Ski free by purchasing new passes
What if you could ski free for the rest of this ski season? Think about it: The snow is softer, the daylight stretches longer, and the weather often is warmer. It’s the best time of the year.
And it’s true. You really can ski free for the rest of the season at many resorts. Here’s how: Purchase your season pass for next year now. That’s right, not only do resorts offer some decently deep discounts for season passes now; they also let you activate them right away, meaning you’ll ski the rest of this season and all of next season on that pass.
At Pat’s Peak in New Hampshire, an easy day trip from the greater Boston area, season passes for the 2018-19 season are on sale now for — get this — $459 for adults if you purchase by April 1. That means you can start skiing right away. If you do the math, just getting in four or five days on snow the rest of this season would allow you to break even on lift tickets, with your pass still ready for the entire next season. Pat’s has lower prices for juniors, of course, and a great 20-something pass for skiers 18-29: just $222 for unlimited visits if you purchase by April 1.
At Loon, Sunday River and Sugarloaf, you can purchase the New England pass for all those spots and ski free the rest of the season at all of them. Their gold pass offers unlimited skiing at all with no blackouts for $1,079; a silver pass can be used seven days a week with some holiday blackouts for $719. Once you make your purchase, you’re pass is loaded and ready to use at any of those spots for the rest of this season and all of next.
Waterville Valley, Cannon, Cranmore and Bretton Woods offer a shared pass for the season that saves you $200 off all of their choices by purchasing now. And they have plenty, allowing you to customize your season pass to how often and with whom you like to ski. Many of their passes set you up for discounts for other things you spend money on while skiing — food, friends tickets and more.
And what if you’re not ready to make a commitment? Mount Sunapee has an answer for that. Their $129 unlimited spring skiing pass is on sale now. Purchase online and you’re good to go, as many days as you wish, for the whole spring.
With more resorts offering spring deals, as well as partnering with other resorts to offer shared passes, a season pass is — for anyone who skis more than a few times a season — a way to make the sport more affordable. Other large mountain resort group passes such as Max Pass and the new IKON Pass allow incredible flexibility in skiing all season long on one pass. For anyone planning a trip west, purchasing one of those usually means a lower price than, say, a week’s worth of passes out west, and then access to many more mountains all across the country (here in the east, too) at no additional cost.
There’s still more snow coming, and the spring season usually stretches to the second week of April. Planning now for next year could mean all that comes to you for free. Now that’s a deal.