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Here’s The Deal: The Early Bird Gets The Deals For The 2010-2011 Season

The Editors — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 18:20:04 +0000

It’s a great year for skiing deals! Eastern ski areas had a solid 2009-2010 season and they’re offering really good deals to keep that momentum going, even in a sluggish nationwide economy. Who wins? You do! Here is an alphabetical list of all the deals we’ve found so far; come back often, we’ll update this list every time we find another great deal!

Attiash

Season passes, go to full price on October 11. For more information on all the deals go here.

Belleayre

Early Bird pricing is in effect for season passes in September. The September Belleayre Season Pass Deal includes five discounted guest passes that can be used at any time during the season to bring a guest for only $34. Current season pass holders who bring a new friend who buys a full adult season pass receive additional $50 off their price. Bring a senior season pass holder and receive $25 off or recruit a new family to the Belleayre experience and receive $100 off.

Ski Butternut

Before December 1, buy a 2010-11 Season Pass for: $275 Adult, $225 Jr., $100 Kids, $500 Corporate.

Cranmore Mountain Resort

Cranmore’s Season Passes are $179 for Juniors ages 6-12, and Adult limited Happy Trails passes are $339 (with holiday blackout dates but valid weekends!) These prices are valid through November 30.

Crotched Mountain:

These deals are good only until Tuesday, August 31st!

10 Pack: $399 ($39.90 Per Ticket!) 10 anytime lift tickets.can be used any time, any day, for any session, even Midnight Madness. The 10 pack is interchangeable between family members, friends and co-workers. (Valid for 10 lift tickets only. Lessons and rental equipment are not included.)

Higher Education Pass: $299 – 4 Mountain Pass for full time college student taking 12 credit or more this coming school year . Valid at Crotched, Mount Snow, Attitash and new for the 2010-11 season; Jack Frost- Big Boulder in Pennsylvania. (Letter from registrar or copy of school schedule needed to pick up pass.)

Gunstock Mountain

The $259 College pass for Gunstock, Wildcat and Sunapee, has no blackout dates.

These passes are discounted through November 7: Prime Time Adults $499; Prime Time Teen $409; Prime Time Child and Prime Time Senior $279; Night $229; Mid-Week $299.

Jay Peak Resort

If you buy before October 11, you’ll get Jay’s best Season Pass Deals. An Adult Unlimited pass is $629 ($1179 per couple), Seniors are $479 (55-69, $199 for the over-70 crowd). They also have a variety of kid and family-pass options.

The Triple Major (college pass with Jay Peak, Mad River Glen and Bolton Valley ) is $289 if purchased before November 8.

Jiminy Peak

October 15th cut off date for season pass and Value Card savings. Find all the pass deals here

Loon Mountain Resort

Before Columbus Day Weekend (October 11) season passes valid at Loon Mountain, Sunday River, and Sugarloaf start at $410 for an adult Bronze Pass, $669 for an adult Silver Pass and $975 for an adult Gold Pass. College passes are also available for $339 through November 30.

Mad River Glen

The MAD CARD ($139 until December 15) gets you 3 transferable day tickets good any time during the 2010-11 ski season, $5 off any additional full day lift ticket purchased throughout the season (Limit: 1 per Mad Card/Day), buy a Midweek Private Adult Clinic and Bring a Friend Free (not available during holiday periods).

The FAMILY MAD CARD ( $189 before October 15) gets kids ages 12 and under (as of 1/1/11) FREE SEASON PASSES and all other Mad Card benefits. Go here or call 802-496-3551 for details.

Mohawk Mountain

Best prices expire on September 30: Adult Pass – good anytime the mountain is open – only $429.00 before September 30, 2010, save $180. To see all of the deals, visit their season pass page or call 1-800-895-5222.

