# The Value of a Season Pass



## Phedder (Sep 13, 2014)

Absolutely agree. Hell, my season pass was far from cheap, but when the season runs Nov-May, and I paid it off (if I were buying daily lift tickets) by mid Dec, it's pretty sweet.


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## snowklinger (Aug 30, 2011)

i made a committment to get over a 100 days one season and it was a horrible season. id go up for an hour drive and do park laps for a couple hours and split. good way to build muscle memories.


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## amdopt (Jan 10, 2017)

Kenai said:


> People often debate on here what new piece of gear to buy (myself included), but if any noob is wondering what is the best investment in their snowboarding skills, the answer is a *season pass*.
> 
> After many, many years of not having a pass, I bought the Max Pass this year. Although I don't go to a single area, I have about 7 areas I can hit for 5 days each within 2 hours. The difference in my attitude is amazing. Weather doesn't matter much, doesn't matter if I know I can only get in a few hours, doesn't even matter if I don't really want to go all that much - it's free. (I do know it wasn't free, but when you buy it last spring it really does feel free.) It is so much easier to hop in the car and go when I'm not thinking about dropping $100 for a day on the slopes. I will easily make up the value if I compare buying tickets, but it is more than that. It is the freedom to just go out and never have the feeling that you have to get a certain value for the day.


I couldn't agree more. I have a MAX pass too and a Mountain Collective pass this year. The combination covers every day of my season. The lift tix purchased at the window would have cost me over 4k. I saved like 75%.

I haven't had a season pass in about 10 years and to second what Kenai said--it changes the way you look at the season. 

Forget the boards, latest and greatest gear, etc. If you are new to snowboarding just buy tix and go to the mountains! I bought way too much stuff when I first started and it didn't help a thing. I wish someone would have let me know back then!!

Mike


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## Oldman (Mar 7, 2012)

My season pass is the cheapest item of all the things I purchase related to my addiction.

I make the purchase as soon as I can and this year my 5X5 at my local hill was $200.00 ( Canuck bucks )

With that I can ride:

Monday to Friday all day
Wed to Sunday nights ( so on Wed / Thurs & Friday if I'm up for it I can ride from 9:00 am to 9:00 pm. 12 Hours !!!!! )

Saturday and Sunday I can get on the hill at 3:30 pm until 9:00

There is never a thought about the cost of getting on the hill. It's all about getting my ducks in line so I can hit the hill as often as I can. A Season Pass gives one a whole different take on heading to the hill. You simply make the time and go! 

:snowboard4::snowboard1:


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## Boardingnoob (Jan 29, 2017)

So true! I'm enjoying my evening pass. Will buy a better pass next year for sure!


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## sabatoa (Jan 18, 2011)

100000000000% agree. It's by far the most important purchase every season.


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## phillyphan (Sep 22, 2016)

The OP is dropping knowledge. I have a season pass for CO and I live in Illinois. It's absolutely worth it and can help you improve.


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## ekb18c (Mar 11, 2013)

True story! I have the peak pass and went to the mountain, did 2 runs, didn't like the conditions. So you know what? I went home.


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## Deacon (Mar 2, 2013)

A season pass will help you avoid injury too, since you're more likely to leave when you're tired instead of trying to "get your money's worth".


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## F1EA (Oct 25, 2013)

A season pass is not worth it. I got 2


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## snowklinger (Aug 30, 2011)

epic pass is everything


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## Kenai (Dec 15, 2013)

snowklinger said:


> epic pass is everything


Next year I may be taking a few months off to ride. Thinking about getting both the Epic Pass and the Max Pass.


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## Phedder (Sep 13, 2014)

F1EA said:


> A season pass is not worth it. I got 2


Ditto. Mine are just in different hemispheres :grin:


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## F1EA (Oct 25, 2013)

Phedder said:


> Ditto. Mine are just in different hemispheres :grin:


Damn! winter in summer and winter in winter......
That's how it's done.


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## Phedder (Sep 13, 2014)

F1EA said:


> Damn! winter in summer and winter in winter......
> That's how it's done.


Takes sacrifices but in my current position it's worth it. Can't put off 'real life' forever though...


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## dave785 (Jan 21, 2016)

Phedder said:


> Takes sacrifices but in my current position it's worth it. Can't put off 'real life' forever though...


Out of curiosity, what is your current position?

I can't help but notice that you've passed motogp to become #1 on the trace leaderboards


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## BoardieK (Dec 21, 2015)

I paid €286 for an "early-bird" unlimited season pass in Valloire, France. A decent sized resort with 150km (100 miles)of piste, 48 lifts.

We are over in the alps for 2 months in our motorhome, the pass was cheap enough that we can chase the snow and buy day passes elsewhere if conditions warrant, currently in Italy.


