Skiing is getting to be almost as expensive as flying

John221us

John221us

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I didn't buy my usual pass this year (I only ended up with a couple of days last year, with my travel and the lack of snow), so I stepped up to the window and handed them my credit card. $130 for a day :hairraise: not even a student discount for my son who is in college. This was at Northstar.
 
My wife instructs at Northstar. That's how she affords it. Kinda like flight instruction.
 
Thank you. Now I know something good about getting older. The joints just won't tolerate skiing anymore and now I know how much that is saving me. Too bad, we had fun at Northstar about 20 years ago.
 
I was a little shocked when I went to Sugar Bowl last week and saw the tickets up to $99!

After the last few seasons...they gotta make up for it somehow!

Still going though. It is like flying...just better not adding up the costs!
 
If it's not a day trip,you have to add all the other costs. Lodging,meals,cocktails. Rental equipment ,if you don't own. However. ,if I wasn't so old and didn't hate the cold ,I would still be on the slopes.
 
Anything more than a long weekend pays to get an annual pass. Any pass, anywhere. I get the Epic pass each year at Vail resorts. We have them to thank for much of the increase around the western US ski areas.

Combine flying and skiing and it really adds up. I could have bought my wife a nice car with what I've spent on plane trips and skiing.
 
docmirror said:
Anything more than a long weekend pays to get an annual pass. Any pass, anywhere. I get the Epic pass each year at Vail resorts. We have them to thank for much of the increase around the western US ski areas.



Combine flying and skiing and it really adds up. I could have bought my wife a nice car with what I've spent on plane trips and skiing.
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Northstar is also a Vail resort. I went to buy the season pass early December and they had cutoff sales. I have never seen them do that so early. I just hedged on buying it in the summer. Lesson learned.
 
Doesn't sound too bad for a day of fun. I don't ski a lot, and I'm not very good, but I really, really like it.
 
Gerhardt said:
Doesn't sound too bad for a day of fun. I don't ski a lot, and I'm not very good, but I really, really like it.
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I suppose, but it was in the 60's only a few years ago and it is not like we have rampant inflation. The passes are still a good deal though and I should just plan on buying one, since I only live an hour and a half away. The pass is good at Heavenly as well and is paid for in about five trips (well, maybe four now).
 
I'm not touting the Vail passes by any means, but it sure is convenient. I paid $499, and I buy mine at the last day of the season each year. I usually get a hat and a t shirt on the promo and the price is the lowest. After about June they raise the price, and if you wait until Oct the same pass is about $120 more. I get buddy passes, can ski for a day or so at Vail or BC, Northstar, and one of the new resorts they bought in UT. Basically, I can visit any of the Vail properties and get on the slopes for free or pretty low cost.

Since I have a place about an hour from Breck, it's worth it. My pass was paid for on my 4th day skiing which was Dec 23, and I still have 4-5 months to go, as long as A basin gets some good coverage. Again, not a promo for Vail, cause I'm not a fan of them as a company, but if you like to ski a lot, and like big mountains, and lotsa snow, they got the goods.
 
I spent $110 at Bear Valley last week, but that included a lesson and rentals. Been 25 years..

When I was in college, I'd go with the band and 15 minutes of snowplowing down the bunny slope playing Cal songs scored a full day lift ticket for free.
 
Lower cost places with still some great runs

http://skicooper.com/tickets-and-passes/lift-tickets/ $48/day or $83/2day

http://www.skimonarch.com/tickets-and-rentals/lift-tickets $57/day online, or $114/2 day

https://skipajarito.com/lift_tickets.php $49/day

http://www.wolfcreekski.com/wolf-creek-lift-tickets.php $63/day

You'll have a fun day at any of these places unless you are an unlimited black diamond skier. If you are, then go to the big place, and pay the big price. My family has many enjoyable days at Monarch. You can fly into Alexander field and rent a car, or have the ski van pick you up in the am, and drop you at the hotel in the afternoon. No need to go over any big mtns coming from the east, easy approach and departure to the SE. They have a nice little town in Salida with a community hot spring. If you want real hot springs go north on 285 a few miles to Mt Princeton. These are CO/NM ski places, with big hills, and challenging terrain. Come on down, the powder's fine!
 
The wife and I loved Cooper when we were out in Leadville. Much more relaxed than the big places, and lot fewer people too. There was a Cat tour to Chicago Ridge that looked great, but never got the time to go.

