Mom of 3 skiers - help me cut costs!

[mikestaple]

Hi

I have 3 - 10, 8, and 5. All are upper intermediate and are growing in skills each year. The 5 year old (4 at the time) was a disaster until a week at Steamboat with instructors moved him to going down blue/blacks with bumps and he was loving the trees. (Point of reference for you....Surprise, Buddy's Run, Vagabond, and Rainbow besides Wally's World)

We have skied Loon, but found the crowds and pinch points on the lifts (everything on skiers left seems to funnel to that one chair) to be a turn off.

While lugging the gear is a disaster, our new strategy is to take a trip or two out west and then pick some southern NH mountains for day trips with lessons interspersed (Ragged, Gunstock, etc).
And we always make a weekend at Sugarloaf. It costs less than a seasonal rental and snow issues etc are relatively non-existent out West (bad snow year this year in CO =s fantastic conditions to east coast skier).

It's really a lifestyle choice. If you want the ski program and the convenience, Loon is closest but busiest. I know folks in Boston who have done the Sugarbush seasonal rental and swear by it. Burke appears further on a map, but it is a straight haul up 91 and makes it almost closer (with Jay relatively near by too). So, that might be a consideration too.

 

[Angus]

MRG/Sugarbush/Bolton/Stowe are long drives for kids week in/week out. Per Bill's note - Mt. Snow is 2.25 (was that 25 minutes or 15 minutes?) from Lexington. N. Conway is tough commute too. My son and I skied at Mt.Snow once two years ago and enjoyed it. How about the Cannon programs? Worth investigating ski clubs that own a house - don't know of any.

 

[WWF-VT]

If the goal is to have a family of five ski cost effectively, then Sugarbush, MRG and other mountains that include a kids pass with the purchase of an adult pass are worth the extra time in the car. Mount Snow is several thousand dollars more for 2 adults and three kids for season passes.

 

[snoseek]

If the goal is to have a family of five ski cost effectively, then Sugarbush, MRG and other mountains that include a kids pass with the purchase of an adult pass are worth the extra time in the car. Mount Snow is several thousand dollars more for 2 adults and three kids for season passes.

That's actually a great deal-I had no idea. Also again not to shit on loon, mt snow because i can have a blast at either but these guys are coming from freaking t-ride. Northern VT has the terrain/snow that will make them happy i think. Northern vermont gets almost as much except the occasional midwinter rain. Stowe/Jay might average more than several areas in Colorado.

 

[deadheadskier]

though the clientele will be slightly more metro NY-centric.

what does this matter / why is it worth mentioning?

 

[billski]

what does this matter / why is it worth mentioning?

I find a different tenor to clientele. A bit too aggressive for my likes.

 

[Groundskeeper Willie]

clearly

Suggahbush would be a contendah....more creature comforts for the wee ones than The Glen...just my past experiences..

 

[deadheadskier]

I find a different tenor to clientele. A bit too aggressive for my likes.

I think resort amenities / marketing are the primary factors in clientele. Killington is a party place, has a young aggressive clientele whether they're from NY, MA, CT etc doesn't matter.

I grew up skiing Okemo. Lots of metro - NY skiers there. Busy, but it's a family oriented mountain, so the crowd is pretty mellow.

I don't think it's fair to say that metro NY people are any more aggressive than metro Boston.

 

[nekgirl]

you should check out Burke Mtn. a little bit further of a drive but not too bad, it is right off I-91. and the terrain will be much better for your husband and kids. it is a great family mountian, great season long programs, even a race program if you kids are interested taught by instructors at Burke Mountain Academy (#1 ski school in america) and there is a possibility that you could become an instructor, or ski patrol. season long condo rentals are available as well as a number of ski houses and chalets to rent for the season. There are a lot of families from the boston area at Burke that are doing exactly what you want to do. their website is www.skiburke.com

 

[riverc0il]

Burke is a great mountain for families but I don't think they can compete with the season pass offerings of MRG and ME. Burke was one of my first thoughts but I don't recall Burke having a family pass or kids ski free program. Something to look into...

 

[kartski]

[*]Does it make financial sense for me to become an instructor at the resort we commit to? I would be available weekends and holidays but I think it would only offer a season pass and a little bit of cash to me and not offer discounts to the rest of my family. How much might I get paid?