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## Snow Hound (Jul 21, 2012)

BoardieK said:


> I paid €286 for an "early-bird" unlimited season pass in Valloire, France. A decent sized resort with 150km (100 miles)of piste, 48 lifts.
> 
> We are over in the alps for 2 months in our motorhome, the pass was cheap enough that we can chase the snow and buy day passes elsewhere if conditions warrant, currently in Italy.


You down in the Piedmont region? Seems like the only corner of the Alps to be seeing consistent snowfall.


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## BoardieK (Dec 21, 2015)

Snow Hound said:


> You down in the Piedmont region? Seems like the only corner of the Alps to be seeing consistent snowfall.


Yep. Prato Nevoso, small but fun place, good for board riding and a lot of good locals yesterday. 30cm fell over Friday night, Saturday was great but poor vis, yesterday was sunny and brilliant, today is perfect for carving on piste.


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## Phedder (Sep 13, 2014)

dave785 said:


> Phedder said:
> 
> 
> > Takes sacrifices but in my current position it's worth it. Can't put off 'real life' forever though...
> ...


Current position being single debt free 25 year old hah. Did the career thing for 2 years after uni and it's not for me, not yet anyway. I supervise a small rental/repair shop here with 4 days on 3 off so that helps, similar position on mountain back in NZ. I was only planning on the one season here but the set up is too good and the boss wants me back so it looks like at least 2 more seasons coming up, just booked return tickets CAN - NZ. 

I had #2 spot worldwide end of November but now the seasons in full swing skiers keep knocking me down hah. I know plenty of people riding much more than me though, bell boys here get out most days but fuck that job.


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## phillyphan (Sep 22, 2016)

Phedder said:


> Current position being single debt free 25 year old hah. Did the career thing for 2 years after uni and it's not for me, not yet anyway. I supervise a small rental/repair shop here with 4 days on 3 off so that helps, similar position on mountain back in NZ. I was only planning on the one season here but the set up is too good and the boss wants me back so it looks like at least 2 more seasons coming up, just booked return tickets CAN - NZ.
> 
> I had #2 spot worldwide end of November but now the seasons in full swing skiers keep knocking me down hah. I know plenty of people riding much more than me though, bell boys here get out most days but fuck that job.


Jealous. I'm 29 and single, but Americans and their student debt...


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## hikeswithdogs (Sep 23, 2011)

Every-time I cheap out and buy the cheaper pass like midweek only, holiday blackouts bla bla bla I end up regretting it because we have so visitors who come on weekends and holidays I end up spending MORE money on day passes than I would have had I just bought a full featured\gold season pass in the first place.


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## Jcb890 (Dec 12, 2014)

+1 to this thread.

Also, having a pass at your local resort is great, especially if it is close. Our local resort is 35 minutes away and I have gone on days where I have done 1 run and left because the snow sucks. If I paid full price, you know damn well I'm getting in at least half a day no matter the conditions.

People with West/Mid-West pass options it doesn't even compare, you would have to be an idiot not to get a pass as only 3-4 days and it has paid for itself.


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## Fielding (Feb 15, 2015)

Yeah when you've gotta buy a day ticket then there's always a reason not to go. When you have a pass you just go. By holding a pass I've learned a lot about how my local mountains work. I've learned a lot about the weather and about when is the best time to go riding. And when I go, I don't feel like I've gotta stay out for icy night riding just to "get my money's worth." Probably the best part is that because I don't need to buy a ticket at the base, I have learned where to park so as to avoid the bottom of the mountain main entrance craziness. I park off to the side and slide right onto the trail in minutes.


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## unsunken (Dec 15, 2009)

On the other coast but I also got a Max Pass this year. There are 3 resorts I regularly hit within 2.5 hrs. I usually get 20 days total out of them and it's not worth it for me to get a season pass. 2 of them are on the Max Pass now and I've even taken half days and been night skiing at another smaller nearby resort that I'd never been to before. And I'm even going to Colorado for the first time since paying $400 to go riding for a week is much easier to justify than $1000. It's totally changed the way I look at snowboarding and I'm planning to get a pass to the local resort next year so I can do a few laps before work on powder days.


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## freshy (Nov 18, 2009)

Yup so true. And to all those people who can't afford one, myself included, a job at the hill usually includes a free pass. Of course it helps if you already have a shitty low paying job, why not get a shitty low paying job that includes a free pass?


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## mthree2b (Jan 19, 2014)

Season pass is the way to go for sure, even if it's an unlimited midweek or night pass, and just go go go. You should be spending twice as much on riding as equipment. Most new riders spend way too much on gear. Buy used so you can afford a pass.

