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Is skiing still affordable?

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  • Is skiing still affordable?

    Single day ticket price is now $105 for Gore... I worry that many families (especially inside the blueline) will simply be priced out of the sport.

  • #2
    Not for me.

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    • #3
      Depends on what they want to ski and how much.

      Like many things, those tickets you mention are fairly high, but if they live nearby (since you say within the blue line) and want to go frequently, I'd suspect that there are passes that make it much cheaper on a per day basis.

      Then, you have options that are cheaper to begin with - something like the one in Saranac Lake comes to mind. A small ski area, but far lower costs and particularly good for those with younger family members to get a chance to try the sport to see if they even like doing it.

      Of course, for even less costs, there's always cross country, which may have no cost beyond the equipment for many (given the number of free to access trails in the park).

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      • #4
        My wife and I are 35 years on Ski Patrol.

        Consider it. Serve the skiing public.

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        • #5
          I have sticker shock. So now I x-country local and take advantage of big dump windfalls. So happy with a few very good days.

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          • #6
            there is much more skiing than resort skiing

            I agree lift-served skiing is getting insane, but Nordic is free or inexpensive, depending on where you go. And with backcountry and AT skiing, the most you’re paying for is the parking, depending on where you go…
            "In short, a land ethic changes the role of Homo Sapiens from conqueror of the land-community to plain member and citizen of it. It implies respect for his fellow-members, and also respect for the community as such."

            Aldo Leopold

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            • #7
              MDB and I skied Okemo the year that the lodge burned down...it was $9, all surface lifts except for a chair on the beginner area. Ha, now a $100 lift ticket seems like a bargain...

              Now that I'm ancient and have no time constraints, I bought a midweek only, non holiday season pass for MDB and myself at Mt Snow, $275 each!! And that includes Okemo, a bunch of little places as well as 5 days at Stowe. Even though I don't care for groomed snow, man-made snow, or even trails, at least we'll have consistent cover whenever we go.

              We did quite a few half days at Royal last season, a great little spot with something for all levels of ability. I think it was $35 each.

              For many years, I belonged to Schenectady Wintersports Club, which provided both CT and NY Ski Council Awareness Days at all sorts of large and small ski areas in NY, VT, NH, MA, and even ME. Some sort of deal nearly every day of the season. Typical lift ticket rates are roughly 1/3 of ticket window prices. Many other ski clubs provide the same sort of council days savings.
              Sadly, all council days were suspended last pandemic affected season. I haven't looked to see if they're back this season.

              My buddy that moved to PA has purchased the Indy Pass, which, provides 2 days each at over 40 different ski areas all over the eastern seaboard. Not sure of the cost, but his family of 5 skied much last year because they had that pass.

              Besides all of the above, there's always Back Country skiing, but not everyone has the AT gear, nor is willing to earn their turns. For those of us that are equipped and willing, there's no better skiing experience than BC skiing in virgin powder, surrounded by silence. Even less experienced skiers can enjoy that type of skiing, just in less challenging conditions/environment.

              So there it is. Is skiing too expensive? It can be.
              But various club deals, smaller places, creative passes can mitigate those outrageous prices.
              Or...get some AT gear, work on your skills and stamina and switch to BC skiing.

              Edit to add:
              There are a number of free rope tows in the ADK's, and there's plenty of fun to be had that way.
              Near me is the still struggling Ridge Runners ski club, for a very small fee, you and your whole family can ski all you want using their rope tow.

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              • #8
                Lifts were a terrible idea anyway... Get back to the roots!

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                • #9
                  montcalm,
                  Are you a BC guy too? I know there's a handful of us here...
                  Last year was a great season, I had many days of perfect, deep, untracked powder.
                  Let's all hope for more of the same this year!!

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                  • #10
                    Originally posted by stripperguy View Post
                    montcalm,
                    Are you a BC guy too? I know there's a handful of us here...
                    Last year was a great season, I had many days of perfect, deep, untracked powder.
                    Let's all hope for more of the same this year!!
                    I am.

                    But I'm very much an opportunist and ski whatever.

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                    • #11
                      Living in the Albany area I’m a huge fan of Jiminy Peak. Twilight tickets are usually $38 on non holiday weeknights, and the $300 Zephyr seasonal pass seems well worth it. With the high speed Berkshire Express 6 person lift you can easily do as many as 6 runs per hour. I usually do twilight and do about 15-18 runs in 2-3 hours and I’m spent!

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                      • #12
                        I used to go night skiing at Bristol Mountain, because it was super cheap. A season pass was and still is pretty cheap. They often also have promo nights once a week.

                        I don't really love the night skiing though. It's cold, icy and a lot of times they'll be blowing snow - which isn't actually fun to ski through/in. But you sure can get a lot of vert in on weekday (as long as it's not a school night) in less than 4 hrs. I'm pretty sure I used to ski 6hrs (4-10) with only a short dinner break, so it's quite a bit of ski time.

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                        • #13
                          I volunteered at jiminy peak as a mountain ambassador for years. Perks included season pass for myself and family members, substantial discounts at other mountains and discounts on both food and gear. Commitment was 12 hours per week, 1 eight hour weekend day and I four hour weeknight.

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                          • #14
                            What was the $275 pass.....We ski Whiteface-Gore and Bellaire(sp) for 229 any day of the week-any time...

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                            • #15
                              What do you mean "still affordable"? I grew up 10 miles from a local smallish downhill ski facility and also not far from Adirondack ski resorts. I left for some years but came back and now still live in the same region. Never had the funds as a kid to join in with the "townie" well-to-do crowd kids whose parents had money and skied also. So XC backccountry I went, starting and learning in fields and nearby woods on an old pair of wood skis I found before I could later get a modern waxable set. I've always used waxies through the years. Never took lessons or learned formal downhill skills. Attempted and evenually learned some telemark techniques from an instructor friend, but the snow gets typically so deep and fluffy here in Tug Hill Lake Effect country that much of bacckcountry skiing involves heavy trudging and sinking through the deep stuff to make my own packed trails that I can reuse until the next heavy snowfall comes a couple of days later.

                              Rare conditions with hard iced over snow in open hilly fields with a touch of fresh control snow on top is wonderful and fast when it happens. Groomed XC trails not far away are available, though some will get ruined by rogue snowmobilers who think they can carelessly travel on them at will.
                              "Now I see the secret of making the best person, it is to grow in the open air and to eat and sleep with the earth." -Walt Whitman

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