MAX Pass 2017-18

[Zand]

Thinking about going with Wachusett + Add On for next year. Just wondering if anyone has heard anything on the rumor mill about any resorts being added. I remember last year a couple got added mid summer. Would be nice to see the east offerings get a little better. Stratton, Okemo, Sunapee, Loon are all kind of ehh... I'll probably get my money's worth at K and Pico and hopefully a Loaf trip. Also want to finally go west for the first time. But would be cool if they could add another independent hill like Jay or Smuggs.

 

[4aprice]

They just added a whole slew (4 to be precise) of New York areas (Bell, Windham, Gore, and Whiteface). I wouldn't look for any more additions in the east, west who knows. What changes after this year will be interesting too.

Our experience with the Max Pass this past season was outstanding. 9 days in Colorado, 5 days in Utah, 8 days in Vermont and 4 days in New Hampshire. (12 in Pa but that's a different ticket) The variety in our opinion was great. With the New York additions (2 of them are day trips for us) next season should be better. We enjoy spending full weekends checking out one resort and its great for that. We pretty much enjoyed all the areas you listed, so if you don't like the eastern choices it may not be the ticket for you.

Alex

Lake Hopatcong, NJ

 

[Jully]

Like Alex said, any eastern additions appear unlikely. When Max announced Whiteface and Gore on fb there was a comment asking about any 'big mountain' additions to which Max replied, Stay Tuned!!

Given Whiteface is about as big as anything on the east coast gets, any new additions I think have to come from out west.

I opted for the Max for this upcoming season and I'm quite excited by it.

 

[cdskier]

Whiteface and Gore are both substantial additions for the east...they may not be as appealing to people in central/eastern MA, but MAX with those additions is definitely a great eastern multi-pass in my book.

 

[Zand]

I forgot whiteface and gore were added...hit both of them a couple years ago and look forward to going again.

 

[JimG.]

I'm going with the Belleayre only season pass with the MAX add on. I think it's a great deal.

 

[Jully]

Whiteface and Gore are both substantial additions for the east...they may not be as appealing to people in central/eastern MA, but MAX with those additions is definitely a great eastern multi-pass in my book.

I'm in Boston and I'm excited to head to at least Whiteface next year and hopefully both for 3-4 days apiece. Been wanting to head to Whiteface for many years now. Its not that much farther than SL. Most skiers over here just don't think of NY.

 

[cdskier]

I'm in Boston and I'm excited to head to at least Whiteface next year and hopefully both for 3-4 days apiece. Been wanting to head to Whiteface for many years now. Its not that much farther than SL. Most skiers over here just don't think of NY.

I'll say Gore is well worth it and a really great mountain. I've skied there several times and never been disappointed. Whiteface on the other hand seems to require good timing.

 

[Jully]

I'll say Gore is well worth it and a really great mountain. I've skied there several times and never been disappointed. Whiteface on the other hand seems to require good timing.

Hmm, good things to know and consider! Maybe I'll make Gore the priority over WF.

 

[Jcb890]

I went with the MAX again this year. We really enjoyed it this past season... still have 1 ticket left at Killington I'm hoping to use for some Superstar laps.

'16/'17 season we rode 4 days at Big Sky, 4 days at Copper, 4 at Killington, 3 at Loon, 1 at Sunday River and 1 at FckStratton.

Decided not to bother with the Wachusett Pass + Add-On since we only did Wachusett 6 times last year and the MAX includes 5 tickets to Wachusett anyways. Even with the new snowmaking system, there wasn't any less ice or better quality snow most nights. So, I figure I'll just keep the $49 difference to use for something else and we can still go to Wachusett 5 times whenever we want, if we want. Weekends during the season at Wachusett are in my opinion out of the question due to the small trails and crowds. I refuse to take a shuttle from my car at Wachusett and I refuse to sit in a 20 minute lift line for a 1 minute ride down their terrain.

