How much are you willing to spend to ski inbounds?

**Peruvian** · 03-07-2021, 05:31 PM

I paid full freight,$74, at Magic this season.

It was a 40” powder day, though. I got my money’s worth.

**GKWood** · 03-07-2021, 05:34 PM

I've spent $1,100 on season passes (Jay + Indy + random day at Platty) and at around 20 days. Hoping I can get to 35-ish by the time all is aid and done, so about 30/day? Definitely did better in terms of $/day when I lived in CA and spent $500-600 on a pass and skied 30-40 days.

**lifelinksplit** · 03-07-2021, 06:05 PM

My season pass for next year went up $50 but it's still less than 2 day tickets at big sky. The amount of privilege and elitism in skiing is kinda sickening. Just turn all the resorts into Yellowstone Clubs...

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**schindlerpiste** · 03-07-2021, 06:23 PM

Bridger is under a hound, I think

**skysos** · 03-07-2021, 06:55 PM

About $16/day mostly in Tahoe on 2 different passes: Epic Tahoe Local and Sierra at Tahoe. We usually use all 5 of our included days at other Vail resorts, so skiing for $16 at Vail/Beaver/Park City is the deal of the century if you like that sort of thing.

We also usually spread around some $ at non-pass resorts like Bear Valley and Rose this year, but we hunt for deals. Rose had an early season $50 half day deal and Bear has a 2 for 1 through Nor Cal ski and snowboard expo for $60 each.

Call us cheap or old school, but paying over $100 a day is not something we would do very often. It amazes me that even some small number of people walk up the the Vail ticket window and cough up over $200 for one day.

**AmmergauerTele** · 03-07-2021, 07:47 PM

Epic Military $169...sadly I'll only get five days in this year.

**Dee Hubbs** · 03-07-2021, 07:58 PM

$1000 for my Epic, and another $400-500 for ski days at other resorts.
I’m not paying $150 at other resorts, but I’ll shell out $75 with a 1/2 price ticket to ski a few different resorts in a season.
I live in an Epic Pass town, but I have access to a bunch of non Epic resorts based on my line of work.
In a non COVID season I’ll pay 3-5 days at other resorts and take free tickets for 8-10 days at other resorts, and use my Epic as much as I want.
I feel like I get my money’s worth out of the Epic Pass and my other $500 budget.
But if you’re asking would I pay $175 at the window to ski Jackson or Aspen or Squaw, Nope.

**Ottime** · 03-07-2021, 08:03 PM

I paid $130 for my son and I ski at a small locally owned resorts with all fixed grips and low tide conditions. We had a great day. Otherwise we ski a few days on our pass. It will be less than $40/day for me and $15/day for my son. So that small local place was expensive but we had a killer day.

**dufferdan** · 03-07-2021, 08:11 PM

I buy my pass at the early bird price every season, so just under $1k . Wife doesn’t ski as much so get her a 3 day card with re-load. She hasn’t used her first day yet this season.

I am at 12 days, probably get to 25 this season. We missed the 10 days at Xmas/NY due to kids not being available to come out. Last year season cut short due to Covid, but got 20 days?

Usually, I have 30-35 at Pano, 5-10 elsewhere. With Covid, I have zero interest in fighting for a parking spot at LL or Sunshine

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**powdork** · 03-07-2021, 09:30 PM

Originally Posted by Core Shot

$164 for JH blew my mind. Not that I’m paying that. Fuck the system. But saw plenty of rich folks queuing up for that.

It’s gotta be under a Hundo for me.
$75 is “reasonable”

Golf is the best analogy. Rich white people shit.
Folks drop fiddy to a hundo all the time. For four hours. At least skiing is a day long.

Change golf to $150-$400 (especially for a Jackson Hole level experience) and you'll be closer. To be fair, they'll let you stay at the bar all day after you play, which is similar to how many of the people that buy day tickets spend their day at the hill.

**BCMtnHound** · 03-07-2021, 11:28 PM

We would consider a family season's pass if the nearest big ski area was closer, but Sun Peaks is 280km round trip, so fuel for a day trip would be about $35 with the car or $50 with the truck. Day pass is over $100 each for us adults. Season's pass would be $1000 for an adult, $750 for the daughter. So $500 in fuel just to get the 10days down.
We haven't gone to a ski resort area yet this year, was thinking Jasper for spring break, but the winter camping in Wapiti is closed this winter. I prefer the smaller hills like Harper or Troll with lift passes around $60/adult, but they are even further away, so we would usually take the trailer and make it a 4day weekend. But I think this year will be a bust for lift served.
So its been sled access and XC this winter for the family. Jackrabbits just finished today, that was a fun afternoon.

