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Topic: January 13th 08- Yodelin and Steven's Pass Outrage (Read 4354 times)
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FreeBasin
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Posts: 8
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Went up to Yodelin on Sunday. We thought it would be a good idea to stay in the trees based on avy reports. The day was beautiful, clear and Sunny. The snow above 3800’ was excellent very fluffy with a lightly consolidated layer on top of some softer layers –stable, but definitely a good day to stay in the trees. Snow below 3800’ had a thin layer of ice on top. The views were excellent. The south facing slope opposite Route 2 was littered with Snow movement and fracture lines, but we did not witness any activity over there.
Here comes the outrage…..We left Seattle about 8 am and got to the Yodelin lot about 10am. Turn’s out, the Steven’s pass lot was filled and they were having people park in the Yodelin lot. Now, the yodelin lot was full and they are putting people in the Nordic center lot down the road. There is a Steven’s gorilla (employee) standing at the entrance of Yodelin deflecting traffic. So we don’t need to park the Yodelin lot, but we do need to drop off the gear, and we told this gorilla that fact. He says “No way”. So, we pulled in to Yodelin anyway, against the gorilla’s “orders”. He chased us down pounding on my buddy’s tuck yelling obscenities and throwing feces. Of course, we stopped, dropped off the gear while the gorilla threatened us and overlooked our activities. My buddy then left and parked his truck 5 miles down route 2. We had to wait at Yodelin for him to get back. While waiting, we noticed that there were a bunch of open spots in the lot, and then a couple cars pulled in, and then a couple more. So…. they are letting people park here? Well, kind of. It turns out that this particular Steven’s gorilla was taking money for parking spots. He was telling us we could not park there because he was protecting the last few remaining spots and letting in people who offered him a “gift”.
I will always assume the best of people, and accept that fact that what I see may not be what I think it is. But I watched him get offered a “tip”, take that “tip” and then count his money in front of us. I don’t think he owns Yodelin, and I don’t think he has the right to accept bribes for space he does not own. I will never, ever ski at Steven’s pass, even if I want to shell out $60. I will try to stay away from Yodelin on the weekend as well, traffic was pretty bad on the way home.
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« Last Edit: 01/14/08, 10:48 AM by FreeBasin »
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jcocci
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Posts: 137
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Wow I haven't seen Stevens that busy in a long time. That's just too many people on the hill. I would definitely write a letter to Stevens Pass. I'd be curious as to their reply.
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Jerm
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Posts: 303
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Wow, I gave up on Stevens after the treatment they gave their 05-06 "season" passholders. These sorts of rumors certainly wont win me back ... and the return traffic on 2 is the final nail in the coffin.
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« Last Edit: 01/14/08, 09:59 AM by Jerm »
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Salal
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Posts: 186
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Wow a report from last year  It was a zoo everywhere yesterday
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ajjenkin
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These types of "problems" really grab my interest. I wonder if Stevens has a right to that lot. Does it fall into their permit area? Who plows it? If they pay for the plowing, then they should have some rights to it. A vdeo of that guy turning some away and taking cash from others (not to mention pounding on your truck) would have been the perfect weapon in this case.
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juan
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Posts: 218
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Combine the fact that the ski area controls all the lots up there, and that WSDOT wont let you park at the ventilator anymore, and the options for bc skiing parking is severely l,imited up there. they should have to maintain spaces for non-ski area users in the lot across the street from the area (heather ridge) and the upper lot at Yodelin.
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FreeBasin
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Exactly my questions. Who plows the lot? Who has the "right" to it? Should back country skiers be given precedence if it is a Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie Forest lot? (That would be the day!) Step aside! Free-heeler commin thru  !
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jcocci
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Posts: 137
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Wow, I gave up on Stevens after the treatment they gave their 05-06 "season" passholders. These sorts of rumors certainly wont win me back ... and the return traffic on 2 is the final nail in the coffin.
What kind of "treatment" did their pass holders receive?
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Tophervw
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Posts: 261
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A food credit comes to memory...
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"Animal played the drums better then any other Muppet....How's That for Communism?
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jpLingo
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We were in the other car that was going to meet you guys for the trip. If you thought the parking was bad you should have witnessed breakfast. After seeing that fiasco at Stevens we wound up going into the Jove peak area and getting some great turns.
Glad you were able to do the same.
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jcocci
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Posts: 137
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A food credit comes to memory...
I was a passholder that year. What I am implying and sorry if this isn't the place for this and I am not trying to badmouth anyone here, but I don't feel I was treated poorly. Stevens season pass holders got more that year than Crystal pass holders, which was nothing. Was I bummed that Stevens didn't do more for the pass holders, of course I was, but buying a seasons pass is a gamble and sometimes it pays and sometimes it doesn't. The fact that Snoqualmie honored their passes the next season is amazing. Anyway not the forum for this I suppose.
