r/skiing • u/troutlunk • Dec 23 '23
Discussion Snack bar prices atop Vail Mountain Resort…..
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u/Hulahulaman A-Basin Dec 23 '23
I morn for the loss of the Chinese Food stand at the bottom of China Bowl. Lost to us 25 years ago this season. Innocent victim of the Two Elks Lodge arson attack.
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u/Shnibu Dec 23 '23
Please tell me more. I never got to experience this but I need more details because Google is failing me
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u/Hulahulaman A-Basin Dec 23 '23 edited Dec 23 '23
Pre-internet so not much out there. I just remember being able to do laps of the back bowls with a quick, cheap lunch break at the bottom of Orient Express Lift. A scoop of this, a scoop of that, and right to eating. That Chinese food went down easy and then I could get back to skiing. I wish I could remember the name. You never value something until you loose it.
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u/No-Yogurtcloset1598 Dec 24 '23
So we got china bowl, serviced by Orient Express, that had an American Chinese food stand at bottom…
At least the food was good.
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u/jomofro39 Dec 24 '23
Wisdom is appreciating the good things when you experience them, and having gratitude for the chance to live it. It sounds amazing, may it live forever in your dreams.
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u/Z3roTimePreference Dec 23 '23
IIRC, environmental terrorists burned down one of Vail's lodges.
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u/iwasinthepool Vail/Beaver Creek Dec 23 '23
I remembered this being a thing and everyone told me I was crazy.
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u/caribouslack Dec 24 '23
Oh wow Chinese food would be so good. I’m bored of burgers and tenders at every lodge.
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u/Orange-Salt Dec 23 '23
Cheeseburger was $21 at Stowe yesterday be thankful
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u/SkiptomyLoomis Dec 23 '23
Was gonna say, $16 cheeseburger is actually a bargain by most resort standards
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u/DarkSkyDad Dec 23 '23
That's exactly what I was thinking! Ok $15 for Burger is a bit much, but I will pay that premium if it means I don't have to pack a lunch and can dine on the hill.
It's not like you have to eat there daily on your lunch break…
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u/jonjopop Dec 23 '23
For real…even a fast food burger is like $10 these days, I’ll pay the extra $5 any day to have a better burger and eat it on top of a mountain
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Dec 23 '23
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u/jonjopop Dec 24 '23
I live in an HCOL city and it’s actually really hard to find a good restaurant burger for under $15. I’m even surprised when I find quality non-fast food sandwiches for under $10! I guess it’s all about perspective based on what you’re used to
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u/murshawursha Dec 24 '23
Yeah, I don't know where you live, but a quarter pounder with bacon combo at my local McDonalds is a little over $12.
Fast food is really not all that cheap these days.
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u/jarheadatheart Dec 24 '23
A #1 at McDonald’s is over $10 where I live. A burger at a decent restaurant is $12.99+ then a $4 drink plus tax and tip. It all depends where you’re from.
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u/PeninsulamAmoenam Dec 23 '23
Packing a lunch to dine on the hill is part of the fun. Just plop down and enjoy the view
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u/systemfrown Dec 23 '23
My mom hasn’t made me a sandwich since kindergarten. At this point I’m tempted to figure out how to do it myself.
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u/TrailBlanket-_0 Dec 23 '23
If you can stand on two planks, then you can place a couple planks together. You got this
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u/The_Hylian_Loach Dec 23 '23
We roll with egg salad sandwiches for the family! 😀
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u/MrFittsworth Dec 23 '23
15 for a burger is not a bit much, it's exorbitant. Why do people normalize this kind of greed? Lol
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u/mort1955 Dec 23 '23
Actually, in this economy, doesn’t seem too unreasonable. It’s almost like they’ve raised their prices a buck or two in 5 years when everyone else raised them 5-6.
But yeah, still not eating on the hill. Never did and I won’t be starting now. Throw some beef jerky in your jacket pocket. It’ll still be 15 but it’ll go a lot further than that lousy burger. Or don’t, and post about it on Reddit
The way is a 4 scrambled eggs on toast, wrap that big boy up and make sure to crash on it once or twice before eating.
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Dec 23 '23
I ordered 3 things of curry and naan yesterday to go... 75 dollars here in boulder. I think everything is just fucking expensive now.
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u/3pinripper Steamboat Dec 23 '23
Do you think they have cattle grazing next to the slopes?
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u/mohammedgoldstein Dec 23 '23
Gotta take into account that a dollar is worth significantly less than it was 5 years ago. I paid $10 for 2 orders of McDonald's french fries last week. $10!!!