Also, don't skimp on goggles, buy a legit used pair or one on close-out.


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## snowangel99 (Mar 11, 2016)

Phedder said:


> Current position being single debt free 25 year old hah. Did the career thing for 2 years after uni and it's not for me, not yet anyway. I supervise a small rental/repair shop here with 4 days on 3 off so that helps, similar position on mountain back in NZ. I was only planning on the one season here but the set up is too good and the boss wants me back so it looks like at least 2 more seasons coming up, just booked return tickets CAN - NZ.
> 
> I had #2 spot worldwide end of November but now the seasons in full swing skiers keep knocking me down hah. I know plenty of people riding much more than me though, bell boys here get out most days but fuck that job.


A second season? Omg lol. Your poor parents lmao. It's cause us Canadians are so nice


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## Winter_Lion (Nov 30, 2016)

mthree2b said:


> Season pass is the way to go for sure, even if it's an unlimited midweek or night pass, and just go go go. You should be spending twice as much on riding as equipment. Most new riders spend way too much on gear. Buy used so you can afford a pass.
> 
> Also, don't skimp on goggles, buy a legit used pair or one on close-out.


Idk maybe it's cause I'm in Los Angeles and I ride mostly at night but the season pass at Mountain High really doesn't work out for me at $349... Considering last season closed basically at the end of February and this year night's opened around the 16th of December. That's only ten weeks of snow and night passes are $25 even if I went once a week every week I'd still only pay $250. What am I missing besides the fact that I should probably be snowboarding more...

Sent from my VS990 using Tapatalk


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## Deacon (Mar 2, 2013)

Winter_Lion said:


> Idk maybe it's cause I'm in Los Angeles and I ride mostly at night but the season pass at Mountain High really doesn't work out for me at $349... Considering last season closed basically at the end of February and this year night's opened around the 16th of December. That's only ten weeks of snow and night passes are $25 even if I went once a week every week I'd still only pay $250. What am I missing besides the fact that I should probably be snowboarding more...
> 
> Sent from my VS990 using Tapatalk


Twice a week. $500. snowboard moar.


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## amdopt (Jan 10, 2017)

Winter_Lion said:


> Idk maybe it's cause I'm in Los Angeles and I ride mostly at night but the season pass at Mountain High really doesn't work out for me at $349... Considering last season closed basically at the end of February and this year night's opened around the 16th of December. That's only ten weeks of snow and night passes are $25 even if I went once a week every week I'd still only pay $250. What am I missing besides the fact that I should probably be snowboarding more...
> 
> Sent from my VS990 using Tapatalk


Relocating wouldn't hurt either [emoji3] 

Mike


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## dave785 (Jan 21, 2016)

Winter_Lion said:


> Idk maybe it's cause I'm in Los Angeles and I ride mostly at night but the season pass at Mountain High really doesn't work out for me at $349... Considering last season closed basically at the end of February and this year night's opened around the 16th of December. That's only ten weeks of snow and night passes are $25 even if I went once a week every week I'd still only pay $250. What am I missing besides the fact that I should probably be snowboarding more...
> 
> Sent from my VS990 using Tapatalk


You're not missing anything - a mountain high season pass is for park rats. Your math is solid.

Better to get a Cali pass because for any full day trip you'd just head to big bear anyway, and mammoth lift tickets are $148 so you save a ton there too. 

This season I have only been to mt high for night riding, and I don't see that changing any time soon.


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## dave785 (Jan 21, 2016)

amdopt said:


> Relocating wouldn't hurt either [emoji3]
> 
> Mike


Going from SoCal to the east coast or mid west for boarding would be a significant downgrade.

Only Colorado, Utah, or NorCal (Tahoe proximity) would have more / better slopes. Wyoming and Montana would be nice too, but then you'd have to live in Wyoming or Montana... 

I think for big city living with mountain proximity, SLC and Denver are the two clear favorites.. followed by San Fran / Sacramento, and then LA / OC / SD rounding out the third tier in a contest with Portland and Seattle. 

IMO >


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## amdopt (Jan 10, 2017)

dave785 said:


> Going from SoCal to the east coast or mid west for boarding would be a significant downgrade.
> 
> Only Colorado, Utah, or NorCal (Tahoe proximity) would have more / better slopes. Wyoming and Montana would be nice too, but then you'd have to live in Wyoming or Montana...
> 
> ...


I'm with you! Personally, I would love to live near any of the places you mentioned.

I'm stuck in NYC for at least a few more years though. Snowboarding retirement is the goal though!

Mike


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## pointblank (Feb 26, 2015)

Oldman said:


> My season pass is the cheapest item of all the things I purchase related to my addiction.
> 
> I make the purchase as soon as I can and this year my 5X5 at my local hill was $200.00 ( Canuck bucks )
> 
> ...


