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Vail Resorts has not failed Whistler Blackcomb

LETTER: For the week of Feb. 13
whistler_peak_to_peak
Whistler Blackcomb's Peak to Peak Gondola. UNSPLASH

I disagree with Ben Cherniavsky's petition about making Whistler Blackcomb great again (Pique, "Whistler COO says Vail Resorts is listening to criticism," Feb. 6).

The title is too much like Make America Great Again, which disingenuously ignores advances made while nostalgically yearning for a past that wasn't real.  

Have conditions really deteriorated with the Vail Resorts' acquisition? I haven't seen that this acquisition has been much different than previous ownership transitions over the years.

Some fits and stops at the start, but then things smooth out with time.  

Big queues, lift stops/breakdowns, slow openings because of challenging weather conditions happened in the past as much as they do now, and are expected in ski areas.

Skiing/riding is an outdoor sport subject to uncertain weather conditions. Not only does Whistler Blackcomb use Twitter for communications on delays and closures, but we can check [independent site] whistlerpeak.com, which is a great resource for on-mountain and backcountry weather and conditions.

Customers are compensated for certain issues—being stuck on a lift that is stopped too long, for example. But no ski area should be expected to compensate for bad weather conditions or queues. I will gladly wait for ski patrol to clear an area—I have a deep appreciation for the work they do assessing conditions, doing avalanche control and sweeping to help ensure safety.

The quality of food on the mountain seems just as tasty to me and [there are] lots of choices. The Zero Waste program started before the Vail Resorts acquisition and [it] continues to support it, and so on...

I suggest Mr. Cherniavsky focus on helping WB stay as great as it is, because I believe Vail Resorts is listening and willing to make positive changes. For example, isn't it time to replace the worn out, aged Creekside Gondola?

Kathy Robertson // Washington state