Nice snow at 7S web cams (sick of DCSKi SS bias)
November 1, 2006
34 posts
19 users
9k+ views
http://www.7springs.com/mountaincams.shtmlThink I've had the same thoughts before, but seems Scott et. al tend to focus more on SS than 7S for coverage from big to little things. New owners at 7S I understand may love the opportunity to get more coverage from the DCSki staff. For whatever reason SS seems to get at least 2:1 editorial articles from DCSki staff over 7S.
As Scott has stated before, SS supplies pictures and press releases directly to DCSki whereas 7S, at least under the previous owners, did not. Hopefully, with the new ownership @ 7S, they will recognize the reach that DCSki (and the internet in general) has on the Mid-Atlantic skiing community and will start supplying press releases and pictures to DCSki. I think if they took the time to contact DCSKi and found out how many different people view this site on a weekly basis, they might change their ways... time will tell.
Dave,
When you walk arround 7S you see all Steelers sweatshirts and caps, its a pittsburgh ski area. I think 7S really sees its self as a local Pittsburgh ski area. What they may not know is that many in West PA read DCski and participate too!
hockeydave has it right. I would have liked nothing more than to post a photo from Seven Springs. But I can't recall a single time when they've sent me a release or photo without my asking (and even when I've asked, I often don't receive a response).
Contrast this with Snowshoe -- I have received over six e-mail updates, one fax, and a plethora of photos from Andrea Smith in the past 36 hours (Andrea is Snowshoe's Communication Manager).
I don't play favorites. But some resorts are more proactive at getting out the word, and see value in on-line media. When I'm writing a story at 1 a.m. (which is typically when they get written), I have to work with what I have.
I'm not sure why some resorts are less proactive. Although DC is in DCSki's name, web sites aren't limited by geography -- it's not like a newspaper that is printed and distributed in one geography. And I try to cover all of the major (and minor) resorts in PA, MD, WV, VA, and NC. Unlike some of DCSki's competitors, resorts are never charged for coverage, and DCSki does not favor advertisers. It sometimes appears that way, as the resorts that have the most proactive media relations departments also often see value in on-line advertising.
Here's where DCSki readers have come from in the past 7 days:
As you can see, DCSki readers aren't really bound by geography, although thousands of unique readers in the past week did come from the mid-Atlantic region. (OK, we know that dot in Utah is probably Crush.
But seriously, why no visitors from North Dakota? I'm dissapointed!)
7S as a "local Pittsburgh ski area"????
Come on. I guess all of those Western PA locals voted their local 7S hill over the famed SS resort at #1 (7S, not SS, is rated #1 in the Oct. '06 Ski Magazine).
Oh, by the way, the last time I was in Vail, I saw a lot of Denver Bronco's gear. Guess it must be a local CO ski area.
Scott - What software did you use to generate that map? Was it software that takes your webserver logs and maps it geographically by IP?
Hi Brad,
The graph was generated with Google Analytics. (Check it out at google.com/analytics.) Analytics is free. You have to "instrument" each page on your site to call Analytics, which then tabulates the stats. So it generates the stats with each page load, rather than analyzing Apache logs.
I've tried a lot of log analysis tools over the years, but many didn't scale reliably to the size of DCSki's logs. Analytics has been pretty painless, and the price is right.
I think I see a double dot there in Kansas City. Roger, you been logging on from home and work?
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7S as a "local Pittsburgh ski area"????
Come on. I guess all of those Western PA locals voted their local 7S hill over the famed SS resort at #1 (7S, not SS, is rated #1 in the Oct. '06 Ski Magazine).
Oh, by the way, the last time I was in Vail, I saw a lot of Denver Bronco's gear. Guess it must be a local CO ski area.
Comparing 7S to Vail is well... I would estimate 1/10 skiers I have met at 7S has been from the DC area / suburbs. I have talked to 100s of people while riding lifts for 3 seasons and thats just how it is.