IIRC, tix were some cheaper if you bought at a local grocery store rather that at the base lodge.
 
docmirror said:
Lower cost places with still some great runs

http://skicooper.com/tickets-and-passes/lift-tickets/ $48/day or $83/2day

http://www.skimonarch.com/tickets-and-rentals/lift-tickets $57/day online, or $114/2 day

https://skipajarito.com/lift_tickets.php $49/day

http://www.wolfcreekski.com/wolf-creek-lift-tickets.php $63/day

You'll have a fun day at any of these places unless you are an unlimited black diamond skier. If you are, then go to the big place, and pay the big price. My family has many enjoyable days at Monarch. You can fly into Alexander field and rent a car, or have the ski van pick you up in the am, and drop you at the hotel in the afternoon. No need to go over any big mtns coming from the east, easy approach and departure to the SE. They have a nice little town in Salida with a community hot spring. If you want real hot springs go north on 285 a few miles to Mt Princeton. These are CO/NM ski places, with big hills, and challenging terrain. Come on down, the powder's fine!
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Shhhh. Don't tell everyone there are still good cheaper alternatives. We're trying to keep it on the down low.
 
ClimbnSink said:
Skiing is free, if you walk up.:D
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B5O8YtuCQAA3F4t.jpg:large
 
Man, I mis Vail ... not sure the knees can take it any more..


I had the same thought about scuba - that *** aint cheap!! (PADI - Put Another Dollar In.) Decided I liked flying more. MAN - THATS EVEN MORE EXPENSIVE. Ugh..
 
Yeah we're at steamboat right now. My in-laws treated us to a free place to stay. Plane tickets were twice as much due to it being the busiest week. Didn't fly into Hayden so we had to rent a car. Got lift tickets for 5 out of 7 days and the kids ski free. We've spent more so far than we did coming out here last year over MLK weekend when we paid for everything.
 
brian];1652451 said:
Man, I mis Vail ... not sure the knees can take it any more..


I had the same thought about scuba - that *** aint cheap!! (PADI - Put Another Dollar In.) Decided I liked flying more. MAN - THATS EVEN MORE EXPENSIVE. Ugh..
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:confused:Scuba is dirt cheap.:dunno:
 
Henning said:
:confused:Scuba is dirt cheap.:dunno:
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It was dirt cheap when I lived next to the ocean and owned my own gear. Right here and now a day of scuba would be a fairly expensive proposition.
 
John221us said:
I didn't buy my usual pass this year (I only ended up with a couple of days last year, with my travel and the lack of snow), so I stepped up to the window and handed them my credit card. $130 for a day :hairraise: not even a student discount for my son who is in college. This was at Northstar.
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I have a Northstar pass - really good deal at less than the cost of 3 days skiing. I live in Sparks where we got 4".... somehow Northstar only got 1" last night.
 
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MAKG1 said:
I spent $110 at Bear Valley last week, but that included a lesson and rentals. Been 25 years..

When I was in college, I'd go with the band and 15 minutes of snowplowing down the bunny slope playing Cal songs scored a full day lift ticket for free.
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You were in the Cal Band?
 
MAKG1 said:
Yup. Trombone '86. Had a total blast.

Gob Ears.
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Cal! Band! Great!

Forget all that scientific-y stuff you know about. You now have my utmost respect. :)

Sam '91
 
Recent studies from Vail resorts shows boarders down by percentage on the slopes. My son boards, but he's fast, and when he gets off the lift I really appreciate that he moves away from the lift discharge to put his binding on. I don't know why the resorts don't have a big sign off the side of the lift discharge; "VVV Board binding here VVV". Dodging the boarders from the ramp is getting old.
 
48dodge said:
Yeah we're at steamboat right now. My in-laws treated us to a free place to stay. Plane tickets were twice as much due to it being the busiest week. Didn't fly into Hayden so we had to rent a car. Got lift tickets for 5 out of 7 days and the kids ski free. We've spent more so far than we did coming out here last year over MLK weekend when we paid for everything.
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I love Steamboat. There used to be a terrific Russian joint in town that served the best caviar, and vodka shots frozen in blocks of ice.
 
