Big (?) change at Vail Resorts

At long last Kirsten Lynch, who was the big boss at Vail Resorts, go fired as per a company’s announcement last Tuesday. 

The move that took an inordinate amount of time came after a messy ski season for the ski conglomerate, following a terrible handling of the Park City’s ski patrol strike that created an avalanche of horrible press and sent the company’s stock nosediving. 

Still, Lynch will receive a lump sum of $2,249,108, equivalent to two years of her annual salary on her official separation date.In addition, all of her unvested stock holdings in Vail Resorts will also be vested at the time of termination, so she’ll be able to stock her fridge and freezer and be just fine.  

Still, as the saying goes: “The more things change, the more they stay the same”, Rob Katz is returning to his role as CEO of Vail Resorts and finds himself inside the world he largely contributed to create. The man who is now 58, was already the company’s CEO in 2006 and served in that role until November 2021 when Lynch took over his job. 

Katz doesn’t strike me as the sharpest knife in the kitchen drawer, and if he remains asleep at the wheel instead of beginning to listen more to his customers than his board of directors, or the sycophants surrounding, he’ll be condemned to prolonging the same business culture that created its recent problems in the first place. 

Another step he should take, is hire general managers from the resort community they will be overseeing, and give them plenty of autonomy! Of course, Vail Resorts’ economies of scale might suffer and this will require a more active and capable management which might be in short supply. 

Short of that, Vail Resort will continue the death spiral that started for the global ski conglomerate.

Befriending patience (Part 2)

Not so long ago, I realized that I needed to be much more patient and decided to make more room for that trait in my life. I needed the skill to improve my emotional well-being, the state of my relationships and my quality of life. 

Starting meditating regularly was the trigger that made me feel more present, calmer and less frustrated. At that point I had already realized and accepted that some things were out of my control and that I only could focus on what I could influence. Progressively, I also realized that my impatience often came from unrealistic expectations and it opened up my eyes to the fact that delays and challenges were opportunities that made me stronger. 

Prioritizing what truly mattered removed a large layer of stress. I began allowing myself more time for tasks to avoid feeling rushed and embraced a slower pace. I also became a better listener, became gentler in recognizing that others (and even myself) were doing their best. I also tried to remind myself that patience always led to better outcomes. 

In addition to meditating, working around my house and starting a veggie garden some twenty years ago was perhaps what taught me the most about patience. Starting this blog  at about the same time helped me put on paper what I sometimes had a hard time materializing in my thoughts. The observation of older adults more patient than me also impressed me enough to begin imitating their calmer demeanor. 

Other intense physical activities like cycling, running, hiking, walking and of course, skiing, all contributed to making more room for patience into my life. I used to feel “obligated” to please. I don’t anymore and as result I avoid over-committing and have developed the strength to say "no" to unnecessary stressors. 

Aging also helped me adjust my expectations based on my changing physical abilities and it also taught me to be less severe with myself, to accept that some tasks may take longer than they used to, and finally pursue quality over quantity or speed! 

Patience grows with practice. I suggest to start small, forgive setbacks, and appreciate the wisdom that comes with time. This said, I still have a very long way to go on the long road of patience. Yet, there isn’t a day that goes by without my budding patience being tested by frustration due to breakdowns, incidents, traffic or technological challenges. 

In the end, when I ask myself “Will this matter in a year?” it puts me in a much better place to recognize the finite nature of life and shift my priorities toward patience and gratitude.

The value of patience in chaotic times (Part 1)

Historically, I’ve always been an impatient individual with a rather impulsive character and now that I’m getting older, I’ve been focusing on reawakening my limited patience and as I’m observing that this trait is growing in me, I’m comforted to see that it’s become the antidote to the relentless chaos and complexity our modern world brings us daily. 

