2016/2017 Season Passes

[drjeff]

I absolutely see the logic in giving young professionals a price break and charging them less than kids. It keeps people in the sport so that they in turn introduce their own kids to the sport.

Those deals didn't exist when I was that age. I have numerous friends from high school who left the sport because they were priced out in that stage of their life. They got out of college, had loan debt, moved to high rent areas with better opportunity, but starting career pay and there just wasn't the money left over for skiing. Some of them ended up moving south seeing little point in sticking around for winters without a winter sport. They will never kick on skis again. Their kids won't either.

Many parents who are at an age with teenage kids are at an income level where they can afford to pay premium prices for their kids much more than a college graduate can afford to pay for themself at typical adult pass pricing. That's why the prices are structured how they are.

Let's save this post for a few years from now when your child (or maybe children then, who knows ) are at an age where you're having to pay more for a pass for them than someone who very well could/should be financially self sufficient, or at least at an age where they can attempt to have a job (and probably still live at home with you ) and see if your position on this topic changes :lol:

 

[dlague]

I'm really struggling to decide for next year. $599 for an unrestricted Cannon pass + 2 free tix is impossible to beat. But I'm pretty unhappy with a lot of Cannon's day-to-day decision making lately so I'm tempted to try something else. If there was any pass that was even close to comparable for price, location, and mtn quality I'd pounce on it.

Other options I'm considering.
- Cannon+BW midweek for only $359. What a steal! But I know I'll ski enough weekend days to make the full pass a better value.
- WM Superpass $949. Pricey, but a great way to access other mtns when Cannon forgets to maintain a lift, or blows water instead of snow.
- No pass. Play the game a lot of you guys do and load up on vouchers and coupons. A great option to see more places, but definitely more expensive per day.

If I had no friends or family I'd definitely go the mid-week route and mostly never ski weekends. I may lean that way next year with a Cannon/BW mid-week supplemented by weekend voucher/deals.

For us the Cannon Pass is rolled back to $273 son will be $374 and wife $599 the later two come with two lift tickets each - all in all a great deal for the three of us combined. My dilemma - I hope to be in Colorado by April. However, if not then I have to decide whether or not to pull the trigger,

 

[drjeff]

For us the Cannon Pass is rolled back to $273 son will be $374 and wife $599 the later two come with two lift tickets each - all in all a great deal for the three of us combined. My dilemma - I hope to be in Colorado by April. However, if not then I have to decide whether or not to pull the trigger,

Next April (2017) I assume??

If so it's probably better to have pulled the trigger and even if the CO move happens have your pre CO ski time in the Northeast looked at a good (god only hopes it can't be as challenging a season as this one has been so far) but not quite the full value you're used to getting $$ wise out of a season, than to not have it, and say you're move get pushed off until after the ski season is done and look back at the season as not the value you're used to because you DIDN'T have a pass.....

 

[deadheadskier]

Let's save this post for a few years from now when your child (or maybe children then, who knows ) are at an age where you're having to pay more for a pass for them than someone who very well could/should be financially self sufficient, or at least at an age where they can attempt to have a job (and probably still live at home with you ) and see if your position on this topic changes :lol:

I've already thought about it and know introducing my kids to skiing will be expensive. I'm willing to sacrifice numerous other expenses to make it happen.

I still think the pricing strategy is the right one for sustaining participation in our sport.

 

[dlague]

Next April (2017) I assume??

If so it's probably better to have pulled the trigger and even if the CO move happens have your pre CO ski time in the Northeast looked at a good (god only hopes it can't be as challenging a season as this one has been so far) but not quite the full value you're used to getting $$ wise out of a season, than to not have it, and say you're move get pushed off until after the ski season is done and look back at the season as not the value you're used to because you DIDN'T have a pass.....

I have a pass now for Cannon and we wait until the very last day of the season to purchase to get the two lift tickets. I hope to have moved by them but if I do not then I will have to make a decision as to whether or not to get it for the 2016-2017 season.

 

[dlague]

I absolutely see the logic in giving young professionals a price break and charging them less than kids. It keeps people in the sport so that they in turn introduce their own kids to the sport.

