# Boarding for Cheap in the west?



## Engage_mike (Oct 14, 2011)

Hey All..quick question since I figured its off season and there is nill to talk about around here..Is there such a thing as boarding in Colorado or Utah cheap? For the past 4 years I've been paying no more than $30 for a lift ticket over here on the east coast and the cheapest I seem to find over on the west would be $95? I'd love to make my venture out west this coming season but I may need to save for 2 years to go for a week at their crazy lift ticket prices. :dizzy:


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## RockyMTNsteeze (Oct 21, 2012)

It's cheaper to buy a pass over the internet in October/November in the fall than to buy a lift ticket. The ski passes out here are competitive, but they don't do the same with lift tickets. You should check out ski area websites during the fall to see which one you want. The smaller mountains like loveland, A-basin and Monarch have cheaper passes. While smaller they are way better than your ice coast hills and are nice mountains with good terrain. Eldora is the sucky mtn.

Also shell stations in Colorado offer buy one get one lift tickets at some ski areas with black out dates good during the week. You have to buy 10 gallons of gas to get them and need a friend. They have been doing this for years.

This info pertains to Colorado.


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## killclimbz (Aug 10, 2007)

Utah has a couple of ski areas that are in that price range but overall most resorts there are very reasonable. $60 is the average. Snobasin, Brighton, Solitude. Powder Mountain you can usually get tickets for under $50 from what I remember. The ski shops in Salt Lake city and Ogden sell discount tickets for the most part.

You are probably not going to find tickets for Snowbird in that price range. Snowbird considers itself the premiere area and charges accordingly. Expect that $95 a day to stick there.

For Colorado, good luck. Loveland, Monarch, Wolf Creek are the best spots for reasonably priced lift tickets. Right at $60 a day. Otherwise it's stupid expensive to buy lift tickets out here. The season pass route is what everyone does to keep the costs down. But that really only works for those of us who are within day trip range of the ski areas. 

And $30 a day on the East Coast? You must not be going to the big boys, like Jay, Stowe, or Killington. I am pretty sure they are more in line with prices out here.


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## BurtonAvenger (Aug 14, 2007)

Also if you fly in to Utah and go to the resort by noon with your ticket stub you get a free ticket for that day if I remember correctly.


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## killclimbz (Aug 10, 2007)

BurtonAvenger said:


> Also if you fly in to Utah and go to the resort by noon with your ticket stub you get a free ticket for that day if I remember correctly.


That was for Park City and I also believe the Canyons. They have a sign up page for that, google should find it easily enough.


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## JeffreyCH (Nov 21, 2009)

killclimbz said:


> The season pass route is what everyone does to keep the costs down. But that really only works for those of us who are within day trip range of the ski areas.


Not really true, I bought a pass to A-basin for $300, spent 9 days there, so per day worked out to around $35. Your best bet is to get a group together to split the lodging. When we go there is usually 6 of us that split the lodging, we rent a house for 3k/week so 500/per person. This past season we did 10 days for 4500 so around, little over 700/per person for lodging. So there is lift tickets and lodging covered for about 1000/per person. We stay in really really nice houses, you can find cheaper condo's that will still sleep 4-6 people comfortably, season before last we only had 4 go, so we got a late season deal on a condo, it was 800/week. Since that year was crap for snow and we went in April, I found lift tickets on craigslist for 25/day (left over 4/paks people didn't use). 

Some pics from the house this season


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## killclimbz (Aug 10, 2007)

I guess I should have said for those of us within driving distance. If you are flying, not so sure that is the way to go. You can definitely do it for cheaper in Utah and probably get more snow...


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## stan_darsh (Mar 10, 2013)

everyone has pointed out good stuff in utah and colorado - northern new mexico has a few places to offer as well. santa fe and angel fire are around the $60 mark, and taos if you get the "taos card" which is a discount card you activate for like $20-30 that is good all season (and for some free days) will get you $15-20 off lift tix and discounts on lessons/clinics etc. can't remember the exact numbers, but if you're going for more than 2 days, it's a good deal

sipapu resort is up north as well, expect lift tickets from $0 to $40. if it's not a peak weekend, they always have a good deal going on. sometimes they'll let everyone who can fit in one car ride for $50, or you get a free hotel room with a $40 lift ticket. last weekend of this past season, everyone rode free... and the last month of the season, lift tix were $7-12 online if you bought them the day before

one thing about these places i mentioned, is that if you're there and it's not a peak weekend, you won't wait in any lines or have crowded runs. even during spring break, i never had to wait more than 30 seconds for a chair at angel fire.


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## JeffreyCH (Nov 21, 2009)

killclimbz said:


> I guess I should have said for those of us within driving distance. If you are flying, not so sure that is the way to go. You can definitely do it for cheaper in Utah and probably get more snow...


I guess you did say day trip distance, for me it's an 8 hour drive. I did think about the cost of flying after I posted. It also depends on what the OP considers cheap. I spent a total of 1600 on my vacation in Dec. that was gas, lodging, lift tickets, lesson/tix for my GF, food, booze, so for a 10 day trip I consider that cheap...some might not


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## RockyMTNsteeze (Oct 21, 2012)

Keystone Season Pass | Season Ski Passes | KeystoneResort.com

Saw this on Facebook. There is a Keystone/Arapahoe Basin Pass for $279. if i did not want Beaver Creek and Vail days I would buy this pass. Fuck breck, that mountain sucks anyway.

The days are unlimited at Keystone. There are black out dates for Arapahoe Basin. 

I usually get the Epic Local pass at around 400 dollars. I like to have my Beaver Creek and Vail days, but don't need more than 10.