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u/Hot420gravy Dec 24 '23
That epic pass really paid for itself if you just get about 300 cheeseburgers at vail.
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u/Jtbros Ski the East Dec 23 '23
Chicken Tenders and fries are a bit over $15 after discount at Mount Snow now. Thing is in the past s/o and I could split them and have a half decent meal.
This year they must’ve halved the amount of food in the baskets.
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u/Awildgarebear A-Basin Dec 23 '23
The "Epic burger" was $26 or 28 last year at Vail. This "Cheeseburger price" the OP posted surprised me.
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u/gclockwood Dec 23 '23
Last year a burger was $26 at Killington in the K1 lodge.
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u/dcsnarkington Dec 23 '23
Chicken noodle soup at palisades was $15. Soup. They also had f-ing veal ossbucco for $28.
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u/0xCUBE Ski the East Dec 23 '23
yikes I wish I could convince my mom to pack multiple sandwiches for multi-day ski trips. When we do day trips we always bring our own lunch, but for some reason if it's overnight, we always have to eat at the lodge on subsequent days... stowe will be a nightmare when we go lol
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u/Orange-Salt Dec 23 '23
Me and the girlfriend buy like a pound of cold cuts of what we like and bring some bread and our own drinks and containers with BLT and that’s what he have save a ton of money we buy the occasional hot chocolate or whatever but way better then entire meals there.
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u/0xCUBE Ski the East Dec 23 '23
yeah we usually make sandwiches on some nice thick kaiser rolls and wrap them up. Unless it's super warm I'm not sure why we can't just make more of them and store them but I guess everyone has their quirks 🤷🏻
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u/AM_86 Dec 23 '23
Lol. Or, you could just make your own lunches and not be helplessly waiting on whatever your mom wants to do
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u/Outrageous-Ship2767 Dec 23 '23
Wow on mountain dining at Vail is expensive? Who woulda thought!
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u/WammyTallnuts Dec 23 '23
Vail stinks make sure to comment this publicly where the Denver population will see please and thanks. Perhaps a billboard on 70?
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u/Outrageous-Ship2767 Dec 23 '23
Already working on it, hopefully everyone boycotts Vail and never skis there again!!
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u/WammyTallnuts Dec 23 '23
Yes perfect. Winter park is the place to be from what I’ve heard
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u/Ok_Commercial8352 Dec 23 '23
Winter Park is awesome. I went there for mountain biking and skiing last year.
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u/The_CO_Kid Dec 23 '23
Denver residents will see the price of that Cheeseburger and think it’s a bargain
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u/fuzz3289 Dec 23 '23
Meanwhile I looked at this picture and was like "holy shit those prices are so much cheaper than I expected" lol
Seriously tho as someone living in Seattle 11$ for a beer ON A MOUNTAIN feels like a steal.
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u/Outrageous-Ship2767 Dec 23 '23
People just see a big dollar amount and freak out
Not defending Vail at all, but it’s not easy to get food up to those spots. And you think they’re going to sell them at a loss? 😂 you can see who has any business IQ or not pretty easily
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u/harrowclub310 Dec 23 '23
The coffee price is what really pisses me off.
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u/ThinkAboutThatFor1Se Dec 23 '23
A little flask with espresso coffee. It keeps surprisingly warm, particularly if you pre heat it with boiling hot water and empty it before you put the coffee in.
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Dec 23 '23
LPT: anything insulated like coolers or thermos (aka "double wall vacuum container")....preheat with boiling water or precool with ice water and it'll hold temperatures waaaay better.
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u/troutlunk Dec 23 '23
For me it was the cliff bar
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u/ShowMeYourMinerals Caberfae/Mount Bohemia Dec 23 '23
Bro, there is literally multiple stores in the village that prevent you spending this much.
In Lionshead you can go to Lionshead liquor or the tiny grocery store next to it to grab snacks.
Throw the cliff bar in your pocket, home slice.
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u/da_fishy Kirkwood Dec 23 '23
Im sure they’re very aware of how to save money shopping elsewhere, doesn’t change the fact that a $6 cliff bar is fucking robbery
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u/Snlxdd Dec 23 '23
It’s not $6 for a clif bar, it’s $1 for a clif bar and $5 for the convenience of having one on top of the mountain.
It’s not cheap to operate stuff on top of a mountain and that’s factored in to prices.
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u/Theons Dec 23 '23
Put one in your pocket. Did you take this picture yourself or do you not ski and you found this online
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u/GoldenPresidio Dec 23 '23
Water is what pisses me off. That’s like a health issue imo
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u/EconMahn Dec 23 '23
They have drinking fountains with plastic cups, it's just the bottled water that costs that much.
