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OKEMO passes
- Thread starter Kiragirl
- Start date
Native Vail Gal
Banned
WOW! That seems like a LOT of money for a season pass!
How much do season passes usually run? I'm only aware of the ones in Colorado.
How much do season passes usually run? I'm only aware of the ones in Colorado.
MaineSkiLady
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Yeah. They're steep out here. First 2 years here in NE, my pass, unrestricted (the only kind available at the time) was $1k - that was '01. Discounts and recombinations have since become available.
For Sugarloaf/SundayRiver/Loon for 08-09, unrestricted is 899, 50 discount for current passholders, but have to buy by 4/30, and no indication of what the price might be afterward. Two other levels of passes have date restrictions - the bronze is weekdays only w/some holiday restrictions but is a deal at 349 (I'm tempted).
No option for us to get a better deal, say, if we don't utilize resorts other than our "home" mountain. Maybe someday...In the meantime, it's serious bucks - one of the main reasons, for me, it's either ski all winter an hour away, or save it to travel elsewhere for a week. Both not an option on my budget...:(
playoutside
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
You guys in the west have it great when it comes to passes. In the east where the conditions are so much more uncertain we pay a bit more! We used to have a cheap pass when American Ski Company still existed...$365 for a pass with blackout days good at 6 mountains in 2006-7...last year ASC imploded and all the buyers of those mountains changed back to typical pricing, my 2007-8 pass good at 3 mountains with blackout days was $580! If I want that one again it'll cost me even more. Sadly, it looks like no pass for me in 2008-9. I'll just do day trips where I can grab discounts.
If flying hadn't become such a pain in the rear I'd grab one of those new Vail combo passes!
If flying hadn't become such a pain in the rear I'd grab one of those new Vail combo passes!
MaineSkiLady
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I don't think Northeast pass prices have as much to do with uncertain conditions as just what the paying public will bear. Max snowmaking is built into the budget of major resorts every year. What they get from the sky is a mere bonus (and hopefully will increase the vacation and day traffic). But all of them are pretty much prepared every fall to put the resort as open as possible by holidays (100% is rare if only by snowmaking) - and totally by virtue of snowmaking.
Even CO got on that bandwagon in the late 70's, when a major snow drought hit - and those with snowmaking (I believe Keystone was among the first) stayed open. Granted, it only covers a small portion of their terrain, but it can make the difference in a bad snow year between being open or closed.
What happened with ASC is that so much of the profit from busier places like Killington and Sunday River (which have always been in the black) got funneled into The Canyons in Utah. The cheap passes were a quick cash infusion to pay their debt load and interest (interest only, I believe). It was corporate chaos at its best.
The neglect and wear and tear at Maine's 2 (former ASC) resorts is huge. And Sugarloaf has yet to see much of anything under new ownership/management. But....we'll be patient, I guess. At least the snow is good this year??
Even CO got on that bandwagon in the late 70's, when a major snow drought hit - and those with snowmaking (I believe Keystone was among the first) stayed open. Granted, it only covers a small portion of their terrain, but it can make the difference in a bad snow year between being open or closed.
What happened with ASC is that so much of the profit from busier places like Killington and Sunday River (which have always been in the black) got funneled into The Canyons in Utah. The cheap passes were a quick cash infusion to pay their debt load and interest (interest only, I believe). It was corporate chaos at its best.
The neglect and wear and tear at Maine's 2 (former ASC) resorts is huge. And Sugarloaf has yet to see much of anything under new ownership/management. But....we'll be patient, I guess. At least the snow is good this year??
playoutside
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Didn't mean pass pricing was a function of our uncertain weather, more really the insanity of it. We'll pay more in the east and we may get crap for weather. Such a bargain!! 
That said, I've had a pass most of the last 10 years, but I think I'll pass on a pass for next year! As the prices have crept back up, it requires commiting to just a mountain or two so that the investment isn't wasted. I enjoy the variety too much for that at this point. Guess I'll just need to work the discounts even more next season.
That said, I've had a pass most of the last 10 years, but I think I'll pass on a pass for next year! As the prices have crept back up, it requires commiting to just a mountain or two so that the investment isn't wasted. I enjoy the variety too much for that at this point. Guess I'll just need to work the discounts even more next season.
The amount we spend on passes makes me nearly physically ill. However, there is some consolation in the knowledge that our Okemo passes (ultra) are good at Sunapee, Stratton, and Crested Butte. You better believe that our trip out west will certainly focus on Crested Butte!
MaineSkiLady
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Yeah, I think I'll get a big wow $50 discount if I buy soon. So it goes. 1100 for us both. Maybe time for DH to go back to being an instructor...(horrors, the hours are unbelievable) Just started snowing here at 2:30, so Loaf is getting snow. Good choice, but be advised: the Nationals are this weekend, so traveling from east to west and vice versa on the mountain won't be possible, except, perhaps from the absolute summit. But since a lot of people will be watching the races, you should get some good skiing in. I recommend the east side, King Pine. I have to pass on this weekend, regrettably. Enjoy the downhill on Saturday! It's a hoot to watch. Bode will NOT be there, nor Ted Ligety (finger surgery). Bode's on a beach somewhere
Big difference between his mind-set and Seth Wescott's re how they regard Sugarloaf. Oh well.