Isn't the MSLM 5x5 great especially at the preseason price? This is my 2nd season purchasing it and I try to go there every weekend, either the Saturday or the Sunday but I wish I could get more use out of it especially during the week when I can go for the whole day and its less crowded. Damn work schedule gets in the way of my boarding time :angry1:

Typically, how many days out of the week are you using your pass? I am also commuting from the GTA so MSLM is not far but not super close either. Its usually a 1.5 hrs one way commute for me.


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## Clayton Bigsby (Oct 23, 2012)

cant tell you how many FREE days I've had at Stevens because of my Mid-week pass. If you buy it at the end of the season you can get it for $249 and with the daily ticket being $75, you figure out how many days it takes to pay it off. The rest of this season I'm riding free yippy.

Only once in approx. 25 years of mid-week passes bought, it didn't pay for its self. In the early days at BAKER we rode every Fri/Sat and Sun and rode 23 days free


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## WasabiCanuck (Apr 29, 2015)

A season pass is so important for your progress as a rider. We get a family season pass so the whole family can go and it is very cheap at my little local hill. Only $650 Canadian dollars for the whole family for the whole season, cheaper than one kid in hockey. Another reason it is great is that you don't need to wait in line to buy a day pass, just walk up to a lift and off you go. So sweet!!

I don't think of it as free, it isn't of course. I think of trying to go enough times a season so that it is paid off. I think we need to go 7 or 8 days for it to pay off which we can do easily, I have a 5 year old so it is tough to go out more than that since he gets tired so fast. More than 8 times a season is just gravy. Those Saturday mornings when you are hung-over or lazy, well you know you already paid for the pass so you better go or you are pissing money away. It gets us off our asses and out the door when we would be sleeping in. I love it, it forces you to go no matter how lazy you are. :rofl3:


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## Argo (Feb 25, 2010)

BAchelor is something like $80 for a day pass. I have 15 days so far. so $1200 if I paid at the window each day. I will ride every day until late april when I actually have to work again.... I have a MAX pass add on that is $250. 

So $850 for a BAchelor season pass plus $250 for the max.... $1100. 

I have 4 trips to MAX resorts planned with 4 days at each one on average(16 days). 
I have 85 days until I go back to work of which 16 will be riding away from home so 69 days more at bachelor..... Add to that weekends up until late may for another 10 days or so depending on my work schedule. 

That is about 110 days of riding, that makes my math easy. $10 a day.

I go up regardless of weather and conditions. With the passes I dont feel guilty about leaving after an hour if the conditions suck like today.


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## Phedder (Sep 13, 2014)

snowangel99 said:


> A second season? Omg lol. Your poor parents lmao. It's cause us Canadians are so nice


Na, I moved to the other end of the country when I was 17, they're used to only seeing me once a year hah. 

You are pretty good people. Americans tip better though :wink: Unfortunately the boss just told us we had to take down the new tip jar sign we put up...


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## Fielding (Feb 15, 2015)

Winter_Lion said:


> Idk maybe it's cause I'm in Los Angeles and I ride mostly at night but the season pass at Mountain High really doesn't work out for me at $349... Considering last season closed basically at the end of February and this year night's opened around the 16th of December. That's only ten weeks of snow and night passes are $25 even if I went once a week every week I'd still only pay $250. What am I missing besides the fact that I should probably be snowboarding more...
> 
> Sent from my VS990 using Tapatalk


You gotta duck work a few times a month during the season and get out there for some weekday, daytime riding. It's that simple. There is nothing else like it. It is snowboarding at its finest. Night riding tends to be icy and crowded. Plus the visibility can suck. And the surface conditions get all cut to shit during the day. Might as well forget about carving fresh groom at night. I'd take night riding over no riding. But a few days out when there's nobody there is more fun than most things I know of.

I aim to ride on one weekday and one weekend day all season. Then I usually grab an extra weekday every two weeks or so. Add in a trip or two to somewhere nice I can usually get 30-35 days out.

As your season goes into spring -which I bet it will this year-- keep your eyes open for pre-sale of next year's pass. I know they do that at some places. So basically you buy next years pass cheap and you can use it for the remainder of the current season. It's a good deal if you aren't already a pass holder.

TLDR: ride more and ride during the day. Buy season pass.