We also decided to do the Peak Pass this season as well with plans to make Mt. Snow our "home" mountain. At 2 hours away, it is an easy day trip and I love the idea of having a regular season pass where it doesn't matter if I go for an hour or all day. We used it 5x this Spring (4x Mt. Snow & 1x Wildcat), so we'll definitely get our value out of it and I'm looking forward to getting back to Wildcat a few more times next season when there's more snow.


I think we'll probably do Big Sky again next season because we had so much fun. Montana was absolutely beautiful. Hopefully we'll do Colorado again - maybe Steamboat this time. I'd also like to try Mt. Bachelor and wouldn't mind checking out Solitude/Brighton in Utah either.

As for New England - we'll happily use our Killington passes again, Loon as well and then I'm hoping to get to use more days at Sunday River when it isn't their closing weekend and hopefully we'll be able to do a long weekend at Sugarloaf since I've always wanted to try it, but never made it up there. Probably won't bother going back to FckStratton next season.

Being a Weekend Warrior, if I can get my daily average down below $40, I think I'm doing pretty good. Especially with mountains like Killington, Sunday River, Big Sky and Copper in the mix. Just the trips to Big Sky and Copper more than paid off our pass since they would have both been somewhere around $100/day.

 

[dlague]

I went with the MAX again this year. We really enjoyed it this past season... still have 1 ticket left at Killington I'm hoping to use for some Superstar laps.

'16/'17 season we rode 4 days at Big Sky, 4 days at Copper, 4 at Killington, 3 at Loon, 1 at Sunday River and 1 at FckStratton.

Decided not to bother with the Wachusett Pass + Add-On since we only did Wachusett 6 times last year and the MAX includes 5 tickets to Wachusett anyways. Even with the new snowmaking system, there wasn't any less ice or better quality snow most nights. So, I figure I'll just keep the $49 difference to use for something else and we can still go to Wachusett 5 times whenever we want, if we want. Weekends during the season at Wachusett are in my opinion out of the question due to the small trails and crowds. I refuse to take a shuttle from my car at Wachusett and I refuse to sit in a 20 minute lift line for a 1 minute ride down their terrain.

We also decided to do the Peak Pass this season as well with plans to make Mt. Snow our "home" mountain. At 2 hours away, it is an easy day trip and I love the idea of having a regular season pass where it doesn't matter if I go for an hour or all day. We used it 5x this Spring (4x Mt. Snow & 1x Wildcat), so we'll definitely get our value out of it and I'm looking forward to getting back to Wildcat a few more times next season when there's more snow.


I think we'll probably do Big Sky again next season because we had so much fun. Montana was absolutely beautiful. Hopefully we'll do Colorado again - maybe Steamboat this time. I'd also like to try Mt. Bachelor and wouldn't mind checking out Solitude/Brighton in Utah either.

As for New England - we'll happily use our Killington passes again, Loon as well and then I'm hoping to get to use more days at Sunday River when it isn't their closing weekend and hopefully we'll be able to do a long weekend at Sugarloaf since I've always wanted to try it, but never made it up there. Probably won't bother going back to FckStratton next season.

Being a Weekend Warrior, if I can get my daily average down below $40, I think I'm doing pretty good. Especially with mountains like Killington, Sunday River, Big Sky and Copper in the mix. Just the trips to Big Sky and Copper more than paid off our pass since they would have both been somewhere around $100/day.

Sounded like a great season. Hopefully, if you are out here we can catch up!

 

[Jcb890]

Sounded like a great season. Hopefully, if you are out here we can catch up!

That would be awesome! I'm hoping to plan a little bit more in advance this coming season. Our 2 trips were kind of last-minute organized. Also, my wife will be able to handle more of the terrain which will be great. She really progressed a lot this past season (IMO) between our trips out West and riding quite questionable spring-time conditions she wouldn't even have thought about attempting before.

 

[Jully]

That would be awesome! I'm hoping to plan a little bit more in advance this coming season. Our 2 trips were kind of last-minute organized. Also, my wife will be able to handle more of the terrain which will be great. She really progressed a lot this past season (IMO) between our trips out West and riding quite questionable spring-time conditions she wouldn't even have thought about attempting before.

