Nov 23 2009
East Coast Snow Drought, West Coast Glut
You can find bargains galore at East Coast ski areas as the mountain resorts struggle to sell lift tickets during this prolonged Indian Summer.
The word from our home mountain and sponsor, Belleayre, is that Mother Nature has not cooperated so far this fall. Unseasonably mild temperatures have postponed the start of the ski season in the Northeast. They have joined forces with Plattekill, Holiday, Windham and Hunter to sell a regional discount card starting on December 1st when the Catskill Region frequent skier card goes on sale. It offers a 20 percent discount all the participating ski areas all season long for $25. Call (800) NYS-CATS (697-2287) or visit www.mycatscard.com.
|
At Killington and Pico their fingers are crossed for snow. November temperatures as high as 68°, and colder than 19° have left them high and snowless. But Mother Nature may be coming around (as she always does). Predictions for next week have the temperature dropping low and staying low. Those cold nights will result in some great opening day conditions. now scheduled for December 12. Pico is offering a package of up to four lift tickets for $35 a piece, a savings of up to $22, but there are 19 blackout dates. Stratton Mountain has it's X2 card, a picture pass that saves you up to $30 on lift tickets.
|
Just over the border in New Jersey, Mountain Creek is offering $100 off an All Season All Access pass purchased before the snow flies. In Massachusetts, Ski Butternut is offering a three pack for $120 or a Junior three pack for $90. This amounts to a savings of $15 per ticket.
These vouchers are valid any day all season long, including holiday periods.
Meanwhile, it's blizzard conditions out west. Whistler Blackcomb opened Whistler Mountain for the 2009/10 season a full 12 days before scheduled after heavy early-season snowfalls. The resort opened with four lifts operating and will open two more lifts Nov. 26. The resort's website reported 190 centimeters, or about 74 inch snowbase Tuesday. Whistler-Blackcomb will host alpine and nordic events in February for the 2010 Winter Olympics. In Oregon, Timberline Lodge claims it became the first ski area to open in the region Nov. 7 with three of seven lifts running.
Buying lift tickets at rack rates is for amateurs. Discounts are the norm, and they are easier to find when the weather doesn't cooperate. Some of us are singing old tunes like California Dreaming or Rock Mountain High. When it snows, it blizzards.