2020-2021 ski plans

I know it's early, but it's never too early to plan ahead when it comes to skiing.  Since many passes go on sale in March for next season, I've come up with a preliminary plan for next season.  

IKON 4 Day Pass with BO's (12/26 - 01/02; 01/16 - 01/17; 02/13 - 02/14)
$400
4 days Sugarbush - done
3-4 days Tremblant - done
4 days Steamboat - done
2-3 days Arapahoe Basin - done
3-4 days Pico/Killington

I will easily cover my pass with those days.  A long weekend at Sugarbush, long weekend at Tremblant, and full week in CO, with Pico/Killington on tap for early/late season/Xmas.

Middlebury Snow Bowl Full Pass
$430
Closed Xmas

This will be my refuge from the big mountain trips and holidays crowds.  I can ski there on the IKON BO holiday dates, enjoying the thin to no crowds.  Magic will be relegated to POW DAY mid-week only, when applicable.

All in that's $830 on passes, with a week in CO.  Any holes in this scenario?    

   

You're gonna drive all the way from Saratoga to Middlebury every time you want to ski "local"?

Why not do West?

I’m thinking about getting back to Durango again. Purg is free for us and I have a bunch of old friends in town there. Get a day in at Telluride and a day at Silverton. Cody is ready now for Silverton and I’d really like to get her in the heli for a lap.

Other than that we’ll be at our home bump.

Middlebury isn't much more of a hike, around 30 minutes on top of the current Magic commute.

West isn't in play, their pass is incredibly over-valued these days, plus the skiing there does nothing for me.

How long does it take you to drive to Middlebury? If "it isn't too much further" is your metric, MRG & Sugarbush aren't too much further than Middlebury.

Middlebury was around 1.5 hrs, with minimal traffic.  And while Sugarbush isn't too much further, I'm aiming for Middlebury as my small mountain/no crowds season-long fix, that happens to offer challenging terrain.      

Saratogahalfday wrote

I know it's early, but it's never too early to plan ahead when it comes to skiing.  Since many passes go on sale in March for next season, I've come up with a preliminary plan for next season.  

IKON 4 Day Pass with BO's (12/26 - 01/02; 01/16 - 01/17; 02/13 - 02/14)
$400
4 days Sugarbush - done
3-4 days Tremblant - done
4 days Steamboat - done
2-3 days Arapahoe Basin - done
3-4 days Pico/Killington

I will easily cover my pass with those days.  A long weekend at Sugarbush, long weekend at Tremblant, and full week in CO, with Pico/Killington on tap for early/late season/Xmas.

Middlebury Snow Bowl Full Pass
$430
Closed Xmas

This will be my refuge from the big mountain trips and holidays crowds.  I can ski there on the IKON BO holiday dates, enjoying the thin to no crowds.  Magic will be relegated to POW DAY mid-week only, when applicable.

All in that's $830 on passes, with a week in CO.  Any holes in this scenario?

I read that Ikon Session 4 Day pass as 4 days in total for $399. Not four days at each of the participating mountains.

https://www.ikonpass.com/en/shop-passes/ikon-session-pass-4-day-2020-2021

You are correct (damn head cold).  Obviously $399 was too good to be true.  

That bumps it up to $699, so now I'm at $1,030 in passes.

Hmmm..    

Saratogahalfday wrote

Middlebury was around 1.5 hrs, with minimal traffic.  And while Sugarbush isn't too much further, I'm aiming for Middlebury as my small mountain/no crowds season-long fix, that happens to offer challenging terrain.

How wild that Gore has fallen so far that people from Saratoga would rather drive further so they can get to Middlebury College Snow Bowl instead of skiing Gore?

Saratogahalfday wrote

You are correct (damn head cold).  Obviously $399 was too good to be true.  

That bumps it up to $699, so now I'm at $1,030 in passes.

Hmmm..

The Ikon 699 (with blackout dates 12-26-2020 to 1-2-21, 1-16/17-2021, and 2-13/14-2021) gets unlimited at 14 mountains including Stratton, Sugarbush, and Mt Tremblant and 5 days at 24 mountains including Killington-Pico, Loon, Sunday River, and Sugarloaf. That is a deal. You should be able to do better than buying a full Middlebury pass for non-ikon days.

Middlebury looks very cool to me. After reading SHD's report, and seeing that pic of the lake, I'm interested.'

IMO Gore is still awesome for the reasons it was always awesome.  Huge, tons of trees, skies well without too much snow, not too windy really.

Saratogahalfday wrote

Middlebury was around 1.5 hrs, with minimal traffic.  And while Sugarbush isn't too much further, I'm aiming for Middlebury as my small mountain/no crowds season-long fix, that happens to offer challenging terrain.

I enjoy Middlebury for what it is worth but I wouldn't say it offers challenging terrain. To me, it is a light weight Bolton. I'd be a bit concerned about getting bored there with a season pass, especially if you are coming from Magic. Another option is a pair of Mad Cards will get you six days at MRG for less than your Midd pass and the Mad Cards can be used during black out periods, though of course a bit more crowded than Midd.

Yes, I need to look further into satisfying my BO days.  Middlebury has plenty of challenging trails/glades, but that requires an assist from mother nature.  They focus their snowmaking on the race trail (for good reason), and a lack of snow would make it pretty limited.  If IKON had a better "local" unlimited option, I'd be set, but Stratton doesn't work for me.  

Wrong in the original post. Full Sugarbush pass with both levels of Ikon next year. Game changer.

And yeah, you live in Saratoga and drive to Middlebury instead of Gore? C'mon, admit it, you have a romantic interest at that college, right? That's the only excuse.

It’s hard to tell from pictures but that stuff under the chair looks pretty rad.

No romantic interest at Middlebury College...yet.  I don't think my wife would be a fan of that though.  

Gore is a great mountain, but it gets crushed on holidays and is run by our incompetent and corrupt NYS government.  I'm looking for low to no crowds on holidays, hence Middlebury is in play.      

Well, you're doing it wrong. Don't ski Holidays.

it’s all about the fuckin’ soups bunny.... if you’d go, you’d know.





besides, vails ain’t gonna be sellin’ no $200 boomer pass. whatcha gonna do?


if you paying more that $5 a day to ski at the mighty mighty ski bowl then you need to ditch them so called “mogul masters” and find a club with some real ticket deals type clout.  

You're doing it wrong if you ski Vail.

Greek Peak for me