Single-day lift ticket price breaks $200 (Vail: to buy, vs, discounts)

[BrianGC]

Originally Posted by Indoman

Returning to CO after a long absence for a family get together. I’m blown away by the price of lift tickets...and it looks like you can no longer buy half day tickets.

I’ve paid around $100 to ski Crystal Mountain in WA about 5-6 years ago and expected a bit higher at Breckenridge, but holy sheet. It looks like I better plan on $200 per day for lift tickets and ski rental

You're renting skis as well? Yikes....just don't rent from the resorts. Find a separate ski shop out there and just rent for the sum of days you'll need them. I used Pioneer Sports in Frisco back in 2015 and they were decent - about $70 total to rent for 5 days. I've brought my own skis for subsequent trips out to CO since then.

[crillon]

The EPIC pass is the only way to go to make it "reasonable." But, having said that, skiing IS an expensive sport and Colorado has world class skiing. You get what you pay for, and to me, it's worth every penny. There is no place like Vail!

[BrianGC]

Originally Posted by crillon

The EPIC pass is the only way to go to make it "reasonable." But, having said that, skiing IS an expensive sport and Colorado has world class skiing. You get what you pay for, and to me, it's worth every penny. There is no place like Vail!

Agreed. Every now and then, I'll hear folks say "Well we have skiing in the southeast! Why go all the way to Colorado?" I just think to myself "OOOOkaay buddy" LOL.

[crillon]

Originally Posted by BrianGC

Agreed. Every now and then, I'll hear folks say "Well we have skiing in the southeast! Why go all the way to Colorado?" I just think to myself "OOOOkaay buddy" LOL.

Oh, exactly! If you want to ski mole hills, you can get a more reasonable lift ticket somewhere else in the US. There is no comparison in the US to Colorado skiing IMO.You'd have to go to Switzerland to find comparable mountains and skiing experience. People travel to Vail from all over the world. It's THAT good. And, we lucky Coloradoans have a range of ski resorts in our own backyard. One of the biggest benefits of living here.

[Indoman]

Appreciate the information. Only skiing 2 days so the season pass doesn’t make sense. Will compare local ski shops vs on mountain ski rental. I’m sure it’s more at the resort but may be less hassle.

Thanks

[Phil P]

Originally Posted by crillon

Oh, exactly! If you want to ski mole hills, you can get a more reasonable lift ticket somewhere else in the US. There is no comparison in the US to Colorado skiing IMO.You'd have to go to Switzerland to find comparable mountains and skiing experience. People travel to Vail from all over the world. It's THAT good. And, we lucky Coloradoans have a range of ski resorts in our own backyard. One of the biggest benefits of living here.

I call BS on that one. I'd say skiing in the western US and Canada is all pretty darn good, whether that's Jackson hole or Alta or Taos or Whistler. I bet there's good stuff in South America too. From what I've heard, people say they like Utah the best cause it gets more snow than CO but it's not as heavy as west coast snow.

Colorado ski areas up 70 are just some of the easiest to access because DIA is a huge international airport, hence the crazy prices. It's the snow and lack of crowds that makes the skiing, the resorts aren't really all that much different from the others, unless you have the family along who isn't interested about skiing but the "town experience". That's why people like Breckenridge, cause the town is family friendly.

[wamer27]

Originally Posted by Indoman

Returning to CO after a long absence for a family get together. I’m blown away by the price of lift tickets...and it looks like you can no longer buy half day tickets.

I’ve paid around $100 to ski Crystal Mountain in WA about 5-6 years ago and expected a bit higher at Breckenridge, but holy sheet. It looks like I better plan on $200 per day for lift tickets and ski rental.

Any discount option’s or half day tickets available? I seem to remember Gart Bros selling discounted tickets back in the early 90’s.

Thx

One thing you could try if wanted. When I lived in Anchorage we'd got to Alyeska each Wednesday around noon, find people leaving for the day with tickets and ask if we could have them, clipped them off, we never paid once all season Just gotta always bring clippers with (this was the metal triangle holder stickers) I've been to Vail, Copper, Steamboat,Winter Park, A basin, and my favorite is Loveland, it's also very affordable in comparison and seems to be skipped by many as they drive under it.

[Mike from back east]

Mention of the EPIC Pass in today's Bloomberg.

Excerpt: "This season, Vail Resorts increased pricing across its Epic Pass offerings by about 7% (the top-of-the-line Epic Pass cost $939 and included unlimited, unrestricted access to 41 resorts). The company said the price hike was intended to prioritize the mountain experience for its guests. An added incentive to splurge: The company limited daily lift ticket sales at its 37 resorts in North America. . . . Last season, Colorado ski conglomerate Vail Resorts reported that it sold 2.1 million Epic passes — 700,000 more than the 2020-2021 season . . . . (This year, the Ikon pass cost $1,079 for unlimited access at 14 destinations, and up to seven days each at 39 destinations.)"

[CCS414]

Cant you still get discounts at King Soopers instead of buying at the resort?

[Tripicana]

Not Switzerland, but I’ve boarded Chamonix, just across the border, in France. Other than the whole valley available on one pass, and the “Vallee Blanche” it was pretty meh. Steep, icy, and unmanned lifts with seats at the height of your calves. Not many tree runs either, it’s just big wide open areas. Same for South America, Valle Nevado in Chile is just one big wide open mountain side.

Whistler and Snowbird are the only other resorts I’ve been to outside Colorado in North America. Utah is nice the resorts are a lot closer to the city. And when I went the snow was fresh and deep. B.C. was epic too, totally different snow, wet and heavy.

Gone are the days of $200 season passes, or clipping tickets in the parking lot for $20 during my college days. I still consider it my duty as a Colorado resident to at least go once a year. I usually tag along where ever my friend has a pass. Buddy pass is still only about $20 off window price…

Hard to beat Colorado for the variety of terrain offered. But it’s also getting hard for me to justify a single day lift ticket.