HUNTER — Hunter Mountain will require all patrons age 12 and over in its cafeteria-style restaurants to show proof of vaccination against COVID-19.
Use of other facilities at the resort, including the full-service restaurants, will not require customers to be vaccinated.
As ski resorts gear up for the winter season, Hunter Mountain released its COVID-19 safety protocols, which also include the wearing of face coverings in all indoor settings. Face coverings will not be required outdoors, in lift lines or on chairlifts or gondolas.
“As a company, the health and safety of our guests and employees is our top priority,” said Adam White, senior manager of Resort Communications, Northeast Region. “We are fortunate that the core of our business takes place outdoors in beautiful, vast mountain settings. However, as we welcome guests from around the world to the indoor experience at our resorts, we feel it’s important to do our part to combat the spread of COVID-19 and to keep our guests, employees and communities safe.”
Proof of vaccination will be required at indoor, on-mountain quick-serve restaurants only, White said.
Inoculations will also be required for guests 12 and over in the resort’s ski-and-ride school programs that serve lunch, according to the company website.
“These are higher volume, higher density locations with cafeteria-style settings and multi-party seating options,” White said. “We believe this vaccine requirement will reduce the risk of spreading COVID-19 in these unique settings and protect our guests and their families as well as employees.”
Hunter Mountain has not specified what will qualify as proof of vaccination at this time and expects to release more information as the winter season approaches, according to the website.
The requirement will not apply to other restaurants at the resort.
“Proof of vaccination is not required at our full-service restaurants that are more spacious with party-specific seating, providing natural physical distancing and capacity management,” White said.
The vaccination requirement is in line with other large indoor events, he added.
“Consistent with the approaches taken by many other large-scale indoor events and venues, we believe this requirement is necessary given the number of guests using these facilities and the fact that guests will not be wearing face coverings while eating and drinking,” White said.
All safety protocols at Hunter Mountain are subject to change depending on the status of the pandemic, he added.
All employees at the resort are also required to be vaccinated and to complete daily health screenings, according to the company website.
Greene County Administrator Shaun Groden was contacted by a representative of the resort as a courtesy to notify the county of the plans regarding vaccination requirements, Groden said.
“I had a discussion with the Hunter Mountain general manager on Friday. He advised me of [the vaccine requirement],” Groden said. “You can still ski, but if you are going to go into the restaurant, then you have to show proof. You can get in a lift line and in a chairlift, but then only upon entering the restaurant are you required to show the vaccination proof.”
Groden said he is not aware of any other businesses in Greene County requiring proof of vaccination upon entry, but that businesses are not required to notify the county of their intent.
“They don’t need our approval,” Groden said.
Chip Seamans, president and general manager of Windham Mountain, said a decision on safety protocols for the upcoming winter season has not been made.
“We are looking at all options and have not finalized our winter plans at this point,” Seamans said Monday. “In a few weeks we may have a definitive answer, but we are keeping a close eye on it right now.”
Hunter Mountain is owned by Vail Resorts, based in Colorado, which operates 34 resorts in North America, according to the company website. The same COVID-19 protocols will be followed at all resorts in the national chain.