Season Passes

zinger3000 · Nov 3, 2010

I'm just curious what percentage of AZ'ers get season passes. Since many of you seem to be avid skiers, I'd bet the percentage is pretty high. This will be my fifth year skiing, but the first in which I've made the plunge to get a season pass. Now granted, it's only to Maple Ski Ridge, a pretty small hill just outside of Schenectady, but at only 30 minutes from me, it means I'll be able to go skiing much more often. I've never had a wait of more than 1 minute at MSR, and 90% of the time, it's ski-on. If I'm skiing, I'm happy. It doesn't have to be a big hill, it just means shorter lift rides. I'll still go visit other ski areas for variety, but I like having the option of going skiing on a whim with no worries.

So, for those of you who get season passes,
- Do you get bored of that ski area by the end of the season?
- Did the season pass pay for itself (i.e., was the cost of your season pass less than the total you would have paid at the ticket window for each of your individual visits?)
- Has anyone ever gotten two season passes in the same season to 2 different ski areas?

I'm interested in everyone's feedback.

mondeo · Nov 3, 2010

Third year with passes at Sundown and Killington. I get bored with Sundown, not with Killington. Last two seasons were 94 days and 101 days, no question if the passes were worth it.

gmcunni · Nov 3, 2010

i don't want to talk about this

mondeo · Nov 3, 2010

gmcunni said:
i don't want to talk about this

And yet here you are...

gmcunni · Nov 3, 2010

mondeo said:
And yet here you are...

punishing myself

Hawkshot99 · Nov 3, 2010

This is my third year with a pass. By the end of the year I do start to get bored with the area, but still enjoy it. I do get out and ski at lots of other resorts to keep it interesting. As far as the pass saving me money? Of course, its free through work!

gmcunni · Nov 3, 2010

in the past i've gotten a pass to my local hill. I put in about 1/2 my skiing there. due to living in south CT, having a non-skiing spouse and offspring who aren't as into skiing as i am I've really found having a pass to a nearby place a godsend. i can run up at night or for a quickie on the weekends. sometimes i'll take my kids, other times i go solo and usually bump into a friendly face.

i don't get bored there but it is probably because do a fair job mixing up skiing local and skiing elsewhere. Rarely the local hill two weekends in a row.

In the past i felt i basically broke even on cost vs not having the pass but i really liked the motivation of having the pass... it got me out on days i probably wouldn't have gone.

another nice perk with my pass is the added benefits. discounts at places up north that i like, free tune up and stuff like that help tilt the scale a bit more in favor of having the pass.

snoseek · Nov 3, 2010

I usually carry a couple different passes. That keeps things interesting if you have the time to use the hell out of them.

In 06-07 i carried an asc east and a cannon bw midweek. I think I had a pass somewhere else too but can't for the life of me remember where/
In 07-08 i bought Loveland, Rocky mtn superpass (steamboat, wp, copper) and a a basin pass that got me five days at other vail resorts. I had a lot of time on my hands that year.

If you plan on skiing a lot than this is the only way to go, you will definately get out more. I could have fun at almost any small hill, your just cruising around having fun really. have fun!

Skimaine · Nov 3, 2010

This is my 6 year as a season pass holder. We bought passes the first time because we had a vacation planned and decided to get passes as we only needed to ski 2-3 more days to have he passes "pay for itself". We ended up skiing 15 more days. As gmcunni noted it gets you out on days you probably would not go. This is because the risk is gone. You do not want to pay for a day pass and waste it if the weather sucks or conditions are poor. With a seasons pass you do not worry (as much) about these issues. You go on days you might not otherwise and it lowers your stress because you do not feel like you need to ski first chair to last chair like when you buy a day ticket. Go for it. It really improves the experience.

ERJ-145CA · Nov 3, 2010

I have an unlimited pass for Hidden Valley, about 15 minutes away, for the 4th year in a row. I usually buy it in the spring when it's the cheapest. It's small but it's close but I don't get bored with it. I do hit a few other areas and Vermont thorought the season too.

It usually pays for itself about halfway through the season.

I've never gotten two season passes but the last few years I've bought 2 Triple Play Cards each season for Mountain Creek about 10 minutes from home. They are $69 for 3 days with no blackout dates, it's worth it because a ticket for a weekday is $49 so it's less than 1/2 price with the cards.

abc · Nov 4, 2010

I've yet to get a pass, despite putting 20-40 days/season.

My problem is I live too far away from any sizable mountain. To drive to the "big mountains" in VT takes almost as much time as a flight out to Utah (and almost half the cost for gas alone)! So I end up doing about half of my skiing out at the Rockies.

And given the price of the season pass on most of the good size mountains, I would have to ski quite a lot of days to break even! My splitting my skiing half east and half west puts me in the disadvantage regarding passes since I don't ski in a single area enough to justify the price of the pass.