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## Clayton Bigsby (Oct 23, 2012)

Clayton Bigsby said:


> cant tell you how many FREE days I've had at Stevens because of my Mid-week pass. If you buy it at the end of the season you can get it for $249 and with the daily ticket being $75, you figure out how many days it takes to pay it off. The rest of this season I'm riding free yippy.
> 
> Only once in approx. 25 years of mid-week passes bought, it didn't pay for its self. In the early days at BAKER we rode every Fri/Sat and Sun and rode 23 days free


Stevens Pass this post is a complete exaggeration on my part, we only end up with one or two free days :wink:with our midweek passes, please please please don't raise the pass price again, it was a joke


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## Big Foot (Jan 15, 2013)

snowklinger said:


> i made a committment to get over a 100 days one season and it was a horrible season. id go up for an hour drive and do park laps for a couple hours and split. good way to build muscle memories.


Some of my best memories are muscle memories.


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## SnowMoose (Mar 13, 2013)

Agree with the op (and most on here.)

I'm at a different resort to my home base and I bought a 5 in 7 day pass for $355 and I was like " Man...this costs me 25% of my season pass back home...and it's only for 5 days!"

I've had a seasons pass at my home mountain for the past 4 years, never regretted it.

ride on!


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## Mr.Zywall (Jan 5, 2017)

dave785 said:


> Going from SoCal to the east coast or mid west for boarding would be a significant downgrade.
> I think for big city living with mountain proximity, SLC and Denver are the two clear favorites.. followed by San Fran / Sacramento, *and then LA / OC / SD rounding out the third tier* in a contest with Portland and Seattle.
> 
> IMO >


I have a seaon pass and from SD. I can only go on weekends (because of a salary job), and if I'm lucky, the drive is 3 hours if I leave earlier than 6am.

It's quite depressing to live semi close, but because of the traffic and amount of people, so much time is wasted just getting there. Bear Mountain is always a fkn ZOO on weekends.


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## DaftDeft (Mar 7, 2016)

Mr.Zywall said:


> I have a seaon pass and from SD. I can only go on weekends (because of a salary job), and if I'm lucky, the drive is 3 hours if I leave earlier than 6am.
> 
> It's quite depressing to live semi close, but because of the traffic and amount of people, so much time is wasted just getting there. Bear Mountain is always a fkn ZOO on weekends.


You should offer to work 4, 10s or a flex schedule of 9s to get the occasional Fridays off. A lot of companies are willing to do that.

Or do what a friend of mine did: told his boss he'd take a 20% pay cut to always have Monday off.


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## neni (Dec 24, 2012)

Kenai said:


> People often debate on here what new piece of gear to buy (myself included), but if any noob is wondering what is the best investment in their snowboarding skills, the answer is a *season pass*.


Very true. 



Kenai said:


> The difference in my attitude is amazing. Weather doesn't matter much, doesn't matter if I know I can only get in a few hours, doesn't even matter if I don't really want to go all that much - it's free.


And conditions do not matter. 

This again makes one a better rider. So many days I've been hitting the slopes cos it's "for free" in bad weather or snow conditions. Flat light, fog, rain, ice, moguls... combination of these... if I'd had to pay for a day pass, I would never had gone on such days. But since it's "for free"? Go out and get those legs n balance a bit of exercise. Nothing teaches one to ride low as good as charging a bumpy slope in fog :laugh:

Meanwhile I'm actually more often on the slopes when conditions are "bad" than when "good". (On nice snow bluebird days groomers are overly stuffed by day pass skiers/riders )


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## shovel (Aug 15, 2016)

Am so jealous of you all!

I have no local mountain (at least not with snow on) so my nearest is a 5 hour international flight + 3 hour drive.

Just had 2 1/2 weeks and managed to squeeze another week at the end of this month, then that's it for me till next year...


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## Snow Hound (Jul 21, 2012)

shovel said:


> Am so jealous of you all!
> 
> I have no local mountain (at least not with snow on) so my nearest is a 5 hour international flight + 3 hour drive.
> 
> Just had 2 1/2 weeks and managed to squeeze another week at the end of this month, then that's it for me till next year...


Jesus, you're in Hong Kong right? Japan is a 5 hour flight away? I thought I had it bad with about 6 hours door to door.


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## shovel (Aug 15, 2016)

Snow Hound said:


> Jesus, you're in Hong Kong right? Japan is a 5 hour flight away? I thought I had it bad with about 6 hours door to door.


Correct am in Hong Kong - were are you?

Its about twelve hours door-to-door. Leave my home at 6:45am for the 9:15am flight to Chitose which lands at 3:15pm local time (one hour time difference) and then fuck about with immigration and baggage and car hire at Chitose followed by a 2-3hr drive.

Worth every second of hassle once we get there though 

Went to Asahidake and Furano and Kamui this year - going back for a second helping and will try and get to Kurodake subject to weather... YIPPPPEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE


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## WasabiCanuck (Apr 29, 2015)

neni said:


> Very true.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Yup totally. Beats walk/run workout on a treadmill for an hour, or what I like to call the "Hamster Wheel"


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## poutanen (Dec 22, 2011)

I've had season passes of one sort or another since getting back into the sport intensely in around 2005. Keep riding and riding and riding people!


