.

 

[basemoto]

Optimistic: it was a period of time after the holidays and school is in session therefore maybe vacations are not at peak right now.
Realistically: the economy is hurtin' pretty bad

 

[ski_resort_observer]

All the western destination resorts are hurting this season...lots of layoffs, businesses closing, no jobs, some improvement in bookings looking forward.

http://www.snowjournal.com/page.php?cid=topic14581

 

[4aprice]

Aspen is my favorite resort. Maybe in a sick way (because I mean no harm to any ski area) I hope this trend continues and prices drop. Maybe I should start looking in to deals for the spring.

Alex

Lake Hopatcong, NJ

 

[deadheadskier]

I'd like to hear what Lloyd Braun has to say

 

[Geoff]

I'm surprised to hear any report that says Sunday was a busy day at Snowmass. When my mom lived there, the weekends were typically dead since the ski week people were coming and going. Aspen is too far from Denver to get much of a weekend warrior surge. All of those people are on Epic Passes and sticking to I-70. I've adopted a "must be at least 3 hours from Denver on a weekend" strategy that usually works pretty well.

 

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

I believe it..Jackson Hole which isn't as ritzy as Aspen but still fairly posh is down 20+ percent in bookings..lots of real estate agents are waiting tables and there are tons of lodging deals available. This recession seems to be affecting the wealthy just as much..especially those with money in the stock market..

 

[dmc]

I hear where I'm going next week is still doing about 150 skiers a day...

http://www.skihimalaya.com/

 

[dmc]

This recession seems to be affecting the wealthy just as much..especially those with money in the stock market..

$ is not cheap and easy to get anymore... So yuppies can't live beyond their means anymore... they now have to pay the piper... Can't afford a trip to Aspen when your house in Arizona is getting foreclosed on...

I guess the American dream - isn't...

 

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

$ is not cheap and easy to get anymore... So yuppies can't live beyond their means anymore... they now have to pay the piper... Can't afford a trip to Aspen when your house in Arizona is getting foreclosed on...

I guess the American dream - isn't...

totally..I didn't lose anything because I don't have anything..anyway as long as I have my credit card..I'll continue to take mad steezy ski trips..and some people are actually have their credit limits dropped..

 

[billski]

All the western destination resorts are hurting this season...lots of layoffs, businesses closing, no jobs, some improvement in bookings looking forward.

http://www.snowjournal.com/page.php?cid=topic14581

Let's do our part! During Pres. week go get your neighbors out on the slope. push, kick, slide them out. whatever. Get the resorts financially stable, then we'll be able to get out and ski later when the good snow comes!

 

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

Let's do our part! During Pres. week go get your neighbors out on the slope. push, kick, slide them out. whatever. Get the resorts financially stable, then we'll be able to get out and ski later when the good snow comes!

Here in Pennsylvania it's been packed due to all the snow and cold..

 

[basemoto]

the wealthy are not feeling this nearly as much as the middle class, well at least the people that are wealthy and not the people who live beyond their means. I bet much of the 20% decrease in bookings are from the middle tier, the rich are still going out west.

 

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

the wealthy are not feeling this nearly as much as the middle class, well at least the people that are wealthy and not the people who live beyond their means. I bet much of the 20% decrease in bookings are from the middle tier, the rich are still going out west.

I disagree..most middle class people can't afford annual ski trips out west unless they are single or double income no kids..alot of wealthy people are not going out west..I know this because bookings in high end establishments on-mountain are off more than inexpensive lodging. Wealthy people are the ones with the most in real estate and the stock market so they lost the most yet their expenses are still high. I'm one of the few who is better off now than a year ago but business has been slow in the tombstone business..

 

[basemoto]

it all depends on your perception of middle class, here on long island middle class has enough money to go out west but in other places not so much. Basically our economy sucks and has no signs of getting better...

 

[dmc]

the wealthy are not feeling this nearly as much as the middle class, well at least the people that are wealthy and not the people who live beyond their means. I bet much of the 20% decrease in bookings are from the middle tier, the rich are still going out west.

It's all about the middle class who thought they were wealthy because banks were giving out cash...

They don't have cash anymore... So.... no Aspen!

 

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

it all depends on your perception of middle class, here on long island middle class has enough money to go out west but in other places not so much. Basically our economy sucks and has no signs of getting better...

Maybe you are referring to upper middle class..I think of middle class as like a teacher or a nurse..someone making $50,000 or so a year..so a middle class household could be around $80-100K a year..just my perception...I think of upper middle class as people making $200-$300K for a household..not wealthy but pretty well to do..I'm probably in the lower middle class but my bills are low enough that I have alot of disposable income..

 

[deadheadskier]

Maybe you are referring to upper middle class..I think of middle class as like a teacher or a nurse..someone making $50,000 or so a year..so a middle class household could be around $80-100K a year..just my perception...I think of upper middle class as people making $200-$300K for a household..not wealthy but pretty well to do..I'm probably in the lower middle class but my bills are low enough that I have alot of disposable income..

definitions vary, but joint income between 200-300K would put you in the 33% tax bracket. Hardly middle class. Unless someone is living right in NYC, Boston, etc, I really don't consider a family bringing in over 200K as 'middle class' and I certainly don't feel sorry for them if they can't afford a ski trip out west making that kind of cabbage. If they can't, then their expenses are perhaps a bit too high in other areas of life.

 

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

definitions vary, but joint income between 200-300K would put you in the 33% tax bracket. Hardly middle class. Unless someone is living right in NYC, Boston, etc, I really don't consider a family bringing in over 200K as 'middle class' and I certainly don't feel sorry for them if they can't afford a ski trip out west making that kind of cabbage. If they can't, then their expenses are perhaps a bit too high in other areas of life.

exactly so those 200K+ families are upper middle class..and I assume that some of those families have given up a ski trip out west this season due to possible unemployment or stock market losses..Rich people are cutting back as well..me personally I plan to spend less at bars and restaurants in an attempt to save more money..for people with the cash..there are so many bargains from ski vacations to real estate to furniture and electronics..but most people with $$$ are holding onto it now because the future is uncertain..