Another reason Vail stinks.

[Icecoast]

42 minutes ago, EdBacon said:

I mean, I've had season passes most of my life to various places and I've always used the webcams to see the conditions before heading out. I imagine a lot folks on here do the same. Just seems like Vail wants to force people to use their app. 

Vail is trash. I would expect to the webcams to come back at some point as the rest of vail's ski areas still have them on their websites. I too use them to check conditions. If I had to guess, they took them down so people couldn't complain about them not making snow. 

Look at Mount Snow. Years back they completed that west lake project which allowed snowmaking on like 20 trails at one time. They currently have 7 open while the rest of New England (and NY) is expanding at a pretty quick pace. 

I last had an epic pass two years ago. everything just felt sad. Hunter still has the entire west side abandoned except for wayout and sometimes claires. boulder had the minimum snow needed to hide the grass and two ride on boxes (in february). I would not be surprised if they did not try to offload boulder to someone else or the condo association. And in reality, they should. having to drive from one ski area to another for night skiing is stupid. 

[JFskiDan]

1 hour ago, EdBacon said:

I mean, I've had season passes most of my life to various places and I've always used the webcams to see the conditions before heading out. I imagine a lot folks on here do the same. Just seems like Vail wants to force people to use their app. 

i look at lots of cams from a bunch of different ski joints as well, and i dont go to most of them.  but, i agree, they want to force people on the app, just like McDonalds does.  

But for the day pass person, it just doesnt make a ton of sense to download the app, just to see some cams.  that seems silly to me, but perfectly fine for Vail i guess.  

[JFskiDan]

1 hour ago, Icecoast said:

 If I had to guess, they took them down so people couldn't complain about them not making snow. 

 

this does make some sense, but at the same time, probably the large majority of people complaining about how/when they make snow, are most likely the passholders, which will most likely have the app.  but, yeah, it would keep me from making fun of their progress as well.  Their MO is to make some snow early on, claim a fantastic amount of trails open, then cut the snowmaking back by a ton.  like last year.  they should have been 100% way before the new year, but they didnt make that.  cost cutting.  

[RidgeRacer]

Disregard

Edited December 1, 2025 by RidgeRacer

[EdBacon]

It's the little things that make you know they care and Vail consistently ignores the little things. 

[enjoralas]

FWIW, the cams do appear to be actually down, if you try to hit them from the direct links it tries but gives an error message. Doesn't mean they didn't unplug them on purpose to keep people from seeing lack of snowmaking, but hopefully does mean when they return they won't be app only:

https://live2.brownrice.com/embed/jackfrost2

https://live2.brownrice.com/embed/jackfrost1