Do you spend time at your home mountain during the summer?

[marzNC]

The great majority of ski resorts, and many ski areas with no lodging, have summer activities these days. Do you spend time at your home mountain June-August? If you have a season pass for snowsports, do you get any off-season perks?

I actually would enjoy a week at Massanutten during the summer. Nice and cool up in the Shenandoah Mountains during the warm months. But would have to book timeshare lodging a year in advance. It's much more popular as a summer vacation destination than during the winter. No connection between my ski lift pass and riding the lifts for mountain biking or to ride up for hiking or just see the view.

 

[MilkyWookiee]

I'm looking to visit okemo this summer, probably for a beer fest or something. But as a jmu alum I'd definitely urge you to hit massenutten in the summer. Downtown Harrisonburg is less than 30 min away too and there are some amazing restaurants to check out while the students aren't around

 

[VickiK]

Yes. Mammoth in summer is even more beautiful than winter. I better get planning!

 

[santacruz skier]

Yes Tahoe in the summer... SUP, kayaking, mountain biking, hiking at ski resorts and in the Desolation Wilderness....
But first up is going to Mexico next Wednesday for 11 days....

 

[marzNC]

Yes. Mammoth in summer is even more beautiful than winter. I better get planning!

What activities do you do that involve paying Mammoth Resort in some way? Are the crowds bigger during the summer? Or comparable to winter weekends?

 

[VickiK]

Usually my BF and I do free stuff - riding the bike trails, hiking, fishing (him). It does get busy at the bike park (same mountain as for skiing) but not as crowded as during winter. You have to pay to use the bike park. There are several festivals and special events in town over the summer to draw the crowds, lots of families camp or base themselves in town for R&R fun time and bike riding. The village plaza area gets packed with activities, concerts, etc.

 

[marzNC]

I'm looking to visit okemo this summer, probably for a beer fest or something. But as a jmu alum I'd definitely urge you to hit massenutten in the summer. Downtown Harrisonburg is less than 30 min away too and there are some amazing restaurants to check out while the students aren't around

We've been to Mnut during the fall. But usually don't stay for an entire week so haven't explored off resort that much. Agree that the restaurants downtown are quite good.

Having lived in Chapel Hill, I know what a university town can be like during the summer when there aren't lots of undergrads all over the place.

 

[ski diva]

Okemo has free concerts every Friday night during the summer, so sometimes we go over there for those. Like many ski areas, they're trying to be a four-seasons resort, which makes sense. The infrastructure is there, and it helps them make money during the off season. They have golf, an adventure course, zip lining, a mountain coaster, and so on. All that helps bring people in.

 

[ilovepugs]

I really like going to Bolton Valley in the summer. It’s usually pretty quiet but you might see groups of runners before it gets warm. Nice clear trails that are fun to hike and fantastic views at top! The only problem is, by the time we get to the parking lot at the top of the access road, the pug has panted with so much excitement that he overheats really easily!

 

[newboots]

We’ve got that covered.

(Apologies for re-using this picture)

 

[SallyCat]

When I lived in PA I had a season ski pass and a season pass to the bike park at Blue Mountain. I would use the DH bike park every weekend it was open.

Aside from enjoying the lodge patio and eating at the pretty-good-really restaurant, I never did any of the other green-season activities. I would definitely go to a concert given the opportunity, but a zip line, mountain coaster, Segway tour, etc., that stuff just seems boring. I don't mean to slam them as activities: I hope people enjoy them and they do keep the resorts lively in the summer, they're just not my bag.

Okemo and Mt. Sunapee both have really nice beginner bike parks, by the way. At both parks, you can have fun and take your time without expert bikers coming up behind you all the time, which can be an intimidating issue at some parks, depending on their layout. Of the two, I think Sunapee has more varied, fun, and interesting trails and a good instructional program.

 

[marzNC]

When I lived in PA I had a season ski pass and a season pass to the bike park at Blue Mountain. I would use the DH bike park every weekend it was open.

Would including summer perks for the bike park be a factor for you in choosing a winter season pass? For instance, a few days to try biking and then a discount for a bike pass.

Have read about including summer gondola rides but not much else as perk for winter season passes. But haven't really been looking.

 

[SallyCat]

Would including summer perks for the bike park be a factor for you in choosing a winter season pass? For instance, a few days to try biking and then a discount for a bike pass.

No. Season ski passes are much more expensive than bike park passes, so while I'm all for summer perks, they would have to be pretty substantial to impact my ski pass decision.

What I do have is a MTBParks pass, which gets you one free day at a bike park, and then 50% off all subsequent tickets for the rest of the season (a few parks differ on the discount offer, but most provide 50% off). Killington charges $60 for a 1-day bike pass, for example, so the MTBParks pass is well worth its cost. It's that pass that determines where I go in the summer.

 

[ilovepugs]

View attachment 9030

We’ve got that covered.

(Apologies for re-using this picture)

Hehe, it’s a classic!

 

[Jilly]

My home mountain being Tremblant is a 4 season resort. So there is lots to do in the summer months.
Concerts, Bluefest, Ironman's, Quebec and Canada Cup Mtn Bike races, Lole Wanderlust and those are just some of the "special events". Add in golf, tennis, beach, watersports, hiking, zip line, luge, linear trail, gondola rides, birds of prey show, learn to waterski and just wandering around the village. I've been up for Bluesfest and volunteer for the World 1/2 Ironman. Summer is busier than the winter months, as people just want to get out of Ottawa and Montreal and head to the hills!

@SallyCat - I have video of our Zip-line....it's all about how you make your fun!! I so want to do it again.