I can't say much about the specific situation at PC, as I haven't been there for years, but here's a few thoughts from someone who works in a terrain park:
--How big, fun, or new a park is usually depends on the amount of snowcat time that it receives. Raking and shoveling do matter, but the cats do 99% of the work. If there are problems with the fleet, communication problems between the park staff and grooming staff, or issues with the money necessary to run any part of it, the final product is going to suffer. That said, not a single person here has bothered to think about that or try to investigate things from the grooming side. So don't feel let down if you don't take the time to understand the problem itself.
--The one piece of information (that too much money went into private shoots) that was actually given seems downright stupid to me. Small private shoots make sense during the year, but if you're looking to hold long ones, here's a few reasons to do it after the lifts stop spinning: 1. More product to offer customers, 2. Better budget flexablility. The park can do what they need, and if they need more grooming, then they can work that around and chip out of the private shoot budgeting. 3. Greater dedication towards paying customers.
--It's super strange that Monster would get to hold a shoot based entirely on the PC park budget. My guess is that there were plans, but the actual outcomes needed way more resources, time, and money to complete, and they found themselves trying to please their bros and the Monster people in the short term while screwing themselves for the rest of the year. If you're frustrated, know this: people that can't handle budgets properly don't last as managers.