Mount Snow

October 11 is the deadline to save $150 on all Mount Snow passes
The Noreaster Pass includes Crotched Mountain, Attitash and Jack Frost/Big Boulder in PA for $1049, the Classic Pass (Mount Snow only with holiday blackout dates) is $699 and mid-week passes are $549.

The Higher Education season pass (College Pass) is only $299 and includes Mount Snow, Attitash, Crotched Mountain and Jack Frost/Big Boulder.

Mount Sunapee Resort

Mount Sunapee has a variety of season pass options, all on sale until October 11.

The Ultrapass includes, Sunapee, Okemo, Stratton and Crested Butte for $1555 for adults. The adult Peak Pass (Mount Sunapee and Okemo) is $959. There are a variety of cheaper midweek, kid and senior options.

The unlimited SOS College Pass (Sunapee – Okemo – Stratton) is $279.

Okemo Mountain Resort

Okemo has a variety of Season Passes are on sale until October 11 including:

The $1557 Ultra pass for Okemo, Stratton, Sunapee and Crested Butte CO, the $741 Value Pass Plus for Okemo, Stratton and Sunapee with blackout dates, and the $1240 Peak Pass for Okemo and Sunapee.

Sunday One-Day Season Pass $299 for adults ($359 after October 11). This direct-to-lift season pass has four blackout dates, but is valid all other Sundays throughout the season.

Frequent Skier Flex Card $99, plus tax (prior to November 15 and $119 afterward), save: 50 percent on weekday, non-holiday (Monday through Friday), single-day lift ticket rates; 25 percent on weekend and holiday single-day lift ticket rates; 50 percent on single-day lift ticket rates every day in November, and from March 21 through closing day in April. Fifty percent savings will also apply on select Sundays in January and March. Flex card benefits are available at Mount Sunapee Resort, in N.H. (days, dates and discount values may vary)

Okemo’s 8-Pack and 12-Packs are on sale until November 16. The 8-Pack is a pre-purchase of eight unrestricted, single, full-day lift tickets for the price of seven. The 8-Pack is valid every day of the 20010/2011 season with no restrictions and it is transferable. It may be applied toward the purchase of one or two tickets per day. Pricing is: Adults $557; Young Adults/Seniors $487; Juniors/Super Seniors $375. The Okemo 12-Pack is 12 unrestricted, single, full-day lift tickets for the price of ten. : Adults $790; Young Adults/Seniors $690; Juniors/Super Seniors $530. As an added bonus, 8-Pack and 12-Pack holders can present their valid packs at the Crested Butte, Colo., lift ticket window to save 20% on multi-day lift ticket rates all season long.

Pats Peak

Early Season Pass Deadline is September 1! An Unlimited, direct-to-lift pass is $369 for Adults (18-64), $279 for Juniors (6-17) and Seniors (65+)

Customize your pass with one of the following options: Powder Pass Club, Unlimited, College, Midweek, Transferable. Season Pass Holders can add money to their Season Pass Cards to use as a debit card anywhere on the mountain. We have also teamed up with Mount Sunapee, NH; Jay Peak, VT; and Burke Mountain, VT for Added Value for our season pass holders. See all the Season Pass options here.

Saddleback is offering a 10-year season pass for $5,000 this season!

Other passes are on sale until September 19, including their popular Peak Pass for Honor Roll Students ($59 for Maine residents, $99 for others), Adult Season Pass: $599 (will be $649 on September 20),Locals Pass: $499 ( $549 on September 20). Military personnel and First Responders also get huge discounts on Saddleback passes. For complete information, go here.

Shawnee Peak Resort

Buy College Student Season passes at Shawnee Peak a before 8/31 and pay just $179 for a FULL, unlimited season pass! Part-time, graduate, online, even students in Medical residency programs are eligible! The price goes up to $199 after September 1.

Smugglers Notch Resort

Smugglers’ passes and badges are on sale until Labor Day. Post Labor Day prices remain in effect until Halloween. The Bash Badge for adults is $89 prior to Labor Day, a savings of $40 over the full price (youth Bash Badge is $69/$109). With the Bash Badge, you pay only $25 to ski or ride any day, all day, all season long, and there’s a $15 pm/half-day ski option.

