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:(

[dryfly]

I've had reservations inside the park for a year now for mid June. It's really a difficult decision as to going or not. I'm not concerned about maintaining a "social distance" in the campground, but even though crowds will be small in the park, I would still think maintaining distances around the attractions would be difficult.

I've got about a month to make a final decision so hopefully trends will show if it's going to be safe or not.

[mjbenedict]

cptqueeg wrote:

mjbenedict wrote:
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.

Those who say to err on the side of re-opening most likely don't have 3-6 months savings put away to carry them through any sort of income disruption whether it's due to a recession, layoff, illness, injury or a pandemic. One's lack of preparedness should not be the guiding principle of this pandemic.

I do have empathy for the hourly workers who's wages are woefully inadequate to build up such a reserve. It does seem that the most vocal group of people pushing to reopen are business owners. They seem willing to have their employees risk their health and well-being of themselves and their families for very, very little in return.

40% of my business was from restaurants and institutions. I want them to stay closed as long as necessary.

Most small business owners risked much in their life savings to start a business. It's ignorance to think that business owners are rich and don't have to worry about money. It's the exact opposite. I know, I got to pay into unemployment insurance personally for decades while owning a business. What's funny is, as a business owner, I don't get to collect unemployment, just pay into it like a regular employee. Luckily I built it with hard work and much risk to something I could sell and got out before this "crisis".
Please don't assume business owners don't care about employees when most take it personally that they can't keep work for their employees with families.
Last thing, business owners shouldn't sit on a bunch of cash reserve, that means they aren't investing on growing.
Those Yellowstone business owners could lose their life savings while people simply claim a little shutdown won't affect them.

[PawPaw_n_Gram]

RAS43 wrote:
Unless the usual bus loads of foreigners invade the park as they do in September. Probably will be more of them.

That is going to be a big question mark.

First, it doesn't help the RV park situation at all.

Second, from other forums focusing on Aviation, the guesses for that 'normal' might look like are all over the place.

The income of the tourist from Europe is being hit worse than the US public. Asia is almost as bad. Many in Europe are complaining it might be two or three years before they can afford their normal 'holiday'.

Delta Airlines is expecting to get back to 'normal' with only 70% of their year ago capacity in seats. Many budget/ tourism airlines are technically bankrupt. Everyone expects airline tickets to climb once the public starts flying again.

Sure there will be discounts to start, but soon the available cheap seats will be gone. While $10 per night discount will cost westernrvowner a lot of money, a $10 per night increase in hotel rooms costs will make up a lot of lost revenue for the bigger chains.

And let's look back at the US RV camper. Even as a full-timer - Glacier and Yellowstone have been a once in a lifetime trip for us. Certainly not a yearly thing, though I was hopeful for 2021.

It still cost almost three times what I spend for a 'normal' month using COE and USFS type CG.

And let's talk fuel prices. In 2017, ID, MT & WY fuel purchases for my truck were from $2.729 to 2.389 for regular gasoline. Diesel was over $3.

"Oh, fuel is so cheap now."

Yes it is. But June deliveries of oil are priced at $17.18 per barrel as of Close Friday Apr 24. Once the country 'opens up' does anyone really believe we are not going to see pump prices rising daily.

The low prices are only the result of very low demand. Almost everyone is buying much less fuel today than a year ago.

Between Mar 15 and Apr 25, 2019 - I bought 248.583 gallons of gasoline.
Mar 15 - Apr 25, 2020 - 123.148 gallons - a bit less than half. I think my experience might be on the high side. My children's fuel usage is about 1/4 to 1/3 what they call normal.

Once demand picks up, I fully expect to see $3-3.50 per gallon by August, $4+ for diesel.

How many people without a fixed income during the crisis are going to be willing to make such a trip with rapidly rising fuel prices.

Those of us on a fixed income are the lucky ones now. Everyone I know who has a job is looking at a lower total income for 2020 than 2019.

[Gulfcoast]

Maybe the campgrounds will apply for the loans available.

[dodge_guy]

If people are calling next year a "2hd wave" then they are wrong. If it pops up again then it will be just like the flu season where it comes and goes. Remember 80k died of the flu in 2017 and we have a "flu shot" for it.

[RAS43]

time2roll wrote:
Might be a wonderful year to go with much fewer people.

Unless the usual bus loads of foreigners invade the park as they do in September. Probably will be more of them.

[Gulfcoast]

My point is I travel often and I haven't seen any poor campground owners yet.

Just $10 a night is $300 a month to us poor folks on Social Security.

[westernrvparkow]

Gulfcoast wrote:
Maybe the nightly camping fees will come way down.

Why? If business is off 80% to begin with, why lose even more revenue by cutting prices? Saving ten bucks on an RV site won't induce people to suddenly take a major vacation. Restrictions, closures and fear are are what has shut down travel, not RV site prices.

[Gulfcoast]

Maybe the nightly camping fees will come way down.

[time2roll]

Might be a wonderful year to go with much fewer people.

[Gulfcoast]

Now back to Yellowstone camping...

[cptqueeg]

mjbenedict wrote:
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.

Those who say to err on the side of re-opening most likely don't have 3-6 months savings put away to carry them through any sort of income disruption whether it's due to a recession, layoff, illness, injury or a pandemic. One's lack of preparedness should not be the guiding principle of this pandemic.

I do have empathy for the hourly workers who's wages are woefully inadequate to build up such a reserve. It does seem that the most vocal group of people pushing to reopen are business owners. They seem willing to have their employees risk their health and well-being of themselves and their families for very, very little in return.

40% of my business was from restaurants and institutions. I want them to stay closed as long as necessary.

[Lantley]

dodge guy wrote:

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.

Since the 1st wave is far from entirely over, and there is possibly a 2nd wave next year. I'd say we are far from in the clear and back to normal.
From my reading on the Spanish flu (1918 Pandemic) I think it took 5 years for them to put things 100% behind them and return normal as though nothing ever happened.
I find it bizarre our society/history didn't highlight or place much emphasis on the 1918 pandemic.

[cptqueeg]

dodge guy wrote:

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.

Stop until next year = 2nd wave.

The county in Idaho that I live in had the highest infection rate in the US so to me it's a real threat, not something that is only happening somewhere else. Perhaps that gives me a different perspective than others with different experiences.