**skifishbum** · 03-08-2021, 02:51 AM

13 sillytude passes and at least 10 for the better 1/2
12 ski u silverpasses @3500 hundo oh and the 30 days limitation ended 3 seasons ago that shits unlimited now
im pretty much the rick james of bullwheel spinnin
bitches

i have spent some cereal coin on the ob thing

**glademaster** · 03-08-2021, 05:40 AM

Short answer: I'll pay whatever it costs at the nearest hill, and I'll ski as often as possible. I love skiing. Whether a season pass cost $50 or $5500, I would find a way to buy one.

I think my pass was $1849 this season, and that I'll (knock on wood) put 50-60 days on it this season.
I also bought an Ikon pass over the summer when I was living in a different state and thought I would be skiing elsewhere. I haven't even taken that one out of the envelope it arrived it. Going to defer it and probably not use it again next year. Unless I move again.

**Whiteroom_Guardian** · 03-08-2021, 07:55 AM

I'll round out to about $30-35 for passes at two hills. I'm ok with it. If you ski the gnarly stuff there still isn't anyone around. Yes, lines are getting worse but still better than Vail 10 years ago.

**Name Redacted** · 03-08-2021, 08:07 AM

I think I’m around $8 a day. Bought an Abasin pass last season for this season before Covid hit and they refunded me some of that money so it was pretty cheap.
Work bought me an Epic pass but I really don’t use it much, maybe 10 days? If CB had better snow I’d make the trip to use it there but the other areas just don’t pique my interest very often.
We usually take a few ski trips a winter to ski somewhere besides home but have put that off this year, really saved some money but definitely getting bored with the local hill.
I am headed to Silverton in a few weeks so I guess that counts. Otherwise I’ll be planning on going to the desert soon unless the faucet turns on.

**snowaddict91** · 03-08-2021, 08:13 AM

Right now I'm sitting around $45 a day, will probably get it down to $30-35. It's a far cry from when I was down to $5-10 a day on college/young adult passes, but I knew going in to this season that I wouldn't get a ton of days in. The crappy early season didn't help either. Next year should be better.

**Iowagriz** · 03-08-2021, 08:22 AM

The OP's question is how much are you willing to spend? Not how many days have you skied on a season's pass to get your $per day as low as possible.

I've paid at least $100 per day for guys trip, resort days. I think 4 days at Jackson a few years ago was that price. Purchased a month in advance, 4 of 5 days card. I didn't like it, but it was worth it. I think $100 a day, a week in advance for good skiing is about my max. Gotta add in the food and beer costs for that day, so that quickly turns into a $150 day.

I didn't get a pass this year, mostly because I didn't want to get tied into Snowbowl. Secondly, because I wanted to experience the smaller ski areas within a 5hr drive of Missoula. I haven't hit as many as I wanted, but it has been a decent year for me. I'm paying about $55 a day for these places. At the 10 day mark, so about the same price as a pass, but more options.

**Bunion 2020** · 03-08-2021, 08:27 AM

Good point Griz.

For me, if its good skiing, < $100.00 is my max.

**Name Redacted** · 03-08-2021, 08:39 AM

Originally Posted by Iowagriz

The OP's question is how much are you willing to spend? Not how many days have you skied on a season's pass to get your $per day as low as possible.

I've paid at least $100 per day for guys trip, resort days. I think 4 days at Jackson a few years ago was that price. Purchased a month in advance, 4 of 5 days card. I didn't like it, but it was worth it. I think $100 a day, a week in advance for good skiing is about my max. Gotta add in the food and beer costs for that day, so that quickly turns into a $150 day.

I didn't get a pass this year, mostly because I didn't want to get tied into Snowbowl. Secondly, because I wanted to experience the smaller ski areas within a 5hr drive of Missoula. I haven't hit as many as I wanted, but it has been a decent year for me. I'm paying about $55 a day for these places. At the 10 day mark, so about the same price as a pass, but more options.

Don’t remember the last time I paid for a day pass. Maybe Mt Baker and it was around $60? But it was an 18” day so yes it was worth that.

I once paid around $800 for Heli skiing in AK, and skied like 15k vert. So there is that, and yeah, it was worth it.
Heli skiing in NZ was also pricey but comparatively cheap. The quality of snow and terrain was lower, but the guides were a little more umm “liberal” should we call it? So it was still very worth it. Obviously not inbounds though 🙄

I think for resort skiing $100 would be my max, but there’s few resorts that I’d pay that for, even on a pow day.