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## Triple8Sol (Nov 24, 2008)

amdopt said:


> I couldn't agree more. I have a MAX pass too and a Mountain Collective pass this year. The combination covers every day of my season. The lift tix purchased at the window would have cost me over 4k. I saved like 75%.


Nice! I got the Max Pass this year and by the end of the season will have used ~25 days on it alone. Should have got the Mountain Collective as well since this will be the last season that Whistler is on it


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## tokyo_dom (Jan 7, 2013)

With lift passes being as expensive as they are in the US i cant believe anyone with anything more than a slight interest in snowboarding would *not* have a pass? From what my friends over there tell me, a season pass costs $800 or so, but a day ticket is $120?

Over here (Japan), with early season discounts (prepurchased day tickets) I have to ride 23 days before a season pass makes sense. Since the mountains are a good 2 hrs away, and having other commitments, i feel like i would be struggling to make value out of a pass. And since i like to vary up my scenery i will continue to buy day tickets at discount and ride 25 days on any number of mountains i want.


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## Kenai (Dec 15, 2013)

tokyo_dom said:


> With lift passes being as expensive as they are in the US i cant believe anyone with anything more than a slight interest in snowboarding would *not* have a pass? From what my friends over there tell me, a season pass costs $800 or so, but a day ticket is $120?
> 
> Over here (Japan), with early season discounts (prepurchased day tickets) I have to ride 23 days before a season pass makes sense. Since the mountains are a good 2 hrs away, and having other commitments, i feel like i would be struggling to make value out of a pass. And since i like to vary up my scenery i will continue to buy day tickets at discount and ride 25 days on any number of mountains i want.


Do they have multi-mountain passes over there? The pass I got this year gets me 5 days at each of 39 areas across the continent. I do like that I get a nice variety but still have all the benefits of a pass.


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## tokyo_dom (Jan 7, 2013)

Kenai said:


> Do they have multi-mountain passes over there? The pass I got this year gets me 5 days at each of 39 areas across the continent. I do like that I get a nice variety but still have all the benefits of a pass.


I have an apartment in Echigoyuzawa (my holiday apartment), with access to maybe 20 resorts within 20 minutes bus ride. So i am spoilt for choice on weekends, I typically choose whichever one has best snow/weather/park/less crowds, depending on which day.

Of the combined season passes, I have found a couple, but the best i can find is one that covers 8 resorts in the area. Of those 8, 2 dont allow snowboarders (really!), 2 have no parks, and one has two runs. I would go to 2 or 3 of the 8 at most, but the season pass costs 70,000 yen ($600), and the early bird tickets for those resorts are about 2500yen or less ($22). At $22, i can still head home after a few hours if i feel tired or the weather turns, without feeling guilty

I have heard that there is a "locals only" pass which covers all of the resorts if you can prove you live in that area. But moving my registered address out there is a big PITA (I live in Tokyo, which is 1.5-2 hrs away)


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## Argo (Feb 25, 2010)

lift tickets at bachelor for the day are about $90.
Squaw/Alpine was $159 last week(we were there for competition so it was $40).... 
Jackson Hole $139
Vail $189 holy shit, I just looked that up.... ridiculous.

There are plenty of smaller ski areas with prices from $40 to $80 around the US though. 

BAchelor season pass is like $850/900..... 
I also have the Max pass, it gives me access to 40 other mountains and it was $250 extra with my bachelor pass....

I will stop snowboarding before I pay full ticket prices here. They are way out of hand...


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## tokyo_dom (Jan 7, 2013)

Vail Epic pass is $769 according to google. If a single day is $189, then anything over 4 days is already paying more than a season pass. That is a joke.


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## Kenai (Dec 15, 2013)

tokyo_dom said:


> Vail Epic pass is $769 according to google. If a single day is $189, then anything over 4 days is already paying more than a season pass. That is a joke.


That is their goal. Anyone going to Vail (or most Epic resorts) for a week vacation should absolutely be buying a season pass in the spring. This gets Vail Resorts their guaranteed income and also encourages people to visit other Epic resorts.


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## tokyo_dom (Jan 7, 2013)

Suppose that makes sense. But damn those day pass prices 

Risky move though, increasing day passes to be out of reach of normal users, just to try and get the bigger fish. Creating a middle-classless environment - Richer people that can throw down $800 for season passes at the start of the season, or can afford the ridiculous day prices, and the "Live on the mountain" bums that squeeze out 100+ days out of the same lift passes.

