New England Multi-mountain Season Passes

[xwhaler]

The Cannon pass for $599 is the only one I'd consider being a NH resident and liking to hunt for deals/enjoy variety of different mtns.
Sell the 2 tix to your friends for $50/each and you have a long season at NH's best hill for $499.
If I lived in the Concord area and could shoot up there in an hour I'd prob jump on it.

Among multi mtn passes how about the Ragged/Dartmouth Skiway unlimited + S6/Middlebury/Corcorans pass for $529? If you desire variety that may be a decent option.

 

[dlague]

Am I reading this right? The Peak pass is cheaper through Sunapee than Okemo with the same exact skiing allowed?

Buying from Okemo gets you three free passes per pass to Killington plus a few free guest passes and a few 50% off guest passes.



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[MEtoVTSkier]

Given your cost per day successes by following the deals, I would stick to that. Seems you have it dialed.

Exactly what I thought, it's working for you, why be stuck to less areas and have to spend more days there to hit the same price point?

 

[dlague]

Help us out here....

1. Where do you live now?
2. How far are you willing to drive?
3. What do you like to ski for terrain?
4. How often do you plan on going?
5. Will all three of you be skiing/riding at the same time?
6. What age is your son?

1. Concord, NH
2. Look at my signature - we drive all over the place 2.5 ours away is a day trip from Concord! There are something like 48 ski areas that are with in that range or close.
3. We are a hybrid bunch - we like cruising on groomers 40%, like glades 30%, bumps 20% and park 10%
4. We always shoot for 40 and 50 is feasible
5. Generally yes with the exception of a few times
6. 11 and he can board anything on the mountain

7. Do you have a house in the mountains?

No, but that is something we are looking into

8. Does it have a guest room?

If we were to get one we probably would!

9. Where do you keep the key?

Under the door mat!

10- Do you keep PBR in the fridge ?

That would be one of many! I would make sure it has a PBR refrigerator magnet! Also would have Harpoon IPA Tuckerman.s Pale ale and Headwall, Switchback, Jay Peak Tram Ale (Long Trail) and maybe a stout or two.

11 . Do you regret starting this thread, given the strange turns that posters have been posting due to "PSSW"
Post Season Ski Withdrawl.

This is the spirit if this forum one big brotherhood!

12. Would it be cool with you if I just leave my skis there?


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Sure! Could even stay in the guest room!

Given your cost per day successes by following the deals, I would stick to that. Seems you have it dialed.

That is a consideration that we are looking at since the $'s are spread out and considering the variety we experience.

Or work at a local ski area part time, do the hours that no one wants, get paid for it, still work your full time day job, and ski free when you don't work. The cost-revenue per ski day is quite low, except nobody likes working at 3am. :wink:

Na! Maybe when I retire and have a condo in the mountains and a condo around the Cape Cod National Seashore! Plus I would fall asleep at work! Well maybe that isn't so bad.

The Cannon pass for $599 is the only one I'd consider being a NH resident and liking to hunt for deals/enjoy variety of different mtns.
Sell the 2 tix to your friends for $50/each and you have a long season at NH's best hill for $499.
If I lived in the Concord area and could shoot up there in an hour I'd prob jump on it.

Among multi mtn passes how about the Ragged/Dartmouth Skiway unlimited + S6/Middlebury/Corcorans pass for $529? If you desire variety that may be a decent option.

So Cannon NH Resident pass - did not see that that would be $1572 and requires 26 days of skiing. That is a thought! The other pass you mention would be OK but a little boring - good idea though!

Full disclosure - Jay Peak is our favorite mountain and was my home mountain when I was in high school and early twenties. I also made snow there for one season while I figured out what to do with my life. Skiing Jay Peak is like coming home!

Estimated times:
Jay Peak - 2 h 20m
Burke - 1 h 40m
BW - 1 h 30 m
Cannon 1 h 10 m
Cranmore 1 h 40 m
Waterville 50 m
Loon 45 m
Sunday River 2 h 30 m
Sugarloaf 4 h 30 m
Killington/Pico 1 h 40 m
Okemo 1 h 30m
Sunapee 45 m
Mount Snow 1 h 40 m
Crotched 45 m
Attitash 1 h 50 m
Wildcat 2 h

Other notables:

Sugarbush 2 h 15 m
Ragged 45 m
Gunstock 30 m
Saddleback 4 h 30 m
Magic 1 h 50 m
Stowe 2 h 20 m
Smuggs 2 h 50 m
Bolton Valley 2 h 10 m

 

[VTKilarney]

I think one critical factor that influences cost is lodging. If you had a pass for anywhere Cannon and south you could enjoy a day trip. Sunapee would be an easy day trip, and you could get up Sunapee when you have just a half day available for skiing - which gives more value to a season pass. A Burke/Jay pass would require lodging expenses to make it worthwhile. Jay onsite lodging is no bargain, but there are options nearby. Burke has limited options, but they do exist if you know where to look.