Those deals didn't exist when I was that age. I have numerous friends from high school who left the sport because they were priced out in that stage of their life. They got out of college, had loan debt, moved to high rent areas with better opportunity, but starting career pay and there just wasn't the money left over for skiing. Some of them ended up moving south seeing little point in sticking around for winters without a winter sport. They will never kick on skis again. Their kids won't either.

Many parents who are at an age with teenage kids are at an income level where they can afford to pay premium prices for their kids much more than a college graduate can afford to pay for themself at typical adult pass pricing. That's why the prices are structured how they are.

I bought the Sugarbush "Four 20s" pass the first year they offered it. I figured for $300 for an unlimited pass even if I only went 2 weekends I would be ahead of the game. That was also the last year I was eligible for it. Well that pass purchase got me thinking and I ended up buying a condo before the season started that year. Best decision I ever made and I even told Win about my "success" story of him getting me to ski Sugarbush for the long haul. Now he gets a full price adult pass out of me (well full-price at the early purchase rate at least).

That said, if I was a parent, I'd be pretty annoyed anyway about how much some areas charge younger kids for a pass.

Targeting the young professionals with cheap passes though absolutely works and is great for the long-term viability of the sport. Really great long-range vision with that.

I agree with deadheadskier's point. I have 4 boys 3 now over 20. 1 in college - he gets a break, 1 in the military he gets a break, 1 working and depending which ski area he may or may not get a break. My youngest gets a teen season pass for $374 at Cannon. I think that is fine. I think the whole 20-30 pass concept is good for the sport.

 

[dlague]

Mountain Collective Pass $379 and children 12 and under $1 if Adult pass is purchased

for 2 days at each

Alta/Snowbird
Aspen Snowmass
Jackson Hole
Mammoth
Ski Banff | Lake Louise | Sunshine
Squaw Valley/Alpine Meadows
Stowe
Sun Valley
Taos
Thredbo
Whistler Blackcomb
Ski Queenstown/Coronet Peak/The Remarkables NEW FOR 2016/17

•50% off all additional days at The Collective destinations - 1 single day lift ticket per pass
•NO BLACKOUT DATES

 

[xwhaler]

Boyne New England Season passes...include skiing 3/14 this yr

http://www.sundayriver.com/winter/tickets-and-passes/season-passes

 

[4aprice]

Mountain Collective Pass $379 and children 12 and under $1 if Adult pass is purchased

for 2 days at each

Alta/Snowbird
Aspen Snowmass
Jackson Hole
Mammoth
Ski Banff | Lake Louise | Sunshine
Squaw Valley/Alpine Meadows
Stowe
Sun Valley
Taos
Thredbo
Whistler Blackcomb
Ski Queenstown/Coronet Peak/The Remarkables NEW FOR 2016/17

•50% off all additional days at The Collective destinations - 1 single day lift ticket per pass
•NO BLACKOUT DATES

Mountain Collective is interesting but a lot of travel. Living out there it would be very interesting but we are still on the east coast for the time being. With the boy moving out to Denver we probably are going to make 2 trips out west each year now. I'm thinking the Max Pass with one trip to Colorado @ Copper and Winter Park and Brighton when we go to Utah. Stratton, Killington, Pico and Loon would be east coast stops.

Alex

Lake Hopatcong, NJ

 

[SIKSKIER]

Its hard to beat Cannon's 599 pass with 2 free anytime ticks for a big mt.If you full value the free tickets,thats $150.With that logic in mind you have a pass for $450.Thats only 6 weekend days to pay for it or 8 + 2 freebies.Its so cheap that you can ski around at other mts and not feel like you have to get a lot a days in to pay for it.

 

[Cannonball]

Its hard to beat Cannon's 599 pass with 2 free anytime ticks for a big mt.If you full value the free tickets,thats $150.With that logic in mind you have a pass for $450.Thats only 6 weekend days to pay for it or 8 + 2 freebies.Its so cheap that you can ski around at other mts and not feel like you have to get a lot a days in to pay for it.

I completely agree that $599 is hard to beat. I don't completely agree with your logic of subtracting the dollar value of the tix since you wouldn't personally use them yourself. But the math is still good....$599 for my pass, plus I save up to $150 in buying day tix for my nephews.

