Putting on ski boots in the parking lot, social distancing on the slopes, and de-escalation training for employees on enforcing the face covering policy are among the many changes at Mountain Creek due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The ski resort in Vernon is implementing new rules and procedures as it awaits the start of the 2020/21 season.
“We have to stay vigilant,” Hugh Reynolds, vice president of marketing and sales for Mountain Creek, told NJ Advance Media on Friday.
In reducing indoor lodge capacity, adding hand sanitizer stations and regulating ski lifts — each load will be limited to family groups, or groups who travel or live together — Mountain Creek is in line with COVID-19 precautions that are trending throughout the industry.
That doesn’t mean they won’t get some pushback.
Mountain Creek already is anticipating some resistance to its new policy requiring masks at all times, except when eating and drinking, even though many skiers routinely use face coverings to help protect against wind and cold.
On its website, Mountain Creek states, “Regardless of what your personal beliefs are on the use of masks, there will be no exceptions to this rule. Our masks keep you safe. Your masks keep us safe.”
Reynolds said employees will be given de-escalation training aimed at helping them diffuse confrontations involving mask-averse customers.
“It’s really about how you approach the situation, and doing it in a way that you make it less confrontational and more conversational,” Reynolds said.
“We don’t look at it as a political thing. It’s not an infringement on anyone’s rights,” Reynolds said.
Skiing, like other sports, is grappling with a potential loss of participation due to fears about the worsening pandemic. A survey of 788 skiers last month found that nearly one in three were planning to sit out the season due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Colorado Sun reported.
While ski resorts in France, Italy and Austria were blamed for coronavirus outbreaks earlier this year and several European nations have barred access to slopes, World Health Organization emergencies chief Dr. Michael Ryan has said that the risk stems less from skiing than related activities, such as hanging out at a lodge.
“I suspect many people won’t be infected barreling down the slopes,” Ryan said at a news briefing Monday, according to the Associated Press.
“The real issues are going to come at airports, tour buses taking people to and from ski resorts, ski lifts … and places where people come together,” Ryan told reporters.
Mountain Creek’s coronavirus safeguards rules stress caution, and erring on the side of safety. Visitors will be told to stay home if they feel sick, or have been exposed to someone in their household who is feeling sick or has recently tested positive for COVID-19.
“The trails will be waiting for you when you are feeling better and it is safe for you to visit,” according to the posted rules.
Mountain Creek has 167 acres of trails on four mountain peaks and offers skiing at night. The trails also draw plenty of interest from snowboarders and a snow tubing park is popular with families.
Under Gov. Phil Murphy’s executive order limiting outdoor recreation businesses to no more than 50% of their regular capacity, Reynolds said Mountain Creek could accommodate up to 7,500 visitors every 12 hours, but is choosing to allow no more than 3,500.
“Just to better allow for social distancing. Just to see how things go, before pushing it any longer,” Reynolds said.
“We have a lot of space for people to spread out,” he added.
Season passes range in price from $399 to $499, depending on age and the chosen plan. Single-day tickets range from $69 to $89 but must be purchased online in advance of arriving
Reynolds said that skiing has an advantage over many other sports, amid the unique challenges posed by the pandemic.
“It’s a naturally socially distanced activity,” he said.
As for the still-barren slopes in Vernon, Reynolds said the forecast is offering some hope.
“Some snow-making weather in moving in Sunday night,” he said.
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Rob Jennings may be reached at [email protected].