Stratton Mountain Resort

Early Booking Offer: Book any winter 2010-2011 lodging by October 30, 2010, and save 30 percent off midweek, 20 percent off weekends and 10 percent off holidays. Also enjoy special savings on lift tickets, snow school and rentals too. With price protection and a relaxed cancellation policy, it’s all the reward without the risk.

The X2 Card $69 ($79 after November 23) offers a free day of skiing or riding plus $30 off midweek (non-holiday), $20 off weekends (non-holiday), and $10 on holidays.

Sugarbush Resort

Has winter season pass options on sale until September 15. College and Graduate passes are discounted through November 1.

ALL MOUNTAIN PASS: Unlimited skiing and riding at Lincoln Peak and Mt. Ellen includes ALL resort and valley discounts. Unlimited is $1199 for adults, midweek-only is $499

MT. ELLEN PASS (Includes select resort discounts) is $549 for unlimited access. The MT. ELLEN PLUS adds 5 days at Lincoln Peak whenever you want to use ‘em and spring skiing at lincoln Peak after Mt. Ellen closes for $799.

College Students and Recent Grads pay $319 for all-mountain passes, $219 for Mount Ellen.

Sugarloaf

Before Columbus Day Weekend (October 11) season passes good at Sugarloaf, Sunday River, and Loon Mountain start at $410 for an adult Bronze Pass, $669 for an adult Silver Pass and $975 for an adult Gold Pass. College passes are also available for $339 through November 30.

Sunday River

Before Columbus Day Weekend (October 11) season passes good at Sunday River, Loon Mountain, and Sugarloaf start at $410 for an adult Bronze Pass, $669 for an adult Silver Pass and $975 for an adult Gold Pass. College passes are also available for $339 through November 30.

Whaleback

Season passes are discounter 25% during the month of September with an Open House and “Dash for a Pass” on September 19 (rain date Sept 26th). Dash for a pass is a run to the top of the mountain with the winner in each category receiving a season pass. Whaleback also offers a $30 third grader pass, a $99 High School Honor and Achievement Pass, and a $99 College student pass all with no black out dates.

Wildcat Mountain

Wildcat season passes are on sale unto October 15, including the $349 Black cat Midweek Pass (valid Monday – Friday with 10 holiday blackout dates and every day until December 24, and after April 1.)

The $549 Adult 6-Day Pass is valid Sunday – Friday, Excludes Saturdays, No Black-Out Dates and every day early season until December 24 and after April 1.)

The $649 Adult Full Pass valid every day.

Wildcat Mountain also has NH College Breakout Season Pass ($259 if purchased before December 18) valid every day for the entire 2010/2011 season at Wildcat, Mount Sunapee, and Gunstock.

You can see all of Wildcat’s season pass deals here.

Fan Guns: The New Face of New England Snow

David Shedd — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 19:10:42 +0000

The revolution began quietly. In 2002, Peak Resorts bought one of New England’s smaller ski areas, Crotched Mountain. There was a little buzz in the press about it, some excitement in the consumer world, and skiing continued as usual, there and around the Northeast.

Fast forward to 2009. Killington gets a run open on November 7. Mount Snow, another Peak Resorts property, opens a lift on October 17. And Sunday River, a perennial champion in the snowmaking steeplechase, gets open on October 14 and stays open. With the exception of Sunday River, everyone else was forced to shut back down due to a blast of unseasonably warm weather…but what’s the deal with all of these early openings??? And what’s the connection with Crotched Mountain?

