Why is the cost of skiing disproportionately aimed at ski resorts?

[crgildart]

I'm starting to not understand your complaint. You live in North Carolina, do not seem to want to travel, none of the areas are on Epic or Ikon, how's the "mega" passes playing into it? I don't believe where I live up here could be considered "ski country". Really as far as natural snow you have to go up to Northern New England for the real stuff. North Carolina is not even on most peoples skiing radar. But just like The Pocono's here in my back yard the areas your skiing are spending a ton of money just to be able to have skiing at all. I'm watching my home area scratch and claw to get terrain open for MLK weekend and am about to watch a good chunk of it get washed away. These places got to make money or they are going to close. Feel free to throw out a figure of what you believe they should be charging, I'd be interested hear

Seems to me much of your limitations are self imposed. Back country is always free but i would think pretty hard to do in NC.

FWIW, NC has the 4 highest elevation ski lifts west of the Mississippi. None of those resorts take any mega pass. One takes Indy. Add in 3 more in VA and WVA that are nicer than you'd expect. They're all always ridiculously crowded during holidays and weekends. People from Florida, SC, GA , even DC all come here to ski.

Meanwhile most of the 300 foot hills around the Minneapolis metroplex and Wisconsin take the mega passes now. That's "ski country"??

Is it too much to ask that the local mom and pops roll back to mom and pop pricing OR join a mega pass? If I can buy 5-10 days in advance for a significant savings I'd totally do that.

 

[johnnyvw]

Most of the ski areas around here really aren't terrible as far as lift ticket prices go. But if you're driving 6 hours to ski 2-3 hours, I would want any reduction in price I could get. And I'm lucky that I can ski mid week at senior rates (where available). I just have to factor a hotel stay. Kinda sucks as the Boone area is never "cheap". Even if the areas near me were on the passes, I'm not sure there would be enough cost savings to make it worthwhile as i would have to ski more= more hotel $$$. My issue is more with the "major" resorts that are now charging near $300/day

Any Holiday is crazy crowded....the Holiday I've ever gone skiing in New Year's Day...and Im on the lift near first chair and usualy gone by noon...pretty much the same any weekend

Edit: as an example of the savings I enjoy, my SR midweek ticket is $38 versus $74 for a regular weekend ticket at Appalachian ski mountain. At Beech it's $30 vs $64 for 4 hour midweek senior vs weekend regular prices. Helps offset the price of the hotel. WHat I need is a hotel frequent flyer benefit...LOL

 

[Sibhusky]

You're wanting them to join a mega pass? Why? God, that is the absolute last thing I'd want. All it does is invite more people onto the slopes. People who wouldn't come otherwise.

FWIW, NC has the 4 highest elevation ski lifts west of the Mississippi. None of those resorts take any mega pass. One takes Indy. Add in 3 more in VA and WVA that are nicer than you'd expect. They're all always ridiculously crowded during holidays and weekends. People from Florida, SC, GA , even DC all come here to ski.

Meanwhile most of the 300 foot hills around the Minneapolis metroplex and Wisconsin take the mega passes now. That's "ski country"??

Is it too much to ask that the local mom and pops roll back to mom and pop pricing OR join a mega pass? If I can buy 5-10 days in advance for a significant savings I'd totally do that.

 

[pais alto]

You're wanting them to join a mega pass? Why? God, that is the absolute last thing I'd want. All it does is invite more people onto the slopes. People who wouldn't come otherwise.

I want the slopes to myself, a few good friends, and maybe a couple other folks who are cool and low key. And I want the prices to be much, much lower. Is that too much to ask?

 

[Wilhelmson]

Is it too much to ask that the local mom and pops roll back to mom and pop pricing OR join a mega pass? If I can buy 5-10 days in advance for a significant savings I'd totally do that.

Perhaps therein lies the crux. Sell out, sell too may tickets, or try to survive however you can. With that population, which would you guess would sell out first?

 

[Sibhusky]

I want the slopes to myself, a few good friends, and maybe a couple other folks who are cool and low key. And I want the prices to be much, much lower. Is that too much to ask?

Well, I 100% agree with this.

 

[johnnyvw]

Well, you can get it...just need more than a "few" friends...

You Can Rent Out an Entire Ski Resort

The ideal over-the-top holiday gift this year? A private ski experience.

www.outsideonline.com

 

[crgildart]

You're wanting them to join a mega pass? Why? God, that is the absolute last thing I'd want. All it does is invite more people onto the slopes. People who wouldn't come otherwise.

If ALL of them joined I could pay a highly discounted rate spend one day at each of them per season. If just one of them did... OH GTFO NO! But, I might still be tempted to ski a couple Sunday mornings there and take a trip farther out with the lift tickets being a sunk cost.

