Whats up with Matthew Drake never wearing a mask? I realize he is vaccinated as he has provided that as an excuse for not wearing one but it is still confusing when all of Meadows messaging is 'wear a mask' but Matthew is obstinate in using them. Getting lots of mixed messaging. Its kind of ridiculous getting in trouble for not wearing one when I am following the example set by our CEO.
Don’t be a Jerry or let your kids be Jerry’s.
Teach the responsibility code and how to properly use gear!
It'll be fine, we'll make the best of the last days of operations but something I keep forgetting to mention... we had THE BEST coffee in our work area last season (pacific rim roasters). It tasted so good, the beans were so fresh, I was so productive because I couldn't stop drinking it. The change to dry/preground/gas station coffee in unsustainable individual plastic packages this season was a bummer amongst other bummers. I'm sorry I didn't mention it earlier but I had bigger beans to brew. It would be so nice if we could get good, locally roasted, sustainably sourced coffee for our work spaces AND our coffee shops again next season (or even better, this summer). Moby Roasters? Pacific Rim Roasters? Ten Speed? Just want that tasty, strong, hot bean water with hints of a hard working local coffee roaster's sweat back! And thank you, even for the gas station coffee, as it was better than no coffee but a demotion from the goods. With the challenges of this season, I think everyone deserves the high five that a hot mug of good coffee delivers.
Please put the slow signs back in the run at tripodial. When they’re in the trees like they are now nobody sees them and I had a close encounter on snowmobile because a skier was going wayyyyy to fast. Put them in the run patrol please it keeps us safe
Thanks for the feedback. While most of the sign location changes have enhanced visibility of the message, it is possible that a larger Trails Merge mesh sign facing up towards Stadium unload might be helpful. Now that we’re putting these slope safety signs on trees, we no longer have to be as concerned about how the wider signs take up groomed space in busier areas. Keep in mind that the “Tripodial” intersection has never been a designated Slow Zone. We could consider doing this. I’m not sure the signs alone keep anyone safe, but we do take very seriously how our hill set-up and patrol/host monitoring impacts slope safety.
-John Bain
No COVID anymore? LOL
Actual suggestions:
- New bamboo! Especially for Ballroom Carpet, because the kids put the ski unders to the test! A lot!
- Not for lift ops, but for the food department. If you could dring back the Impossible burritos and have more vegetarian options in Sahale, that would be amazing! And GF options matter too. This wouldn't necessarily even require adding lots of new items. For example, being able to substitute impossible meat for steak in the morning tacos, for example, would be wonderful.
- As usual, the less time we spend congregated in Lift Ops, the better!
- If you do hang out inside a lot, with others, wearing two masks is a recommended by the CDC (like a cloth one over a disposable one with the adjustable metal nose-bar thing)
- Make use of the sanitizing bottles to disinfect your station when coming and going. When several of us put our mouths up to one sound phone, we could easily pass germs between us. I like to keep a bottle of rubbing alcohol on me for disinfecting sound phones and buttons.
- Open windows more
- Get the vaccine, everyone! (The link to the clinic at the Dalles is still on Dayforce, right?)
Like, seriously, don't be afraid... or lazy! We all got lots of them when we were wee babies, and look how we've turned out now!
(I mean, OK, maybe we're all a little nuts hehehe, but we're not in iron lungs because from getting polio and we don't have lots of smallpox scars on our faces. That's because of vaccines! :D)
- If you do get the vaccine, you don't start getting a lot of protection until about two weeks after the first dose; continue being careful with Covid precautions.
All that aside, the working environment is awesome!
Thank you for the suggestions. With more volume and food locations open next season, I'm sure we will see more expanded vegetarian options as well. I know for the tacos they cook the mix in big batches so they can serve them quickly which makes it so substituting different meat isn't super easy but we do have different meat in the burritos so perhaps we could offer at least two different options for the tacos if we could us the burritos mix as well.
-Jeremy Riss
I’ve chosen to keep this comment to myself through most of the season because I understand we are facing several mew challenges. However, at the end of the season, these issues should have found solutions by now. Food and beverage has been a colossal disappointment this season. Many of our employees have gotten sick after eating the food being served. We have begun filing near miss forms due to food borne illnesses coming from the lodge. Cooks have been witnessed sweeping the floor in a pair of gloves and then preparing and serving food wearing the same gloves used to clean.
Some cooks have prepared food bare handed.
Multiple days this season the grill has been out of propane and unable to run, while these circumstances happen and are understandable, no notice was given to employees about the closures. Employees on hill must go well out of their ways to reach the sahale lodge only to discover they are not open. This NEEDS to be communicated to the team.
Ski school spent most of the season operating under different mask guidelines, pretending that they have exceptions to the policy. This has been address multiple times and still persists as an issue, Despite Cody Howe having multiple conversations with their leadership.
The bus situation could have been done better. Many bus drivers do not use the reservation system, and do not stop at certain stops. During the worst weather of the season, our employees got absolutely soaked on the ride to work. Many of those employees then spent the entire day in the cold weather. WELLNESS IS A CORE VALUE. I understand the need to open windows. However, the drivers have gotten lazy and decided to tape them open, which results in every seat on the bus getting covered in half an inch of standing water before we are expected to sit on it for an hour on rainy days.
Finally, why did I have to remind Mathew drake, our CEO, to put his mask on in sahale lodge today, 4/16/21. According to reports from my department, it was the third time In just as many days that he has been reminded.
It's not likely that skiers carry a pen or pencil with them. I know pens and pencils can be expensive to keep replacing. Keep a couple of pens on a chain in the rental department area. That would make it less likely they would be taken and more likely to receive filled out comment cards.
Thanks for the suggestion, we can look at putting a pen with a chain near the comment cards to make it easier for guests to fill out.
-Jeremy Riss
Spring at Cooper is great! We have a great team and I love that my manager is continually supportive and encouraging, consistently putting the team first.
I'm so stoked things are going well. I spent some time at Cooper yesterday and the grounds are looking great!
-Jeremy Riss
Thank you to all the instructors who help instructors become better riders, skiers & teachers!!
Thank you for everyone in their peaceful vigilance throughout the season!!
Start with efficient staffing and better wages.
You could hire jut 3 lifties per lift at $15 an hour who will show up consistently instead of paying low wages with high turnover. Create a culture which respects the job and doesn't view it as unskilled or unimportant.
Try to offer benefits which cost the company little but build incentive to work at a ski area. (More buddy passes, reciprocal lift tickets for other mountains etc.)
I agree with you staffing is a huge challenge in many departments that we need to make better progress on. Cost of living in our area in particular is a big challenge for those who are looking to work full time. Well will continue to evaluate pay, benefits and other incentives to make working at MHM more sustainable.
-Jeremy Riss