Burke Mtn sold to Jay Peak

[Zand]

Last year for me:

Triple Major Pass: $299
Burke LSC Pass: $229

This year:

Jay/Burke College Pass: $249

Savings = $270. Never hit MRG last year with the Triple Major Pass, and while I won't have that option this year, I definitely don't mind using a portion of that to buy one or two $49 MRG day tickets. Never hit BV either, didn't plan on it.

Wish this could've happened in '09.

 

[thetrailboss]

So I take it that the Triple Major is no more?

 

[Zand]

So I take it that the Triple Major is no more?

Still there... still $299 and still Jay, Bolton, and MRG. If Burke was part of it I'd get it but it's much more cost effective to get the Jay/Burke pass instead and hit MRG on a day pass if necessary.

 

[thetrailboss]

Still there... still $299 and still Jay, Bolton, and MRG. If Burke was part of it I'd get it but it's much more cost effective to get the Jay/Burke pass instead and hit MRG on a day pass if necessary.

Interesting. I did not see it, not at least on Jay's site. I did not find it on BV or MRG's site and the TM site has not been updated. Where did you see it was still offered?

 

[Zand]

Oh... didn't realize that the TM site still has last year's dates on it. Nevermind then lol.

 

[thetrailboss]

I imagine that the Burke purchase has made Jay rethink the Triple Major Pass Program. If they do it, I bet it will only be Jay/MRG/Bolton and not include Burke. But since they have released the pass plans and list a College Pass, then I would think that the Triple Major may be gone, unless they offered the Triple Major alongside the Jay College Pass. Those two would compete for the same market and offering a pass that sees the revenue go elsewhere is not in Jay's interest.

As to who benefits from the Triple Major, in my mind Bolton would be the big winner. I would see a lot of serious college-aged skiers going to MRG and skiers/riders going to Jay. Not many going for Bolton except those who might not have a car, want night skiing, or want something less intense than Jay or MRG. And, in my mind, if there is no Triple Major, Bolton loses. When I was in college, a lot of folks both at my alma mater (Middlebury) and UVM who were really serious skiers/riders would focus on Stowe, Sugarbush, or MRG. Some would go to Jay. Nobody really considered, let alone knew, about Bolton. The Triple Major was designed to compete head on with Sugarbush or Stowe by combining the three. At least Sugarbush considered the Triple Major as its primary competition.

 

[riverc0il]

Interesting thoughts, trailboss. I would think that Bolton would be heavily utilized by the Burlington crowd since it is the closest, has night skiing, and probably caters to the park scene. Also, it is a mellow mountain so friends and ski and ride together from any lift without fear of getting in over someone's head. It is hard to say who the Triple Major worked out best and worst for without knowing how the money was distributed. I would think the best pay off would be getting the most amount of money for the fewest visits impacting the facility. Then again, the pass is so cheap, perhaps the areas were competing for on hill dollars hoping poor college students would buy some food or do some gear or something. I wonder what the demographics are for college skiers/riders regarding skill level? I bet perpetual intermediate is very high in the curve. I haven't met any super die hards here at PSU. Not saying they don't exist, but all the skiers/riders I know from the PSU student population aren't getting in 50+ days on their pass and ripping it up. So I don't see that type of argument working for Jay and MRG getting more visits than Bolton, it just doesn't match up with the casual skier population I see at our University. Things could be different in NoVT, of course.

 

[from_the_NEK]

When I was at UVM, there were quite a few people that went to Bolton because it was closest and had night skiing. I believe they have improved their park since then as well which should also have been a draw for that crowd. Sounds like the Burlington area colleges have a more "core" skier/rider crowd than Plymouth State . There were lost of students that set up their schedules around skiing. Bolton offered the best bet for running out to ski for a few hours if you didn't have classes during a morning or afternoon.

 

[thetrailboss]

Bump.

Just as I predicted, Triple Major is no more. JPR is going on its own with a Burke/Jay Combo and Jay only option.

[h=6]To all of our Triple Major members. We are no longer running the Triple Major pass. Instead, we are offering a Jay Peak season's pass to college students for just $199 and combo Jay/Burke passes for just $249. Start those coin jars to ski/ride our trees; you could use the change.

Hence why MRG is teaming up with SB.


[/h][h=6]
[/h]

 

[riverc0il]

Two hundred for a Jay pass, wow. Good deal even for students. Fiddy more fo' Burke? No brainer.

 

[BenedictGomez]

I would think that Bolton would be heavily utilized by the Burlington crowd since it is the closest, has night skiing, and probably caters to the park scene.

You'd think, but it doesn't really seem to pan out that way. I think in the 6 years I lived in Burlington I went to Bolton only 3 or 4 times (which I regret now thinking about it), and I didnt know too many locals that made a habit of frequenting Bolton either. When Stowe, Smuggs, Sugarbush, and MRG, arent far away (even Jay is only 1.5h), it sort of seems "meh" to hit Bolton if you live there. As for the Bolton night terrain, it's very small, can be very cold, and can get very packed. It's popular with high school ski clubs in the area (even > 1 hour away), but I didnt know too many adults that bothered with it. I really do like Bolton though, and since I'm often in n.VT for ski season, this thread is making me want to go there this year.

 

[xwhaler]

Hence why MRG is teaming up with SB.

Has this been confirmed yet? I did see the news on Win's Blog on SB site that they would be offering the $80 MRG weekday add-on option to the 19-29 4 20s pass. But I did not see that they would be adding it to the college pass. It would make sense that they would of course if Jay is aggressively pricing their college option.

Right now SB's website has TBD for college pass pricing. If they came in around $250 for SB All mtn and MRG I think they would clean up over Jay.

 

[xwhaler]

Just noticed this little gem as well....Smuggs and Bolton Valley teaming up for $249 for the college crowd
Assuming SB/MRG also come in at $249 unsure what I'd choose if I were a college kid at UVM right now....prob the Smuggs/BV option since I like the vibe and the drive time would prob be the least from Burlington.

http://www.smuggs.com/pages/winter/skiride/pass-store/index.php

sometimes I do wish I had gone to UVM over UNH...for the skiing aspect only!

 

[thetrailboss]

Has this been confirmed yet? I did see the news on Win's Blog on SB site that they would be offering the $80 MRG weekday add-on option to the 19-29 4 20s pass. But I did not see that they would be adding it to the college pass. It would make sense that they would of course if Jay is aggressively pricing their college option.

Right now SB's website has TBD for college pass pricing. If they came in around $250 for SB All mtn and MRG I think they would clean up over Jay.

They will offer the college pass in a few weeks, but in the past it has been the same as the 4-20 pass (maybe less money).

 

[BenedictGomez]

Just noticed this little gem as well....Smuggs and Bolton Valley teaming up for $249 for the college crowd
Assuming SB/MRG also come in at $249 unsure what I'd choose if I were a college kid at UVM right now....prob the Smuggs/BV option since I like the vibe and the drive time would prob be the least from Burlington.

My guess is the Smugg/BV one will be more popular too, but not because of the drive time (Smuggs, Sugarbush, MRG are all fairly similar drives from UVM), but because so many people in the 18-21 demographic are snowboarders. If you're a skier, however? The Sugarbush/MRG one would be the obvious choice.