[*]I am a nurse. Does becoming a ski patrol person make more financial sense?



Thanks Julie

Instructors usually get ski privileges for themselves, but only get paid the time they are teaching.

My wife's a nurse, I feel your pain. Do you get weekend off? Most Mountains have a core of professional Patrolers for during the week, they don't get paid much. On weekends the supplement with American Red Cross Volunteer Ski Patrolers. They both have to take the same course. Call up the Patrol Directors of different mountains and ask what their deal is for their volunteers. It varies. I don't know the current deal is at Hunter, if you kept your attendance up, it used to be:

Pass for spouse and dependents til they were 18.

Breakfast and lunch on days you patrolled.

50% Off ski school kids programs

Letters of Introduction to other resorts - usually gets you a Comp..

Life Time pass for you after 12 yrs


This is Different Mountain to Mountain see what they do offer. It's a big commitment of time. I know Patrolers at other Mountains that just cover the families while they work.
They might let you Challenge the First Aid portion, you will have to do sled and mountain awareness training.

 

[catskills]

Does ski patrol make sense from a financial point of view?

I have been a volunteer ski patroller for 12 years now. I would usually tell people that you ski patrol because you like helping people and you like the camaraderie with fellow patrollers. You don't ski patrol to save money. Friendships formed patrolling are like no other.

In the case of a family like yours it can make sense to ski patrol for financial reasons. You can also save money on equipment and clothing through Pro Form deals.

If your interested in ski patrolling there is an NSP Outdoor Emergency Care class that starts in September at Crotched Mountain. Contact celestelunetta@comcast.net . Note- limited number of students.

To get involved ski patrolling I would contact the ski patrol director at the ski areas you may be interested in patrolling. I would also suggest contacting the NSP region directors for the area you are interested in patrolling. (e.g. NH, Southern VT). BTW there is a little tiny hill just outside of Boston called Nashoba Valley. The young ones will still enjoy this tiny hill midweek night skiing. Check it out. Remember the Mahre Brothers had a little tow rope in back of there house where they learned to ski fast enough to get Olympic medals.

For more information on ski patrolling see these links.

http://www.nsp.org/about/joiningnsp.aspx
http://www.nspeast.org/join.htm

http://www.nspeast.org/html/regions.htm
http://www.nhnsp.org/
http://www.nhnsp.org/NH_Ski_area02.htm
http://www.nspsvt.org/patrol.htm
http://www.emari.org/who/memberpatrol.shtml

Good luck

 

[MommaBear]

If the goal is to have a family of five ski cost effectively, then Sugarbush, MRG and other mountains that include a kids pass with the purchase of an adult pass are worth the extra time in the car. Mount Snow is several thousand dollars more for 2 adults and three kids for season passes.

I wholeheartedly agree. We are a family of 5 with passes at Mount Snow and its painful. We discovered Sugarbush and the free kid pass deal a year after we purchased a condo near Mount Snow. Had I known sooner, we would have done things very differently.

The other family issue I have with Mount Snow, at least for this family, is the kids' obsession with Carinthia (terrain parks). It rivals the husband's obsession with bumps. The result - 3 kids ski Carinthia, husband's over on North Face and I end up skiing the middle of the mountain, solo. We gather for lunch, but don't typically ski together anymore.

 

[maineskier69]

Finding this site was a great start in your search for ski area to call home.
Definately check out some different areas that are in your teraveling range and get a feel for whats the best fit for you.
There have been some real good suggestions thrown at you here. Check out as many different areas as you can before declaring your "home mountian".
Welcome aboard!

 

[loafasaur]

A fringe benefit of your Loon idea is that the passes will work at Sunday River and Sugarloaf. SR is probably 90 min from Loon, so it could work occasionally using digs at Loon as your base. Good variety at SR and excellent snowmaking, especially early season. Sugarloaf would have to be a separate trip, but you will like the Loaf for challenge and "western feel" for the east--big mountain. Also your kids would positively salivate in their Bubblecuffers program. An instructor gets a group of about 6 kids for the season and they ski ALL the mountain. You should see the little dollinks hammer the bumps! You'll probably opt for something closer to BOS, but keep Sugarloaf in mind for March and April.