Awesome that your wife progressed a lot this year. I got my GF out for 12 days and her skills progressed, IMO, but her confidence did not. On or one trip out west, I took her down a slightly steeper groomer and she handled it great but at the bottom was UNHAPPY that I'd taken her down that. Same story when she encountered bumped up conditions on 2 spring days. It worries me about planning trips next year. I feel bad taking her out west on more expensive and complicated trips to ski roughly similar terrain to what she skis back east (groomed easy blues and greens).

 

[Jcb890]

Awesome that your wife progressed a lot this year. I got my GF out for 12 days and her skills progressed, IMO, but her confidence did not. On or one trip out west, I took her down a slightly steeper groomer and she handled it great but at the bottom was UNHAPPY that I'd taken her down that. Same story when she encountered bumped up conditions on 2 spring days. It worries me about planning trips next year. I feel bad taking her out west on more expensive and complicated trips to ski roughly similar terrain to what she skis back east (groomed easy blues and greens).

I've been out 32 times this year, she's probably done 25 or so. But, a couple of those were just a couple of hours... like our last day in Colorado where she only went out for like 2 runs and then quit just so she could say she went the 4 days in a row :lol:.

Oh I've got that story beat easily!

Before our trip to Colorado she had only done green trails back in the East. After that she tried a decent amount of blues, but only nice wide ones and groomed ones. Fast forward a month to our Big Sky trip...

I was trying to take her down a nice "easy wide green" called Cinnabar from the top of their 6-person chair (Six Shooter). So we get off the lift and I of course get us lost and onto a blue which was wide enough and groomed, so while she wasn't pleased, she was able to do that trail. However, that trail quickly either turned into a (still wide) black which I knew she wouldn't be confident on... or a cat-track wide blue trail... the cat-track trails freak her out. But, I figure that's the lesser of two evils at this point. So I wait and she catches up to me and she's pissed, of course, and I apologize. We keep going, but then not only is it a cat-track wide trail, now there's a drop-off on the downhill facing side either into woods or more black diamonds. She has a fear of heights and trails like this freak her out if she hasn't been on it before even if its a green.

So she's taking a REALLY long time to catch up and I'm getting aggravated waiting for her and she keeps yelling at me each time she catches up to me. After a bunch more drop-offs and tight trail with tight turns, I finally get to an opening where there's a wider trail and by the time she gets close enough for me to see her I can tell she's petrified due to tight trail and drop-offs and I'm super aggravated due to the waiting... until I hear her sobbing as she gets close to me. Then I instantly felt like a piece of shit. She was basically hyperventilating and scared shitless. I look ahead and... the trail isn't any easier. At this point its either continue on the cat-track wide trail, or drop into a black diamond with moguls. I took a second and spotted a nice wide groomed path sweeping through this trail so I calmed her down and told her to just stay on her heel edge and go across this steep pitch with moguls over to the nice wider groomed area. She did exactly that and didn't fall going through the moguls cutting across the hill. We made it to the groomed section which was a blue and then it finally met up with a green which brought us back to the Madison base area.

I of course didn't mean to take her that route because I knew her limitations, I just got us lost on accident. So I profusely apologized and she of course let it go. But, I think that day really gave her extra confidence. While it certainly freaked her out big time, she was able to manage it still and didn't really fall much and didn't get hurt. After that she's been able to do almost any of the blues in New England we've gone to with confidence and even a "black diamond" at Wachusett - Smith Walton. While it isn't steep or crazy, it was bumped up and spring-like when we did it, so it was decently challenging and she was able to both go down and make turns. Next season I'll get her onto more "real" diamond trails, but the snow quality wasn't great at that point in the season so I didn't want to push it. Both of us need more work on our technique still next season, for sure.

I've got a couple of pretty good Spring-condition stories too... polar opposites really.

