BOULDER — The start of ski season at Eldora Mountain is always special for self-described loyal locals like Jeremy Seibert.
"I've been skiing at Eldora for 33 years. I grew up outside of Nederland. That's where I learned to ski," Seibert said.
But now, with the surprise release of the new parking policy at Eldora, Seibert says he feels betrayed.
"It really alienates a large populace of faithful skiers in this area," Seibert said.
Starting next Saturday, Eldora will charge $20 for cars with two or fewer people on peak days. Peak days are weekends, holidays, and even big powder days, according to Eldora Marketing Director Sam Bass. Bass says the resort had to make this move to deter drivers and manage the number of cars coming to the resort.
"We've become very popular over the last five-to-ten years and visitation has sharply increased," Bass said.
Bass says Eldora is not trying to make money. It is trying to reduce traffic and encourage people to carpool or take public transportation. Bass says Eldora will be giving out 4-thousand dollars worth of RTD bus passes over this weekend and next -- to help riders find alternative rides.
"That's part of our comprehensive sustainability effort," Bass said. "We really want to get traffic off Boulder County roads, reduce congestion on most peak days and reduce emission."
Seibert says the policy punishes skiers who live near Eldora who like to go up and ski for a short time and leave.
"I think it shows a lack of empathy for the skiers that call Eldora their home mountain," Seibert says.
He's also not happy about who has to pay the parking fees. Eldora pass holders have the option to register one vehicle per pass to park for free this season. IKON pass holders and other visitors who do not have an Eldora pass will have to pay. The IKON season pass allows access to Eldora and other mountains.
"It would've been nice to know this when I was purchasing the ski pass, the IKON pass," Seibert said.
Bass says the resort has already had days when the parking lot was so overcrowded, workers had to turn away hundreds of cars coming in. This policy was enacted to avoid that, he says.
"Eldora-only pass holders, which are a very small percentage of our visitorship, only about 10 percent, have no other option. Eldora is their only choice," Bass said.
Bass says they will have to pay next year under the same rules as everybody else.
Seibert says Eldora was always the "mom-and-pop-type" ski resort different than the "corporate" resorts. He doesn't feel that way anymore. He says the new policy can cost him and other avid skiers an additional $500 per year.
"It hurts," Seibert said. "It feels like a numbers game."
Editor’s Note: This story has been updated to more accurately reflect which drivers visiting the resort will be asked to pay a fee to park.