Sac Arrow said:
It was dirt cheap when I lived next to the ocean and owned my own gear. Right here and now a day of scuba would be a fairly expensive proposition.
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Yep. If I dive the local lakes (quite big actually) it is cheap. But the vis sucks. Even diving the gulf isn't chep. And the drive sucks.

Wait, but now I have an airplane... Hmmm...
 
brian];1653008 said:
Yep. If I dive the local lakes (quite big actually) it is cheap. But the vis sucks. Even diving the gulf isn't chep. And the drive sucks.

Wait, but now I have an airplane... Hmmm...
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The Keys are a tank of gas away with some of the best diving in the world, and cheap.
 
brian];1653008 said:
Yep. If I dive the local lakes (quite big actually) it is cheap. But the vis sucks. Even diving the gulf isn't chep. And the drive sucks.



Wait, but now I have an airplane... Hmmm...
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Ok, now it is a diving thread...
Well, I have my own equipment (which doesn't save much). I mostly dive when I am on a tropical vacation, but I don't do strictly dive vacations. Also, I am partial to boat dives, so boat diving at a resort destination generally isn't cheap. I have dove Monterey a few times and Catalina. It is great diving, but that cold water and all the gear...
 
Gerhardt said:
Doesn't sound too bad for a day of fun. I don't ski a lot, and I'm not very good, but I really, really like it.
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I remember when $9 for a lift ticket was considered expensive. Damn, I'm old. :D

Cal band in the 80s? You're a kid! My dad played in that band in the 40s. :D:D
 
Chip Sylverne said:
The wife and I loved Cooper when we were out in Leadville. Much more relaxed than the big places, and lot fewer people too. There was a Cat tour to Chicago Ridge that looked great, but never got the time to go.

IIRC, tix were some cheaper if you bought at a local grocery store rather that at the base lodge.
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I did the Chicago Ridge cat tour quite a few years ago, it was a blast. I've never been helisking (or in my case heliboarding) but this had to come close.
 
brian];1653008 said:
Yep. If I dive the local lakes (quite big actually) it is cheap. But the vis sucks. Even diving the gulf isn't chep. And the drive sucks.

Wait, but now I have an airplane... Hmmm...
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The Other Guy likes to fly out to the coast on the weekends and dive, particularly during abalone season. I always know when he's flown to the coast with his dive gear in the back, because the elevator trim is all the way forward.
 
Sac Arrow said:
The Other Guy likes to fly out to the coast on the weekends and dive, particularly during abalone season. I always know when he's flown to the coast with his dive gear in the back, because the elevator trim is all the way forward.
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How long does it take the abalone smell to clear out ;)
 
bartmc said:
This is correct. I have $3,000 in my backcountry gear. Skin up, bomb it out. The skiing in much better too. No ****ing knuckle dragging snowboarders .
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Hey, paraphrasing Greg, share the mountain or you will get none

At least snowboarders aren't swinging those poles around trying to stab people while doing huge slow S turns!
 
Ok. Im off for a long ski wknd! Wooosh...
 
Johann said:
Hey, paraphrasing Greg, share the mountain or you will get none

At least snowboarders aren't swinging those poles around trying to stab people while doing huge slow S turns!
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Ain't nobody around me to stab. Huge S turns slow you down, why on earth would anyone do that. My skis are modified racing skis setup of powder. (Stockli Scot Schmidts). I've clocked myself at 80MPH+.

The only real danger is some snowboarding gaper doing somethign totally unpredictable. I LOVE :nonod: when the knuckledraggers head to the steeps 1st thing in the morning after a good storm and side slip the whole damn run shaving off all the snow. So they can say "Dude, we hit the Coulair after an epic storm". Even though a toddler could side slip the empire state building without issue.

At least Alta is still holding out and fighting the good fight.

A federal judge on Tuesday dismissed snowboarders’ claims that Alta Ski Resort banned them because of stereotypes that they are "undesirable people with obnoxious habits and characteristics."
Instead, U.S. District Judge Dee Benson said there are rational reasons for Alta to ban snowboarding, one of only three resorts to do so in the United States.
Benson wrote in a 30-page opinion that federal court was not the right arena for the snowboarders to argue they should be allowed on the Utah resort’s famed runs such as Baldy Chutes.
"There are many forums plaintiffs can resort to in an attempt to accomplish their goal of snowboarding down the Baldy Chutes at Alta," Benson wrote in his decision. "Seeking an injunction from this court is not one of them."
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