I have to agree with Scott that it's in the marketing. I do know that at one time 7S would only book groups through itself, including transportation. I used to organize a lot of group trips in the Virginia Piedmont area, and you had to go directly through them for the package deal. I found that to be a less than desirable way of doing business because we lost flexability in planning. We see very little promotion of 7S in this area of the mid-atlantic as well. If they would do a little, their share of the market from Virginia would increase. I know about 7S because I grew up in the Steeler's City and really, besides a small hill at Ogleby State Park in Wheeling and Hidden Valley, they were the only game in town. The shoe did some advertising in the Pittsburgh area, but they go south with the bulk of their promotions, hence the high visitation from the Southeast.
tim if your right about 7springs being 1/10 from DC. Hidden Valley was more like 30 or 40percent DC area.
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tim if your right about 7springs being 1/10 from DC. Hidden Valley was more like 30 or 40percent DC area.
Not a scientific study. 
But most times (non-holidays) if I talke to 12 different people on the chair lift a day only maybe 1-2 are form DC area... More DC peeps come for holidays though. I agree that it goes back to marketing--or the lack of it--towards DC area people. Just my $.02
I have never seen an advertisement for HV in the DC area. I almost forgot it even exsisted for a few years.
Also non-scientific, but at the lodge last year, we ran into two families that play soccer with my daughter from Fairfax County and frequently see DC area folks at the lodge (albeit less than when we are at Wisp).
Weekdays and daytrippers in general I'm sure are more from western PA.
DC happens to be the closest metro are to SS. This doesn't mean more DC people go to SS than 7S, it means SS is remote and a pain to get to...so daytripping is out at SS and even from DC area, possible at 7S/Wisp and certainly Mass/CV/TL
Yes I am baised against SS, and all the marketing crap we get from them as an over-rated destination. I think Scott doesn't help matters by displaying SS over other true Mid-atlantic resorts (SS markets heavily to the SE/Carolinas/Atlanta also) when you can't even day trip there.
Our friends from Atlanta (who we skied with at Wisp last year) tell us that SS markets to them as the "Best Ski Resort in the Southeast" So, let Scott, DC ski showcase true Mid-Alantic resorts!
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So, let Scott, DC ski showcase true Mid-Alantic resorts!
From answers.com...
Middle Atlantic States also Mid-Atlantic States (mĭd'ăt-lăn'tĭk) pronunciation
A region of the eastern United States including New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and usually Delaware and Maryland.
Imagine how much this site would have changed if it only covered resorts in these areas. Oh wait, this is DC Ski, not Mid-Atlantic Ski.
Sounds like SS are doing pretty good when it comes to marketing. I met a couple who drove 9 hrs from Tenn to SS. I ask them why can't they just fly out west. The lady said she has some kind of phobia in flying and SS just happens to be there. Anyway it was nice to sit in the large hot tub and meet people from far away places.
7S gets enough crowds so what's the point for more marketing coming from 7S?
Somebody owes Scott an apology.
Bah!
I have whined in the past about coverage for NC resorts when places in NY like Hunter and Gore, which are closer and better, are ignored.
To no avail.
Oh well, I still like the site - it rocks.
But I would LOVE to see a New England page added... cuz if we are going to road trip 7+ hours (we meaning most skiiers in the DC area) then "we" are heading up north!
Good point, Hunter is maybe an hour or so further than SS from NoVa/DC (probably closer to Balt than SS) and much better for everytbing (except they don't spend as much money to the marketing folks at SS who obviously love Scott and DCSKi).
I see it as day trip destinations (less than a 4 hour drive ie. CV/Wingergreen/TL/MassN/7S/Wisp/BK/WT etc. or a place that you really are going to spend a night or two at least.
Hunter and SS from "DC" are too far to day trip so I'd vote to see Hunter get as much coverage as SS
Hey, how come I am not on the map?
Signing in from sunny (and very hot), Guayama, Puerto Rico?
The map I pulled showed only a subset of DCSki's visits in the last week (the most popular visit sites). This one scales back a bit:
Scott, Very cool chart. Wonder who's in Guatemala?
I've rented rooms or condos through the following Ski area: SS, 7S, Wisp, Okemo, Steamboat,& Killington. They all have my home address, but I only get propaganda from SS, Okemo, & Steamboat. I've rented condo's and stayed at the hotel on numerous occasions, but they have never once sent me a brochure. Maybe Seven Springs doesn't want people from the DC area to come and spend their $ at their resort! The only bias I see is 7S's bias towards people from the DC area!