Indeed, I do believe that in today’s fast-paced, disruptive, and complex environment, working on being more patient is well worth the effort. For one thing, I find it to be a wonderful way to lower stress. With added patience I respond to challenges calmly rather than react impulsively which, I’m told, also lowers what used to be my constant anxiety and frustration. 

When it comes to making decisions in a world of information overload, it helps me conduct deeper analysis of issues, preventing rushed choices that I might soon regret. It also minimizes things like reactive arguments, and snap judgments in my relationships and my social circles.

A robust patience, I’ve found, helps foster my empathy, makes me a more active listener, thus facilitating my interactions with others. Patience also helps building trust, as others appreciate a composed, understanding approach, over impulsive reactions. Sure developing patience takes both faith and time, but its ultimate contribution happens in the long-term, as it requires time to grow and bloom. 

Like anything else, it’s the product of persistence and tenacity on the way to achieving goals despite unavoidable setbacks. Unlike instant gratification, patience aligns with delayed rewards, leading to more sustainable success. 

When chaos strikes, patience allows for measured adaptation rather than panic and helps navigate complexity by encouraging strategic thinking over short-term fixes. Medical research, I’m told, seems to indicate that being more patient goes a long way in lowering blood pressure, improving sleep, and fostering stronger immune functions. 

In society where leadership and teamwork are essential, patience signals maturity, earns respect, influence and guarantees smooth navigation in high-pressure environments. A true treasure, patience isn’t passive but is in fact a strategic strength in a world that glorifies speed. 

Those who can master that quality will gain clarity, resilience, and a competitive edge while maintaining inner peace. Tomorrow, we’ll explore how to tame patience...

Resisting or going with the flow?

Frequently, I ask myself whether there’s more merit in “Resisting” or “Going with the Flow” and first and foremost I’m telling myself: “It depends…” Knowing when to resist and when to go with the flow is a delicate balance that depends on the context, my values, and my goals. 

I will resist when something violates my ethics, my integrity, or my deeply held beliefs. Same thing when I see harm being done to others or to me, like abuse, discrimination or exploitation, I must stand up against it. 

Also when going along with things I would regret, then I need to push back. Each time someone is disrespecting my limits (emotional, physical or professional), I can’t stay silent. Then there are also times when resistance is needed to break unhealthy patterns, learn resilience, or drive change.

Conversely, I should probably go with the flow when I deal with trivial issues, like minor disagreements, small inconveniences, as flexibility goes a long way in reducing superfluous stress. 

Of course, when circumstances are beyond my control, like under natural catastrophes or societal shifts, I remind myself that adaptability is wiser than futile resistance. I also go with the flow when teamwork or personal relationships matters more to me than being "right" or sticking to my principles. 

Over the years, I’ve also found that over-controlling often stifles inspiration while simply surrendering to the process can lead to unexpected and positive outcomes. 

Finally I try to remember that not every battle is worth fighting and that I should not exhaust myself for minute benefits. In practice, before deciding between these two attitudes I should pause and reflect by wondering how this aligns with my values and what’s the price to pay? 

I should also make sure that I’m not resisting out of fear, ego, or going with the flow out of avoidance? Remember that a little imagining into the future goes a long way and it always helps to project if I’ll look back with pride, regret, or indifference? 

So, as always, balance is key. At the end of the day, wisdom lies in knowing when I should stand like a mountain and when I should flow like a river...

Humor in bulk…

On the internet, I always come across that “tiling” of humorous messages that are for me to digest, in the hope perhaps that the cleverest ones will make up for the poor or questionable ones.

It’s a bulk or a pile of humorous thoughts, ideas, fun situations that need to be deciphered and subconsciously classified so the receiver can sort out the great from the acceptable and the downright terrible. 

I hate to have to do that. It represents to me a disorderly and unclassified chore I don’t want to do. I respond much better to one single joke or funny thought at a time, and you?

Juggling with bike and dog...

