Crazy Day at Vail

 Well my last day of the season as a Mountain Host for Vail was anything but ordinary. After my first lift scan my ski wallet (a small wallet on a string around my neck) and my lift pass vanished.  Back tracked to no avail. Called Visa got my credit card stopped. Got a lift pass re- printed all in time to start leading a 10:15 tour group and of course was a bit flustered thinking about the other cards in my wallet I was going to have to spend time replacing.  Near the end of a two hour tour with 8 guests in tow and in a bowl with no other exit the lift. The lift went down for an extended period (at that point going on 20 minutes) After a phone consultation with my boss, ditched my guests in the lift line glad we weren't ON the lift.  Threw my jacket on the snow to help the Ski Patrollers and lifties manually push the chairs through the bull wheel to get the lift moving slow enough to get guests out.  AT least my wallet appeared when I took my jacket off as it had gotten slung over my back somehow. After the guests (a couple of hundred maybe--both mazes were past full) were all loaded we continued to have to push the chairs until the last loaded chair made it out of the bowl. Those of us who stayed behind to push were extricated by ski patrol snowmobiles. Stopped for a break at one of the mid mountain restaurants where a hostesses knew I'd been looking for my wallet. She claimed that the ticket office in the village had called with something with my name on it. But I had my wallet back? So I skied down to the village ticket office and they had no idea what I was talking about so that was a wild goose chase I still haven't figured out. Thinking I was set for my last run down the locker room my boss comes on the radio looking for help at the base of another lift that was down (this isn't usual at Vail!) I was in the vicinity so headed there to help give folks other ideas for skiing down. Had to help a beginner who couldn't begin to negotiate the slope,  green cat track, and I'm not sure how she ever gotten to where she was in the first place. Ski patrol came and put her on a sled to get her down. I think was the last one to the locker room today!

**Vail guests are great and they all waited pretty patiently in that mid-day lift line and cheered for and thanked folks pushing the chairs. When a lift is down over 20 minutes then there is Vail personeel awarding vouchers for free lift tickets when folks reach the top. So everyone on that lift and waiting down in the bottom of the bowl were given two vouchers. The folks stuck on the lift at the end of the day were also awarded a voucher. A daily lift ticket at Vail on a peak dayis $159. So those vouchers are a great way to recover a guest's experience. I enjoy being connected to this company because they work hard on customer service.**

Looking for Your Support for Pink Vail: The World's Biggest Cancer Ski Day

If you have enjoyed reading my blog, I hope you will consider showing your support by making just $5 donation to me and our team The Rebel Yells as we participant in Pink Vail on March 21, 2015. If I can get 50 friends to donate $5 I'll reach my $250 goal. We are skiing in honor of friend Judd Babcock who is currently under treatment for cancer at an outstanding local cancer center, Shaw Regional here in Edwards, CO where I spend the winter.  This link Vail Val's Pink Vail Page where you can click on a button that will allow you to enter credit card information. 

Thanks!!

Vail Val