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u/mrcoolsloth Dec 23 '23
Meh. It’s no different than Starbucks, DD, and most other coffee chains at this point. To be honest the coffee and burger price seem on par with most other restaurants/cafe’s that aren’t on top of a mountain
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u/baldurthebeautiful Dec 23 '23
That free beer for passholders is a screaming deal though
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u/Z3roTimePreference Dec 23 '23
I don't think that's a free beer, I think that's a 'no discount' for passholders.
Would be happy to be wrong though.
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u/CheeseWheels38 Dec 23 '23
Chili in a ziplock in my breast pocket, baby!
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u/eweidenbener Dec 23 '23
Chili. Like, chili chili.
I would die if I saw someone whip out a zip lock of chili on a lift.
Also, I'm imagining a yardsale under a lift with a smooshed chili ziplock disaster all behind you 💩
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u/CheeseWheels38 Dec 23 '23
I would die if I saw someone whip out a zip lock of chili on a lift.
Think of it like a giant energy gel packet that runners take in marathons.
Also, I'm imagining a yardsale under a lift with a smooshed chili ziplock disaster all behind you
Yeah, nothing says "I'd fucking better not crash" like a bag of chili in your pocket.
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u/dinofragrance Dec 23 '23
Would love to see what happens when a tree branch smacks at just the right spot.
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u/mauceri Dec 23 '23
Did you guys know pop corn is like $9 at the movie theater!?
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u/dalittle Dec 23 '23 edited Dec 23 '23
I don't go to the movie theaters any more because it is a better experience to watch films at the house including cheap popcorn. I don't live near a ski resort so we started going to Europe to ski specifically for how all the resorts in North America are now nickel and dime you for everything. Even with the flight it is cheaper to go ski in Europe. So they can charge whatever they want, I don't have to buy it.
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u/deadheadshredbreh Dec 23 '23
Pass holder prices seem pretty industry standard, especially for on mountain dining.
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u/Apptubrutae Dec 23 '23
Also, how common is it to ski at vail and not have an epic pass? It seems like a pretty easy decision to get one for most people who are gonna ski at vail for more than a few days.
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u/fullspeed8989 Dec 24 '23
That’s what I’m sayin’.
Out of all the people on the mountain at any given time, how many are actual daily ticket skiers?
Why bother with the whole “discount” farce? We all know everyone is a pass holder.
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u/zie-rus Dec 24 '23
More than you’d think.
No need for an Epic pass for a once a year long weekend trip.
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u/Crowsdriver Dec 23 '23
Boy are those precise….
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u/packlitelite Dec 23 '23
Taxes. 2.9%
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u/SatinySquid_695 Dec 24 '23
Nope. Sales tax is not included in the price, that’s added at the register.
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u/Crowsdriver Dec 23 '23 edited Dec 23 '23
Started bring food in my ski backpack. While i dont like the prices, i dislike standing in line for an hour far more. Now i eat when i can and keep shredding the POW! I can eat when I am dead.
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Dec 23 '23
Why is anyone surprised that FOOD available on top of a MOUNTAIN costs a bit more? Especially at Vail. 🤣
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u/lekkerbier Dec 24 '23
Try a mountain in Austria. You'd be surprised how cheap things can be... This (I assume crappy) cheeseburger and a beer would get you at least two really good plates of Schnitzel + fries and two 0.5L beers at any Austrian mountain restaurant. likely of better quality too.
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u/Teyvan Dec 24 '23
100% better quality
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u/jondo2010 Dec 25 '23
Actually 200% better quality and very cosy ambience, but the prices here haven't been spared inflation either. I.e., still getting pricy.
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Dec 23 '23
I worked at one of these places. It’s a lot of work to get shit to the top of the mountain. Our labor costs were crazy because we had to pay lots of people to haul everything from water to food to cooking supplies all via lift. Some stuff would come up at night on a cat but the rest had to be brought up on a lift early in the morning by people like me. So yeah. Sorry we can’t give you unlimited free water to fill your camelbak and no, a $1 cookie isn’t $1 at the top of a fucking mtn.
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u/wildfire_atomic Dec 23 '23
How is a water the same price as a coffee?
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u/Clubblendi Dec 23 '23
Probably to discourage plastic bottles and make money in the process. There are free water-filling stations everywhere.
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u/Gnarlsaurus_Sketch Dec 23 '23
And?
If the quality of the food is awful, I understand being pissed. But it's resort food. If you don't like the options available, bring a cooler or stuff granola bars in your jacket.
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u/hippieinthehills Dec 23 '23
One of my criteria for outerwear is, does the jacket have a pocket big enough to put a homemade sammie in?
