Lift Ticket Prices for 14-15

Stowe will be the first, but I don't think they go over this year either.

Why does everyone complain about Southern Vermont mountains (Stratton, Okemo, etc.), when Stowe charges more than they do.  Some people who have bashed Southern Vermont have made positive trip reports from Stowe.

snoloco wrote

Why does everyone complain about Southern Vermont mountains (Stratton, Okemo, etc.), when Stowe charges more than they do.  Some people who have bashed Southern Vermont have made positive trip reports from Stowe.

I'm hesitant to make those kinds of general statements.  Everyone and Southern Vermont are big groups.

IMV many people here (at least the most vocal?) put a high value on terrain and snowfall.

If you are talking about the rack price of Stowe (98) vs Stratton (92) or Okemo (89), the price to value of Stowe blows those other mountains away.  Distance aside, $6 extra bucks for Stowe vs Stratton is a no-brainer.

Personally I also don't like Stratton's pass pricing that allows those who pay an extra $500 to track everything up before the plebes who paid $1200 or whatever get to it.  It's certainly their right to do it, but I think it stinks.

Harvey wrote

 
Personally I also don't like Stratton's pass pricing that allows those who pay an extra $500 to track everything up before the plebes who paid $1200 or whatever get to it.  It's certainly their right to do it, but I think it stinks.

When I lived in Saratoga, that was the closest mountain in Vermont, and I never skied it. Not once. That was just one reason why.

snoloco wrote

Why does everyone complain about Southern Vermont mountains (Stratton, Okemo, etc.), when Stowe charges more than they do.  Some people who have bashed Southern Vermont have made positive trip reports from Stowe.

Stowe




Okemo

Footer wrote

Beginners should not be at ANY of these mountains.  I tell everyone I know who wants to learn to go to West or Willard (In the capital region that is).  At west you can get on the hill weeknight with gear for 25 bucks.  You can ski weekend at Willard for 40 bucks.  Go during the week and it gets much cheaper.  There is NO reason why anyone new to the sport should be at any of the big hills.  No point.  You are paying for stuff your not using.

Completely agree with this, especially the "you're paying for stuff you're not using" part. I learned to ski at Maple Ridge and loved it.

The Ski Bowl only pass (and the one where you can ride the j bar and Sunway chair) is a great idea.

Harvey wrote

Personally I also don't like Stratton's pass pricing that allows those who pay an extra $500 to track everything up before the plebes who paid $1200 or whatever get to it.  It's certainly their right to do it, but I think it stinks.

I think you're confusing Stratton with Sugarbush here.  

The Sugarbush all-mountain unrestricted pass is currently $1349 (will increase to $1679 next week).  For an additional $500, you get the privelege of loading the Super Bravo chair (which is OK but certainly not the Bush's best terrain) a half hour early on weekends and holidays.  Sugarbush is a great mountain (terrain, snowfall), but their pass pricing sucks and  the $500 "early-ups" add on is an insult to their regular passholder base.

Stratton's deal isn't quite as bad, though I disagree with the whole pay-extra-for-first-tracks concept.  Stratton's unrestricted pass is $949.  If you up that to their $1299 "Summit Pass," you get early lift access (7:45, not sure what the regular time is, also not sure which lifts, maybe gondi only?).  But you also get a few other perks with the Summit Pass, including 5 days each at Tremblant, Steamboat and Winter Park and a free day at Stratton for a guest.

I certainly agree that Northern VT blows away Southern VT in terms of terrain and snowfall, but No VT is just as guilty as So VT for driving the cost of skiing higher and higher.  I sure hope the pay-for-first-tracks concept doesn't spread.

mattchuck2 wrote

Footer wrote

Beginners should not be at ANY of these mountains.  I tell everyone I know who wants to learn to go to West or Willard (In the capital region that is).  At west you can get on the hill weeknight with gear for 25 bucks.  You can ski weekend at Willard for 40 bucks.  Go during the week and it gets much cheaper.  There is NO reason why anyone new to the sport should be at any of the big hills.  No point.  You are paying for stuff your not using.

Completely agree with this, especially the "you're paying for stuff you're not using" part. I learned to ski at Maple Ridge and loved it.

The Ski Bowl only pass (and the one where you can ride the j bar and Sunway chair) is a great idea.

Yea. If it were up to me, I'ld also have a " wee one " magic carpet only pass for 6 and under, 2 hrs, $10. Rentals $10. Available any 3 days. Wee ones can't go longer than 2 hrs anyway. This way parents could see if their kid likes it and is physically able to ski/board.

Got more than one young'un ? This way you could take say 3 for $60 including rentals. Good deal and the kids would have fun. If they have fun they may become skiers.

Many parents would like to let their kid try it but many don't have large bucks to lay out for an attempt or just won't spend it.

The mtn wouldn't lose money really. It would get more peeps out. More peeps can equal more skiers. Rentals just sitting in the shop equals no money coming in from them. A few more on the MC is not an extra cost.

I agree beginners should not be at any of the listed places and some places have great deals for beginners.  However, many beginners 1) Go with sliding friends who want to go to these places 2) Don't have the inside info on discounts or discounted mountains and 3) Listen to the hype of their friends and the advertising that these are the places to go.    Good for Gore to offer a snowbowl ticket at a better price, however the terrain down there is more blue than beginner, unless its been fully expanded to include all the proposed green in the currently non-existant neighborhoods.  In the digital age with scanners, I applaud and encourage ski areas to sell beginner tickets, which limit sliders to one or two specific lifts.