Native Vail Gal
Banned
Winter Park/Copper/Steamboat have will not post price until April. I bet they will try to one-up the Vail Resorts Epic Pass!!! Makes me even MORE excited! 
Here's how I've coped with lift tickets this season and it worked out well.
I bought a mid-week super pass for Okemo, Stratton, and Mt. Sunapee. Was $279 last year and is $299 this year. I try to ski one day each week at Okemo or Stratton.
I bought a full pass for my local mountain, Berkshire East, and I ski that mountain on weekends and holidays (it's never very crowded and has some decent runs, about 1,100' vertical with 45 trails). That pass was $379 last year and is $389 this year.
This was my first season with passes and I LOVED not having to buy a lift ticket. My kids had passes too (to Berkshire East) and I never had to think about whether or not I could afford anything more than the gas, which isn't too bad since it's a 40 minute drive away.
I skied Stowe with ESA and so the extra ticket was only $32. I skied Big Sky with discounted tickets from DH's conference and a free ticket we earned with our Boyne Rewards card, so the cost came to about $50/day for 4 days, and at Smuggler's, our tickets are free on odd years when we use our time share and this weekend, they're part of a discounted package which includes lodging.
That said, this is definately not an inexpensive sport.
I bought a mid-week super pass for Okemo, Stratton, and Mt. Sunapee. Was $279 last year and is $299 this year. I try to ski one day each week at Okemo or Stratton.
I bought a full pass for my local mountain, Berkshire East, and I ski that mountain on weekends and holidays (it's never very crowded and has some decent runs, about 1,100' vertical with 45 trails). That pass was $379 last year and is $389 this year.
This was my first season with passes and I LOVED not having to buy a lift ticket. My kids had passes too (to Berkshire East) and I never had to think about whether or not I could afford anything more than the gas, which isn't too bad since it's a 40 minute drive away.
I skied Stowe with ESA and so the extra ticket was only $32. I skied Big Sky with discounted tickets from DH's conference and a free ticket we earned with our Boyne Rewards card, so the cost came to about $50/day for 4 days, and at Smuggler's, our tickets are free on odd years when we use our time share and this weekend, they're part of a discounted package which includes lodging.
That said, this is definately not an inexpensive sport.
Ski Now- you should look into Connecticut Ski Council. I'm from W.Mass too and am a member. It's $25 a year to join ($55 for a household) and you get $9-$30 lift passes at a different mountain pretty much every day from December - end of March. Great deal, has saved us buku bucks.
www.aeskiclub.com
www.aeskiclub.com
I've bought this in the past (not this year; I had a free pass because I worked at the mountain), and I consider it a good deal. I never ski weekends or holidays, so this pass suits me fine. And since I ski at least three mid-week days each week, sometimes four, I get my money's worth.
Thanks!
persee
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Well DH and I bought our Threedom LTD passes last weekend - they actually went on sale on March1. These passes are good for skiing at Bretton Woods, Waterville Valley, and Cranmore and buying them now gets us skiing at all 3 for the entire rest of this season at all three mountains. The LTD only restricts us during peak days (xmas, MLK, and presidents day) at BW - we can still ski Cranmore or WV. The LTD pass to buy early was $649 each but since we've already skiied on it for 3 days this season and should get another 3 (cross fingers!) before the snow is gone I think it's working out when lift tix run an average of $50/day/person. I was uncomfortable spending the money at first - we had the ASC A41 silver pass for 2 seasons so we were definitely spoiled - but DH convinced me to go for it. Due to this I know we'll ski a lot more next year and I'm really looking forward to it.
I really did have to be irked by the Vail pass pricing but alas we don't get good deals like that in the east. Even our daily lift tix are generally more expensive and when I see the pricing of places like stowe or k-mart I can't really complain about what we spent. We would have skiied today had it not been for family obligations due to easter!
I really did have to be irked by the Vail pass pricing but alas we don't get good deals like that in the east. Even our daily lift tix are generally more expensive and when I see the pricing of places like stowe or k-mart I can't really complain about what we spent. We would have skiied today had it not been for family obligations due to easter!
MaineSkiLady
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
You did good! Think of it as the law of averages and where you'll "break" even on the pass cost. As for $50/day lift tickets, long gone-Sunday River's up to $71 
probably Sugarloaf too. New England pass is up to $599 this year, so not that much cheaper (SR, SL, Loon). Except a $50 discount if purchased before 4/30.
I don't have nearly as many days as I usually do, and my pass price (499) for this year still comes out to only $17.something per day. (The goal usually is $10 or less!!)
And no, west still has us beat for "retail" lift ticket prices (not passes) - what's Aspen up to now, $90?? Deer Valley is about that as well. Good grief...
probably Sugarloaf too. New England pass is up to $599 this year, so not that much cheaper (SR, SL, Loon). Except a $50 discount if purchased before 4/30. I don't have nearly as many days as I usually do, and my pass price (499) for this year still comes out to only $17.something per day. (The goal usually is $10 or less!!)
And no, west still has us beat for "retail" lift ticket prices (not passes) - what's Aspen up to now, $90?? Deer Valley is about that as well. Good grief...