We went to Wildcat 4/17 and coverage was decent enough, but not great. Polecat scared her because it was unknown to her and some not-so-wide sections with drop-offs. So I feel bad and she's aggravated, but I had no idea, I had never been to Wildcat. We finally make it down and she says she's done for the day, conditions suck, you know I don't like those trails, etc., etc.

Fast-forward to 4/29, we went to Sunday River. "Expert Terrain Only" - they weren't kidding. This was easily the toughest riding she did all season. Of course she starts off aggravated with how thin the cover is, dodging rocks, dodging dirt and dealing with steep pitches... but she rocked it! She fell a few times, but no injuries and overall did really well considering the tough conditions. On her 2nd run she was actually having fun and it was a great day. That ended her season, but I was pretty proud of her since it was by far the hardest terrain she had ridden on for the season and we enjoyed a nice day in the sun.

Sorry for the long post, but it makes me feel proud to see her progress in her 3rd season, especially since she's not all that athletically inclined and has a fear of heights. Her first season she took a group and private lesson but never really got off the bunny hill. 2nd season was shortened due to a broken wrist on Ramshead at Killington and then this 3rd season was her first full season.

I just keep telling her she needs to push herself, but I try not to get her too far out of her comfort zone. She isn't able to keep up with me, but at least she can ride a good amount of the terrain I can. Also, at mountains she's comfortable at (like Mt. Snow), she's completely fine if I go off and ride on my own and she rides on her own for a while. So that is always nice if I want to go off and ride the North Face while she sticks to Long John and/or other front face groomers. I'm trying to push her to up her speed at times, but she's not quite ready for that yet. In due time I suppose.

Even though she stuck to groomed green trails in Colorado, I'd do that same trip over again. It was so much fun, so beautiful and the mountains and snow are just not comparable to New England, IMO. Listening to people complain about "crowds" at Copper on MLK weekend was hilarious to us. And even though she did the same and mixed in some blues at Big Sky, I'd do that all over again too. Montana and Big Sky are absolutely beautiful. I think we'll go back again next season and hopefully do 2-3 other Western trips also.

 

[abc]

2nd season was shortened due to a broken wrist on Ramshead at Killington

That wasn't a result of "push her to up her speed"?

 

[Jcb890]

That wasn't a result of "push her to up her speed"?

No, thankfully or I'd never hear the end of It! :lol:
That was a result of us never really spending time teaching her how to fall without hurting herself. Something which is partly my fault too I suppose.

 

[abc]

I thought that was taught at the beginner lesson, no?

 

[Jcb890]

I thought that was taught at the beginner lesson, no?

You would think so, but it wasn't part of either the group lesson or beginner private lesson.

 

[abc]

It was in mine (boarding, I assume).

 

[dlague]

I've been out 32 times this year, she's probably done 25 or so. But, a couple of those were just a couple of hours... like our last day in Colorado where she only went out for like 2 runs and then quit just so she could say she went the 4 days in a row :lol:.

Oh I've got that story beat easily!

Before our trip to Colorado she had only done green trails back in the East. After that she tried a decent amount of blues, but only nice wide ones and groomed ones. Fast forward a month to our Big Sky trip...

I was trying to take her down a nice "easy wide green" called Cinnabar from the top of their 6-person chair (Six Shooter). So we get off the lift and I of course get us lost and onto a blue which was wide enough and groomed, so while she wasn't pleased, she was able to do that trail. However, that trail quickly either turned into a (still wide) black which I knew she wouldn't be confident on... or a cat-track wide blue trail... the cat-track trails freak her out. But, I figure that's the lesser of two evils at this point. So I wait and she catches up to me and she's pissed, of course, and I apologize. We keep going, but then not only is it a cat-track wide trail, now there's a drop-off on the downhill facing side either into woods or more black diamonds. She has a fear of heights and trails like this freak her out if she hasn't been on it before even if its a green.