Fan guns blow a LOT of snow, fast! (King Pine photo)

One word (okay, two): Fan guns. Strange looking things…sort of like a jet engine that fell off a DC-10. Short, fat, ugly. Sometimes they’re sitting on the side of a trail, looking like a cannon ready to be towed into battle. Other times, they’re perched on top of a tower like metallic vultures. This isn’t snowmaking as we know it, with long, graceful nozzles arcing in a line over a trail (and spewing a particularly unpleasant wet mix that usually hits you about halfway up the lift, coating your goggles and turning you into a human popsicle). What’s the deal with the fan gun invasion?

Conventional wisdom, if you Google fan guns, says that they’re great at putting out huge amounts of snow for base areas in very cold conditions. Okay, that makes sense, particularly for large ski areas that both need gruntloads of snow around their base areas and have the big bucks to buy fan guns (which come in at somewhere around $10,000 each, on average). But if that’s true, why does an area like Shawnee Peak…or an even smaller area, like King Pine… have them? And what’s the real advantage in New England’s flaky weather, if they only work at cold temperatures?

Time to talk to the experts. Since Crotched Mountain was the first to have fan

A tower gun with "Bugs", one of the heroes of Eastern snow! (Mount Snow photo)

guns around here, it made sense to start there. And, immediately conventional wisdom took its first blow. Felix Kagi, VP of that operation, confirmed that yes, their tower fan guns DO allow them to produce snow in marginal conditions, and to blow HUGE amounts of snow when the conditions are optimal. He commented that “they give us the firepower to open up fairly quickly as temperatures allow, to recover quickly from thaw and freeze cycles, and to offer skiing conditions that Mother Nature can’t provide, as well as skiing conditions that are difficult to duplicate with traditional air/water snowmaking systems.”

Hmmm. That doesn’t sound like a system that’s only good in bitter cold. In fact, that sounds like a system that’s ideal for solving a dilemma of snowmaking; namely, that it works best when you need it the least. Let’s dig a little deeper into this particular snowbank.

Loon Mountain’s a little farther north in NH, and a lot bigger. They’re known for getting open, staying open, and making sure that the Boston crowd that comes flying up I-93 on Friday afternoon has a good time. Stacy Lopes, the marketing manager there, is enthusiastic about what fan guns bring to Loon. She comments that the fans are great at making quality snow at milder temperatures, as well as blanketing the wide-open trails and base areas. Also, since the fan guns have their own compressors, they don’t add stress to Loon’s conventional snowmaking infrastructure, allowing more snow to be blown when the opportunity arises.

So far, so good. Let’s move over to Maine, where…well, let’s face it, Sunday River blows the most snow. Might as well see what they have to say. They’ve probably put more money into snowmaking infrastructure over the past decade than the Department of Transportation has into road infrastructure (but that’s a different problem entirely), so they wouldn’t need ridiculously expensive fan guns to take stress off the conventional air/water guns, right?

Wrong. Darcy Liberty, spokesperson over there, said that “fan guns allow us to produce dryer snow at higher temperatures, which disputes the conventional wisdom that they aren’t good in marginal temperatures.” Well, it’s hard to argue with those results, given the skiing so far this year at Sunday River! And go take a look at South Ridge…from the base area, you can see a ton of Boyne Low-E fan guns (given that Boyne owns Sunday River, this makes a lot of sense!).

So far, so good. Every area that’s using them says that they do a better job in marginal conditions…but why? Again, the word on the street is that they don’t work as well when temperatures are hovering near the freezing mark. What’s going on that makes them so effective here in New England…is it magic?

Like a mechanical vulture, a tower gun waits to blanket a trail in snow (Mount Snow photo)

The answer appears to be in how the fan guns are applied. Randy Barrows, head of snowmaking at Mount Snow, says that the biggest factor is in how the guns are nozzled. In his ideal world, he gets water that’s at 38-40 degrees, and temperatures above 20 degrees, and produces better quality than he can get with conventional guns. Also, by using tower mounted guns, they can shoot the water as much as 40 feet in the air, giving the new snow more time to literally dry out before it hits the ground. Dry snow, more loft, and suddenly “packed powder” isn’t code for “icy stuff”.

