Vail is a four-letter word. Or at least it used to be in our house. Things are improving with the new Creekside Gondola and the elimination of the reservation system, which admittedly was a function of COVID-19 anyway. But the food still stinks (oops—shrinks; well, both actually). And who is setting these prices?
I miss the Mountain Hosts and the staff at the Roundhouse, Rendezvous and Glacier Lodge who used to be skiers. Didn’t everyone who worked on the mountain get a pass? Or a restricted pass? It makes me sad that the community of skiers on the mountain is a shadow of its former self. But I think I may have a solution. Or at least a suggestion for our American overlords.
One thing that can cure nearly all ills and give you a boost in the bargain is coffee. If Vail Resorts is going to charge more than $200 a day for a lift pass on select days and serve veggie chili in cups for $20, they can at least offer good coffee. Not good coffee—espresso. The coffee bar at the top of the stairs in the Roundhouse is an excellent example of a service the mountain has truly managed to get right for its skiers. Hot, fresh and available with a shot of Baileys or Schnapps, a good coffee bar is unbeatable. It just needs an upgrade. With a little more capacity and a broader selection of drinks, the top of the mountain will help this place to live up to my expectations. After all, Whistler Mountain is my single favourite playground.
During the pandemic-imposed reservation system, I determined the best timeslot to reserve a table at the top of the mountain was not noon or 1 p.m. It was 2:30 p.m. You don’t really need a reservation at that time, but we did last year. At 2:30 p.m., we can roll up from a day of carving, meet a few friends for a coffee—a Roundhouse Rocket if it has Baileys in it (can we get a whiskey option, too?)—talk about where we skied and how truly lucky we are to be sitting at the top of some of the best skiing in the world. And when 3 p.m. rolls around, we get our last run, top to bottom, with almost no one else on the hill. I like to take that run in stages, savouring every little bit, taking in the view and carving up the hill for one last time that day. This all applies at noon as well. A perfect espresso can wash away the sting from the more than $100 required to feed a family of four their lunch.
Coffee makes that all happen. And if nothing else, dedicated baristas with proper espresso machines and a stocked bar will endear Vail Resorts to all of us who are still smarting from the changes we have faced over the last three years. Establishing these or upgrading existing locations won’t cure everything—but they sure will make our reality easier to accept. And that initiative won’t cost a fraction of the new chair or gondola. Whaddya say Vail?