 God bless the men, women and families who pay full list price, fill their trays at the cafeteria, drink at the mountain bar, and shop in the company store.  For it is they who allow these mountains to profit and expand, open sooner and close later.    I also appreciate these individuals who generally stay on the green and blue slopes; venturing into black to earn the t-shirt and bragging rights for school/work the following week; wearing the ticket months/years as a badge of honor.   For staying home on overcast, cold and even heavy snow days.  Yes, eventhough I may momentarily verbalize my distain for bluebird skiers as I wait in longer lines; it is only upon reflection that I truely appreciate their fat wallets for allowing me to enjoy this wonderful sport.    

I:)skiing wrote

 God bless the men, women and families who pay full list price, fill their trays at the cafeteria, drink at the mountain bar, and shop in the company store.  For it is they who allow these mountains to profit and expand, open sooner and close later.    I also appreciate these individuals who generally stay on the green and blue slopes; venturing into black to earn the t-shirt and bragging rights for school/work the following week; wearing the ticket months/years as a badge of honor.   For staying home on overcast, cold and even heavy snow days.  Yes, eventhough I may momentarily verbalize my distain for bluebird skiers as I wait in longer lines; it is only upon reflection that I truely appreciate their fat wallets for allowing me to enjoy this wonderful sport.

Harvey wrote

Personally I also don't like Stratton's pass pricing that allows those who pay an extra $500 to track everything up before the plebes who paid $1200 or whatever get to it.  It's certainly their right to do it, but I think it stinks.

So it is OK to charge extra to ski on a weekend (or holiday) but not to ski early?

tom

Weekends and holidays are the only reason lift-served ski areas exist. The rest is window dressing.

I used the word "personally" because I don't like the idea.  I also don't like brussels sprouts but I'm not trying to get them outlawed or anything. I said "it's certainly their right to do it" = I'm saying it's OK.

I spend most of my disposable income on skiing and passes are a small percentage. If Gore or Plattekill or MRG ever instituted it I would probably pay it. But I wouldn't like it.

Do those early openings happen every day or weekends/holidays only?

Be funny to see pure spot-market/demand pricing.  Big weekend, huge liftline and an auctioneer taking bids for front of line.

Harvey wrote

Be funny to see pure spot-market/demand pricing.  Big weekend, huge liftline and an auctioneer taking bids for front of line.

Don't kid yourself there aren't some young MBAs working on it. The electronic ticketing has given them a ton of data to work with. The whole stadium seating industry in pro sports has been transformed by the model. A few teams (I remember the SF Giants talking about it seriously) have moved towards it, but the whole StubHub internet after market has sort of taken over the pricing. A Yankee Stadium seat can vary in the hundreds, depending on the game.

Adk Jeff wrote

  I sure hope the pay-for-first-tracks concept doesn't spread.

Intrawest started it a little over ten years ago. That's why it's at Stratton. It hasn't spread too much due to obvious overall client dissatisfaction.

Think about it though. What kind of skier will spend that much money to ski early at ..... Stratton? Probably not a skilled powder hound. Most of those people don't get to the mountain before ten.

no but I bet theres a lot of people there willin to pay to be the first rippin' up the fresh chord  

gorgonzola wrote

no but I bet theres a lot of people there willin to pay to be the first rippin' up the fresh chord

Yep. Don't know if you said this in jest, but it's definitely true. To certain skiers, fresh cord is the best skiing.

I'm ambivalent about early loading pricing. I'm pretty much on record of being against this kind of class stratification of ski areas, but I feel like it's inevitable and there's nothing we can do to stop it (except take our dollars elsewhere). Lifts don't generally open as fast as I want anyway, so as long as it's just a couple of people confined to one lift, I don't feel completely horrible about it.

For some reason, I feel better about it when it's packaged with hotel deals (as it was in Jackson Hole) than just tacking a few hundred more on to a season pass. Maybe because it's giving tourists a chance to check out the mountain at its best instead of giving a local slopeside property owner his 1,000th first chair.

gorgonzola wrote

no but I bet theres a lot of people there willin to pay to be the first rippin' up the fresh chord

I know you were trying to be humorous, but, I'll bet you a few lift tickets there are some Stratton long timers who would.

mattchuck2 wrote

 I'm pretty much on record of being against this kind of class stratification of ski areas, but I feel like it's inevitable and there's nothing we can do to stop it (except take our dollars elsewhere).

It probably hasn't taken hold too much because skiers in general are from the upper classes, so I'm guessing most wouldn't stand for it. The working class skier is rare.

Benny Profane wrote

Adk Jeff wrote

  I sure hope the pay-for-first-tracks concept doesn't spread.

Intrawest started it a little over ten years ago. That's why it's at Stratton. It hasn't spread too much due to obvious overall client dissatisfaction.

Think about it though. What kind of skier will spend that much money to ski early at ..... Stratton? Probably not a skilled powder hound. Most of those people don't get to the mountain before ten.

Hunter has considered opening the 6-pack for passholders at 8am, but they said that if they opened it for passholders, they would open it for everyone.

Windham has a first tracks program that costs 15 dollars and you must reserve in advance.  You can load at 7am which is an hour before everyone else.  It is free to passholders, but you still need to reserve in advance.

Mount Peter opens to the race team at 7:30am.  One time I ended up poaching an early run because I thought it was open to everyone, so I filled an empty seat on a chair.  When I got down, they said it wasn't open yet and was only open to the race team, but weren't angry because it wasn't signed, and I didn't interfere with the race training.

Mount Snow opens the Bluebird Express at 7:30am to passholders on Saturdays in January, February, and the first two in March.

It hasn't really caught on much, even at posh resorts like Okemo, Stowe, Killington, etc.

Well, the smart mountains just open up ..... early, on the weekends. For everyone. It's not as though it's crowded at that time. Most people don't get on a chair until 9:30-10.