Of course, Mount Snow is a big area…they’ve got lots of money behind them to put into making things work just right. But what about the smaller areas? I talked with Dan Houde, marketing director over at King Pine, to see what their take is…they’ve got a dozen of these megabuck cannons, and they’re not exactly a high profile area. His experience is that first, the fans are the most efficient guns on the mountain; they pay for themselves to a certain extent because of lower operating costs. And, just as at Mount Snow, they pay close attention to the nozzling. He said “if the air temperature falls, we can add more water by using a series of valves, making more snow without using any more air.” Given that the air compressor is usually the limiting factor in a snowmaking system, that’s a big boost to capacity as well as temperature flexibility. King Pine also uses an additive called “Snowmax”, which creates a particle for the snow crystal to form around, making the process more efficient and the snowflakes larger than could happen without it.

Deep mounds of snow from fan guns are perfect for terrain parks (Mount Snow photo)

So, it appears that the reason they work so well in New England is the snowmakers themselves. Those guys out there freezing their tails off at night have learned how to ue the fan guns in ways that take the best advantage of our weather here. And the result is better snow, more open trails, and longer seasons for us…not a bad deal! Hmmm…you know, it might be interesting to see exactly how these guys do what they do. And since Peak Resorts really started the revolution in New England, it would make sense to check it out at one of their resorts. Attitash is the closest to me…stand by for an update when I’ve had a chance to go play in the (manmade) snow!

Resort Snapshot: Sunday River 12-28-09

Nicholas Marcisso — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 12:00:51 +0000

Let it SNOW!!!!

“Snow, snow, snow!” That’s all I could think about when heading up to Sunday River on Sunday night. The last time I went there it was 50 degrees and I was the only car in Portland with skis on top.

This time was different. With temps in the upper 20s and lower 30s, I do not think I could have chosen a better day to go skiing. Plus, Mother Nature gave Sunday River a delightful gift in the afternoon.

With over 50 trails open, there was plenty of terrain ready to be conquered. You could find a trail to suit your skill level. South Ridge was quite lively with many toddlers learning to ski and snowboard. On weekends and holidays, if you’re not a beginner I would recommend you find your way onto the mountain either through Barker or White Cap and avaoid the beginner crush at South Ridge.

Well at least you won't see the same person twice...

The day started out with a slight overcast but the clouds were just waiting to dump some snow on the mountain. By 1:00pm it was snowing heavily and on top of that Sunday River was also blasting the guns, turning good conditions into GREAT conditions. By 2:00pm the new snow had really accumulated. In terms of ice, there wasn’t much. So if you looking for some groomed powder, Sunday River has it.

For those interested in the terrain park scene, the situation is improving. Heading up Chairlift 1 I could see they were working on Rocking Chair which is slated to open on Wednesday according to their twitter feed. The South Ridge Park was open for those into rails and boxes, but if you’re going up during winter vacation, I recommend walking back up the mountain as the lifts are very packed.

Try and try again.

For Wednesday through Friday, the plan is to groom 66 trails on Wednesday. For this weekend, it looks like you are in for one heck of a time: the forecast is for 10 inches Friday and 6 inches Saturday, I recommend you find a place to stay on the mountain as driving isn’t going to be as awesome as the skiing and riding.

My trail picks for the day would be Lazy River for being just down right fun and Risky Business for the snow guns blowing in my face.

Santa Sunday At Sunday River

Tim Jones — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 13:47:44 +0000

Want a smile? Watch 250 Santas joyfully celebrating snow at Sunday River on December 6. (Sunday River photo)

One of the most fun events of the 09/10 snow season will happen on Sunday, December 6, 2009. It’s the 10th Annual Santa Sunday at Sunday River (800-543-2SKI) in Newry, Maine, when 250 Santa-suit clad skiers and riders take to the slopes at once. My personal favorites are the Santas on Telemark gear—there’s something particularly charming about watching Santa genuflect gracefully down a snowy slope. . . .