For the past 15 years, I’ve observed more and more bike riders combining cycling and trying to hold their dogs on leash. It must be a deep-seated craving for wanting to multitask at all costs. Fitting too many activities in a finite amount of time, or perhaps wanting to show up one’s bike skills to the rest of us. 

Still, I’m of the opinion that if “bikejoring”, as it’s called, might look like a fun and clever activity it’s unfortunately generally practiced carelessly, putting both the dog and the rider at risk. Observing whether the rider is attentive to the dog's condition, using proper equipment, and choosing safe routes are supposed to mitigate the risk, but in the vast majority of cases, nothing guarantees a secure ride, so I do question the riders’ judgment. 

Just like the fact of driving a car with a dog on lap, the legality of riding a bike on a public street or roadway while having a dog on a leash, varies by state and local laws in the US. Only California explicitly prohibits biking with a dog on a leash due to safety concerns as it’s considered unsafe if it impedes control. Other states have no specific laws against it but may enforce general reckless cycling or animal endangerment statutes, only New York City considers biking while holding a leash risky and police may issue fines. 

A few places allow it but may require the leash to be of a certain length. As far as Utah, my state goes, there’s no statewide law explicitly prohibiting riding a bike while holding a dog on a leash. Just imagine doing this in Park City when there’s snow on the ground (as the photo illustrates, I’ve seen it more than once!) Fortunately, several countries explicitly prohibit riding a bike while holding a dog on a leash, considering it a traffic safety or animal welfare violation. 

Germany requires cyclists to always have "both hands on the handlebars unless signaling." Holding a leash violates this rule. Holland, the world’s number one bike country requires that cyclists must maintain full control, and holding a leash is often deemed unsafe. Police can fine riders under general endangerment rules. Some Swiss cantons explicitly ban biking with a leashed dog. In others, police may penalize it under "reckless cycling" statutes. 

Down under in Australia, in states like Victoria and New South Wales biking with a leashed dog can result in fines for "not having proper control" of the bicycle. In Sweden, the law requires that the cyclist must always have full control over the dog to avoid endangering themselves, the dog, or others. Some countries like Finland, Canada and the U.K. are more washy-washy as they respectively stipulate that the dog is well-trained and runs calmly and that a hands-free bike leash attachment is used. Now you know the deal. 

Use your common-sense and if you have some, don’t do it!

Demolition Derby?

In my little town of Park City, there are lots of homes in good to excellent condition that are purchased to be torn-down and replaced by a brand-new, huge residence. When I picture the destruction in Gaza or in Ukraine, it makes me cringe and see the practice as wasteful and immoral. 

Recently, a young household purchased a home 200 yards from us in great condition (if was just restored and would have been worth $3 to 3.5 million today). The house was plenty big for them and their two young kids, but wasn’t meeting their wishes or not cool enough, so it just got teared down leaving a pile of rubble in its place. 

In ski towns like Park City, a small quarter of an acre lot is worth at least $2 million and it will take at least as much the same to rebuild it into a place with modern amenities (open floor plans, smart homes, exercise room etc.) that older homes lack. 

Now, for the bad news: Tearing down a functional home sends tons of debris to landfills (concrete, lumber, fixtures, etc). The US environmental agency estimates that annually, 600,000 tons of demolition waste come from residential tear-downs like that one. 

Not only that, but older homes already have "carbon savings" from decades of use, while new construction emits CO₂ from manufacturing materials (concrete, steel) and transportation, conflicting with sustainability goals. There’s also the fact that losing older homes often strip neighborhoods of their historic charm and character. 

Replacing modest homes with monster mansions, makes housing less affordable and displaces locals. There should be a push for deconstruction ordinances (like Portland’s in Oregon, that requires salvaging materials from old homes), encouraging renovating and expanding existing homes, building smaller, well thought-out living space as an affordable alternative to mega-mansions. 

While tear-downs are often legal and driven by market forces, they raise serious environmental, social, and moral questions and most of us living in ski towns share in the blame for that.