Any skiers/snowboarders here? WTH happened to lift prices?

Wow. Ticket prices are one reason I haven't downhill skied in years, I can remember paying $12.00 at Gore Mountain, but I had no idea it was THAT bad now. That's more than my monthly hangar rent! Last few times I went it was free, as a chaperone with my daughter's high school ski club about 20 years ago. But I can go XC/backcountry for free right out my back door where apre-ski is the beer I buried in the snowbank on the way out, followed by a home cooked meal. :)
 
In Park City with the fam today. Didn't buy any of the passes ahead of time. So this morning I had the joy of paying for rental lessons, passes at the counter this morning. That was a bit traumatic .

I work 20 minutes from Seven Springs in PA. So for next year I am going to buy an unrestricted Epic pass through them in April. It was 850 last season, who knows what it's next year. But at 250 counter price for Park City I will get my local skiing for free and be able to come out here without worrying about the ticket.
 
weilke said:
In Park City with the fam today. Didn't buy any of the passes ahead of time. So this morning I had the joy of paying for rental lessons, passes at the counter this morning. That was a bit traumatic .

I work 20 minutes from Seven Springs in PA. So for next year I am going to buy an unrestricted Epic pass through them in April. It was 850 last season, who knows what it's next year. But at 250 counter price for Park City I will get my local skiing for free and be able to come out here without worrying about the ticket.
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Good ADM
 
They've been increasing astronomically for 20 years.

Last few times we've gone back to Colorado to ski, we renewed our Copper Pass the year before the trip.
 
Since I hunt in the area I had to check out the prices in Taos,NM. $155.

My thoughts on skiing or snowboarding...if it doesn't have a motor, it's too much work.
 
Prices will probably keep going up. It was CROWDED. In red River and angel fire today.
The lift lines were 40 minutes.

It was beautiful though.
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Epic pass $800
Ikon pass $1000

Get both of them, that equates to a break even point at approx 9 skiing days, there are also slightly cheaper passes if you know what dates and locations you need in advance.

Yes it’s expensive, the hotels are even more expensive if you want a nice one ski in/out location, you’re easily looking at $1600-2000/night. So the annual pass becomes non factor with the hotel rates!

Most resorts have an afternoon pass at reduced rates too or beginner terrain use only passes (such as at Jackson Hole).
 
Makes me glad I haven't gone skiing in nearly 30 years. I'd die of sticker shock now.

I remember back in 1969 paying $9.00 for a lift ticket in Vermont (Cannon Mountain) and being shocked at the price, along with skiing hard and only getting in 5 runs all day. It took an hour to get back to the top of the hill (growing up in eastern Washington I refused to call that a mountain). Today? Ouch!!!
 
It seems to be moving toward the passes. For the resorts in the epic system there are also '5 in 7' type passes that are a little bit cheaper than the counter price . Whether you buy annual or that type of deal, you have to buy ahead of time.
 
Now if I only had an airplane that could reliably get me to/from ski resorts… [wheels turning]
 
Looks like lift tickets have far outpaced inflation. I remember it quite common to pay $20ish for a day pass in the mid 1980s. That ticket today should cost about $55, not $250.
 
mandm said:
Yes it’s expensive, the hotels are even more expensive if you want a nice one ski in/out location, you’re easily looking at $1600-2000/night. So the annual pass becomes non factor with the hotel rates!
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I like the slopeside condo as much as anyone, but that is a luxury and a choice. If skiing is the objective, a Hampton Inn in Salt Lake and early morning runs up the canyon will get you on the slopes at a lower cost. With the passes or tickets, I don't have much of a choice.
 
How to save money on lift tickets...

And if you had too much to drink at the resort bar....

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SixPapaCharlie said:
Prices will probably keep going up. It was CROWDED. In red River and angel fire today.
The lift lines were 40 minutes.

It was beautiful though.
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Wow 40 minute wait to get on a lift?! I'll be in Jackson hole later this week. I really really hope it's not crowed like that, I feel I would leave. I snowboard ALOT in Alaska, complete with going up in a helicopter and picking peaks (which was amazing!!), I've never had to wait that long in lines. Whew
 
Last time I went to Colorado for some snowboarding, American Airlines sent my snowboard/luggage to Miami. It didn't arrive until the trip was almost over.
Yet another reason I hate flying commercial.
 
Ghery said:
I remember back in 1969 paying $9.00 for a lift ticket in Vermont (Cannon Mountain) and being shocked at the price, along with skiing hard and only getting in 5 runs all day. It took an hour to get back to the top of the hill (growing up in eastern Washington I refused to call that a mountain). Today? Ouch!!!
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No wonder you only got 5 runs, it's a long way from Vermont to New Hampshire (where Cannon is) :)
 
simtech said:
Wow 40 minute wait to get on a lift?! I'll be in Jackson hole later this week. I really really hope it's not crowed like that, I feel I would leave. I snowboard ALOT in Alaska, complete with going up in a helicopter and picking peaks (which was amazing!!), I've never had to wait that long in lines. Whew
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Let us know how JH is. It's one of the resorts that's been on my list for a long time but I've never gotten over to it. It's a budget-buster for the crew I usually go with, but I might sneak out there solo at some point this season :rolleyes:
 
Quick math this morning made me realize that snowboarding is cheap. As a season pass holder, with the number of days I’ve been on mountain so far this season, i am at $39 per day if I don’t go another day this season. Based upon past years, I will likely be well under $20 per day at the end of the season. Seems like a cheap hobby that allows me to enjoy the outdoors and get some great exercise.
 
