Why does Woodward Copper close at 3:30?

[ReturnToMonkey]

I think it's kinda bullshit that they close the only park down early. I honestly have never been to another mountain where they close the entire park before lifts stop running. There's pretty much zero reason except for the workers to get off early. I get closing some features but not the whole park when they're not even raking 2/3 the features yet and it's still light out.

I get park crew wants to go home but like come on it's barely any more time and your job is already basically just being a park rat. I know that's generalizing but it's stupid when every other mountain keeps at least some park open until lifts stop running. It costs them nothing.

 

[TOAST.]

I doubt it's a wanting to go home early kinda thing. Most likely a budget reason.

 

[a_burger]

Hard to rake when it's dark. We close at 3:30 too and still struggle to get everything raked out well before we lose light, but almost all our parks are in a row so we try and stagger the closures so there's at least something open till sweep. In a perfect world we'd get headlamps but not in the budget right now.

Keep in mind if they're taking down the jump flags it's asking for a lawsuit to keep the park open with unmarked jumps unless they have someone run around on a sled and collect all of them after hours (good luck convincing the cat ops to do that lol)

 

[ReturnToMonkey]

Hard to rake when it's dark.

Keep in mind if they're taking down the jump flags it's asking for a lawsuit to keep the park open with unmarked jumps

It's valid to not take in the dark and I have no problem closing features while they're being raked/after. But please let us keep hitting the rails that are nowhere near getting worked on yet.

It would be fine if they closed the jumps and they can easily mark them as closed. I feel like rails are a lot less of a liability, too

 

[a_burger]

It would be fine if they closed the jumps and they can easily mark them as closed. I feel like rails are a lot less of a liability, too

That's the problem, you can't just close a jump feature without leaving some sort of closure the cat operators are going to have to pull as soon as the mountain closes. It's one thing if all the jumps are in 1 area you can just rope off but it would be a pain in the ass for cat operators to get in and out at every jump and either cram a bunch of stuff in the cab where it can break things or have to wade off trail to leave them by trees

I do feel for you, if any place has the resources to send someone on a sled to do that stuff its Copper. That said this time of year a lot places are running on the minimum park staff until more parks are open to save money and keep parks running longer in the spring

 

[weastcoat]

why I’ll never move to Colorado lol

 

[scratchskier321]

just assume it wont even exist in 2 years and enjoy it while it lasts. everything in colorado just disappears overtime.

 

[partyandBS]

the vast majority of critical incidents happen towards the end of the day. terrain parks are man made and therefore increase the risk of a lawsuit. so from a business standpoint, by closing the park early, demand for patrollers goes down and they can focus their efforts elsewhere, the exposure to lawsuits from the park goes down, and you split the crowd egress and reduce the likelihood of a park rat smacking into a kid or something. unsure of copper’s layout but changing light conditions could be a factor.

i would say that by doing that you tarnish your reputation as a terrain park resort but thats certainly not the case for Copper. personally, i get a lot of my park laps in from 3:30-4 so i would hate an early park closer.

breck used to do 5 til 5 and it was 4 fridays in march and april and they would run 5 chair until 5p and have a free to enter jam on a new feature they had put in that day. gave out free hot dogs, had a redbull vehicle with a dj, and prizes like next seasons epic pass or a gopro, etc. those were some good days!

 

[partyandBS]

the vast majority of critical incidents happen towards the end of the day. terrain parks are man made and therefore increase the risk of a lawsuit. so from a business standpoint, by closing the park early, demand for patrollers goes down and they can focus their efforts elsewhere, the exposure to lawsuits from the park goes down, and you split the crowd egress and reduce the likelihood of a park rat smacking into a kid or something. unsure of copper’s layout but changing light conditions could be a factor.

i would say that by doing that you tarnish your reputation as a terrain park resort but thats certainly not the case for Copper. personally, i get a lot of my park laps in from 3:30-4 so i would hate an early park closer.

breck used to do 5 til 5 and it was 4 fridays in march and april and they would run 5 chair until 5p and have a free to enter jam on a new feature they had put in that day. gave out free hot dogs, had a redbull vehicle with a dj, and prizes like next seasons epic pass or a gopro, etc. those were some good days!

 

[skierman]

Hard to rake when it's dark. We close at 3:30 too and still struggle to get everything raked out well before we lose light

If only there was some kind of invention that could like produce light when it gets dark..............................

