MOUNTAIN LIFE - Blue Mountains | Summer 2020

23 people are gathering en masse, Village events and concerts have been postponed. That said, there is the possibility of roaming entertainment to keep a positive and fun atmosphere in the Village. The cleaning regimes and sanitization on frequent touch-points and washrooms will be upped and hand sanitizing stations set up throughout the Resort. In situations where physical distancing cannot be maintained you can expect requirements to wear facemasks. Other enhancements in site operations include Resort ambassadors and ticket checkers who will be supporting the monitoring of health and safety efforts. There are a few other changes you should know about if you’re an outdoorsy type who heads to Blue for some time well spent biking and hiking the trails. The logistics and safety measures around downhill biking proved too much of a challenge to work around this year. The good news is that hiking is still on, with a few modifications to help with monitoring trail-user numbers. An admission system will be put in place with options including a Play-All-Day Pass, Explore Pass or a Play-As-You-Go Basecamp Attraction ticket—or a 5x7 or IKON 2021 season’s pass. All tickets and passes include access to the open-air gondola so you can hike up and ride down if you choose. Charging for trail use is not new and has been done for years at resorts and parks across Canada. It covers the costs of keeping trails in good shape and this year will also keep people safe. Guests are encouraged to purchase tickets or passes online prior to their visit which will guarantee their access and help to reduce ticket queues. Saying the task of reopening and operating with these new measures in place will be tricky is an understatement. Blue Mountain Resort is walking a fine line between being part of the economic restart and keeping a high level of health and safety. To support all of this Blue has put into place an assigned task force for each area of the Resort including attractions, activities, lodging and Blue–owned restaurants and retail, with the responsibility of tackling considerations such as physical distancing and sanitization. Overall, operations at Blue will run a bit differently this year with a few more prerequisites—but isn't that true of everything now? I wanted to leave the reader with a warm and fuzzy feeling. The thing is, there’s not much warm and fuzzy about life during a global pandemic. Fortunately we haven’t lost our opportunities to explore outdoor spaces where we can feel safe to connect. It just might take a few more added must-dos. –Laura Raimondi Resort staff are facing the same challenges as the rest of us—working remotely, homeschooling, braving the grocery store and struggling to find a slice of sanity. ALLISON KENNEDY DAVIES