If you like Jay, I think I would go with the Super Pass. Cannon has some similarities to Jay, and for as much as people knock Bretton Woods, they have lots glades. You can also go skiing in North Conway for some variety.

If you skied 29 mountains this year, I think that you may get somewhat bored with the Peak Pass.

As far as the Nor'Easter pass is concerned, Crotched Mountain is super close to you, but Wildcat needs to get things straightened out, and Attitash doesn't get much love around here. Mt. Snow is not that easy to get to from Concord (very little interstate travel).

Keep in mind that you can get the Granite Pass for $1,657. I think it's worth saving $1,190 to give up Mt. Snow. But... North Conway can be a pain in the neck for day-tripping.

For $2,721 you could buy passes at Crotched plus Cannon. Or for $2,814 you could buy Crotched passes and Judge passes.

If it were me, I think that I would lean toward the Super Pass. The price is right, and you get a lot of options with that pass.

My second choice would be the Granite Pass. With Crotched, there are a lot of days that you can ski just because you have a mountain so close. The beauty of a season pass is that you can go ski for just an hour or two. And don't forget, Crotched has night skiing. That's a big plus.

My third choice would be a Crotched and Cannon combo.

 

[thetrailboss]

dlague--that's right you're originally from the NEK. Concord is a good base. Lots of options up 93 or 89. The Super Pass sounds like a good option.

 

[dlague]

I think one critical factor that influences cost is lodging. If you had a pass for anywhere Cannon and south you could enjoy a day trip. Sunapee would be an easy day trip, and you could get up Sunapee when you have just a half day available for skiing - which gives more value to a season pass. A Burke/Jay pass would require lodging expenses to make it worthwhile. Jay onsite lodging is no bargain, but there are options nearby. Burke has limited options, but they do exist if you know where to look.

If you like Jay, I think I would go with the Super Pass. Cannon has some similarities to Jay, and for as much as people knock Bretton Woods, they have lots glades. You can also go skiing in North Conway for some variety.

If you skied 29 mountains this year, I think that you may get somewhat bored with the Peak Pass.

As far as the Nor'Easter pass is concerned, Crotched Mountain is super close to you, but Wildcat needs to get things straightened out, and Attitash doesn't get much love around here. Mt. Snow is not that easy to get to from Concord (very little interstate travel).

Keep in mind that you can get the Granite Pass for $1,657. I think it's worth saving $1,190 to give up Mt. Snow. But... North Conway can be a pain in the neck for day-tripping.

For $2,721 you could buy passes at Crotched plus Cannon. Or for $2,814 you could buy Crotched passes and Judge passes.

If it were me, I think that I would lean toward the Super Pass. The price is right, and you get a lot of options with that pass.

My second choice would be the Granite Pass. With Crotched, there are a lot of days that you can ski just because you have a mountain so close. The beauty of a season pass is that you can go ski for just an hour or two. And don't forget, Crotched has night skiing. That's a big plus.

My third choice would be a Crotched and Cannon combo.

All good points - I am beginning to lean towards Cannon combined with my ability to use/find deals!

 

[thetrailboss]

Cannon has a good long season too. Easy drive for you and a place that you would frequent I would think because it is easy to get to and big enough to keep you entertained.

 

[St. Bear]

Honestly, I'd pair a seasons pass to a cheaper local resort, like Ragged, with Killington's Spring Pass. Total price would be somewhere around $550 for an adult, and it's cheap enough to justify a few day trips to random resorts if you wanted to storm chase.

 

[VTKilarney]

dlague--that's right you're originally from the NEK. Concord is a good base. Lots of options up 93 or 89. The Super Pass sounds like a good option.

I agree that Concord is a pretty ideal New England ski base. You don't have to worry about traffic, it's at the intersection of I-93 and I-89, and there are lots of ski areas very close by. Even Sunday River is less than three hours away. Whiteface and Gore are about the only major mountains out of play. Sugarloaf is a hike, but that's true for everybody south or west of Portland, Maine.

One small problem with Concord is getting to the southern Vermont ski areas - although it has more to do with the type of road rather than the time traveled. Those resorts are still very doable.

White River Junction is another good base. It's somewhat the opposite of Concord. Easier to get to southern Vermont ski areas, but trickier to get to Northern NH areas - but they are all within a reasonable drive.

 

[xwhaler]

dlague---Having a pass to someplace local would help you also reach your goal of 50 days when u could make turns after work, take 1/2 days and/or night skiing, and go for a few runs when the rest of your family is sick or its marginal weather/conditions.

Did I hear you mention once you are ex-military? May want to look at those discounts as well. Whaleback has a military pass for a cool $99!

 

[VTKilarney]

Honestly, I'd pair a seasons pass to a cheaper local resort, like Ragged, with Killington's Spring Pass. Total price would be somewhere around $550 for an adult, and it's cheap enough to justify a few day trips to random resorts if you wanted to storm chase.

Just be honest with yourself. Are you really going to want to spend money at another hill if you know that you can go to Cannon for free that day? Some people are okay with this, others aren't. Make sure you know the answer before committing to a pass.

