High Priced Lift Tickets

[Great Bear]

Good point, but IMO, the less than 10-day a year skiers, have money, are on vacation, and really don't care about cost. And the addicted skiers inevitably find a way to feed their habit.

The less than 10 day per year skiers that have plenty of money are on vacation and don't care about cost. The less than 10 day per year skiers who could afford to go in the days of reasonably priced day tickets, but can't justify $200 per day for a family of 4 either stop skiing entirely or go significantly less often.

 

[BenedictGomez]

Good point, but IMO, the less than 10-day a year skiers, have money, are on vacation, and really don't care about cost. And the addicted skiers inevitably find a way to feed their habit.

This affects almost everyone.

I'll have to pay parking every time I ski this year unless I find a spot in the designated free lot, show up at 1pm, or take the bus that "last mile". I plan on doing all three of those options, frankly, rather than pay parking (probably in that order). But if you have 4 in a car, it's free whenever & wherever.

 

[joshua segal]

This affects almost everyone.

I'll have to pay parking every time I ski this year unless I find a spot in the designated free lot, show up at 1pm, or take the bus that "last mile". I plan on doing all three of those options, frankly, rather than pay parking (probably in that order). But if you have 4 in a car, it's free whenever & wherever.

I vote with my feet and choose not to go to these areas.

The less than 10 day per year skiers that have plenty of money are on vacation and don't care about cost. The less than 10 day per year skiers who could afford to go in the days of reasonably priced day tickets, but can't justify $200 per day for a family of 4 either stop skiing entirely or go significantly less often.

Don't a lot of the deals at nearby hotels offer packages that include lift tickets? When I used to go on vacation with my kids, beyond food and transportation, I knew what the trip would cost in advance. Either I could afford it or not, and if not, there was always a good place where I could.

 

[jimmywilson69]

deals with ski areas are gone. They've mostly gone to the subscription (Season Pass) model.

if you just want to randomly go skiing, you are F'd... Not a good way to operate in my opinion and the opinion of most on this site.

 

[Great Bear]

Don't a lot of the deals at nearby hotels offer packages that include lift tickets? When I used to go on vacation with my kids, beyond food and transportation, I knew what the trip would cost in advance. Either I could afford it or not, and if not, there was always a good place where I could.

To be honest, I haven't looked - there may be some, but with the rise of Air BnB (and the new season pass models) i don't know how much of a thing that is anymore.

This also would not help people in the situation of occasional skiers coming to visit friends or family who have a condo or place to stay. Killington has not announced their ticket prices yet this year, but if I assume similar to last year - even with our 25% discount from our passes, it will cost my brother in law's family of 4 about $1000 in lift tickets alone to come ski with us for the weekend. Thats a tough sell for the occasional skier.

 

[mister moose]

deals with ski areas are gone. They've mostly gone to the subscription (Season Pass) model.

if you just want to randomly go skiing, you are F'd... Not a good way to operate in my opinion and the opinion of most on this site.

Except for smaller local ski areas (not resorts) that still have lift tickets in the $70 ballpark.

 

[Smellytele]

Except for smaller local ski areas (not resorts) that still have lift tickets in the $70 ballpark.

Even small pats peak is just about $100 a day to ski.

 

[BodeMiller1]

Even small pats peak is just about $100 a day to ski.

I wouldn't pay $50. Most of the vertical is runout. Mehh

 

[BenedictGomez]

if you just want to randomly go skiing, you are F'd... Not a good way to operate in my opinion and the opinion of most on this site.

I know I've predicted this 1000 times but there will be repercussions from this, but it will take some years for it to achieve a scale at which it will become apparent.

 

[BenedictGomez]

I vote with my feet and choose not to go to these areas.

I have too, for years; but now I live on top of one thus that option is no longer realistic.

But frankly, so many resorts have been acquired by Alterra & Vail that you don't even need to be immediately local for avoiding them to not be realistic. For many it's now almost all of their options in a given drive time.

 

[BenedictGomez]

it will cost my brother in law's family of 4 about $1000 in lift tickets alone to come ski with us for the weekend. Thats a tough sell for the occasional skier.

Now repeat this very common story tens-of-thousands of times every season all across every region (literally) in America - how many of those people would have fell in love with the sport & become avid skiers, but won't now? Same question, but of their 6 & 7 & 11 year old children?

 

[trackbiker]

I know I've predicted this 1000 times but there will be repercussions from this, but it will take some years for it to achieve a scale at which it will become apparent.

I agree. This will affect skier numbers in the future. As the boomers age out of skiing they are killing off younger people getting into the sport. No one who has never skied before is going to buy a season pass.
I've seen this already when a father with two young sons walked up to a ticket window and after seeing the prices for tickets and rentals said to the boys, " Hey! How about if we go tubing instead?" That could have been the day those boys were introduced to skiing. It's not gonna happen now.