That one from Newbrige Ireland was me from last week!
I have logged on from Kauai on several occaisions. Soon I will be adding some really extreme dots on that map!
I'll be logging in from Jamaica in 2 weeks to see if we'll be skiing a few days after I return.
I see SS has already posted an opening day of 11/22 on their website.
I'm a big fan of 7S because they often have expansive terrain open when everyone else is featuring brown grass. In one cold night, they can get a heck of a lot of terrain open, and that counts for a lot during the early season, when I often go to 7S. It's also an easier day trip for me than the WV, and the expansive night skiing allows me to arrive late on Sunday, ski until 9 pm, and have an easy drive back home. 7S also handles crowds better than many resorts in the area and has better food.
With that said, I've had trouble in the past getting pictures from their marketing department and am baffled that they don't do much marketing on DCSki because as Scott mentioned, it wouldn't cost them anything to e-mail him pictures and press releases from time to time. As Scott's maps indicate, many DCSki viewers come from 7S's core market: Pittburgh and Cleveland. I understand why 7S does not bother with other markets--they can get all the skiers they need from those areas and the rest are just gravy but because DCSki reaches those markets, it's crazy for them not to take advantage of free services offered by DCSki.
It would be interesting to hear who these people in Iceland, Norway, Canary Islands, Peru, and Columbia are, and why they are visiting DCSki. In any case, welcome!
Here's some theories:
1) Expats and other DC skiers who are abroad for whatever reason (business, military service, etc), and want to keep up with happenings at their local slopes.
2) Foreign nationals who intend to visit the area over the winter and want to make some tracks.
3) Dreamers. Folks who dream about skiing and want to read posts by other geographically challenged skiers (especially people from the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast).
Anyway, welcome to the site. Tell us more about skiing selves. We're curious.
I just saw this thread. I'm gonna start logging into DCSki from everywhere I possibly can now in order to raise the Midwest presence!
Now, my question- why don't we talk more about Missouri skiing? It's on the 39th parallel, has hit and miss winters, and as you can clearly see there are literally dozens (give or take a couple dozen) readers out here! This is obviously a display of bias against small, family-friendly ski hills.
I have some relatives in the SW corner of Missouri (Camdenton area). Sometimes they can some mighty cold winter temps out there - not sure how much snow though.
And the hills are just, well I guess you could call them just hills.
jb714 - I spent a week in "Southwest City", MO back in `98 visiting someone from online. I got off the bus at Joplin and rode back down to that tiny little town (still larger than Wardensville) where I spent a bit of time. The locals said that those are some nice hills. I had to keep looking around to find them, only when I learned that the hills they were talking about is of the same steepnesss and slope of my driveway.
Speaking of demographics, I'm only 11 posts away from entering the "1000 Club". Now, to start planning on what my 1000th post will be. I gotta make this one to remember.
Yeah, except for the Ozarks and Ouachita Mountains in Arkansas and Oklahoma (see
here, for instance ), the only reason to refer to anything around here as a "hill" is as a courtesy to local culture.
I did see a legitimate hill just south of Salina, KS however. My theory is that it was travelling east on I-70 bound for Ohio or western WV and got lost.
ps- for fairness, here's a photo I snapped of the Loess Hills, about an hour north of KC along the Missouri River:
http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/1316/1894/1600/Loess%20Hills%20Missouri.jpg
I've flown in Salina, KS. I have family in McPherson, KS (sp?).
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I did see a legitimate hill just south of Salina, KS however.
I wasn't a hill. It was just an overpass on the highway.
Not Guatemala, but next door in El Salvador. Was down there chasing waves until the lifts start running, and had to check in on what the usual message forum suspects were up to. Had a great time down there, but I ride better on frozen water than on that warm, melted salty stuff. Come on Winter!
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Good point, Hunter is maybe an hour or so further than SS from NoVa/DC
I have always wanted to try Hunter, what is the quickest route to get there from VA?
