Cheap Skiing

Stupidity is travelling to Vermont and spending $79 per day per person for a lift ticket at Stowe Resort.

The absolute most that one should spend for skiing is $40 for a Vermont Resident pass at Jay peak.

Now I am ch.. er. frugal and over the years have studied how to ski cheaply in Vermont. These are some of the bargains I have taken advantage of.

When I was younger and skied every Saturday I would buy the family bash badges at Smuggs and then we would ski for half price which was between $25-$30 a pop. But even after this, I was always on the lookout for "really good deals". These are some of the good deals I have taken advantages of.

* At Smuggs my buddy Steve Dempsey used to arrange group passes for $15 a pop.
* Killington used to have Vermont ski free days for $20 a pop
* There used to be Refuse to Abuse days at the school where we got in for $15 at Killington and Sugarbush
* Bolton Valley has $10 lift tickets the week before Christmas
* At Sugarbush you can ski for $14 on February 14 and for $17 on March 17.
* Sugarbush had Warren Miller days where you could ski for $5.50 or something like that.

This year we are living off the 2 for one passes that you get for filling your tank at Mobil. Actually you only need three $16.00 fill-ups and you get a two for one pass. We have picked up a two for one pass at a rate of one per week, which is more than I ever will use.

Of course Stowe doesn't honor the two for one passes. They are too busy soaking the flatlanders for $79 per ticket. That is why I don't ski Stowe.

Anyway, yesterday I paid a little more than I like ($102 plus a couple bucks) and got three tickets at Jay Peak for myself, my son at Northeastern, and his girlfriend. We purchased 2 under the 2 for one for $62 and one more expensive Vermonters pass for $40.

I would grade the ski day a B+ for me personally. The weather was a little colder than what I prefer, but it was still not freeze your glutumus maximus off type of cold. There was a fresh 6" or so of powder on the slopes from overnight which made the skiing great for Stephen but unfortunately for me made skiing "The Jet" a little more difficult than I prefer.

Still there were no lift lines to speak of, and this old man skied 13 runs before tiring at about 2:00 in the afternoon. This was my third ski trip of the season..the first two being the $10 ski tickets at Bolton and a two-for-one deal at Sugarbush. My next ski trip (unless I go earlier with Stephen) I hope will be the $14 day at Sugarbush. However if the weather is really great I might go to Smuggs on a Friday and ski for 1/2 price.

Do not pay $79 for a lift ticket at Stowe.