Best time to buy epic ski pass12/30/2023 ![]() A snowmaking pond expansion scheduled for this summer will double water volume. Meanwhile, ownership is pumping money back into the place. And yet the place remains uncrowded, and will continue to – Magic is one of the few ski areas that sets limits on day tickets and, this coming season for the first time, season passes. There’s an appeal to that – pass sales have quadrupled since current ownership took over five years ago. It’s skiing stripped of its pretense, in its rustic, yesteryear form. Snowmaking covers only around half the hill, so skiers have to wait for storms to access some of the best terrain. Its summit lift is a 50-year-old double chair. That means lots of grooming, lots of fast lifts, lots of snowmaking for border-to-border skiing by Christmas. Why it’s a great value: Southern Vermont ski areas cater to the clientele that favors them: cityfolk from points south who trundle up kids-in-tow for weekends and holidays. Pairs well with: An Indy Pass, which passholders can add on for $189.Ĭurrent price: $599 ($349 for full-time Vermont residents) If you’re looking for this option, be sure to buy your pass through Jay, as Burke is not an Indy Pass partner. For those seeking more variety, Jay’s decision to join Indy Pass last season delivers: passholders can add an Indy Pass for $189, giving them two days each at 65 ski areas, 11 of which are in New England. But Burke is more entertaining than any of Vail’s overgroomed New England resorts outside of Wildcat and Stowe, and Jay, with it’s May-or-bust mentality, mountains of snow, and endless trees (barely) edges Stowe in just about every ski-centric category. Yes, it’s more expensive than a full Epic Pass. But until one or both of those issues is resolved, this remains a solid regional pass for those near the I-91 corridor (Burke, for all its remoteness, sits just a few miles off the interstate). With Jay for sale as the most eligible bachelor of American skiing and Burke still mired in an interminable legal blackhole around EB-5 job-creation requirements, it seems unlikely that both will end up sharing long-term ownership. Perched on what feels like the edge of civilization, these two gladed and snow-throttled Northeast Kingdom resorts remain linked for reasons that no longer feel obvious. Why it’s a great value: Jay Peak is the best ski area in Vermont. 2) Jay/Burke Combo Pass, VermontĬurrent price: $829 (increases to $1,039 on July 1) Bounce between Vail’s four New Hampshire mountains during the week, then settle into Ragged when the holiday and weekend hordes descend from points south. Pairs well with: A Northeast Midweek Epic Pass ($359). With an early-bird rate of just $349, the ski area offers one of the best quality-to-price ratios in New England. And while it’s unlikely the two Mid-Atlantic resorts offer much appeal to options-rich New Hampshire skiers and the western mountains are dwarfed by their neighbors, Ragged alone is worth the pricetag. A Ragged pass gets you some form of access to all of them. The mountain is owned by Pacific Resorts Group, itself a mid-sized secret of skiing, a mini-conglomerate comprising five far-flung ski areas: Wisp, Maryland Wintergreen, Virginia Powderhorn, Colorado Mount Washington Alpine Resort, British Columbia and Ragged. Why it’s a great value: Ragged is one of the great mid-sized secrets of Northeast skiing, with 1,250 feet of vert and an extensive glade network rolling off two peaks, all served by a pair of high-speed chairlifts, including New Hampshire’s only six-pack (for now ). But here’s a closer look at 11 of my favorites and why I think skiers should consider them instead of – or in addition to – the Epic and Ikon Passes: 1) Ragged Mountain, New HampshireĬurrent price: $449 (increases to $499 on Sept. ![]() I’ve broken down season pass details for every mountain in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, and New England here, including the Northeast’s eight regional multi-mountain passes. There is no perfect formula and no exact right way to do it. They do not need to be cheaper than an Epic or Ikon Pass, but they do need to offer a compelling value that acknowledges that these passes, with their sprawling access and approachable price points, exist. It can be very affordable, offer a lot of access outside of the home resort, have a creative suite of options, or include customer-friendly features like a payment plan or a clear refund or deferral policy. But there are more than 130 ski areas in the Northeast, and many of them have developed compelling pass offerings.Ī good pass can be many things. ![]() Northeast-specific editions will also occasionally nod to New York’s SKI3 Pass, New Hampshire’s White Mountains Super Pass, or Boyne’s New England Pass. There is no shortage of “comprehensive pass guides” that dutifully summarize the offerings of exactly four ski passes: Epic, Ikon, Indy, and Mountain Collective. ![]()
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