As for the Yodelin parking lot I am pretty sure that Stevens maintains it, but I could be wrong. I would definitely let Stevens know about their employee though as that is just plain wrong and BS regardless of who maintains the lot. I definitely would've been pissed off if I went to Yodelin to ski and had to park elsewhere even if I wasn't treated poorly by an employee. Unfortunately the fact probably is that if Stevens does indeed maintain that lot then BC skiers aren't their main concern when they have to park paying customers at that lot.
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FreeBasin
5Member
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Posts: 8
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Yes, at least we got some great turns in. That made me not so furious. I linked up 3 big powder turns that made the whole day worth it.....parking, traffic, gorilla lifty and my buddy hitch-hiking can take that away.
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savegondor
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Posts: 384
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Consider this:
Stevens Pass may likely expand soon. Public pressure should be put on them to develop more parking for resort skiers. And probably this will mean an expensive investment in a parking garage for Stevens. It will take a lot of public pressure, but I would say that any further expansion at Stevens needs to include a comprehensive land use and parking plan.
I too ski BC primarily and other users do have some rights up at Stevens. We need to find out what they are and effectively leverage them.
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md2020
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Posts: 377
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Consider this:
Stevens Pass may likely expand soon. Public pressure should be put on them to develop more parking for resort skiers. And probably this will mean an expensive investment in a parking garage for Stevens. It will take a lot of public pressure, but I would say that any further expansion at Stevens needs to include a comprehensive land use and parking plan.
You've got to be kidding me. The only public pressure they need is to cut back on the resort's parking area and force them to buy some buses to bring the suckers up to wally world.
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Mike Metz
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Nate R
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I don't have anything to back this up, so I apologize if I'm way out in left field, but I thought the building there was a Stevens employee lodge? Seems like I occasionally see Stevens employees roaming in and out of it. I would assume then that the whole lot belongs to Stevens in some form or another. I always thought the upper lot was employee parking, as well, although I have noticed a lot of backcountry skiers parking up there, so maybe I made that up. Anyway, if the lot is Stevens-controlled property, I don't think we have much choice but to play by their rules, and considering they don't owe backcountry skiers a cent of consideration, that means get there before they start overflowing into that lot, or risk what happened to Freebasin. Of course, the bribe thing is a whole 'nuther problem -- maybe some kind of new Stevens employee incentive program? Maybe we could fight back by tipping off the IRS -- I'm SURE they aren't reporting that income! 
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Marcus
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I think Nate has it right, that the lot is owned/maintained by Stevens Pass. Of course, he and I may just be perpetuating our own guesses, I suppose, but I'm pretty sure that building is an employee lodge.
Regardless, taking money for the last few spots? That's some opportunistic genius, right there. I'm glad you salvaged some goods from the day though... Were you able to pick out a line straight down to your car, or did you have to do the parking lot shenanigans again?
And please, let there never be a parking garage at Stevens...
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Jerm
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Posts: 303
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I was a passholder that year. What I am implying and sorry if this isn't the place for this and I am not trying to badmouth anyone here, but I don't feel I was treated poorly. Stevens season pass holders got more that year than Crystal pass holders, which was nothing. Was I bummed that Stevens didn't do more for the pass holders, of course I was, but buying a seasons pass is a gamble and sometimes it pays and sometimes it doesn't. The fact that Snoqualmie honored their passes the next season is amazing. Anyway not the forum for this I suppose.
Well, Crystal actually opened something beyond a bunny slope for more than a week.
It wasn't poor treatment per se, it was more that little incentive was given to come back. I needed an incentive to come back. So I went to Alpental, encouraged by the way THEY treated their passholders, and haven't regretted it. Hopefully now that they are managed by Boyne, that kind of customer service isn't lost and gone forever.
Anyway, re: Yodelin lots. I seem to remember reading that Yodelin was bought by Stevens at some point, probably the same transaction that got them the Tyee lift. So they probably plow it and can restrict access to their hearts content, under-the-table bribes excepted.
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BrianLee
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Posts: 83
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I can understand your frustration, but it is a Stevens Pass controlled property, therefore they owe you nothing. As for said employee, I am not surprised he was skimming a little off the top. Opportunistic Genious or Filthy Bastard? I guess that depends on your perspective. Most area emplyees and people who live up in the mountains generally hate seeing all the people from "the west side" coming up to "their" mountains, and usually will happily screw anyone from the city that they can. Its wrong for sure, but that don't change the reality of the situation.
That being said I am sure the 1000 or so cars that were completely denied were a little more pissed then you.
Like it or not, Stevens needs to do something.
My idea is build a big lot at Tunnel Creek and redesign the highway there. That way there could be WSDOT funds kicked in. Have Stevens operate a shuttle from there to the Pass.
Imagine riding down TC to your car and leaving.
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