Sunday River has been the only Northeast resort in continuous operation this season. If you haven’t visited yet, Santa Sunday is a great excuse. It’s fun whether you participate, or just take your enjoyment from the spectacle of so many Santas on the slopes while you ski or ride.

Even lift lines are fun when Santa's around! (Tim Jones photo)

Here’s how it works: the first 250 folks who pre-register on line starting Sunday, November 29 at noon, and who then show up and re-register in person on December 6 between 7:30 and 10:30 a.m., dressed in full Santa regalia (red suit, beard, hat with white pom-pom). In the spirit of Christmas each Santa must then make a $10 (or more, hopefully a lot more!) donation to the Bethel Rotary Club’s fund which provides gifts for needy children. For that, the Santas get a FREE lift ticket.

That ticket is good only until 11 a.m. At that hour, all sliding Santas must show up for a group photograph and a phot-op mass Santa start on the Broadway Trail at the South Ridge base. All the sliding Santas then get a lift ticket good for the rest of that day and two additional lift tickets valid through December 18, 2009. Surely Santa can afford to give a good cause more than a measly $10 for three FREE lift tickets.

Remember, there are only 250 Santa slots to fill, and you must pre-register. Remember, too, that you don’t have to be in Santa gear to make the charity donation. I’ve been to Santa Sunday a couple of times and I can tell you: if the sight of so many Santas on the slopes doesn’t make you smile, you’re definitely a Grinch with a heart (and probably underwear . . .) that’s two sizes too small.

Last Run of the Season At Sunday River – A Mountain Biking Tribute 2009

Nicholas Marcisso — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 11:21:00 +0000

Though ski season is kicking into full gear here at EasternSlopes.com, we thought we would give one last shout out for those downhill mountain bikers who are still enjoying the ski hills in their own way. Here is a great video made by Sebastian Boyington as a tribute to the 09 season!

Last Run of the Season from Sebastian Boyington on Vimeo.

Resort Snapshot: Sunday River 10-19-09

Nicholas Marcisso — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 13:11:23 +0000

Just made my first top-to bottom run of the season at Sunday River! On Saturday afternoon, just three days after they opened the T2 trail at the top of Locke Mountain, they dropped the rope on Lower Sunday Punch to allow skiers and riders to make the full circuit of the Locke Mountain triple.

When I started the week, I had no idea that I would be skiing by the end of it. But when Sunday River opened on Wednesday afternoon, my boss told me to get there as soon as possible and check it out. Sometimes you just have to do what the boss says…

So there I was on Saturday, flying down Locke Mountain on what felt like a warm spring day. I had never skied in October before. It had never really crossed my mind. I mean October is Columbus Day, Halloween, and My Birthday (not in order of importance!), not skiing . . .or so I thought!

On my way up to Sunday River, I was both excited and embarrassed. Here I was driving around with skis on top of my car when it was 45 to 50 degrees outside with no snow on the ground anywhere; I think people thought I was crazy To top things off I passed a car with two mountain bikes going in the opposite direction. Think about it: while I was going skiing, other people were mountain biking on other trails!

When I arrived, I was blown away by the fact that I could see people skiing down the mountain on real snow. I moved as quickly as possible to get on that chairlift! T2 at the top of Locke was the only trail open, although they opened Sunday Punch in time for my last run.

In terms of conditions, well, it was what to be expected this early in the season. With large differences in temperatures between night and day, and lots of traffic on limited terrain, the snow had become a little hard at the top of the mountain. Don’t get me wrong, it was more than acceptable! As you made your way down T2 the snow got softer and more like what you would expect mid winter, and if you decided to go down Sunday Punch, well, you were floating on soft, fluffy snow…crazy quality for this time of year! They had even set up a small terrain park. Overall, it was great skiing and tons of fun, especially for October. The best part is that skiing now is going to help me enjoy early winter conditions even more, with my legs already in better shape and more “feel” for the snow.

