With all due respect for those who are focused on lift lines, there is absolutely no consensus as to whether adding capacity to Park City’s lifts will be a positive or negative attribute. While lift lines are a nuisance at any ski area, it is also the opinion among many Parkites that the trails o perating under existing conditions are already above a safe and comfortable capacity. Skiing trails concentrated around the Silverlode sector already requires keeping one’s head on swivel and who hasn’t witnessed the gumball rally and resulting crashes as we navigate these already congested runs? A lot of us would rather wait a few more minutes in line than ski alongside 25% more skiers on trails scraped clean by noon. I give credit to the marketing arm of Vail Resorts and businesses that would benefit from moving more bodies through town and up the hill. Be certain of one thing though: when Vail Resorts touts the “investments” they want to make at Park City, they are 100% looking to improve their shareholders’ experience, not the skiers’. Investment, to an NYSE listed company, is Cap Ex. Cap Ex is only undertaken to add value for shareholders in the short and long term. Let there be no confusion on this. I do not begrudge Vail Resorts in the slightest for pushing this thesis. We live in a capitalist society, which has allowed our country to enjoy its incredible benefits. That said, nature and ski areas abhor a vacuum. Whatever short-term reduction in lift lines occur would be filled in within a few years and Vail Resorts would be investing in a 10 pack. Look at Vail Resorts’ track record in our community and take a measured look at where their true motivation lies. Scott Brown Park City The post Pandora’s box? appeared first on Park Record. ...read more read less