Pass math how did everyone do?

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The pass stats and cost/run is one thing, but the reality of skiing expenses is the total cost. That means lodging, meals and travel related expenses. For me, on the Ikon pass, day tripping is limited only to Loon. Everything else (Sunday River, Stratton, Sugarloaf, Sugarbush - no western/europe trip this year) involves lodging, food, gas. I didn't tally up all of this yet - season is not over yet, but all of those expenses get to be much, much bigger than cost/ski session. So, focusing on just the cost of the pass is kind of irrelevant as part of a bigger picture.

Then, if I factor the quality of the time spent skiing, as brought up by crippity, I kind of have to scratch my head. I had very few days of real quality time. Skiing on icy hardpack just really sucks.

Although, I'll re-up for the Ikon soon, I am dropping the Epic day pass (had 4 days to ski Sunapee, Wildcat) and if next year is the repetion of this season, I will probably drop the Ikon as well and limit my skiing to just a week-long trip to the Rockies or Europe and look for deals that include the ski pass/lodging for just that limited number of days.

Turn the math around. Just calculate the cost of lift ticket for the western trip. If it makes sense to buy a pass, buy one. The local use is pure bonus.

That’s how I ended up buying the Rockie Mountain Super pass 10 years back. That pass morphed into Ikon and I got some small bonus of skiing the Ikon mountains here in the east.

In my case, I usually do 2 trips out west. So the math always works out. But on years I ski Europe, I don’t buy a pass because I know I won’t use it enough. Instead, I hunt for deals and only ski when condition is good enough to worth the travel (and lodging expense)

That said, the poor snow record of this year is (I believe) just an anomaly. If you can break even on your western trip(s). You should be able to use it enough in the east to come out ahead, even on poor snow years (ok, except this one)