**stealurface831** · 03-08-2021, 08:47 AM

i was working on the mountain this season. free pass of course. my gas paid for itself and i made a lil money to go towards the quiver. never got a full day in but plenty of runs before and after shifts. a few nights in here and there. we actually had pretty decent snow at times.
next season will be my first out west. i'm planning on working in a shop somewhere, either bridger or the big. should net me a pass. i guess i'll try to ski free for as long as i can. i can probably count on doing something in the industry that'll land a free card until a few years after college. after that, prices will surely be so outrageous that i won't even speculate.

**snowaddict91** · 03-08-2021, 08:50 AM

Originally Posted by Bunion 2020

Good point Griz.

For me, if its good skiing, < $100.00 is my max.

I'm about there as well, may do it a couple times in a season. Fortunately, Like most here probably do, I have friends scattered around the west and can usually get a buddy pass.

**whipski** · 03-08-2021, 08:56 AM

Last year of milking patrol for my pass and comps. Likely will pay $389 next year. You do the math. I have way more backcountry days with this miserable snowpack.

**ZomblibulaX** · 03-08-2021, 09:00 AM

My opinion is skewed because I’m lucky enough to ski free for life for 20 years of indentured servitude. Caveat: it’s at Purgatory. Irony noted.

Since my per day cost is nominal, I’m willing to pay if I ski somewhere I have to, but not willing to ski somewhere expensive just because it’s there. It’s all relative to the experience. I.E.:

Wolf Creek on a two-foot Tuesday? I’d pay $80 for that. Wolfie when it hasn’t snowed in a few weeks? I’ll go ride my bike.
Silverton is $250 guided, peak season. I’ll pay that. But it’ll be once/yr. Maybe twice if the wife allows it.
Jackson is still a bucket list item for me, so I would pay $164 to ski there. But I wouldn’t pay $164/day to ski there for a week.
Vail is $210(?)/day? I don’t care what the conditions are. That’s bullshit. It’s just Vail. I can get relatively flat, wide open, rolling terrain at home, sans ridiculous lift lines.

If I ski away from home, I still dirtbag it. Pack a lunch, stay out of the bar (which is easy since I don’t drink). If it’s just me I’ll sleep in the car. I’ll pay for the service (skiing), but I won’t pay for amenities unless I have to. I just don’t need that part of the experience. I go skiing to ski.

My home hill opted to not do reservations this year, and instead scales day ticket pricing to deter customers. So on peak days, people are paying $120-130 a head. To ski Purg. That’s fucking nuts. I’ve been skiing here since I was four, and still have an absolute blast every single day, but it’s not worth $130, even on it’s best day.

The astronomical lift ticket pricing of the last decade is completely ludicrous. But as discussed in the living wage thread, middle- and upper-class white people don’t give a fuck. They’ll pay that shit and have no idea if it’s worth it or not because they’re not skiers, they just happen to be skiing.

**hatchgreenchile** · 03-08-2021, 09:10 AM

Originally Posted by Iowagriz

The OP's question is how much are you willing to spend? Not how many days have you skied on a season's pass to get your $per day as low as possible.

Yep. I never really thought of "per day" rate, as I don't track trail the details around hotel, fuel, backcountry or add on costs (ex. Heli, first tracks programs). Outside of Silverton, I may have ~6 days in <10 years spending over $100 for a ticket. Park City and Telluride are the main offenders.

But ultimately, this question is situational. Would I pay $100 for a pretty good pow day at Monarch? Probably not. Would I pay $200 for a really good pow day at Steamboat? Maybe. Would I pay $350+ for a deep storm day at A-Basin when LL Pass is closed and a pileup cuts off 6 above Keystone? Yep. Would I pay $500+ for Silverton with 24" new, bluebird and 79 others? Take my credit card. Etc. etc.

**toast2266** · 03-08-2021, 11:30 AM

I think somewhere around $125 / day is the most I've ever paid for lift served skiing. I don't remember where that was - maybe Whistler? But that's about my limit. And that's what I'd pay for a couple days a season, not for day to day skiing.

I'd be willing to pay more for good snow + good terrain + minimal crowds, but that sort of thing is pretty rare these days.

Increasingly, I wonder what I would be willing to pay for a controlled backcountry experience. No lifts, but with avalanche mitigation. I'm not sure what the answer to that question is, but I would definitely be willing to pay for it.