Poll How many ski areas do you ski in a season

[at_nyc]

I would be surprised if many people would count the non-lift connected Aspen areas as one. Chamonix and Davos are other examples with several non-connected areas with a single lift ticket. Needless to say all of these individual examples are more substantial than "Mt. Anthill mid Atlantic."

The reason *I* count them as "one" is because it's hard to get to. So once I got there, I tend to stay put in the area and skied all of them in one single trip,

That's the same reason I count the Dolomites as "one". And stretched the "one" definition of St Moritz, which really in neither linked nor the same ticket.

 

[Don in Morrison]

The first ten years or so that I skied, I visited 4-8 places per season. It dropped to 2-3 after that. For the last 15 years it's been one or two. For the foreseeable future it will only be one.

 

[TonyC]

The reason *I* count them as "one" is because it's hard to get to. So once I got there, I tend to stay put in the area and skied all of them in one single trip,

By that logic you would count Vail/Beaver Creek, Breck/Keystone/A-Basin, Squaw/Alpine, Alta/Snowbird or Brighton/Solitude as one.

 

[Philpug]

IMHO, If they are connected with a lift, they can be considered the same...Park City/Canyons or Sugarbush/Sugarbush North as examples or It they combine the skiable acres together as the default. If a seperate lift ticket can be purchased, they are different areas.

 

[Philpug]

The reason *I* count them as "one" is because it's hard to get to. So once I got there, I tend to stay put in the area and skied all of them in one single trip,

That's the same reason I count the Dolomites as "one". And stretched the "one" definition of St Moritz, which really in neither linked nor the same ticket.

Vermont was tough for us to get to this year, we skied Stowe, Okemo and Mad River Glen, should that be counted as one?

 

[at_nyc]

By that logic you would count Vail/Beaver Creek, Breck/Keystone/A-Basin, Squaw/Alpine, Alta/Snowbird or Brighton/Solitude as one.

Alta/Snowbird is a tough one, because you can ski from one to the other. Still, most people count them as 2 separate. I don't see the reason for that but nonetheless counted them as two, if only because of tradition.

Brighton and Solitude don't even share the same lift ticket. So can't be "one".

A-basin/Keystone/Breck are more like Brighton/Solitude.. Not linked by lift. And while you can get "combined" tickets. The single area ticket, especially with A-Basin, is cheaper than the combo ticket. That's really not the "same" mountain.

Basically, I used same criteria as Phil:

IMHO, If they are connected with a lift, they can be considered the same...Park City/Canyons or Sugarbush/Sugarbush North as examples or It they combine the skiable acres together as the default. If a seperate lift ticket can be purchased, they are different areas.

Squaw/Alpine and Park City/Canyons are borderline. They used to be definitely separate. But they got combined. In Park City's case, I tend to consider it "one" because I do ski from one to the other and back. You can't even buy Park City only tickets any more. With Squaw-alpine, it really qualify as "two" because they're not linked by lift. But since you can't buy ticket for just one without including the other, it's..."one"!

But yeah, there're exceptions. It gets complicated. .

 

[dean_spirito]

This year I managed to ski 14 mountains across 5 states (CO, UT, NM, ID, OR). Definitely a record setting year for me.

 

[surfsnowgirl]

I am newly becoming that person who loves to go to new ski areas. While it still makes me a little nervous i think it's hella fun to explore different areas too. This coming year i hope to get to heavenly, okemo and maybe a couple more.....

I think if the resort has a different name than it should count toward the total.

 

[fatbob]

I think if the resort has a different name than it should count toward the total.

Hey that way you can have spent your life skiing the same hill just outside Park City and skied dozens of resorts

 

[surfsnowgirl]

Hey that way you can have spent your life skiing the same hill just outside Park City and skied dozens of resorts

I agree but at some point you have to draw that line. I just think different mountains can have different vibes even if they are close to each other. I ski southern Vermont a lot and Stratton, Bromley and Magic are relatively close to each other but are all different mountains with different vibes and should count as such. Another example would be Colorado where there are so many resorts. Whilst there are lots relatively close to each other i imagine they are all different in their own way and should count individually.