Would completely kill the ski market here in Japan. Not enough of either of those groups here.


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## Phedder (Sep 13, 2014)

I had no idea day passes were so cheap in Japan, no wonder it draws so many powder chasers! My two seasons passes at early bird rates are $599 for a 4 month season, and $1599 for a 7 month season, both have $99 day pass prices, both for 3 major resorts. So riding 2-3 times a month and they're paid off, no brainers really. 

Heading back to NZ I think I'll just wait until the spring season passes kick in to save some money, I won't be there to ride early season June, and then mid season I'm too busy working on my hill to make use of the pass properly, then from Sept 17 until hopefully mid Oct riding's all go again! Likely end up with around 20 days at those resorts for $299, not too bad


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## tokyo_dom (Jan 7, 2013)

Phedder said:


> I had no idea day passes were so cheap in Japan, no wonder it draws so many powder chasers!


Powder chasers go to Niseko, Rusutsu, Hakuba and Nozawa, where lift tickets are in the 5000-6000yen range ($45-50?), and not many early bird discounts. Not to say that other resorts dont get powder, but these ones are known for their off-piste action. Also the early bird tickets usually need to be bought from ski shops from October to early December, so its hard for tourists to get.

Then again even full price at those premium resorts sounds like a bargain compared to most other countries!

For me, transport is a bigger cost than lift tickets.


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## Winter_Lion (Nov 30, 2016)

*Haichi Kogen?*



tokyo_dom said:


> Powder chasers go to Niseko, Rusutsu, Hakuba and Nozawa, where lift tickets are in the 5000-6000yen range ($45-50?), and not many early bird discounts. Not to say that other resorts dont get powder, but these ones are known for their off-piste action. Also the early bird tickets usually need to be bought from ski shops from October to early December, so its hard for tourists to get.
> 
> Then again even full price at those premium resorts sounds like a bargain compared to most other countries!
> 
> For me, transport is a bigger cost than lift tickets.


Have you ever gone to Haichi Kogen? I've only seen the video but that place looks like snowboarding heaven. I'd definitely would love to go there.


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## tokyo_dom (Jan 7, 2013)

Winter_Lion said:


> Have you ever gone to Haichi Kogen? I've only seen the video but that place looks like snowboarding heaven. I'd definitely would love to go there.


Hadnt heard of it until now (i assume you mean Hachi Kogen, since i cant find anything called Haichi kogen). And what do you mean snowboarding heaven - backcountry/powder? Or parks and jib items? For the latter i would say Ikenotaira in the Nagano area. That had the biggest park i have ever seen - 5 'rows' of 6-7 items in a row. Like big mountain snowboarders you have to pick a line (it wasnt busy so you could just cross rows to find the next item). I had a blast.

Its a pity that the Nagano area is just a little more difficult to get to from Tokyo - shinkansen is more expensive, buses take forever. Makes a weekend trip a little painful


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## Dave Bergmuller (Jan 2, 2017)

Unfortunately some of us live in flat land and need to drive hours to get anywhere, never mind the mountains. I would certainly agree if I lived closer though. My closest place to ride is 2 hrs and a border crossing to the USA, or 4 hours in my province. If you live that far from anywhere, I would suggest getting solid gear (doesn't need to be top end stuff to learn on). That way when the time comes, and you get to hit the mountain, you're not riding rental crap, and you learn the way your own gear works for you. BUT, if I lived closer (within a couple hours?) I would certainly invest in a season pass. The amount you learn in a solid season on the hill would be amazing.


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## jjj604 (Dec 16, 2015)

tokyo_dom said:


> Suppose that makes sense. But damn those day pass prices
> 
> Risky move though, increasing day passes to be out of reach of normal users, just to try and get the bigger fish. Creating a middle-classless environment - Richer people that can throw down $800 for season passes at the start of the season, or can afford the ridiculous day prices, and the "Live on the mountain" bums that squeeze out 100+ days out of the same lift passes.
> 
> Would completely kill the ski market here in Japan. Not enough of either of those groups here.


what's both insane and hilarious about that is that at $800usd/year, it's still gobs cheaper than whistler's $1800+ cad season pass. it's anyone's guess how much that pass is going to go on sale for next season now that it's under vail's umbrella but i can't imagine that the pricing would be more towards the higher end just from an acquisition of one mountain... if it did, all the passholders in the states would be freaking out.

japan has the right setup imo. the mountains are well maintained, season passes are reasonable, lineups are within reason (even during peak season in niseko) and of all things, the pass options are awesome (ie: the 'hourly' passes are great but only work with the infrastructure they have there)


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## Deacon (Mar 2, 2013)

Dave Bergmuller said:


> Unfortunately some of us live in flat land and need to drive hours to get anywhere, never mind the mountains. I would certainly agree if I lived closer though. My closest place to ride is 2 hrs and a border crossing to the USA, or 4 hours in my province. If you live that far from anywhere, I would suggest getting solid gear (doesn't need to be top end stuff to learn on). That way when the time comes, and you get to hit the mountain, you're not riding rental crap, and you learn the way your own gear works for you. BUT, if I lived closer (within a couple hours?) I would certainly invest in a season pass. The amount you learn in a solid season on the hill would be amazing.


