Ski resorts across the U.S. and Canada are "slowly picking up the pieces and figuring out how to safely reopen this winter," as resort leaders are "asking guests to curb their expectations and to embrace a new normal while skiing and snowboarding amid a pandemic," according to Thomas Peipert of the AP. That could mean "wearing masks, standing 6 feet apart in lift lines, no dine-in service, riding lifts only with your group and no large gatherings." Some resorts are "set to open at the beginning of November." Colorado-based National Ski Areas Association Risk & Regulatory Affairs Dir Dave Byrd said, "We do have the unusual luxury of watching what others do. All of that is going to play out over the next two or three months, which, nicely gives us some time. And we certainly got to preview how the southern hemisphere ski areas in Australia and New Zealand and South America, how they handled things." Most resorts "will require social distancing, masks and online ticket sales," but many are "going a step further by requiring reservations, which has irked some skiers and snowboarders concerned about getting a spot on the mountain." Vail Resorts, which owns 34 resorts in the U.S. and Canada, announced that it will "implement a reservation system that allows pass holders exclusive access at the beginning of the season" (AP, 10/17).
GET YOUR COAT: New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo yesterday said that ski resorts in the state "will be allowed to open next month at half their indoor capacity with restrictions on sharing gondolas and face coverings required off the slopes." Capacity on the mountain "must be reduced by 25% during 'peak' days or if multiple trails are closed due to unseasonable conditions" (AP, 10/18).