 

[VTKilarney]

After May 4th, Gunstock will be selling midweek and night-only passes. If the price is right, it may make sense to combine one of those with a Cannon Pass.

Bretton Woods sells a twilight pass (2-8 PM) for $149, but the terrain available at night is not worth the trip. They also offer night skiing on far fewer nights than Gunstock.

 

[St. Bear]

Just be honest with yourself. Are you really going to want to spend money at another hill if you know that you can go to Cannon for free that day? Some people are okay with this, others aren't. Make sure you know the answer before committing to a pass.

Not apples to apples. A local cheaper mountain would leave more money in your pocket to chase a few storms during the year. Cannon only at $599 would have me skiing only Cannon.

This is all hypothetical for me anyway.

 

[thetrailboss]

After May 4th, Gunstock will be selling midweek and night-only passes. If the price is right, it may make sense to combine one of those with a Cannon Pass.

Bretton Woods sells a twilight pass (2-8 PM) for $149, but the terrain available at night is not worth the trip. They also offer night skiing on far fewer nights than Gunstock.

BW's night skiing is minimal at best unless they have expanded it. It was basically one run off the Bethlehem HSQ and the beginner area. Not worth the drive. Gunstock, on the other hand, has more night skiing but not off the top unless that changed. I would think that Pats Peak might have more.

 

[VTKilarney]

Pat's peak claims 100% night skiing on the main mountain. I'm not sure why they haven't released pass prices yet.

 

[thetrailboss]

Pat's peak claims 100% night skiing on the main mountain. I'm not sure why they haven't released pass prices yet.

I think they already did their early sales.

 

[dlague]

I agree that Concord is a pretty ideal New England ski base. You don't have to worry about traffic, it's at the intersection of I-93 and I-89, and there are lots of ski areas very close by. Even Sunday River is less than three hours away. Whiteface and Gore are about the only major mountains out of play. Sugarloaf is a hike, but that's true for everybody south or west of Portland, Maine.

One small problem with Concord is getting to the southern Vermont ski areas - although it has more to do with the type of road rather than the time traveled. Those resorts are still very doable.

White River Junction is another good base. It's somewhat the opposite of Concord. Easier to get to southern Vermont ski areas, but trickier to get to Northern NH areas - but they are all within a reasonable drive.

I think Concord is a very goog base to start from.

W have been to Mount Snow and it took 1 h 40m which is not bad, Okemo, Killington and Pico are easy. Magic was like 2 hours but that too is acceptable so Southern Vermont from Concord is no problem. If I am on a side road for 2 hours versus a highway no biggie - it is more about the time than anything. While Whiteface and Gore are mountains that I want to visit eventually, they are not a priority. Happy about what i can get to already within 2.5 hours.

dlague---Having a pass to someplace local would help you also reach your goal of 50 days when u could make turns after work, take 1/2 days and/or night skiing, and go for a few runs when the rest of your family is sick or its marginal weather/conditions.

Did I hear you mention once you are ex-military? May want to look at those discounts as well. Whaleback has a military pass for a cool $99!

Yes I am a veteran and I often consider such options but none have ever been appealing enough since I have to consider passes or lift tickets for others. While I want to ski Whaleback again it would only be for a couple trips. Been there before, much like skiing Pats Peak a couple hours into it and it is toast!

BW's night skiing is minimal at best unless they have expanded it. It was basically one run off the Bethlehem HSQ and the beginner area. Not worth the drive. Gunstock, on the other hand, has more night skiing but not off the top unless that changed. I would think that Pats Peak might have more.

BW night skiing definitely not worth it! We ski Gunstock on Tuesdays for $16 each (technically a 2 fer night) I prefer skiing Gunstocks night skiing acreage before Pats Peak. Gunstocks setup provides longer runs and minimal run outs. Granted Pats Peak has the better bump run with Hurricane. But there are several runs with bumps at Gunstock at night when they are not groomed out. Only beef, it is a hike from the lodge to the darn chair lift. We have considered a night skiing pass there.

Pat's peak claims 100% night skiing on the main mountain. I'm not sure why they haven't released pass prices yet.

That claim is true!

The runs are very short! Coming off Cyclone, Tornado and Hurricane (three best trails on skiers right of center) there is a very flat, painful runout, there are some glade options over there too.

Vortex, FIS and Twister (more center of mountain) the other three trails worth skiing at least go to a double chair that feels like the fastest chair with no run out.

Sled Pub does have a beer worthy atmosphere! I am good with Pats a couple times per year. Gets very busy with kids programs!

 

[thetrailboss]

Pats Peak is what it is. Cheap and some downsides namely the runout and short runs. I think that you'd get sick of it. They also don't regroom before night skiing and on weekends night skiing there can get downright icy.

 

[dlague]

Pat's peak claims 100% night skiing on the main mountain. I'm not sure why they haven't released pass prices yet.

Would it be wrong to act like a beginner for 3 days and convert their 3 day starter package ($85) to a season pass? That would be $255 - not bad! I could take snowboard lessons! That's it!

Just kidding!