So she's taking a REALLY long time to catch up and I'm getting aggravated waiting for her and she keeps yelling at me each time she catches up to me. After a bunch more drop-offs and tight trail with tight turns, I finally get to an opening where there's a wider trail and by the time she gets close enough for me to see her I can tell she's petrified due to tight trail and drop-offs and I'm super aggravated due to the waiting... until I hear her sobbing as she gets close to me. Then I instantly felt like a piece of shit. She was basically hyperventilating and scared shitless. I look ahead and... the trail isn't any easier. At this point its either continue on the cat-track wide trail, or drop into a black diamond with moguls. I took a second and spotted a nice wide groomed path sweeping through this trail so I calmed her down and told her to just stay on her heel edge and go across this steep pitch with moguls over to the nice wider groomed area. She did exactly that and didn't fall going through the moguls cutting across the hill. We made it to the groomed section which was a blue and then it finally met up with a green which brought us back to the Madison base area.

I of course didn't mean to take her that route because I knew her limitations, I just got us lost on accident. So I profusely apologized and she of course let it go. But, I think that day really gave her extra confidence. While it certainly freaked her out big time, she was able to manage it still and didn't really fall much and didn't get hurt. After that she's been able to do almost any of the blues in New England we've gone to with confidence and even a "black diamond" at Wachusett - Smith Walton. While it isn't steep or crazy, it was bumped up and spring-like when we did it, so it was decently challenging and she was able to both go down and make turns. Next season I'll get her onto more "real" diamond trails, but the snow quality wasn't great at that point in the season so I didn't want to push it. Both of us need more work on our technique still next season, for sure.

I've got a couple of pretty good Spring-condition stories too... polar opposites really.

We went to Wildcat 4/17 and coverage was decent enough, but not great. Polecat scared her because it was unknown to her and some not-so-wide sections with drop-offs. So I feel bad and she's aggravated, but I had no idea, I had never been to Wildcat. We finally make it down and she says she's done for the day, conditions suck, you know I don't like those trails, etc., etc.

Fast-forward to 4/29, we went to Sunday River. "Expert Terrain Only" - they weren't kidding. This was easily the toughest riding she did all season. Of course she starts off aggravated with how thin the cover is, dodging rocks, dodging dirt and dealing with steep pitches... but she rocked it! She fell a few times, but no injuries and overall did really well considering the tough conditions. On her 2nd run she was actually having fun and it was a great day. That ended her season, but I was pretty proud of her since it was by far the hardest terrain she had ridden on for the season and we enjoyed a nice day in the sun.

Sorry for the long post, but it makes me feel proud to see her progress in her 3rd season, especially since she's not all that athletically inclined and has a fear of heights. Her first season she took a group and private lesson but never really got off the bunny hill. 2nd season was shortened due to a broken wrist on Ramshead at Killington and then this 3rd season was her first full season.

I just keep telling her she needs to push herself, but I try not to get her too far out of her comfort zone. She isn't able to keep up with me, but at least she can ride a good amount of the terrain I can. Also, at mountains she's comfortable at (like Mt. Snow), she's completely fine if I go off and ride on my own and she rides on her own for a while. So that is always nice if I want to go off and ride the North Face while she sticks to Long John and/or other front face groomers. I'm trying to push her to up her speed at times, but she's not quite ready for that yet. In due time I suppose.

Even though she stuck to groomed green trails in Colorado, I'd do that same trip over again. It was so much fun, so beautiful and the mountains and snow are just not comparable to New England, IMO. Listening to people complain about "crowds" at Copper on MLK weekend was hilarious to us. And even though she did the same and mixed in some blues at Big Sky, I'd do that all over again too. Montana and Big Sky are absolutely beautiful. I think we'll go back again next season and hopefully do 2-3 other Western trips also.

Great stories - we all probably have many to tell. Some of what you are saying sounds familiar but 10 years ago. That is around the time my wife started going down black diamond trails - definitely was an interesting year. Started off with Twister at Pats Peak then Middle Trigger and Tiger at Gunstock, then Upper Sel's and Tommy's World Cup at Waterville - common theme all easy black diamond trails to build confidence. But later that season came off a head wall on Tight Line at Saddleback and did that run like 5 times in a row. That was the coolest experience to see her do that.