Jeffery did you stay in one of those Keystone ranch mansions? It looks familier. When I lived in summit Cove I walked my dog back there frequently.


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## df_321 (Oct 6, 2011)

Fuck... you guys are sooooo lucky. You're saying $70 is on the higher side, in Aus we pay $100ish for a day ticket and there are never any deals except for season passes. Not to mention the mountains are tiny and the snow is shit.


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## BurtonAvenger (Aug 14, 2007)

df_321 said:


> Fuck... you guys are sooooo lucky. You're saying $70 is on the higher side, in Aus we pay $100ish for a day ticket and there are never any deals except for season passes. Not to mention the mountains are tiny and the snow is shit.


110 plus peak season here.


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## wrathfuldeity (Oct 5, 2007)

Right around $50/day and you could dirtbag (rent a van/rv) in the lot or 
just dirtbag and hike and be happy doing this...but on second thought probably not recommended for FLA folks.


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## koi (May 16, 2013)

I would do the Epic Local or Keystone/A-Basin. I have met a few out of staters who do that every year because they come to CO for two week vacations in the winter. 

You also got to look at what you're coming to CO or UT to ride in. You want to experience these mountains you can't go to mom&pop resorts and expect to see what all the fuss is about.


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## killclimbz (Aug 10, 2007)

Mom and pops have some of the best that there is to offer. And not too mention, since when is Keystone a mom and pop?


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## koi (May 16, 2013)

I wasn't calling Keystone a mom & pop place. The Keystone/A-Basin or the Epic Local pass was what I recommending to him. 

I do agree that some mom & pop places can be fun, but I think a person visiting (for the first time) would have more fun at a bigger mountain. Especially if they are coming from the east where runs are normally a lot shorter.


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## miplatt88 (May 13, 2013)

I live in Nebraska so I usually get the Epic Local. Had about 20 days in Colorado this year on the pass. Absolutely worth it if you are going to be out there for more than 5 days. The 10 days at Vail or the Beav is pretty amazing. Vail is absolutely incredible.


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## BurtonAvenger (Aug 14, 2007)

Why would you ever send them to the "bigger" mountains. So they can stand in lift lines? I seriously feel bad for anyone that decides that their first experience in CO should be going to Keystone. Yeah no snowfall, constant ice, douche bag "locals". Oh yeah sign me up, oh wait that place blows more dick then Jenna Jameson. Mom and pop all the way.


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## snowklinger (Aug 30, 2011)

Don't confuse acreage with "big mountain". Many of the non-Vail resorts in CO can boast gnarlier terrain than what you can find at the big 5(CB, T-ride and Silverton for examples). Some really sweet little resorts too like Monarch. Loveland and Copper are awesome. Down south Wolf Creek tix are notoriously affordable....


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## koi (May 16, 2013)

I like riding Keystone, it's not my favorite mountain, but I enjoy going there. So what are you recommending to him? I say the epic local because it gives him 5 resorts, and if any gets a dump of pow they are all within driving distance.


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## Engage_mike (Oct 14, 2011)

Thanks all for the input...I'll store this topic away so I can open it up in Sept when I start planning a trip...All suggestions and tips are greatly appreciated! This Florida guy can't wait to get on to the mountains!


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## RockyMTNsteeze (Oct 21, 2012)

koi said:


> I like riding Keystone, it's not my favorite mountain, but I enjoy going there. So what are you recommending to him? I say the epic local because it gives him 5 resorts, and if any gets a dump of pow they are all within driving distance.


I love Keystone. There are many reasons to like Keystone. Keystone has great trees. Keystone has snow cat tours. Keystone has good hikes. Keystone has long trails. Keystone has good lifts. Breckenridge's lifts are a cluster fuck. Keystone has a gondola that serves ridable terrain. Breckenridge's lame ass gondola does not It's purpose is to increase the value of Vail properties (lame). This is an important factor if it is butt ass cold during your trip. Breck is cold.

Breckenridge gets more snow, but it blows off the mountain. Trust me on this, they call it Breckenwind and Breckefridge. Always bring a face mask to Breck.

Breckenridge has way longer, flatter and more prevalent cat walks than keystone.

I have had more issues with ski patrol at Breckenridge than Keystone. I spend way less time there. Breckenridge has a lot of no jumping signs and they put them on all the good rollers. Breckenridge put a no jumping sign on this awesome roller on peak 9. It was one of the redeeming qualities of the mountain. I almost lost my pass because of that stupid roller. I can't resist that roller. There is only one no jumping sign at keystone and that fucker is hard to resist too. 

The smaller mountains don't give a shit about the rollers and leave them alone. It's nice not to have to look over my shoulder.

Peak 8 is so busy. There are more mega condos at the base of Breckenridge, this means more gapers. Breckenridge has the highest concentration of bro brahs. Some of the Breckenridge locals are very arrogant. This is true for many mountains.

Breckenridge aint my favorite mountain.

Of course everyone is going to have their opinions on mountains based on their own experiences. I know both Breck and Keystone pretty good. I have lived in Summit for most of my 20's. I aint in the 20s anymore.


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## d2cycles (Feb 24, 2013)

I have 2 reasons for liking Keystone:

1) A51 (terrain park) has a dedicated lift.
2) Night skiing

My CO favorites:
1) Wolf Creek
2) Arapaho Basin
3) Crested Butte


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## swetasinha (Jun 19, 2013)

*Boarding for Cheap in the west*

Nice Boarding charge in colorado and paying to comfortable for someone.:eusa_clap:


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