Frustrated on the East Coast

[Audski]

So here in CT, I joined a ski club 4 years ago. There are many here in New England. The perks are discounts at ski areas throughout the region, and many of the clubs have their own lodges where the stay is affordable and social. I belong to at ski club that is part of the CT Ski Council. Every year the CSC puts out an "Awareness days Calendar" which lists what resorts on New England are offering discounts each day of the season. Once this calendar comes out, we can figure out how many bulk discount lift ticket vouchers we need to buy from our ski clubs, and plan for our ski trips and lodge stays for the season. I knew there was going to be trouble when Vail announced that it bought Okemo, in Ludlow VT. It's known for being a great family mountain that accommodates all levels of skiers, and its the one I bring my kids to the most. We make good use of those awareness days (which are typically around $50 or less) !!! So the calendar typically comes out in early Sept. It didn't. It came out today. And low and behold, there are ZERO Okemo days. That's right. No discounts to ski at Okemo anymore (also Sunappee, and Stowe last year). So.....ugh. The option is $115 ticket window price (not reasonable for a family), or an Epic Pass, also too costly for a single mom who takes her kids skiing in VT 3 weekends a season. I'm really upset about this. EPIC and Ikon passes are great for the West coast, and even better if you go on week-long trips. They seem stellar if you live close to the ski areas involved. But for those of us that have to pay for lodging when we ski, or have families we finance, its getting just too darn expensive! For the past 4 years, being in a ski club was a wonderful way to ski affordably, especially as a single mom. Now....well, another great ski area in VT falls to Vail. So this year I will be taking my kids to Killington & Pico more, and perhaps Mt. Snow (too crowded). And I guess it's time to maybe do smaller mountains in NY. I fear that this push towards passes will edge out new skiers who can't afford it, and make it prohibitive for families. Please tell me I'm over reacting and it will all be ok, and I won't go broke trying to have fun

 

[nopoleskier]

I feel for you!! That is a problem.. If you have specific weekends you can only go regardless of weather check Liftopia for cheap tickets and perhaps some other ski clubs?
One of my ski shops Alpine Haus in amsterdam NY does ski trips so does Alpine Sports in Albany- they get discounts and ski Okemo.

I live in Upstate and teach at Royal Mt in Caroga Lake, we are small but friendly w/kids lessons and not expensive. We have local hotels you can use coupons from the NorthEast Traveller magazine free along the Thruway/welcome to VT/NY stops.

Not sure your kids ages but the Kids Ski free program grade school kids I think is still going on too!
There are Plenty of Mts to ski that won't charge and arm and a leg, so I hope you can make some plans for new adventures at new Mts.

There is also thread on this site about skiing on the cheap. I hope other ladies on here give you some suggestions too.. KEEP SKIING!! It's the best gift you can give kids- Fun out in the snow!!

 

[marzNC]

So this year I will be taking my kids to Killington & Pico more, and perhaps Mt. Snow (too crowded). And I guess it's time to maybe do smaller mountains in NY.

Pico is a great place for family skiing. @SuperSkiMom and her family have been going there from NYC for years.

How far a drive would it be to Berkshire East? The lifts are a little slow but the terrain is nice and good for all levels. That's where @newboots learned to ski.

Belleayre has been working on various improvements, especially for intermediate skiers. With the gondola from the main base, it's much easier to get to the summit.

 

[marzNC]

Haven't been to Magic, but it's certainly come back to life. The vibe at places like Magic, Berkshire East, Pico, or Plattekill is quite different than a resort like Okemo or Stratton.

Drove by Bromley a few years ago. Looked like a fun mountain. Not too big but then it's easier to figure out where to go or to let kids ski on their own with a friend or sibling. Run by the Fairbank Group, which does a fabulous job at Jiminy Peak.

I like Jiminy Peak a lot. Partially because of the high-speed lift to the summit and the number of trails open for night skiing (starts at 3:00pm). But the lodging at the resort may not be that budget friendly. I can stay slope side fairly easily as a timeshare owner. During the winter, it's much easier to get a unit than during the summer. There are motels about 30 min away.

Keep in mind that I had fun with my daughter at Massanutten while she was learning (ages 4-7) and later on when she was a tween in elementary school. Only 75 acres and 4 hour drive from our house. More recently I've skied there during holiday weekends with my friend JF and her kids. We stay on resort in a timeshare unit but there are plenty of motels 20 min away in Harrisonburg. While I obviously enjoy skiing at big mountains, I also appreciate that taking kids to smaller mountains can be worth the effort as well.

 

[Tvan]

Check out the Ski3 Frequent Skier Empire card option for the ORDA mountains in NY: Belleayer, Gore, Whiteface. It’s a good financial deal, and those three locations offer great skiing that is reasonably close to CT. We spent lots of time at Belleayer last year - sweet mountain with old-times vibe.

https://www.belleayre.com/pricing-and-products/frequent-skier-products

 

[Tvan]

Jiminy Peak, Catamount and Ski Butternut are also close-by options.

 

[marzNC]

Check out the Ski3 Frequent Skier Empire card option for the ORDA mountains in NY: Belleayer, Gore, Whiteface. It’s a good financial deal, and those three locations offer great skiing that is reasonably close to CT. We spent lots of time at Belleayer last year - sweet mountain with old-times vibe.

https://www.belleayre.com/pricing-and-products/frequent-skier-products

How long do you allow for the drive to Bellayre from CT?

 

[Tvan]

How long do you allow for the drive to Bellayre from CT?

We live in central western CT and its about 2 hours to Belleayer from our house.

 

[ling]

If you like Okemo, Stratton is very similar.

Don’t know about the discount situation though.