 

[4aprice]

Pretty good program at the little resort where we purchased our condo.

https://granbyranch.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/2023.24-GCSD-Program_8.30.23_for-web.pdf

 

[drjeff]

I agree. This will affect skier numbers in the future. As the boomers age out of skiing they are killing off younger people getting into the sport. No one who has never skied before is going to buy a season pass.
I've seen this already when a father with two young sons walked up to a ticket window and after seeing the prices for tickets and rentals said to the boys, " Hey! How about if we go tubing instead?" That could have been the day those boys were introduced to skiing. It's not gonna happen now.

One of the keys to the future of the sport, and so many small(er) area near more populated regions, get this very well, is the after school/after work programs, and many of these small(er) places are still independent.

The 2 that I am the most familar with, and have experienced a bunch the last few years due to Highschool Ski Race coaching are Wachusett and Mount Southington. They are BUSY most nights of the week. They understand how to attract and retain various schools as well as youth and adult race programs. Which is great to see.

I truthfully feel, having been a part of the smaller, evening scene pre Covid, during Covid and now post Covid, that these small(er) areas did very well, arguably better than the large(r) one's at having to re-imagine what the skiing/riding experience can be, and were able to make the changes (outdoor food truck like vendors/sheds, how to handle the lodge bathroom/bag storage thing, programs to get people out of their house and outisde doing things that are close to home, etc) in a way that wasn't the "one size fits all" that many of the mega pass resorts went with.

If one spends some time on many small(er) hills midweek, during the evening, you certainly get a different perspective as to the health of the sport when it comes to bringing in new people. And I know that this is a BIG focus of the National Ski Areas Association

 

[BenedictGomez]

If one spends some time on many small(er) hills midweek, during the evening, you certainly get a different perspective as to the health of the sport when it comes to bringing in new people.

There were, and still are, four "small hills" within driving distance of where I grew up; three of those four are now EPIC/IKON.

I think you're discounting just how many of even these tiny places are getting gobbled up into mega-plans. In fact, I'd argue that this is now the late-stage focus of the mega-plan strategy, getting the little guys on-board.

 

[4aprice]

There were, and still are, four "small hills" within driving distance of where I grew up; three of those four are now EPIC/IKON.

I think you're discounting just how many of even these tiny places are getting gobbled up into mega-plans. In fact, I'd argue that this is now the late-stage focus of the mega-plan strategy, getting the little guys on-board.

Camelback, Blue and BB/JF?? Mountain Creek - no affiliation. What is Shawnee MT considered? (Indy Pass)

Vail bought BB/JF to your point. CBK and Blue are run by KSL so going on Ikon is not a total surprise,(Limited BTW) some might say what took so long? since they took over management of the resorts several years ago, however, I don't see Ikon going for little guys in the same way Vail has. There are still independents around though. Campgaw (Bergen Cty), Mt Peter, Ski Big Bear, Montage and Elk. Hopefully some of these smaller place can key on getting newbies into the sport.

 

[mbedle]

I just looked at Killington website and you apparently can get 8 lift tickets for $800. The includes 8 k-tickets to be used at anytime by anybody (buy 7 and you get the 8th free). As far as Vail resorts, its even cheaper. Their epic day pass can get you 2 adult tickets and 2 child tickets (12 and under) for 2 day each, for $500. That's an average price per day of $62, which seems pretty reasonable to me. I guess the biggest problem is getting the word out to new people that the most cost effective way to ski at these resorts is to pre-purchase your lift tickets. The "on a whim" people/families are the ones the get stuck with the online purchase price during the season or worst, the window rates. I got to figure that most intelligent people in this category will eventually realize the best and most cost effective method and take advantage of it during the next season.

 

[mbedle]

Talk about cheap lift tickets, if you are someone that skies the vail resorts in PA or NH and typically only skies 5 days a season (which includes a lot of people and most 1 week a year vacationers), you can get a pass excluding holidays for about $240 or with holidays for about $275. I know its been said before, but the key to making this work to increase participation in the sport, is getting the word out to the general public. For Vail and Alterra, it only takes one season to get a new customer the information about pre-purchase your lift tickets.

 

[BenedictGomez]

Camelback, Blue and BB/JF?? Mountain Creek - no affiliation. What is Shawnee MT considered? (Indy Pass)

Yup; exactly. I didn't count MC though as I wouldn't ski there.

 

[BenedictGomez]

the most cost effective way to ski at these resorts is to pre-purchase your lift tickets.

That's not a realistic "solution" for most, and frankly not something I'd ever do unless I was 100% going on a far-off vacation in the west. The entire point of "pre-purchase" isnt really more affordable skiing, it's a ski area's insurance against rain, no snow, ice, gale force winds, etc.... Definitely much lower risk doing that someplace like Colorado or Utah of course, but no way I'd do that anywhere in the midwest or northeast, not even Vermont.