﻿However, 
  as 
  t±ie 
  tabulation 
  below 
  shows, 
  the 
  degree 
  of 
  utilization 
  was 
  signifi- 
  

   cantly 
  higher 
  during 
  the 
  weekend 
  -holiday 
  portion 
  of 
  the 
  season, 
  particularly 
  on 
  the 
  cable 
  

   facilities 
  . 
  

  

  Type 
  of 
  Weekends, 
  Overall 
  

  

  facility 
  holidays 
  Weekdays 
  season 
  

  

  Percent 
  ---------- 
  

  

  Cable 
  92 
  24 
  49 
  

  

  Rope 
  43 
  11 
  23 
  

  

  Combined 
  82 
  21 
  44 
  

  

  These 
  calculations, 
  it 
  should 
  be 
  emphasized, 
  are 
  based 
  on 
  the 
  assumed 
  rate 
  of 
  

   8, 
  000 
  VTF 
  per 
  skier 
  per 
  day 
  being 
  a 
  fairly 
  true 
  reflection 
  of 
  what 
  the 
  skiers 
  want. 
  If 
  

   this 
  assumption 
  is 
  incorrect, 
  the 
  results 
  would 
  be 
  very 
  different. 
  Also, 
  the 
  lift 
  and 
  tow 
  

   capacity 
  discussed 
  here 
  includes 
  the 
  capacity 
  of 
  both 
  the 
  rope 
  and 
  cable 
  lifts 
  and 
  tows 
  

   available. 
  Although 
  it 
  is 
  difficult 
  to 
  do 
  more 
  than 
  guess 
  at 
  the 
  attendance 
  on 
  rope 
  tows 
  

   alone, 
  we 
  estimate 
  that 
  not 
  more 
  than 
  10 
  percent 
  of 
  the 
  total 
  annual 
  skier 
  attendance, 
  

   or 
  about 
  426, 
  000 
  visits, 
  was 
  accounted 
  for 
  by 
  skiers 
  using 
  rope 
  tows/® 
  

  

  Although 
  available 
  cable 
  capacity 
  is 
  slightly 
  excessive 
  even 
  during 
  heavy 
  demand 
  

   weekend 
  -holiday 
  periods, 
  the 
  apparent 
  discrepancy 
  does 
  not 
  seem 
  too 
  great. 
  The 
  ski 
  

   area 
  business 
  has 
  been 
  growing 
  very 
  rapidly. 
  In 
  this 
  growth 
  situation, 
  ski 
  area 
  man- 
  

   agers 
  have 
  been 
  forced 
  to 
  estimate 
  additional 
  lift 
  and 
  tow 
  needs 
  2 
  to 
  3 
  years 
  ahead. 
  

   One 
  can 
  conclude 
  that 
  ski 
  area 
  managers 
  have 
  skillfully 
  matched 
  cable 
  capacity 
  and 
  

   demand. 
  

  

  The 
  apparent 
  overcapacity 
  of 
  rope 
  tow 
  facilities 
  again 
  emphasizes 
  the 
  preference 
  

   of 
  today's 
  skier 
  for 
  the 
  safer 
  and 
  easier 
  -to 
  -ride 
  cable 
  lifts 
  and 
  tows. 
  It 
  also 
  suggests 
  

   that 
  ski 
  area 
  operators 
  may 
  overestimate 
  the 
  actual 
  capacity 
  of 
  their 
  rope 
  tows. 
  

  

  The 
  excess 
  capacity 
  available 
  during 
  the 
  midweek 
  period 
  is 
  no 
  surprise. 
  For 
  all 
  

   practical 
  purposes, 
  the 
  ski 
  area 
  business 
  must 
  relate 
  itself 
  to 
  time 
  that 
  people 
  are 
  free 
  

   to 
  ski 
  --generally 
  on 
  the 
  weekends 
  rather 
  than 
  on 
  the 
  weekdays. 
  

  

  Available 
  records 
  did 
  not 
  separate 
  skier 
  attendance 
  by 
  cable 
  or 
  rope 
  facilities, 
  

   However, 
  ski 
  areas 
  that 
  provided 
  only 
  rope 
  tow 
  facilities 
  accounted 
  for 
  only 
  3.4 
  per- 
  

   cent 
  of 
  total 
  annual 
  attendance 
  during 
  the 
  1963-64 
  ski 
  season. 
  We 
  estimate 
  that 
  rope 
  

   tows 
  available 
  at 
  areas 
  that 
  provide 
  both 
  cable 
  and 
  rope 
  facilities 
  may 
  receive 
  double 
  

   that 
  use. 
  Therefore, 
  approximately 
  10 
  percent 
  of 
  total 
  annual 
  attendance 
  may 
  have 
  

   been 
  handled 
  on 
  rope 
  tows 
  . 
  

  

  46 
  

  

  