Picture this: it’s winter 2019. You’re sitting in Red Tail lodge with a group of your friends, enjoying some lunch between runs. There’s not a mask in sight. The people at the table next to you ask where you’re from, and BOOM-- you’ve made some instant new friends.

Did you get a little wistful there? Don’t worry, I did too. I miss the normality we had before COVID-19 times. Things have definitely changed since then, but the mountain is open and we’re eager to make our guests' lives more fun during these strange times. As you’ve might have already seen or experienced, we’ve mad a few changes to how things are working here at the mountain this season, and we ask a few basic things of our guests: First is to wear a mask that fully covers your mouth and nose.  Next is to maintain a distance of at least 6 feet between yourself and other guests and be respectful of everyone’s personal space— our team  and guests alike-- in order to keep everyone comfortable and stop the spread. Last and most important is to be respectful of our team and each other.  We’re all in this together and we’re all just trying to do the best we can, to keep the season and the mountain open for us all.  

Some more changes we’ve made to #StopTheSpread include spacing out our lift lines and limiting our overall capacity, as well as moving our ticket sales online in order to limit the amount that we can sell on any given day. We’ve added sanitizing stations in higher-traffic areas of the resort and frequently have our restrooms, dining areas and other hight traffic areas cleansed and disinfected... And finally, we are screening all of our team prior to their shifts, including contact-tracing and symptom checking. Speaking as an team member myself, I do feel safer knowing how seriously Mountain Creek is taking our safety measures and am proud to work for a company that truly puts safety first.

Now let’s dive into some insider tips for you to have the safest, most enjoyable experience with us. If you’re looking to join us when the skier volume is at its lowest, plan your trip Monday-Friday between 9am – 2pm. With all of our products available online, you’ll want to book your tickets well in advance to ensure availability.   For those who have Season Passes, we offer a special 1-hour of early weekend access to the slopes starting at 8am on both Saturday & Sunday only. Get there early and enjoy fresh corduroy before the hustle and bustle of the weekends.  Ticket and Pass pick-up is quick and easy and can be done at either of our lodges by just going to one of our orange coat ambassadors.  Please note that rentals are only available at Red Tail Lodge though.  

If you’re looking to dine with us, you’ll have several options this season.  Both the Market and South Square Cafeteria are open for grab and go food pick up with limited and time-controlled seating.  We also have added several outdoor food trucks at both Vernon and South base areas for quick outdoor refueling.  If you’d like something a little more formal, both Schuss and Kink are open for table-served indoor dining, but we are requiring advanced reservations this season.  You can make these on the Resort Dining page of our website.  

If there’s anything I hope we can learn from this pandemic, it’s that keeping the each other safe is a mutual responsibility. While our new measures help to protect our valued guests, they also serve to protect our team from falling ill and being unable to keep things running this winter. Now more than ever, I think we are learning to be a little more considerate of those around us. So even though the masks may get annoying, the distancing may feel weird, or the over-sanitization may make everything seem sterile, please help us by doing your part in stopping the spread. So next time you’re asked to pull your mask over your nose, or to keep some orderly distance in the lift lines remember that our staff is working extremely hard each and every day to keep the mountain safe and open for you to enjoy. Pull the mask up, stick with your group (with no snaking the line) and carry on with your day. We appreciate it more than you know.  

Your cooperation is what drives us to make every experience at the resort the best it can be, and we are so thankful to have guests who are considerate and understanding during these COVID times. Even the smallest changes have a large impact, and your willingness to adapt has made the transition easier (and warmed our hearts). Thank you for your patience, your support, and for being part of the Mountain Creek family.