 

[Pat AKA mustski]

If ALL of them joined I could pay a highly discounted rate spend one day at each of them per season. If just one of them did... OH GTFO NO! But, I might still be tempted to ski a couple Sunday mornings there and take a trip farther out with the lift tickets being a sunk cost.

And THAT is why mega passes work! They killed my local BBMR bump but they opened up Mammoth, Palisades… and resorts around the nation. It’s a compromise.

 

[4aprice]

FWIW, NC has the 4 highest elevation ski lifts west of the Mississippi. None of those resorts take any mega pass. One takes Indy. Add in 3 more in VA and WVA that are nicer than you'd expect. They're all always ridiculously crowded during holidays and weekends. People from Florida, SC, GA , even DC all come here to ski.

Well it sounds like they are running a healthy business. If they are drawing from that broad an area then i'm sure one if not both Epic or Alterra will be looking into them. maybe the ones in Banner Elk. That they are ridiculously crowed is telling you that the sport is healthy. Most ski areas i know of around here are crowded on holidays and weekends especially between Christmas and Presidents Day

Meanwhile most of the 300 foot hills around the Minneapolis metroplex and Wisconsin take the mega passes now. That's "ski country"??

Those small mountains are feeder hills. The reason the passes are so interested in them is they want to entice you to go to their premier resorts in Colorado, Utah etc. That is really why the passes came about. Epic wants you to come spend a week in Vail and its much more tempting to go with your skiing is already paid for. The real good value in the pass is when you take a week at one of the big resorts, any other skiing at that point becomes gravy.

Is it too much to ask that the local mom and pops roll back to mom and pop pricing OR join a mega pass? If I can buy 5-10 days in advance for a significant savings I'd totally do that.

The days of mom and pop ski operations are long gone.. You do see some community run operations up in Northern New York and New England but they are few and far between.

 

[KingGrump]

So how much of your time is spent traveling? And do you have a home anywhere, or are you basically nomads?

It sounds like your lifestyle is the exception, not the norm.

My life style is pretty normal for a retiree.

We live in NYC when I am not skiing. Early season skiing is usually SVT.
Like many on the forum, we make one trip out west every season.
We simply know how to max out our one trip.

 

[David Chaus]

My life style is pretty normal for a retiree.

We live in NYC when I am not skiing. Early season skiing is usually SVT.
Like many on the forum, we make one trip out west every season.
We simply know how to max out our one trip.

A very long trip that lasts most of the winter and spring, until Mammoth closes. I'm not sure I'd call that "pretty normal."

It's "pretty f$%ing awesome" is what it is.

 

[KingGrump]

A very long trip that lasts most of the winter and spring, until Mammoth closes. I'm not sure I'd call that "pretty normal."

It's "pretty f$%ing awesome" is what it is.

Like I said, we maxed it out.

 

[James]

FWIW, NC has the 4 highest elevation ski lifts west of the Mississippi.

Not worth much west of the Mississippi or north of DC. But good it exists.

 

[pais alto]

The days of mom and pop ski operations are long gone..

You haven’t skied in New Mexico, have you?

 

[dbostedo]

You haven’t skied in New Mexico, have you?

In a more general sense/data... Ikon has 37 resorts in the US, Epic has 36... 73 resorts total.

Per the NSAA, there were 480 ski areas in operation in the US last season... or 407 non-Ikon, non-Epic ski areas. Surely some of them are mom-n-pops.

 

[johnnyvw]

Not worth much west of the Mississippi or north of DC. But good it exists.

I believe he meant east of the Mississippi. NC/TN has 9 of the 10 highest peaks on the east coast. Mt. Washington only comes in at #8

 

[johnnyvw]

A very long trip that lasts most of the winter and spring, until Mammoth closes. I'm not sure I'd call that "pretty normal."

It's "pretty f$%ing awesome" is what it is.

Nope, not typical at all. He's done quite well for himself. And he makes my point....time/money/location.

 

[pchewn]

Wondering what others would do if NONE of your local home mountains accepted Epic or iKon mega passes.

Would you buy a local pass AND a mega pass for extended ski trips?

Buy a local resort pass and day tickets when traveling?

Buy day tickets at the local places and a mega pass for traveling?

Just day tickets everywhere?

I buy the local 2-area pass (Fusion Pass -- Timberline and Skibowl Mt Hood). That pass includes "Powder Alliance" which is 3 days at each area in the alliance. [

So when I travel, I choose to go to the Powder Alliance areas. (usually)

For rare trips to non-alliance areas I do the day tickets (e.g. To Anthony Lakes)

 

[KingGrump]

And he makes my point....time/money/location.

I identify with Meatloaf on that.