Yellowstone Lodges and Campgrounds to open in June

[delwhjr]

I just received an email about Yellowstone opening

excerpt from email:
Given the ongoing and ever stricter guidelines from the CDC, WHO, as well as federal and state governments to limit gatherings, we have made the difficult decision to suspend our operations through Sunday, June 14. We regret that this situation has resulted in the necessity to cancel all lodging and tour reservations for stays through June 14, 2020, but based on present conditions, we are currently scheduled to reopen between June 15 and 19, 2020.

When we reopen beginning on June 15, to comply with the local health guidelines, our operations will be limited. Lodging options will be limited to cabins with private bathrooms. This means that only Frontier Cabins, Western Cabins, and Cottages will be open at Old Faithful, Canyon, Mammoth, and Lake areas. All Xanterra-operated campgrounds except Fishing Bridge RV Park will also be open this summer. There will also be limited food services, tours and activities, and gift shops. More information on available lodging, campgrounds, and services for Summer 2020 can be found here.

That makes us rethink our plans:(

[dodge_guy]

Flapper wrote:
Although retired now, I owned restaurants, and managed restaurants, my entire career. All independant, none associated with any deep pockets. Once, when a patron was loudly upbraiding me in the packed dining room about the "outrageously" high prices of our sandwiches, I lost my cool, and said, so all could hear: "Ma'am - over 60% of my costs go to paying wages, taxes and benefits of the people you see working. Point out two of them right now, and I will immediately fire them, so you can pay less for your sandwich." That stopped the complaint.

To turn that around, and to echo Gov. Cuomo: Dead is dead. From the next 100 people you see, pick the two you want to die, so that the businesses can stay open.

These are terrible times, with terrible choices. But one is much clearer than the other. If I was back in that situation, there would be no choice. Somehow, someway I and my family would get through. And those other two people would have the opportunity too.

A second wave? A 3rd wave. Do you really think (probably if you are hiding in your house thanks to the media over hype) rhat this virus is going to come in waves? It’s not going to sit and wait like the military! It’s going to do its thing and then stop until probably next year.

[Gulfcoast]

What a great time to go camping in the big outdoors..... no crowds.

[time2roll]

So June 19th is how many days delay? Realistically 2 to 6 week delay? Get over it. We all have our struggles.

[westernrvparkow]

cptqueeg wrote:

westernrvparkowner wrote:

bobsallyh wrote:
westernrvparkowner, after reading your doom and gloom report, I thought early on that I read an article about the neighbors of those business's. Sure enough I did.

https://www.ktvq.com/news/coronavirus/neighboring-counties-ask-yellowstone-national-park-to-close

Yes,it is very easy to put someone else out of business. I don't believe the county health officials are missing a single paycheck. And I bet all the retirees and other posters on these forums advocating erring on the side of safety would feel a bit different about shutting everything down if the shutdown included draining their savings and retirement accounts.

I'm not even a year into retirement and I've put off a remodel on my home, my stocks took a big hit, and my income from the sale of my business in NY is declining, perhaps never to return, and I'm fully behind whatever measures need to be implemented to reduce the first wave and eliminate a 2nd or 3rd wave. This disease is waiting for us to get complacent. I'm here in Idaho where we had the highest rate of infection in the US, #8 now, I think, so having people swirling around singing kumbya in yellowstone is a scary thought if I was a local working or owning in the tourist biz. Money is not worth dying over.

If Yellowstone is close to empty and people feel safe I think you'll find many more people w/in 500 miles taking advantage. One thing I'm sure of is if we get a 2nd wave that will put the brakes on the entire season. Would love to visit there - last time for me was fighting the big one back in '88.

When you see your net worth go from multiple 7 figures to possibly nothing in the span of three months perhaps your perspective would have changed. Currently less than 1/3 of one percent of the US population have tested positive for COVID. The death toll is currently just over 1/100th of one percent of the population. People are actually not dropping dead in the streets.
The big national parks in the west are about the easiest places in the country for people to social distance. The big concern that shut down the parks in the first place was congestion at the entrances. For some reason the simple solution of suspending entrance fees and letting people just drive in didn't occur to the highly paid park officials.

[Flapper]

Although retired now, I owned restaurants, and managed restaurants, my entire career. All independant, none associated with any deep pockets. Once, when a patron was loudly upbraiding me in the packed dining room about the "outrageously" high prices of our sandwiches, I lost my cool, and said, so all could hear: "Ma'am - over 60% of my costs go to paying wages, taxes and benefits of the people you see working. Point out two of them right now, and I will immediately fire them, so you can pay less for your sandwich." That stopped the complaint.

To turn that around, and to echo Gov. Cuomo: Dead is dead. From the next 100 people you see, pick the two you want to die, so that the businesses can stay open.

These are terrible times, with terrible choices. But one is much clearer than the other. If I was back in that situation, there would be no choice. Somehow, someway I and my family would get through. And those other two people would have the opportunity too.

[stang37]

I got an email refunding my rv site deposit . We were suppose to be there 5/21. In that email they stated the campground would open 5/22. One day after we were to arrive. I call the reservation number and they book us starting 5/22. Guess that different from the hotels.

[cptqueeg]

westernrvparkowner wrote:

bobsallyh wrote:
westernrvparkowner, after reading your doom and gloom report, I thought early on that I read an article about the neighbors of those business's. Sure enough I did.

https://www.ktvq.com/news/coronavirus/neighboring-counties-ask-yellowstone-national-park-to-close

Yes,it is very easy to put someone else out of business. I don't believe the county health officials are missing a single paycheck. And I bet all the retirees and other posters on these forums advocating erring on the side of safety would feel a bit different about shutting everything down if the shutdown included draining their savings and retirement accounts.