Coming off the mountain was weird; I felt like i was rejoining the rest of society and trying to enjoy a snowless october, fall foliage, normal things like that.

A word to the wise, though (Sunday River has been warning everyone of this!) : this skiing is for Intermediate and Advanced skiers/riders only. T2 is a black diamond in perfect conditions. Add in some ice on parts of the trail and the difficulty increases. If you are just an average skier, consider waiting for more terrain. But if you’re more experienced, get out there and get some bragging rights for skiing in October. Check out the video to see how much fun everyone was having…what a great scene!

Video:

Pictures:

[nggallery id=1]

The State of the Union–Is Eastern Skiing in trouble?

David Shedd — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 19:20:44 +0000

What recession? Business at giant Killington Mountain Resort was up last season! Photos courtesy of Killington Mountain Resort

Back in 2003, my partner Tim Jones started Eastern Slopes, and I started writing for it. It was intended to be a high quality, glossy magazine that gave skiing in the East the same quality of exposure that Western skiing has gotten for years. Unfortunately funds dried up and the magazine never came out. But in reality, the bigger problem was an attitude within the ski industry, fueled by the rapidly imploding American Skiing Company, that business and income were on a downward slide. Advertising dollars were limited, and everyone was scared to put dollars into anything new (like some random new magazine!). Small resorts were going out of business, some large resorts were reputed to be going out…times were tough. Eastern Slopes morphed into EasternSlopes.com, partially to save printing costs and partially because it was clear that the world was changing and we, like the ski industry, needed to change with it.

So, what has changed? Where are we, and the eastern skiing industry as a whole, now? For starters, we’re in the middle of the worst recession since World War II. Ask any expert, and they’ll tell you that people are hunkering down, saving money, and definitely NOT spending on splurge items like skiing. And, of course, with the hindsight that economists are famous for, we’re being told that last winter was when the economy was its worst; now, things are looking up! Now, in theory, that means a few things. First, the eastern ski industry should have been on a multi-year slide, with the 2008-2009 season the absolute bottom. Second, the 2009-2010 season should be slightly better for the ski areas, since people will finally have a few discretionary dollars to spend. Third, maybe within a few years the ski areas will have some money to put into improvements…and if they do, MAYBE skiing in the east can be saved.

Now, let’s talk a little reality. Unquestionably, the last decade hasn’t been “boom times” for the industry, more because of rising costs for the areas than because of lack of skiers. Starting at the beginning of the 2000s, we saw a number of small areas close their doors. And, of course, there were the bigger areas that were in trouble and were bought up by larger companies (and some of them have already been sold again). Still, throughout all of the gloom and doom, most ski areas kept the lifts turning. Even more surprising, many of them, large and small, made major improvements. Snowmaking increased dramatically both in percentage of trails covered and in the quality of the snow. Lifts were upgraded and replaced. Even base lodges at Burke and Saddleback were replaced, and those are NOT cheap improvements!

Let’s focus on a couple of those. Burke Mountain is one of those mid-sized mountains that can easily get lost in the shuffle. It’s not a quaint little neighborhood mountain to take the 3-year-olds to, but it’s also not a mega-mountain that can move thousands of skiers up the slopes in an hour. Again, ask the experts…they’ll tell you that in any economic retrenchment, mid-sized companies are at the greatest risk; they can’t operate on a shoestring like the little guys, and don’t have the deep pockets like the big guys. Yet, in the lousy times, Burke managed to not only replace its base lodge with a stunning new one (with extras like computers available to the public), but also put up a new high-speed chair.

How about Mt. Abrams? Living in the shadow of Sunday River, it went under. Sold at auction, the new owner started focusing on making people happy…adding a magic carpet for the smallest children, increasing night skiing, little stuff like that. And…suddenly, they’re a going concern again, with solid skier numbers.