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Tom Wells said:
Let us know how JH is. It's one of the resorts that's been on my list for a long time but I've never gotten over to it. It's a budget-buster for the crew I usually go with, but I might sneak out there solo at some point this season :rolleyes:
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We went to SnowKing. We spent $400 for my wife and I and that was one hour of tubing, lunch, rental set up for skiing and snowboarding, and two lift tickets for a day.
 
Heads up, Mt Bachelor (bend, OR) has two day passes on sale for $150 with additional days being 50% of full price. Can be used anytime this season, must be used consecutive days and start on a weekday. Sale ends Monday night. Just go to their website for details

Alaska Airlines flys into Redmond (30 minutes-ish away) and arguably has some of the best oversized baggage fees for sporting equipment.
 
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I grew up racing up in Vermont. My parents did ski patrol for years. We skied both days every weekend from October through April. We all loved it.

At this point I haven’t skied in years. Even the tiny local mountains are $60 for a half day. It’s ~$120 for the mountains I’d want to ski and that would require a 2-3 hour drive (each way). I just don’t get that much enjoyment from it.

They lost me as a customer and I can’t see new people really paying those prices to learn. The Epic and Ikon are a good deal if you’re willing to commit to 10-15 days a year.
 
skier said:
They lost me as a customer and I can’t see new people really paying those prices to learn. The Epic and Ikon are a good deal if you’re willing to commit to 10-15 days a year.
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Last year, when bought before 9/30/22, the Epic pass was $850. The daily passes at the big resorts are $200-$260. So for better or worse, this year the pay ack on the Epic pass started after 3 days.
 
weilke said:
Last year, when bought before 9/30/22, the Epic pass was $850. The daily passes at the big resorts are $200-$260. So for better or worse, this year the pay ack on the Epic pass started after 3 days.
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It's atrociously bad for the daily rate. Steamboat (my favorite in Colorado) almost made me hurl at $276. Yet it also explains why people are complaining about lines? Zero incremental cost to hit the slopes, might as well go! Only a matter of time until the EPIC costs 3k... Pricing strategy will have something to do with: marginal cost = marginal benefit.

Speaking of which... This past week I made a pitch to my annual ski/snowboard group and... Literally every person shot it down on cost. But they're also morally opposed to buying the pass in advance since they aren't positive they can go that early. So this week I pretty much learned I need a new set of friends :D
 
Tom Wells said:
It's atrociously bad for the daily rate. Steamboat (my favorite in Colorado) almost made me hurl at $276. Yet it also explains why people are complaining about lines? Zero incremental cost to hit the slopes, might as well go! Only a matter of time until the EPIC costs 3k... Pricing strategy will have something to do with: marginal cost = marginal benefit.

Speaking of which... This past week I made a pitch to my annual ski/snowboard group and... Literally every person shot it down on cost. But they're also morally opposed to buying the pass in advance since they aren't positive they can go that early. So this week I pretty much learned I need a new set of friends :D
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I’m in!
 
Hey, what is going on here? Is it still actual?
 
I live in Bend, OR (Mt. Bachelor) and ski at Hoodoo mostly. Bachelor as become too crowded and expensive. I can hit Hoodoo after work for some fairly inexpensive night skiing.
 
SixPapaCharlie said:
We're in NM now and it's roughly 600 per day for the 4 of us to ski.
And we're paying 250 per night for a 1 room little that is so small the 2 queen beds take up the entire floor space.
It's insanity.
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That's not too bad ... Telluride a couple of weeks ago $800 per night room and $219 per day lift tickets. We've been for over 25 years some place and they used to charge us the original rate $300 no matter what ... they sold during Covid to a new company and were even HIGHER than the $800 at the other hotels. No half day lifts in Telluride anymore.

Ruidoso NM has lift tickets for $90 weekday or $99 weekends
 
Alyeska near Anchorage is $109/day for weekends and I think the hotel is around $300/night.
 
Skiing is one of the hobbies I point to as how other people spend money when they ask me about how much it costs to be fly.
 
I've skied much of the west. No doubt the premier resorts have increased prices pretty dramatically. A lot of visitors want (and are willing to pay for) the whole experience and services that a Vail, Big Sky, Park City, etc. offers. Last year I discovered Bridger Bowl in Bozeman. Was there for only a couple days and it had a great variety of terrain, was 2x as close to town as Big Sky. It's a no-frills lodge but if you are just going for a couple days of skiing it's great. We didn't bring gear and I think it was $100 a day with rentals.
 
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