Does defending idiocy make you feel more or less like an idiot?

 

[Static]

breck used to do 5 til 5 and it was 4 fridays in march and april and they would run 5 chair until 5p and have a free to enter jam on a new feature they had put in that day. gave out free hot dogs, had a redbull vehicle with a dj, and prizes like next seasons epic pass or a gopro, etc. those were some good days!

Now they close the parks like 2 months the season ends. Gotta be some real pencil pushing pricks working there these days.

 

[Farmville420]

Honestly don't mind it because late day park laps are always shadowy and bombed out anyways but it's probably annoying for the late crowd who get there at like noon

 

[midwestcoast]

I feel like most parks close early. I've been told it's so patrol can start doing their sweeps, etc...

I agree - Breck's Friday 5 til 5 was a ton of fun. Spring slush is the best

 

[ReturnToMonkey]

I feel like most parks close early. I've been told it's so patrol can start doing their sweeps, etc...

Never been to a park that regularly closes early besides copper. At copper, ski patrol sweeps wouldn't get that low on the mountain for a long time

 

[yungspliffy]

It’s blatantly obvious who here has worked park crew and who hasn’t. The shortest day of the year was 9 days ago. features don’t just magically get back to primo shape overnight, it’s shitty work and takes time. I don’t know much about copper but I’m guessing most lifts are closing right around 4 with the light this time of year, so it’s completely reasonable for them to start raking at 3:30, especially if they’re putting in any new features/ changing up the build. With that being said we would still let people hit the rails we haven’t raked yet but someone made a good point earlier about jump liability. Also, not everyone understands park etiquette and which features have been raked already. There is nothing more frustrating than watching some fucking kook boost a side hit off the feature you just raked and walk back uphill to fix it.

**This post was edited on Jan 1st 2024 at 9:21:31pm

 

[theabortionator]

It's actually pretty common. A lot of mtns do this. Better if there's signs mentioning it but yeah.

It's not park crew being like "Fuck everyone I want to go home early". Also it's not even the day staff guys fault that are out raking.

It gets dark early. It's pretty hard to rake in the dark. In the spring the take offs crust up if you dont get on them fast. Sometimes mid rake.

Also big mtns have park cats on both shifts. They're going out as soon as sweep clears and starting into the parks.

It sucks you don't get a last run through the parks but it makes sense, and this def isn't copper trying to screw anyone over.

Its not the reason to close them, but that last run or 2 end of the day is when a bunch of catastrophic injuries take place. Random jabronis come in and send it off the big jumps and get seriously injured.

It sucks when you're lapping and you miss that run at the end of the day. It really does but it is what it is.

A lot of places if park crew is just starting to close and you're cool about it they'll let you take another run but isn't guaranteed.

 

[GayWolf420]

Maybe because of really bad litigation cases involving terrain parks in the past. Wasn't there a fatality after hours in the super pipe at copper last year?

 

[midwestcoast]

Maybe because of really bad litigation cases involving terrain parks in the past. Wasn't there a fatality after hours in the super pipe at copper last year?

You're correct - there were two high school seniors that died sledding down the pipe after hours last year.

 

[tutipups]

i feel bad for you guys in colorado without night skiing

 

[skinakedfast]

Lol have you seen how many features they have to rake bud?

 

[ReturnToMonkey]

Lol have you seen how many features they have to rake bud?

Yeah same with other mountains with smaller park crews and even Copper didn't do that years prior. I think the people talking liability are correct, not you. Bud.

 

[skinakedfast]

youre right they suck should stop going there. 30 minutes come on

 

[ReturnToMonkey]

youre right they suck should stop going there. 30 minutes come on

I did stop. Winter Park is better all around. Better vibe too, much friendlier people in and out of the park

 

[theabortionator]

I did stop. Winter Park is better all around. Better vibe too, much friendlier people in and out of the park

No way winter park has a better park but do you.

Also very likely not a liability thing. Even though the last hour is when some catastrophic injuries happen that's almost never the reason places close.

Getting into the parks to start raking take offs/ pulling ropes, jump flags and getting done before dark. Also some places will divide enough to make it work or parks are linear. Some places park crew will go back up the lift after closing a park to head for another. Lifties gotta go home, lifts stop running. Cat crew is heading into the parks to start grooming as soon as ski patrol sweep clears.