I'm not even a year into retirement and I've put off a remodel on my home, my stocks took a big hit, and my income from the sale of my business in NY is declining, perhaps never to return, and I'm fully behind whatever measures need to be implemented to reduce the first wave and eliminate a 2nd or 3rd wave. This disease is waiting for us to get complacent. I'm here in Idaho where we had the highest rate of infection in the US, #8 now, I think, so having people swirling around singing kumbya in yellowstone is a scary thought if I was a local working or owning in the tourist biz. Money is not worth dying over.

If Yellowstone is close to empty and people feel safe I think you'll find many more people w/in 500 miles taking advantage. One thing I'm sure of is if we get a 2nd wave that will put the brakes on the entire season. Would love to visit there - last time for me was fighting the big one back in '88.

[PawPaw_n_Gram]

westernrvparkowner wrote:
...

I think you have a much more holistic view of the situation than most people.

I once worked for a seasonal business, short track auto racing, and losing 20% of the season was a guarantee of a six figure loss for the year.

I forsee a lot of bankruptcies/ closures. Campgrounds, restaurants, even gas stations and grocery stores. This recreation based economy isn't going to spring back in a few day, weeks, months.

A lot of non-retiree customers of places like Yellowstone simply will not have the money to travel this year, or maybe even next year.

[mjbenedict]

Those who say it's better to err on the side of caution to save lives most likely have never owned a business. All the current data points to this "pandemic" being less deadly than the common flu. What is unknown is what is driving this shutdown. While I'm all for doing social distancing I don't believe the governors should have the power to determine what private businesses should do.

[goducks10]

So glad we decided on a whim to go to Yellowstone last year. We were on a month long trip and were in southern ID and though why not.
This years travel will be much tougher.

[westernrvparkow]

bobsallyh wrote:
westernrvparkowner, after reading your doom and gloom report, I thought early on that I read an article about the neighbors of those business's. Sure enough I did.

https://www.ktvq.com/news/coronavirus/neighboring-counties-ask-yellowstone-national-park-to-close

Yes,it is very easy to put someone else out of business. I don't believe the county health officials are missing a single paycheck. And I bet all the retirees and other posters on these forums advocating erring on the side of safety would feel a bit different about shutting everything down if the shutdown included draining their savings and retirement accounts.

[westernrvparkow]

jdc1 wrote:
While it is a shame that seasonal businesses will be dealt a huge blow, I would be more apt to play it safe with employees and guests. A bank will understand the late or non-payments, the families of dead people won't forget. I really wish there was an alternative, a magic cure-all.

If only it was as simple as the bank will understand. Unfortunately, the banks have to abide by banking regulations and those unpaid payments will put those loans into non-performing status, decreasing the banks reserves. If the bank has a large number of these non-performing loans, which is likely for the community banks in seasonal tourist areas, they run the risk of being declared a failed institution and have their assets (the loans) liquidated. Even worse, the value of those businesses are likely to have fallen by 25% or more, erasing the equity those business owners have in the business and making refinancing those loans impossible. Unlike retirees who really haven't lost anything but time in the shutdown, or employees who will either return to their job in a few months or will find other employment should their jobs not return, many seasonal business owners are likely to lose their businesses and their life savings. For those people that is a staggeringly high price to pay in the interests of possibly preventing the spread of a virus we still have no idea of it's actual morbidity.

[bobsallyh]

westernrvparkowner, after reading your doom and gloom report, I thought early on that I read an article about the neighbors of those business's. Sure enough I did.

https://www.ktvq.com/news/coronavirus/neighboring-counties-ask-yellowstone-national-park-to-close

[jdc1]

While it is a shame that seasonal businesses will be dealt a huge blow, I would be more apt to play it safe with employees and guests. A bank will understand the late or non-payments, the families of dead people won't forget. I really wish there was an alternative, a magic cure-all.

[westernrvparkow]

The shutdown is going to bankrupt many businesses in the Yellowstone area. West Yellowstone and Gardiner Montana are almost exclusively Yellowstone tourist oriented. With only a partial opening of the park beginning in mid June businesses in those towns are going to lose nearly the entire season.
Even if the park begins to open June 15th, and that is not an etched in stone given, visitation is going to be very slow to return. A huge number of reservations have already been cancelled for the year. Yellowstone is not a spur of the moment vacation option, most people plan such a trip months in advance. A significant percentage of Yellowstone visitations are foreign travelers, it is doubtful any foreign visitations will occur this year. Many potential visitors will decide visiting the park when there is only limited services is not a good idea and will delay a Yellowstone trip into the future. Fears of the virus will keep still others at home.
Businesses that operate in the Gateway towns make almost all their revenues during the 5 months of May thru September. A loss of a significant part of those 5 months means they have no hope of recovery until over a year from now. Yet much of their overhead will continue. Rent and loans will still have to be paid. Property taxes aren't going to be forgiven or reduced. And even looking ahead to 2021 does anyone really feel comfortable betting that everything will be back the way it was before the pandemic?

How many people really have the financial assets to go an entire year without income and not even have the secure knowledge that things will return to normal after that year? For summer seasonal businesses across the country this shutdown will likely be a fatal blow.