When Vail first opened to lift-served skiing in the winter of 1962-63 a ticket cost $5 and crowds were so small that one day only 12 people showed up. This year the resort expects to see 1.7 million skier visits, and amenities include a 10-person gondola equipped with heated seats and wi-fi. But possibly nothing is quite as pampering as the Ritz-Carlton’s ski valet, which not only heats your boots overnight, they help you and your kids put them on and then at the end of the day remove them, fetch your shoes, and of course put boots into special warmers/dryers. To the hard core it’s…the word “pathetic” comes to mind…but to families with little kids who ski just a few times a year it’s just smart business. Also, not all the changes at Vail are totally lame: Vail has a Strava-like program that lets you clock your descents against the fastest times on the mountain each season. Which, yes, means you’re doing actual skiing, no valet assist. Via New York Times.

Read more stories like this at Adventure Journal.

Tags: Skiing

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