News | Urban Sherpa Travel
Oct 9, 2023
Is This The Catskills ? No…..
Snowflation
Its Autumn in the Northeast ushering in the desire for winter-sports, romanticized through commercialized images and videos inspiring our best days on snow even if those days are harder earned through lift volume management. And now here we are staring into hyperbolic advertisements and inflated prices inspired from our enthusiasm for winter sport. And like Sisyphus we are condemn to roll another “awesome” season uphill for it to collapse upon us. Less access, longer lines, higher prices in the name of “on hill experience” for the few who can afford it. Winter communities are reeling from this commercializing of their lifestyle so much so they can no longer meet the fictions that have betrayed them. They can’t meet the price to recreate the very ideals sold to an adoring and consuming public. You just can not work on Wall Street to prepare and create the on hill community off hill enthusiasts pose to endear but seemingly willing to pay. Or will we ? Winter sports were created by people who devoted and compromised their lives for an experience resort owners are selling at a premium. Most of us can not afford the new reality which in our mind is less authentic, less honest.
Let it be our mantra to be caring, more authentic, to be fair on hill enthusiasts and we hope to meet more like us. We in turn have lowered our prices and have made arrangements with our hill partners to keep ticket pricing less dynamic providing the late comer with real discounted opportunities. It won’t be enough to turn this fictionalized sport around but it might be the start of a return to something less special. You won’t be Ovr-charged on exaggerated promises or businesses operating because they have great SEO programs. We are skiers and snowboarders who have experienced the on snow community for most of our lives, let us help you.
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Nov 23, 2022
Jumping into New Lines at Plattekill
Winter is Coming. Are Higher Prices Coming, Too?
Ski and snowboard season is about to open in the New York area. In the flurry of marketing e-mails promoting season passes or on winter resort Web sites, you’ll undoubtedly have noticed starkly higher pricing at nearby hills again. Several large area resorts are now corporately owned and have lost focus on local enthusiasts and families. Citing volume compromises the experience at the lift line, these resorts have shifted staff and increased prices. They claim these efforts aim to reduce lift lines and prevent overcrowding yet continue to sell even more season passes, using “dynamic pricing” schemes to dissuade retail customers by raising prices the closer the purchase to the event date, to drive more profitable next season-pass sales.
We expect more and we deserve better. Urban Sherpa has been serving our New York community of skiing and snowboarding enthusiasts for almost thirty years, providing safe, reliable, and convenient transport to tri-state mountains from the metropolitan area. We love the sport because, yep, we are riders, too. Look for transport discounts and buy lift tickets early to beat dynamic pricing schemes. Don’t get Ovr-charged on exaggerated promises.
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Dec 8, 2020
Windham & Hunter Mountain Prepare for Opening; Camelback on the Way
Lack of snowfall and warm weather had delayed our trips to Windham and Hunter mountains until December 12th, but the hills have made up for lost time and are blowing a storm on hill. Covid restrictions will keep a lid on arriving skiers and snowboarders, and mountain mandates require us to purchase and declare 24 hours prior to arrival so please book early to reserve our place on hill. A purchase of a rental or lesson at Windham will require an additional reservation, and a link will be sent from our back office after your initial purchase. Our Hunter riders are transport-only as Vail properties have restricted the sale of lift tickets and early season participation is held for its pre-season purchased pass holders. If you intend on going to Hunter, please make a reservation on the Hunter website prior to purchasing transport from Urban Sherpa Travel. We will be adding trips to Camelback soon, so navigate back for a schedule.
So hope to see ya ridin’ December 12th board the bus at our Union (6:00 AM) and Time Square (6:15 AM) locations. Round up your posse and hit the slopes with Urban Sherpa! Check out current snow conditions and live webcam links for Windham and Hunter on our Weather page. Let’s head to the mountains!
Nov 15, 2018
Early snowfall at Windham Mountain will assist the earliest opening date in 14 years; with our December 1st trip approaching, Windham will be ready. Windham has installed the first RIFD (radio frequency identification) in New York state, making it even easier to board the lift. Buy early to take advantage of our express check-in service, bypassing most of the rental process. Purchase Sunday through Wednesday the week of the trip to take advantage of our Buy it Forward discounts. Hope to see ya ridin’ December 1st; board the bus at our Union (6:00 AM) and Time Square (6:15 AM) locations. Round up your posse and hit the slopes with Urban Sherpa! Check out current snow conditions and live webcam links for Windham and Hunter on our Weather page. Looks like another great year at Windham.
Aug 25, 2017
This season we’ll be offering discount children’s packages at Hunter and Windham mountains. Packages are offered as half-day (morning or afternoon sessions) or full-day options and include a round-trip bus pass, lift ticket, the specified gear rental, and group lesson for each session. Details below.
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Nov 30, 2016
We’ve got exclusive dibs on Windham’s new express check-in feature
Working with our partners at Windham Mountain we have streamlined and automated rental check-in to save our posse time and frustration. Purchase a package with rental before noon the day prior to your trip to take advantage of our exclusive express check-in: your lift tickets, gear rentals, and any lesson vouchers will be waiting for you at a separate express counter in the rental area.
Your Urban Sherpa leader will confirm your express status when boarding the bus in the morning. Upon arrival at the mountain, you won’t have to stand in line at the computer terminals or wait for tickets, lesson, or rental chits. Walk right off the bus, proceed directly to the express counter at the rental area to collect your tickets, rentals, and lessons. Skip the lines, try on your boots, grab your board or skis, and head out to the mountain for first tracks or an early lesson.
Express check-in is only being offered at Windham Mountain, so get ahead of the crowd. Gather your posse and plan your trip early—it pays off!