 

[marzNC]

If you like Okemo, Stratton is very similar.

Don’t know about the discount situation though.

Since Stratton was part of Intrawest, which Alterra bought at the start of the buying spree, even less likely to have any discounts on lift tickets besides buying Ikon passes before price increases in the fall.

Magic probably has the least expensive lift tickets in that part of VT.

 

[Abbi]

So here in CT, I joined a ski club 4 years ago. There are many here in New England. The perks are discounts at ski areas throughout the region, and many of the clubs have their own lodges where the stay is affordable and social. I belong to at ski club that is part of the CT Ski Council. Every year the CSC puts out an "Awareness days Calendar" which lists what resorts on New England are offering discounts each day of the season. Once this calendar comes out, we can figure out how many bulk discount lift ticket vouchers we need to buy from our ski clubs, and plan for our ski trips and lodge stays for the season. I knew there was going to be trouble when Vail announced that it bought Okemo, in Ludlow VT. It's known for being a great family mountain that accommodates all levels of skiers, and its the one I bring my kids to the most. We make good use of those awareness days (which are typically around $50 or less) !!! So the calendar typically comes out in early Sept. It didn't. It came out today. And low and behold, there are ZERO Okemo days. That's right. No discounts to ski at Okemo anymore (also Sunappee, and Stowe last year). So.....ugh. The option is $115 ticket window price (not reasonable for a family), or an Epic Pass, also too costly for a single mom who takes her kids skiing in VT 3 weekends a season. I'm really upset about this. EPIC and Ikon passes are great for the West coast, and even better if you go on week-long trips. They seem stellar if you live close to the ski areas involved. But for those of us that have to pay for lodging when we ski, or have families we finance, its getting just too darn expensive! For the past 4 years, being in a ski club was a wonderful way to ski affordably, especially as a single mom. Now....well, another great ski area in VT falls to Vail. So this year I will be taking my kids to Killington & Pico more, and perhaps Mt. Snow (too crowded). And I guess it's time to maybe do smaller mountains in NY. I fear that this push towards passes will edge out new skiers who can't afford it, and make it prohibitive for families. Please tell me I'm over reacting and it will all be ok, and I won't go broke trying to have fun

Your ski club could also organize a day to take a group there. Or a weekend. And then contact Okemo directly and see if you could get a group rate rather than paying window price.

 

[NewEnglandSkier]

If you purchase tickets online in advance, you won't pay the window rate.

 

[nopoleskier]

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[diymom]

There's also the Ski and Ride card. It will get you discounts all season without having to buy tickets way in advance.
https://www.rideandskine.com/

 

[SallyCat]

Check out the Vermont Travel Club card here.

Also, this may be out of left field, but check out a family membership in the Vermont Mountain Bike Association. The member benefits are incredible and include 2-for1 passes at many resorts (albeit weekdays, usually) as well as lodging and food discounts. (And if you're so inclined and don't have another preference, please consider choosing Ascutney Trails/STAB as your home chapter--that would help my mountain continue to build and maintain trails.)

 

[ski diva]

Also, be sure to check out our Skiing on the Cheap thread, where we list discount offers we've discovered.

 

[tinymoose]

Check out the Vermont Travel Club card here.

Also, this may be out of left field, but check out a family membership in the Vermont Mountain Bike Association. The member benefits are incredible and include 2-for1 passes at many resorts (albeit weekdays, usually) as well as lodging and food discounts. (And if you're so inclined and don't have another preference, please consider choosing Ascutney Trails/STAB as your home chapter--that would help my mountain continue to build and maintain trails.)

We did this (The Vermont Travel Club) for quite a few years where we were just planning to ski on the east coast for the winter. Worked out great!

 

[VTsnowflower]

For Okemo - looking at their website I see that buying the pass online in advance for various Saturdays ranges from $88-$96 for one adult day, and of course progressively less per day with additional days. Always try to avoid buying the window price!

 

[Audski]

Thanks for all the suggestions. We do frequent Catamount. Hoping their prices don't go up too much now that Berkshire East owns them. Ive skied berkshire east a few times. Slowest lifts in the east and the worst sinage ever, but it's ok. I've skied Belleayre and intend to do so again. Im about 1 hr 45 min to the catskill area. Neqrly 4 hrs of a drive plus skiing is a but much for the kids (10 & 13), and me too. Ill ski at places in VT that are accessible to my ski club's lodge in Ludlow vt since its affordable to stay there . So this year we might ski Magic forn the first time. We enjoy Pico. We're all about meh about Killington, but might change our tune now. Even with the advanced purchase lift tickets for Okemo, it's a hefty price for a single mom for a weekend of skiing...$500 + and lodging. It's a no go. The places with discounts are considerably more affordable.

Last year with Okemo offering Awareness day" discounts I never paid more than $50 to ski there. I'll miss that.

My daughter has a 5th graders ski free passport for VT. Whew.

 

[newboots]

As a first year skier with foggy goggles on a windy, snowy powder day at Berkshire East, I got lost and ended up on an ungroomed black trail. After a yard sale, I said a silent apology to those who actually intended to ski this trail after me, and snowplowed down.

But back to topic, Killington’s different lodges and areas on the mountain have different vibes. They are almost all a little too beery for my taste, what with the intoxicated bro’s spilling beer, taking off their shirts, and being loud. We like Bear Mountain, less crowded than most of the other lodges, and of course Snowshed, where the lessons are, is more family-oriented. I like Pico, as well.

Of course, being of drinking age (ROFL, or actually, senior pass age!) I do enjoy the Bacon Bloody Mary, which contains enough bacon, stuffed peppers, olives, celery and whatnot to also serve as dinner.