From Whaleback to Saddleback, the small to intermediate mountains have been quietly growing their numbers. Okay, since the experts say that there’s no discretionary income available for skiing, that must mean that the big mountains are hurting…the small guys must be stealing their skiers. Well…maybe not so much. Let’s look at the numbers for Killington, Loon Mt & Bretton Woods, & Sunday River/Sugarloaf; these are some of the largest ski companies in the three largest Eastern skiing states. Killington was up 2% in skier visits in 08-09. Loon and Bretton Woods were down between 2 and 3 percent. And the Sunday River/Sugarloaf behemoth was up an amazing 21%! Fascinating…big mountains, yet their numbers were overall UP for the 2008-2009 seasons! Loon even managed to somehow find the money, even in the depth of the recession, to open a new mountain and significantly increase their number of trails (and, of course, the expense to run the place). Clearly, something isn’t adding up here…business is good!

Okay, I’ve been sort of nasty to the experts a few times here, and the fact is that while I don’t agree with them 100%, they’re right that people are handling their money differently. They’re being more careful, making sure that they get good value for their hard-earned dollars. And what did they find when they started paying more attention? That eastern skiing offers great value. No two days of traveling to reach a western ski area; instead, bundle the kids in the car on a Friday evening and make first tracks Saturday morning. Costs are lower, and the skiing is great. Is it deep powder skiing like you might find at Aspen? Not very often, certainly. But are there wonderful groomed corduroy runs that make your skis sing, tons of VW sized bumps, and an ever-growing number of glades? Absolutely. And do the numbers bear THIS analysis out? Yes. Colorado skier visits were down 5.5% in 08-09. So, here’s to the experts…they’re right, as long as they don’t look in our backyard!

Our belief is that we’re seeing an amazing confluence of different trends that are making eastern skiing better than ever. A new generation of ski area owners is dedicated to making all parts of the skiing experience better for the customer. At the same time, a highly educated and demanding clientele is recognizing what these owners have done, and are voting with their wallets. When you add in the improvements in ski area technology over the past decade or so, that completes the triad that’s making eastern skiing so successful. Great areas, great conditions, and the population base that wants to take advantage of them…that’s a combination that spells success for everyone involved!

If you’re one of the people who hasn’t been enjoying what the East has to offer, we’d like to encourage you to give it a try. Keep an eye on the specials offered in our “Deals” section. Read our reviews of areas to see what might fit your needs best. Email us and ask us where we think might be a good place for you to go. We believe in eastern skiing and riding , or we wouldn’t be putting our hearts into EasternSlopes.com. We’d love to have you enjoying your time on snow as much as we do. Based on everything we’ve seen this summer and fall, it’s going to be a fantastic year out there…the ski areas want you there, and are putting out great deals so that you’ll be able to take advantage of the work they’ve put into their slopes. The Union is strong, and with the improving economy will only become stronger!

A Sign of Things To Come!!

Tim Jones — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 22:02:43 +0000

September 26, 2009, Sunday River blows the first snow of the 2009/10 Season!

If you just can’t wait to see snow, maybe you should consider a visit to Newry, Maine, where Sunday River has made the FIRST SNOW of the 2009-10 Winter Season! In 2008-09, the resort purchased 75 Boyne Low-Energy fan guns that allow more snow to be made at marginal temperatures while using less energy. The fan guns were tested Saturday morning, September 26, in the South Ridge area, near the new Chondola lift.

The test was a success; the resort is ready to begin making snow for the season as soon as consistently cold temperatures are in the forecast. Last winter they tested snowmaking on October 19 and were the first resort on the East Coast to open for a second year in a row on Halloween.

Keep your fingers crossed for cold weather and Think Snow!

Sunday River will be celebrating their 50th Birthday on December 19–be prepared for a party . . .