I do fantasize about getting a pass, at a resort out west! Pass price is so much cheaper out there I could actually break even with 2 weeks trip! The mountains out there are also much bigger so I wouldn't have to worry about getting bored...

gmcunni · Nov 4, 2010

abc said:
I do fantasize about getting a pass, at a resort out west! Pass price is so much cheaper out there I could actually break even with 2 weeks trip! The mountains out there are also much bigger so I wouldn't have to worry about getting bored...

no shit, this makes me cry - Colorado Pass $479 Adult / $359 Teen / $239 Child

The 2010/11 Colorado Pass is a season pass that is valid for unlimited, unrestricted skiing and riding at Keystone, Breckenridge and Arapahoe Basin, plus 10 days at Vail and Beaver Creek and 5 days at Heavenly and Northstar-at-Tahoe. These passes are restricted from use at Vail/Beaver Creek: November 26-27, 2010 December 27- 31, 2010 and February 19 -20, 2011 and Heavenly/Northstar-at-Tahoe: December 27- 31, 2010 and February 19 -20, 2011.

snoseek · Nov 4, 2010

gmcunni said:
no shit, this makes me cry - Colorado Pass $479 Adult / $359 Teen / $239 Child

The 2010/11 Colorado Pass is a season pass that is valid for unlimited, unrestricted skiing and riding at Keystone, Breckenridge and Arapahoe Basin, plus 10 days at Vail and Beaver Creek and 5 days at Heavenly and Northstar-at-Tahoe. These passes are restricted from use at Vail/Beaver Creek: November 26-27, 2010 December 27- 31, 2010 and February 19 -20, 2011 and Heavenly/Northstar-at-Tahoe: December 27- 31, 2010 and February 19 -20, 2011.

You still have to actually be in Colorado sometime in the fall for this pass. You can bump up to the Epic for somewhere around 600. Still that's cheaper than my silver pass. A basin bonus pass is a great buy for anyone looking for multiple trips. Also noted Monarch sells a fantastic pass that gets you three days at many many different smaller yet awesome resorts.

check this our for a good deal! Storm chasing anyone?
http://www.skimonarch.com/index.php/ticketspasses/season-passes

UVSHTSTRM · Nov 4, 2010

Season Pass at Killington and no I don't get bored. This is my 5th year with a pass at Killington and never regret it. When you have 80 dollar lift tickets and your pass only cost around 750, that means less than 10 visits per. On top of that it also allows me to get up early in the morning go ride for a 3 or 4 hours and don't feel like I got had.

Glenn · Nov 4, 2010

Our season passes got really expensive....we enjoyed the area so much, we ended up getting a weekend place. :lol:

This is year 3 or 4 for our Mt Snow passes. We average about 30 days a year. The passes pay for themselves in about 7 weekend visits. We have the pass that's blacked out over the school vacation days, so we save a bit of money over the top tier pass.

We don't get bored of the mountain. There's enough terrain to ski on. And the nature of weather, the terrain and conditions vary from week to week.

We enjoy our weekend ski routine and have met some great friends at the mountain.(via this forum).

Vortex · Nov 4, 2010

I think this is my 12 year in a row with a pass. Cheaper than days tickets. Lets you go for a few hours early and late season with no regrets. On a bad weather day I can go our for a few hours. I usually get my days skied cost down to betewen 11 and 12 dollars per day.

I like having 3 options on my pass as well. Loon a short Ride Sunday River my home mountain and the loaf for a few trips a year and late season.

JerseyJoey · Nov 4, 2010

This is my 30th year with a Killington pass. Still loving every turn. Also do the MRG Shareholder Mad Card every year.

My kids have had MRG and K passes since the years they were born. 7 years, 7 years, and 6 years. They're not bored yet either.

K-1 opens in 95 minutes. Very psyched for first turns of the season. So are the kids. Bring it!!!

Geoff · Nov 4, 2010

Stratton season passes from the late-1960's through 1976. Stowe in College. KMart ever since. It's hard to imagine not having a season pass and skiing every day off in the winter.

Vortex · Nov 4, 2010

JerseyJoey said:
This is my 30th year with a Killington pass. Still loving every turn. Also do the MRG Shareholder Mad Card every year.

My kids have had MRG and K passes since the years they were born. 7 years, 7 years, and 6 years. They're not bored yet either.

K-1 opens in 95 minutes. Very psyched for first turns of the season. So are the kids. Bring it!!!

Enjoy the runs and fam time.

drjeff · Nov 4, 2010

This is my 13th or 14th year of having a Mount Snow pass (in one form or another - multi area ASC passes, multi-area Peak resort passes, etc). Liked the mountain and it's geographic convienence so much that this is the 8th or 9th year that my wife and I have either done a full season house lease and/or owned a vacation home there. So over the course of a season, I'll get anywhere from 30 to 50+ days on my pass so, so economically it makes sense.

Met tons of great people there too, and I have so much fun when I'm on my skis, that even if it's just 1 white ribbon of death the 1st weekend of the season, there's plenty of terrain to keep me happy.

Season Passes

New member

New member

Active member

New member

Active member

Active member

Active member

Well-known member

New member

Active member

Well-known member

Active member

Well-known member

New member

Active member

Member

New member

Well-known member

Member

Well-known member

Similar threads