There are several things you need to consider if you’re trying to ski without running into significant crowds from lift and trail layout to resort popularity and beyond. Weather conditions shouldn’t be ignored, either. In the most obvious way, early season low-tide conditions mean more people on just a few trails and lifts, but PeakRankings explored the lesser-known ways the weather can directly impact crowds at ski resorts.
While weather and snowpack obviously influenced snow and terrain quality, they also directly control crowd distribution. The most obvious example is early season when coverage is thin and only a few front side runs are open. Every person on the mountain ends up lapping the same narrow footprint of snow. Once the snowpack sets and resorts move into the core winter, different issues arise. At many resorts, certain terrain zones are not dependable for consistent openings. For example, high alpine bowls can regularly close due to wind or for avalanche mitigation. And low elevation terrain could close for significant periods of time due to low snow cover. This limits the amount of terrain skiers and riders can be on, and it puts pressure on the areas that remain open. Even an exceptional lift network on paper struggles when only half the mountain is spinning. And here’s a little secret, it’s often situations like these when the worst lift line clips go viral. #peakrankings#werankpeaks#skieurope#skivacation#mountains#winter#skitrip#travel#landscape#snowboarding#wintertrip#skiusa#skiingisfun#powder
Once the winter has properly kicked in and the snowpack deepens, there are still several ways weather impacts crowds. Some trails open inconsistently, with high alpine bowls closing regularly due to wind or for avalanche mitigation, and lower elevation terrain can get shut down due to low snow coverage or rain.
In these cases, everyone on the mountain can get shoved into one section of the resort, putting strain on the lift network and creating intense lines. Sometimes a trail opening leads to intense crowds, with everyone flocking to one are to catch untouched conditions.
Tim Konrad is the founder and publisher of Unofficial Networks, a leading platform for skiing, snowboarding, and outdoor adventure. With over 20 years in the ski industry, Tim’s global ski explorations...
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