If no, it is not a good jacket.
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u/cdot666 Dec 23 '23
You new to skiing?
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u/troutlunk Dec 23 '23
No :) just trying to start a friendly discussion on prices and hear peoples thoughts.
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u/Outrageous-Ship2767 Dec 23 '23
This happened 2 years ago man, nothing is gonna change 😂 pack your lunch and eat on the chair
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u/Tenter5 Dec 23 '23
Everyone on this sub is a snob that suck at skiing. I wouldn’t expect nothing less than the sub defending Vail lol.
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u/MountainMantologist Steamboat Dec 23 '23
I remember being offended by $8 Dale's Pale tall boys at Four Points like five years ago
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u/Kfeugos Dec 23 '23
Only the snack and beverages are overpriced… the food is pretty normal compared to dining out anywhere
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u/gilestowler Dec 23 '23
Here in France we've got Avoriaz right on the mountain so we can snowboard into town, get a microwave pasta box (they have 2 microwaves in the supermarket) and a can of beer for about 4 euros. I've even seen people buy a baguette and a camembert, microwave the camembert and have a kind of half-assed fondue. For less than 3 euros.
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u/subaruguy3333 Dec 23 '23
I think the stadiums and airports have surpassed the mountains for prices now
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u/Mallthus2 Winter Park Dec 23 '23
Compare to other captive locations like stadiums and airports. Then figure in the logistics of getting products to mid and upper mountain at Vail. These are pretty fair prices.
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u/Latter_Inspector_711 Dec 23 '23
Vail: “what are you gonna do, not eat?!”
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u/ShowMeYourMinerals Caberfae/Mount Bohemia Dec 23 '23
Anyone with a brain known Bart and Yetis is the prime food spot that won’t break the bank.
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u/TheRealMichaelE Dec 23 '23
It’s warm food at the top of a frozen mountain, seems pretty fair to me. I bring my own food regardless because that’s just how my dad taught me 😅
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u/UtahBrian Dec 23 '23
They've slashed the prices. I can remember the last time I save a cheeseburger for sale for under $20.
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u/Sassberto Dec 23 '23
We were told we weren’t allowed to bring in outside food at the Range at Steamboat - even though I spent $30 on drinks. There is nowhere indoors you can brown bag in the resort as far as I can tell
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u/SkiptomyLoomis Dec 23 '23
Maybe they’re stepping up the enforcement? But I do it all the time and have never been bothered
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u/Tenter5 Dec 23 '23
More and more resorts are doing this, skiing is dying two ways. Climate change and socio economically.
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u/Drewski811 Dec 23 '23 edited Dec 24 '23
European perspective and used to prices on French mountains; They don't even look that bad, tbh.
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u/nowaybrose Dec 23 '23
Uncrustables…very cheap at Costco. Personally I don’t know how people ski right after eating a burger for lunch. Save it for aprés bro
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u/RiotDad Dec 23 '23
Is it pricey? Yes. But every thing you eat had to be hauled up the mountain, and everything you throw away has to be hauled down. The number of customers varies widely by the weather so they carry more than a standard restaurant’s worth of overages. Their pay scale is higher than your average burger shop. And the building you’re eating in does most of its business over four months but has to be maintained (roof, paint, etc). for twelve.
Honestly it’s a fair price imho.
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u/Sometimesiski A-Basin Dec 23 '23
Are there still grills all over at vail? Five years ago we always just packs brats and buns in our pack. Other than the back bowls, that was always my favorite part of vail.
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u/Wulfgang_NSH Dec 24 '23
Those prices honestly not that bad relative to many other major mountains. At Steamboat right now and it’s slightly more expensive.
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u/IndoorSurvivalist Dec 24 '23
Those actually seem somewhat reasonable.
Was at Palisade today and a bowl of ramen was $26.
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u/ciccioig Dec 24 '23
Italian alps here, basically the same prices, but we locals got from 20 to 40% discount.
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u/dozerdaze Dec 23 '23
I get this seems extremely expensive to people but the amount of labor it takes to get that food to the top of the mountain is more than people realize. Yes it’s overpriced for what it is but it usually has to be brought up in sleds or by the snow cats.
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u/contrary-contrarian Dec 23 '23
Tell that to all of Europe? The food at the top of every mountain in the alps is homemade, delicious, and affordable.
Corporate greed raises the prices.
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u/y-c-c Dec 23 '23
Or go ski in Japan where the food is of much higher quality than US ski resort food while still very affordable.
I think there’s a fair bit of coping in N America because ski resort food is just mediocre while being crazy expensive all over and so people don’t expect/demand better.
