12/22/2021
Update on the opening of the slopes and pandemic status affecting the resort restaurants.
**Resort Opening and Pandemic Update**
Dear Wintergreen Associates, Members, and Community,
I wrote to you a couple days ago to inform you roughly a dozen members of our staff had tested positive for Covid. I wish I had better follow-up news, but unfortunately, like in other parts of the country and in other tight communities like professional sports, this variant seems determined to spread, even among the fully vaccinated, and our case count has risen to approximately 30 of our associates.
These cases are distributed among both our fully vaccinated and tested international workers and our long-time local staff. The Omicron variant is quite indiscriminate. On the plus side, especially for those who are vaccinated, the symptoms remain rather mild, and many would have happily gone to work a couple of years ago in the same condition. Alas, the underlying cause is more than just a headache or a runny nose, so we need to take more systemic precautions due to the virus’ ability to spread rapidly.
We continue to adhere to strict quarantine guidelines for those directly impacted which includes more than half of our chefs, line cooks, and restaurant teams. Unfortunately, that means we do not have enough staff to operate much of our food and beverage operations beyond our essential services.
Our first priority will be to continue operating The Market because of its gas and grocery provisions. To our deep disappointment, we will not be able to offer indoor dining as we had planned during the holidays while our impacted associates adhere to the quarantine protocols. Both Devils Grill and The Edge will be CLOSED for sit-down dining in the restaurants.
Our current plan is to provide take-out food only via the Wintergreen app which you can download onto your phone. We hope to have take-out orders available from The Edge and Upper Crust Pizza, but that will be determined by the level of staff available. The app will tell you how long it will take for your order to be prepared. Please be patient as we expect very high demand on what will be very limited facilities and, frankly, a staff that will be stretched extremely thin and doing their best to provide what services they can during this Omicron impacted holiday period.
We greatly regret these inconveniences, but until we can bring our staff back to work, the food options at the Resort will be limited. Believe me, we would like nothing better than to be serving you scrumptious meals and in full restaurants, but instead we recommend you bring your own food and beverage supplies if you are staying at Wintergreen this week.
We are working with the Virginia Department of Health on additional testing and mitigation efforts to keep the rest of our staff, our guests, and our community safe. To that end, as we announced this past weekend, we are requiring EVERYONE – employees, members, and visitors alike – to wear masks when INDOORS at Wintergreen Resort, regardless of their vaccination status. Signage has been posted to communicate this revised masking policy, and regardless of your vaccination situation, we must insist on strict compliance. We know this may be difficult, and we apologize for any inconvenience, but we would like to get this behind us as quickly as possible.
Aside from the above unfortunate reality, I am pleased to report there is some good news. Wintergreen Resort will officially open for the winter season tomorrow for skiing and snowboarding from 9:00am – 4:00pm! Because of the unseasonably warm temperatures we have experienced this month, for the opening days only one top-to-bottom beginner slope, Dobie, will be available which will be serviced by the Blue Ridge Express six-person detachable chairlift.
Our regular operating schedule, including night skiing, is anticipated to start Saturday, December 25th. We hope to open additional terrain for Saturday, but it will depend on the temperatures over the next several days which will determine the snowmaking productivity we will be able to achieve. Despite marginal snowmaking conditions, our operations team has maximized every opportunity to deliver a quality snow surface in preparation for opening, and we will continue to press as hard as we can to open more slopes, and even the tubing park, as soon as we can.
To ensure a quality mountain experience, daily lift ticket sales will be limited during the peak holiday period, and they can only be purchased online in advance. Guests will not be able to buy them in-resort at the ticket window. As a Covid mitigation practice, and for your convenience, those daily tickets can be picked up at the automated ticket pick-up boxes on the Blue Ridge Terrace and near the entrance to the Skyline Pavilion at the resort.
Please note Wintergreen Club Members passes, Mission: Affordable season passes, Mission Four’dable quad pack tickets, Buddy Tickets purchased with the passholder present, resort lodging guests, and lift tickets bought as part of a ski and snowboard school package are guaranteed access on the days when they are normally valid.
Opening the resort, and staying open, will require vigilance and cooperation on the part of all our constituencies. These precautionary efforts are meant to minimize further impacts from the recent nationwide increase in Covid-19 cases which is having a direct impact on the Wintergreen community.
We’re proud to offer the respite of skiing and snowboarding starting tomorrow, and we ask you to recognize additional mitigation steps such as loading lifts at less than full capacity might be necessary. Please stay tuned to our website, www.wintergreenresort.com for the latest updates.
Sincerely,
Jay Gamble
General Manager