In the winter it gets dark early. In the spring the snow goes from slush to ice real fast. You can see the difference in raking if it flashes on them.

Also most places run 5 days a week for day staff. At your bigger parks that can be punching in at 730 745, and sometimes getting done after 5. So everyone on the crew is in overtime everyweek. That's a spot you could complain about for the resorts to pony up more money for hours or people. I think thats lower on the list of reasons.

But yeah this is a very common thing all over. I guess it's good that you've never seen it, but weird hill to die on.

If you're that mad about it to switch mountains I guess thats just on you.

Only one I was really bummed about was buttermilk was closing their pipe at 2 pm. The reasoning was that the pipe gets beat up in the afternoon. Sure to some extent in the spring, but afternoon sun pipe laps are the best. People literally start hiking the pipe around 1 sometimes as long as the sun is good. I think they changed it but that was pretty beat imo.

A park closing at 330? Come on dude. Thats the way things work. As mentioned before better if they have signage to say "this park closes at 330 daily" but regardless that's the way it is. Can complain and switch mtns but this is a very common thing.

In the dozen or so parks I've worked in and the majority I've ridden park crew will close some stuff early and get working by 4 at the latest. It's just the way it is.

 

[Farmville420]

People don't realize how debatable this is, I also prefer WP personally. I think the park is way longer and has a couple extra features, the builds are just as proper and creative, the only difference is that WP actually puts in places for you to stop and catch up with ur homies that ur lapping with. Copper is just a zoo that kind of forces you to hot lap

No way winter park has a better park but do you.

 

[theabortionator]

People don't realize how debatable this is, I also prefer WP personally. I think the park is way longer and has a couple extra features, the builds are just as proper and creative, the only difference is that WP actually puts in places for you to stop and catch up with ur homies that ur lapping with. Copper is just a zoo that kind of forces you to hot lap

True I have been in a while. One of my buddies that rides there regularly is always complaining abiut there setups. Maybe he just doesnt like nice things.

Regardless changing mtnsbecause of a 330 closure is weird though. Most places do that.

Good to know WP is delivering though!

 

[Forrest.Gump]

at 330, the park gets cleared out, so I can come thru and ravage the place.

i shred every feature to smitherines, and provide feedback to the park builder.

the flex is so heavy it made some of the woodward babysitters cry in their sleep, so it crucial,

that it stays top secret, with non disclosure agreements and all...

 

[ReturnToMonkey]

Regardless changing mtnsbecause of a 330 closure is weird though. Most places do that.

Good to know WP is delivering though!

Winter Park definitely can have some inconsistency but this year, the jumps were the best I've ever hit there. I also don't really like the tubes at copper that much. But I switched for many more reasons than just the park, parks actually probably the last reason. Also I should say I don't ski in Colorado much anymore, just a few weeks a year. It definitely has changed a good bit in the last 5 years

**This post was edited on Jan 8th 2024 at 12:49:56am

 

[theabortionator]

Winter Park definitely can have some inconsistency but this year, the jumps were the best I've ever hit there. I also don't really like the tubes at copper that much. But I switched for many more reasons than just the park, parks actually probably the last reason. Also I should say I don't ski in Colorado much anymore, just a few weeks a year. It definitely has changed a good bit in the last 5 years

**This post was edited on Jan 8th 2024 at 12:49:56am

True. I'd just say most places start closing the parks or at least features before or during people's last runs. The one's that don't are probably either really small or don't really do so much maintenance.

I do remember riding mt snow till last chsir whenever that was though during the carinthia prime. I get it. Would be cool to have parks open till the end of your laps, but doesn't work out that ways most places.

I guess don't feel slighted over copper closing early. It's pretty common. Honestly have only ridden copper a few time so no fucks given otherwise.

And again good to hear WP stepping up

 

[Someguy9]

Winter Park definitely can have some inconsistency but this year, the jumps were the best I've ever hit there. I also don't really like the tubes at copper that much. But I switched for many more reasons than just the park, parks actually probably the last reason. Also I should say I don't ski in Colorado much anymore, just a few weeks a year. It definitely has changed a good bit in the last 5 years

**This post was edited on Jan 8th 2024 at 12:49:56am

Fax bro I never really skied park besides hitting jumps until this season and their setup in dogpatch and ash cat is acc so much better this year. And they rebuild the second dogpatch jump and it’s prob the most fun jump I’ve ever hit