This is kind of a cop-out. It's about your level of commitment. I have maybe 6 hills within 45minutes, and I have two season passes.... and the closest one is 4.5 hours away. I ride plenty at the closer hills, but opted out of the season pass for them in favor of getting a pass to a bigger hill that will make it easier to justify/afford the trips.


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## Argo (Feb 25, 2010)

jjj604 said:


> what's both insane and hilarious about that is that at $800usd/year, it's still gobs cheaper than whistler's $1800+ cad season pass. it's anyone's guess how much that pass is going to go on sale for next season now that it's under vail's umbrella but i can't imagine that the pricing would be more towards the higher end just from an acquisition of one mountain... if it did, all the passholders in the states would be freaking out.
> 
> japan has the right setup imo. the mountains are well maintained, season passes are reasonable, lineups are within reason (even during peak season in niseko) and of all things, the pass options are awesome (ie: the 'hourly' passes are great but only work with the infrastructure they have there)


Whistler will be $800us now too since they will fall under the epic pass from Vail...


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## jjj604 (Dec 16, 2015)

Argo said:


> Whistler will be $800us now too since they will fall under the epic pass from Vail...


that's what i have my fingers crossed for but, like everything in canada, when us companies enter into our market, we usually get screwed somehow. 

at $800usd that's a nobrainer. if it ends up being that price, i wonder if they'll put any restrictions on other mountains. i've been dying to get down to utah.


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## Dave Bergmuller (Jan 2, 2017)

Not a cop out man, a choice. A choice to be a dad before a boarder. In a few years when the kids are old enough to teach and ride on their own, things may change. Always a dad first.


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## Dave Bergmuller (Jan 2, 2017)

Deacon said:


> This is kind of a cop-out. It's about your level of commitment. I have maybe 6 hills within 45minutes, and I have two season passes.... and the closest one is 4.5 hours away. I ride plenty at the closer hills, but opted out of the season pass for them in favor of getting a pass to a bigger hill that will make it easier to justify/afford the trips.


Not a cop out, a choice. A choice to be a dad first. When the kids are old enough to learn and then ride on their own, things may change. Always a dad first.


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## Deacon (Mar 2, 2013)

Dave Bergmuller said:


> Not a cop out man, a choice. A choice to be a dad before a boarder. In a few years when the kids are old enough to teach and ride on their own, things may change. Always a dad first.


I have three kids, you're preaching to the choir. I made a career choice that allowed me to work four days a week, so I always have my fridays to ride. :dunno:

another dad on here moved his whole family to the mountains. There's always a way, if the will is there.


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## Dave Bergmuller (Jan 2, 2017)

Deacon said:


> I have three kids, you're preaching to the choir. I made a career choice that allowed me to work four days a week, so I always have my fridays to ride. :dunno:
> 
> another dad on here moved his whole family to the mountains. There's always a way, if the will is there.


Easier said then done though.
But yes, for sure. If I valued boarding over everything else, then sure. Move the family, the kids, give up great jobs etc etc.
But like I said, it's a choice. If I was 20 something and kids weren't in the picture yet, then sure, move, get settled, have kids, let the kids grow roots in the mountains. But at 40 something, a cabin and a house, and a couple of careers to think about (not just my own) and kids that already have made connections here, it's not so easy to pick up and move.

Have to admit though, if something came up, we would all consider the move. 

:wink:


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## sabatoa (Jan 18, 2011)

^ I don't disagree, but my daughter began learning to ski at 3-4 and now can handle Midwest blacks (lol) at 7 years old. 

Otherwise I'm in the same boat as you, a flat-lander 3.5 hours from the hill I consider home.


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## amdopt (Jan 10, 2017)

Triple8Sol said:


> Nice! I got the Max Pass this year and by the end of the season will have used ~25 days on it alone. Should have got the Mountain Collective as well since this will be the last season that Whistler is on it


Nice! I'm at Whistler right using my days! Will probably do a max and an epic next year since apparently Vail just keeps buying every mountain! Max pass was really worth it though. I used my days at Tremblant, Stratton, Okemo, Killington, Copper Mountain and snuck in a day at Steamboat too. I'll buy again for next year for sure!

Mike


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