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New Gondola Welcomes Keystone Resort Guests This Season
Keystone Resort's new state-of-the-art eight-passenger gondola will be good to go for the 2008-2009 season. With a vertical rise of 2,307 feet and a top-to-bottom average trip time... Full article
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1) Opening at 9am, I was in line at 8:30 and still didn't get on the thing until 9:20 or so. There were hundreds of people there making the line really big and long.
2) I got in 2 runs before the line for the gondola stretched back across the "old" bridge to basically form a line where the old gondola loading station used to be, all the &^$*C# way over to the "new" line (and then don't forget the cow-corral to extend the wait some more). I got 2 runs in by 10:30am. What a waste. I left at this point, only to be greeted by more hordes of riders coming in as we left.
3) If the Zuma Express and the Summit Express were open, things would have been very bearable- top to bottom skiing this time of year for Keystone is rare- it was nice to ski all the way down, but to force everyone to get back into the gondola line again...it just doesn't make sense.
4) Loading at the mid-station this early in the season is DUMB. Everyone thought it would be a good idea to get in line at the mid-station, but the line at the base was so over-crowded there were no empty gondola's to pick people up at the midstation. Make it like most resorts and say "no beginner skiing" and prohibit downloading until more acerage is open. They also shouldn't let people get on at the mid-station until the whole line mess situation clears up (see: open more than 1 lift).
5) Don't forget the Summit County PoPo waiting at the midstation. Conveniently, a sherrif stands where the doors open at the midstation and sniffs the air as your gondola doors open. Pretty weak...
Basically, the new gondola was like buying a nice shiny new pair of ice skates, and then insisting on taking them backcountry skiing. While you really REALLY wanted to use them, they were basically worthless at this juncture.
I've blacklisted Keystone until they get their act together, or open up enough lifts to service their clientele...I don't have weekends to waste standing around in lift lines. And to think I saw people that RENTED skiis and BOUGHT lift tickets. You poor souls...
Snow conditions were great. I disagree with no external racks for gear- this does make getting in there with 8 people a fiasco- probably fine later season when you don't have to force 8 to every cabin. Gondola base was located to a good location (except see above)- very clean & fast.