The most insane lift ticket prices in North America

[NewEnglandSkier]

It seems crazy to spend $500+ for my beginners to try it for the first time. I wish there was a “let’s hook kids” rate.

Do none of the places you could go locally have a beginner lift/lesson/rental package? Lots of places have these first timer type rates. Sometimes they list them on the lesson page of their site not necessarily the lift ticket page.

 

[mustski]

I am never sure if i enough or reliably enough to get a ski pass. Last year I got one and maybe broke even because my season ended early when I hurt my ankle.

This year I didn’t renew due to finance stuff and some parenting/teen issues that will likely hinder travel but I did end up booking some short weekends to stay at with my bf at his place my bf generously offered to buy me tickets using his f&f discounts. But it limits my ability to go skiing because it’s so expensive.

I would love to take my 10,13 and 15 year old to try it but it is so cost prohibitive even if I save travel by driving to mammoth or big bear. Wish there was a local mountain that was beginner friendly.

There is! Snow Valley ski resort in Running Springs. It’s on the way to Big Bear. It’s where I taught my son and all his friends. If you buy the snow jam card, your first lift ticket is 1/2 price, 2nd one free, and so on all season long with no black out dates. The card is $25.00

SnowJam Expo | San Diego Nov 8-10 | Las Vegas Nov 16-17, 2024

Experience the ultimate ski & snowboard events. Discounted clothing and equipment, free lift tickets, and family-friendly atmosphere.

snowjamshow.com

SV has a great progression area for learning and the added bonus of tons of parking and less crowds.

Snow Valley – Think Snow!

snow-valley.com

 

[Peaheartsmama]

This is the first year we only have ikon and not one for our local Mt (camelback) - the kids price seals the deal for me especially while they are still eligible (especially at the renewal rate) - once they age out of that I will really have to think hard about what to do about lift access.

 

[newbieM]

There is! Snow Valley ski resort in Running Springs. It’s on the way to Big Bear. It’s where I taught my son and all his friends. If you buy the snow jam card, your first lift ticket is 1/2 price, 2nd one free, and so on all season long with no black out dates. The card is $25.00

SnowJam Expo | San Diego Nov 8-10 | Las Vegas Nov 16-17, 2024

Experience the ultimate ski & snowboard events. Discounted clothing and equipment, free lift tickets, and family-friendly atmosphere.

snowjamshow.com

SV has a great progression area for learning and the added bonus of tons of parking and less crowds.

Snow Valley – Think Snow!

snow-valley.com

THANK YOU! Let me look into this! MUCH APPRECIATED!!

 

[IceHeeler]

I just learned about Mt badly and I’m going to try and check it out. But for a newbie it seems a bit of a scary mountain. It’s also just intimidating to go alone. I hear they don’t have any kid rentals so doesn’t sound like a great place to take the kids for there first outing.

I was also considering Mt High but lift tickets range from $100-120 so for me to take my three kids is $500 for a single day and that is before I rent any gear for them.

It seems crazy to spend $500+ for my beginners to try it for the first time. I wish there was a “let’s hook kids” rate.

I'm surprised there isn't a Beginner's special there. Winter Park has a lift, lesson, and rental deal for $169. It's far less expensive than a single day lift ticket.

The best thing about the ridiculous window rate is it makes me feel better about getting injured this week. My three days of skiing justifies having purchased an Ikon pass.

 

[mustski]

Do not go to Mt. Baldy until you have a good proficiency on steep runs and off piste. It’s a bit of an outlier as local skiing goes. You never know what you’re going to find until you drop in to the run. Years ago, I went the day after a big snowfall. We were all lined up waiting for the lift open. When it was 30 minutes late and still showed no sign of opening, someone asked about ETA. The answer was, “we’re not sure; we’re waiting for the guy with the shovel to get here so we can dig out the ramp up top.” I kid you not- one guy, one shovel!

And- yeah, SoCal prices are ridiculous! They charge them because they can. They have all of San Diego, Los Angeles, the OC, and the Inland Empire within day trip driving distance!

 

[ski now work later]

I just watched this, holy moly! Dr. SNWL and I purchased low price (mid-week) Epic passes for '20/'21. We could not comply with VT quarantine rules so we didn't use them. Received full refunds (maybe because we specified resorts for particular days?) and applied them to a more extensive Epic pass 20% off for '21/22. 3 days at Okemo, 3 days at Stowe, and 4 days at Beaver Creek. We got our money's worth! My only Epic resort for this season will be Stowe and we got a 3-day pass to ski mid-week which was reasonable. It's just crazy and totally classist and some other things. :-(

 

[MaineSkiLady]

Black Mountain, Rumford, Maine (20 miles east of Sunday River)
1400 ft vertical, crazy glades
$15 Thursdays
$25 Fridays
$57 Sat-Sun
$497 Alpine and Nordic season pass (much less if purchased earlier)
Many free Thursday nights sponsored by local/regional businesses
Great lodge and bar

Mount Abram, Greenwood, Maine (10 miles from Sunday River)
1000 ft vertical
Great lodge and bar
$35 Sat-Sun
$35 Thurs-Fri
$99 carload Fridays
$19.60 Maine Day Thursdays, for Maine residents (to celebrate their inaugural year

 

[Chuyi]

Waow. DV is only #6. Got 2 pay for all the snow blowers.

 

[Pequenita]

It's interesting because comparing a season pass price to window/advance online prices isn't always the right metric. I did some math earlier in the year and figured out that at the place where I ski, it is more cost effective for someone who skis around 12 or fewer times a season to use friends' buddy pass vouchers -- if they have multiple friends with season passes -- than to buy a season pass. The buddy pass vouchers are 50% off window (which are nominally more expensive than advance sales). The highest I've seen them is around $160 during the holiday weeks.

We are not doing this scheme, but I'm in a group of around 10 friends who have passes, so there are plenty of buddy pass vouchers to go around. But tbh, I think only a few of us are going to ski more than a dozen times this season, in which case spending $350 for 5 or 6 half-off lift tickets is a lot more cost effective than spending $800 and skiing 5 or 6 days thinking you've gotten your money's worth (compared to window price).

 

[Chuyi]

It's interesting because comparing a season pass price to window/advance online prices isn't always the right metric. I did some math earlier in the year and figured out that at the place where I ski, it is more cost effective for someone who skis around 12 or fewer times a season to use friends' buddy pass vouchers -- if they have multiple friends with season passes -- than to buy a season pass. The buddy pass vouchers are 50% off window (which are nominally more expensive than advance sales). The highest I've seen them is around $160 during the holiday weeks.

We are not doing this scheme, but I'm in a group of around 10 friends who have passes, so there are plenty of buddy pass vouchers to go around. But tbh, I think only a few of us are going to ski more than a dozen times this season, in which case spending $350 for 5 or 6 half-off lift tickets is a lot more cost effective than spending $800 and skiing 5 or 6 days thinking you've gotten your money's worth (compared to window price).

For Vail resorts buy 1 full Epic pass for 2 people use the buddy passes comes out 2b 33%discount for 2 people. 50% if u r mooching off someone else Epic. Ikon only has 25% discounts on friends+family tkts for Alterra owned resorts.