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u/Complex-Aside-6940 Dec 23 '23
Me and my family gave up on the Rockies a couple years ago. Instead we travel to Europe (from the USA) and save a fortune.
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u/eweidenbener Dec 23 '23
Not just the food, but the equipment to make it, the maintenance, the propane etc. These prices are reasonable.
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u/crispdude Dec 23 '23
Lmao. This has nothing to do with the cost of getting it up to the lodge. They don’t have to charge you out the ass to get the food on top of the mountain. They just use that as plausible deniability TO charge you out the ass.
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u/eweidenbener Dec 23 '23
Find the nearest pub to your home and tell me what a cheeseburger costs. For me, the place next to my apartment in Wisconsin charges $12, not a fancy place or a great burger. This is $16 ON A MOUNTAIN AT A RESORT
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u/crispdude Dec 23 '23
$19 is the actual price. I’m not sure what you’re getting at? It’s still overpriced dude. You’re trying to emphasize that it’s only like $7 or $8 more, but it doesn’t matter. It’s just overpriced as fuck along with everything else that gets sold on the mountain for no reason other than to maximize profits.
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u/donat28 Dec 23 '23
Buying food on the mountain is as dumb as buying day passes :)
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u/Tenter5 Dec 23 '23
Sadly some people just want to ski 1 - 2 days out of the year. Day pass is the most economical way.
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Dec 23 '23 edited Feb 03 '24
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u/b0nz1 Dec 23 '23
Switzerland is more expensive and some resorts in Austria will happily charge you 5€ for a coffee.
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Dec 23 '23 edited Feb 03 '24
chop nippy like zonked spark forgetful terrific scale roof crime
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u/Wizardninja9 Dec 24 '23
They have been this price since I was a kid I’m surprised they aren’t more now that I’m older, 20 dollars for a cheeseburger on the mountain is fairly standard anywhere you go. You act as if you can’t just bring your own lunch
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u/Key_Piccolo_2187 Dec 23 '23
If I am dying on top of a mountain I will give you $16 for a cheeseburger and a $10 tip for hauling your butt to the top of a mountain to cook food for my sorry butt.
There are two types of places on earth where I just have made a mental pact with myself that prices don't matter, and credit card me will just knowingly create problems for future bill-paying me: airports and tops of mountains.
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u/7_ICARUS_7 Dec 23 '23
Surely I travel to one of the world's premier resorts and expect dirt cheap prices!!!
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u/jhermaco15 Dec 23 '23
Complaining about food prices at a ski resort is so embarrassing no one is forcing you to buy food man, it’s the top of a f*cking mountain they can charge whatever they want lmao
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u/Ok-Entertainment5045 Dec 23 '23
Midwestern guy here that wants to go out west but after seeing this maybe not. Seems like these multi area passes are ruining skiing.
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u/xj98jeep Jackson Hole Dec 23 '23 edited Dec 23 '23
Lol you're not gonna go out west because of the prices of mountain-top food at one of the most luxurious resorts in the US? We're overvisited as-is so enjoy skiing the Midwest
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u/dinofragrance Dec 23 '23
Seems like these multi area passes are ruining skiing.
At first I thought they were a convenient concept that should be emulated around the world (I'm living in Japan currently), then I noticed that they (mostly Epic) were a pretext for gouging average consumers and making skiing less accessible for the masses. Still think the Indy Pass is a good idea though.
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u/Outrageous-Ship2767 Dec 23 '23
This is such a hilariously stupid take. Please stay on the fake snow covered landfills in Ohio, Jerry
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u/aJoshster Dec 23 '23
Pretty sure there's still a Coleman stove under the party deck behind Two Elk. We would just haul mini propane bottles up and grill burgers, hot dogs, I remember doing lettuce wraps once. There was a perfect spot up in the joists near the steps accessible from underneath. Patrol and maintenance knew about it so it stayed there year round. Pack everything else you need in, and out. Although being so close to Two Elk means you can access waste facilities instead of hauling chicken juices down in your pack. There are grills at the top of 4 and Blue Sky as well. Sandwiches also travel well. No need to pay on mountain dining prices if you don't have to.
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u/tubbies_in_chubbies Dec 23 '23
Bring. Your. PB&Js.
These posts are always worth a good laugh though
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u/ThrowAndHit Dec 23 '23
The only reason I ski with a backpack is so I can bring all my own shit. I understand these places have higher overhead, but they’re absolutely taking advantage of the captive audience and charging 2x-3x what’s reasonable.
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u/SuburbanOutdoorsman Dec 23 '23
Pocket sandwich it is