I'm still struggling though. The B&B pass is sooooo cheap. Maybe I just skip Cannon on the weekends.

 

[AdironRider]

The West is large. You are looking at a full days drive from any one resort to the other. Sun Valley to Jackson is about 5. Jackson to Salt Lake the same. Salt Lake to Tahoe, LLouise in Canada and so on.

MC has been and will always be a lodging play. They specifically aren't putting a bunch of mountains next to each other on it. It is a bunch of destination resorts for the most part, and it has been wildly successful for them. When it takes two full days round trip to travel to any of these places, you more than likely stay more that two days.

That being said, for folks living in Denver or the Cali cities, which have direct flights to almost all of these areas, its a serious winner of a pass.

 

[wtcobb]

Your NOR’BEASTER Spring Season Pass will give you unlimited access to the slopes starting March 18, 2016 through the very last day of the season, which with any luck could be into May.

Edit: Which with any luck could be through the end of March.

 

[wtcobb]

Gunstock 16/17 passes also on sale - they charge an extra $99 to ski the rest of this season. Has this always been their policy, or is this a make-up attempt for this season?

 

[xwhaler]

Gunstock 16/17 passes also on sale - they charge an extra $99 to ski the rest of this season. Has this always been their policy, or is this a make-up attempt for this season?

I believe that has always been the policy. Some mtns have a variation this which is either ski free the rest of the yr if you buy now or buy a spring pass for $99 or $159 or whatever and if you do end up buying a pass we will credit you for $ already spent.

I have only seen Gunstock offer this pricing structure which is of course less appealing than either of the above 2.

 

[JDMRoma]

I completely agree that $599 is hard to beat. I don't completely agree with your logic of subtracting the dollar value of the tix since you wouldn't personally use them yourself. But the math is still good....$599 for my pass, plus I save up to $150 in buying day tix for my nephews.

I'm still struggling though. The B&B pass is sooooo cheap. Maybe I just skip Cannon on the weekends.

Now if the B&B Pass included weekdays and weekends at cannon and only weekdays at BW that would be the way to go !!

 

[deadheadskier]

Its hard to beat Cannon's 599 pass with 2 free anytime ticks for a big mt.If you full value the free tickets,thats $150.With that logic in mind you have a pass for $450.Thats only 6 weekend days to pay for it or 8 + 2 freebies.Its so cheap that you can ski around at other mts and not feel like you have to get a lot a days in to pay for it.

It tempts me every year. However, the Granite Pass at $659 is the better deal IMO. This is especially true for folks from the NH Seacoast where Cannon and Wildcat are almost equidistant.

Cannon is my favorite ski area in the state, but only slightly more so than Wildcat. I also have many ski buddies there that makes it appealing.

The Granite wins me over with the added two ski areas and longer season. Those factors make the extra $60 a no brainer for me.

Now, if Peaks spikes the Granite Pass price this year, who knows, maybe I go Cannon and play the discount card game early season.

 

[Cannonball]

It tempts me every year. However, the Granite Pass at $659 is the better deal IMO. This is especially true for folks from the NH Seacoast where Cannon and Wildcat are almost equidistant.

Cannon is my favorite ski area in the state, but only slightly more so than Wildcat. I also have many ski buddies there that makes it appealing.

The Granite wins me over with the added two ski areas and longer season. Those factors make the extra $60 a no brainer for me.

Now, if Peaks spikes the Granite Pass price this year, who knows, maybe I go Cannon and play the discount card game early season.

Location is everything. It's not so much about one cost vs another. From my location Granite would never win. That doesn't make it a worse deal, just not located right.

Do you really see the Granite pass as 3 areas? Wildcat is obvious and Crotched offers convenience, but does Attitash add any value at all? Would the pass be worth the same without it?

 

[deadheadskier]

I mainly go for it for Wildcat and Crotched, but did have fun the one day I went to Attitash this season. Bear runs are pretty fun to bomb off that HSQ. If it had better snow, I'd like Attitash a lot more. It's got some really good steep terrain. I often wonder how some of the side country is in between the two Peaks. Last year would have been the year to check it out.

 

[deadheadskier]

And yes, if I lived on the 93 side of the state, Cannon would get my business. I'm glad Wildcat isn't easy for most to get to