Nashoba Valley Worth It?

[masshole]

Yeah if anyone has any good deals at Wachusett let me know.

What is the Century Program and how does it work?

What kind of discount do you get for a AAA card?

 

[thetrailboss]

Ahhhh....AAA card gets you a free discount card at Wachusett. Check the latest AAA Southern NE newsletter. Also check their site...we got two cards and never used them. They knock off like $10 per ticket. No big deal. Century Passes are season passes for nightskiing and midweek access. They were like $199 or something. Sky can tell you for sure.

As for good nights--they are all busy there. Honestly, Wa-wa is the closest you're going to get to big mountain skiing in your neck of the woods. Nashoba, Bradford, etc. are WORLDS apart from a Burke experience, but it is skiing. :wink:

 

[masshole]

I looked up the AAA discount and it is a pretty good deal. With that package we can rent and ski from 4-10PM for $49 per person.

We will probably try that tommorow.

 

[thetrailboss]

I looked up the AAA discount and it is a pretty good deal. With that package we can rent and ski from 4-10PM for $49 per person.

We will probably try that tommorow.

Man, we've got you hooked to skiing and AZ! :lol: :beer: I saw you hovering in here...waiting for a response. You'll have to ski with us some time. Have fun if you do go and enjoy it. There is a good group that hangs out at Wa-Wa fairly often.

Please let us know how it goes if you do go :wink: Good luck! Give Pats Peak a try this season as well...PM me for more info.

 

[MichaelJ]

The key to the Wachusett GPS Century pass is to get a group together in the early fall; I think the minimum is 10 people. At that point in time, you can get for $189 a bronze pass which gets you all nights (4p-close) for the entire season, plus non-holiday weekdays. Weekend days and holiday days you get $10 off a regular lift ticket.

This is my second year doing it and if you like night skiing or can get up there on weekdays (especially before the school groups show up) it's a great deal. If you're going to make the commitment to skiing, this spring look for sales on used skis (former rentals can tune up nicely) and next fall get the pass and then the only money to worry about is the gas up 495 and out 2.

As for night crowds, as I mentioned, a lot of school groups show up after, well, school. Around 6-7 about half of them are inside having dinner or hanging out, and the lines while sometimes long, move well, and the slopes don't really feel crowded except for the first 5 minutes after Ralph's Run is groomed. And if you stay later, it eases out a lot at 8. By 9 there aren't any lift lines.

And if you're a beginner over on the greens, there's never a line there (although it's a slow chair).

I don't always watch the ski forums so PM me if you have any specific questions.

 

[Vortex]

With your location.... Wa Wa sounds like the way to go with your perameters stated above.

 

[riverc0il]

i really think nashoba is a better alternative to wawa, especially if it is closer. i used to do race practice at nashoba when i raced in college and the size of the hill is perfect for learning new skills and practicing. nice short runs you can work on a specific skill set all the way down. nothing to challenging for someone learning to get in over their head. the points about blue hills are on spot, nashoba may be a better option even if it is further away. crotched is a good recommendation as well that i would rank much higher than wawa.

 

[ann in ma]

If you go for the AAA deal at Wachusett, make sure that you print out the coupon from the AAA website and have it with you ... otherwise they won't give you the deal. We found out the hard way.

Also be aware that you can only buy 1 lift ticket per Passport, so the AAA discount will only benefit one of you, unless you both have cards.

Also, you can buy a special COW (Card of Wachusett) card at certain AAA locations (Providence is one) and they will add 10% to the value you load onto the card. So if you load on $100, it will be worth $110. Then you can use that card to buy your lift tickets for additional savings. Might be worth it if you don't have to go too far out of your way.

 

[skidweeb.com]

This site was made for people like you (and me):

http://www.skidweeb.com/index.cgi?z=02093

Play with the settings near the top to adjust to your mood or skiing preference.

It helps to get a "feel" for where the places to go are, and roughly how far away each one is.

 

[thetrailboss]

If you go for the AAA deal at Wachusett, make sure that you print out the coupon from the AAA website and have it with you ... otherwise they won't give you the deal. We found out the hard way.

Great point. Like some of the other resorts that shall remain unnamed, who consider themselves to be the best thing since sliced bread, their customer service can be lacking especially if heaven forbid a customer came in to take advantage of a promotion :roll: Wachusett struck me as one of those places--you have to meet the 101 requirements before getting any break. Now I don't know if this is a reflection of them or their clientele, so I will leave that one open.

 

[Phildozer]

Wachusett isn't in the business of giving anything away. That's for sure. (Try and buy a bucket of fries and you'll see what I mean.)

On the other hand, if you want to play-you've got to pay. I can't fault them for charging what they do. They've got a weather-dependant business that's only open from the end of November through mid-March.

If you're clever, you can save money but you have to definitely either plan ahead or jump through some hoops.

 

[Zand]

^ I never knew April 10th was Mid March. :wink:

Weeknights at Wachusett are fine if you can deal with the 4 hour crowd from 3 to 7. Monday-Thursday, the lines aren't bad and the slopes are usually pretty clear. Wachusett knows how to take care of the bad weather. If it rains, give them 2-3 days and they'll be back to mid-winter conditions. Wachusett is about 4X the size of Nashoba and really isn't that more crowded. The summit offers up a bit of a challenge for the lower-levels. They have great learning areas and their park is very good for MA. I'd highly recommend it any day and night besides Friday-Sunday.