 

[Tricia]

I know it can vary from season to season but how often to do wander from your home mountain and how many areas do you visit?

Some years more than others, but rarely as many as we'd like to ski.
This year it was 13, if I'm going to count Whistler Blackcomb as one, 14 if I count it as two.
(I can't believe that we're really debating what counts as one or more resorts.)

 

[surfsnowgirl]

(I can't believe that we're really debating what counts as one or more resorts.)

THIS is why this forum is AWESOME

 

[Philpug]

THIS is why this forum is AWESOME

This is why.??.THIS IS WHY???...it doesn't make the top 10 for me on why it is awesome

 

[Tricia]

RMSP only consist of 4 mountains. So anyone having that pass only, would be in the 2-5 camp.

Epic too, if you get the Colorado or Tahoe local, only covers 3-5. And I know a lot of Colorado Local pass holders never ski Beaver Creek. So that's less than 5.

Not everyone buys multi-mountain passes that covers more than 5. It's really a thing for people NOT living near a big mountain.

If you have the Tahoe Local Pass or the Summit Local, you still get a few days at some of the resorts outside of your "local"
Example: Tahoe Local allows 5 holiday restricted days at Vail, BC, Breck, Keystone, A-Basin, Park City.
Most of the people I know, who have the Tahoe Local, make it to at least one of the Colorado resorts and/or Park City.
These are people who will get in the car and go on a whim. But then, thats the kind of person I hang out with so maybe the people you relate to are stuck in a bit more of a rut.

 

[surfsnowgirl]

This is why.??.THIS IS WHY???...it doesn't make the top 10 for me on why it is awesome

Not the only reason why TRUST me. I must meet you guys one day.

 

[Large Squirrel]

so, i consider the four aspen mtns separate "ski areas" b/c they are not interconnected, and they cover vastly different locals, even though they are all owned and operated by the same owner. i would consider snowbird and alta separate areas b/c they don't share same ownership, even thought they are just separated by the spine of one mountain ridge. (similar arguement for the former big sky/moonlight basin arrangement, but they are now formally owned by one entity).

 

[at_nyc]

These are people who will get in the car and go on a whim. But then, thats the kind of person I hang out with so maybe the people you relate to are stuck in a bit more of a rut.

I prefer to hang out with locals at my destination. If they're too busy travelling, I would have less of a chance to met them back in their home mountain..

If you'd like to call them "stuck in a rut", so be it. Not my problem. Nor do I think those people care either.

Why? I'm the one who's traveling. I'd prefer to meet people UNLIKE me. I'm not one who seek out carbon copy of myself.

 

[noncrazycanuck]

I like the idea of calling it a different area if the resort has different name
bonus points for Blackcomb, Todd, Mackenzie, Whitetooth, Snow Valley, Gibson Pass and maybe at least 2 extra for Big Mountain.

 

[Sibhusky]

Although I like being assigned extra points, I'm unclear as to why. Because we used to be called another name? I'm guessing all those other places in your list are now called something else? Maybe I need to go to sleep. Zzzzzzz

 

[fatbob]

I'm sure this only matters for the purposes of points scoring but sticking a Euro lens on it there is no way the Aspen hills or WB would be considered separate ski areas. There would be one "resort town" and you'd ski wherever you fancied on any particular day. No one would ever say I'm going on holiday to Snowmass or to Blackcomb, just as if you were staying in Les Houches, Les Praz, Argentiere or Montroc you'd just say Chamonix.

But in a vast connected circuit like Arlberg you probably would say St Anton, Stuben, Zuers, Lech or Warth even if there is a lift connection between all of them.

So I say count in whatever way you fancy - just don't expect others to apply the same basis.