HEADS UP V

Rexburg- ID photo- Mary Toft

This is the fifth Heads Up post- in case you just tuned in, most ski resorts have discounts before the resorts open but there are deadlines......... check past Heads Up posts if you don't see your hill here.

ATTITASH and WILDCAT- NH
The classic season pass for these two mountains is $599 (you need to go nine times to break even), but there are some blackout days. The Granite season pass has no blackout days and is also good at Crotched (http://www.crotchedmountain.com/). This pass is $699 (ten times to break even). There is then the Nor'Easter, the baller pass with no black out days at: Attitash (http://www.attitash.com/), Wildcat, Crotched, Jack Frost Big Boulder (PA- http://www.jfbb.com/explore), and Mt Snow (http://elevatedlocals.blogspot.com/2011/02/mt-snow-gateway-mountain.html)- this pass is $1099. The midweek pass for Attitash and Wildcat is $469 (eight times to break even). These deals are good until 10/10/11.
http://www.skiwildcat.com/seasonpasses.html

If you are in or are close to New Hampshire check out SkiNH's anywhere ticket package:
http://www.skinh.com/lift-ticket-deals/anywhere-anytime-ski-packages.cfm
There are discounted tickets for 17 ski areas until 10/11/11:
Bretton Woods (http://brettonwoods.com/), Loon Mountain (http://www.loonmtn.com/), Attitash, Mount Sunapee (http://www.mountsunapee.com/mtsunapeewinter/index.asp), Waterville Valley (http://www.waterville.com/), Wildcat Mountain, Cannon Mountain (http://www.cannonmt.com/), Gunstock Mountain Resort (http://www.gunstock.com/), Ragged Mountain (http://www.raggedmountainresort.com/), Cranmore (http://www.cranmore.com/), Crotched Mountain, Pats Peak (http://www.patspeak.com/winter/), Black Mountain (http://www.blackmt.com/), Dartmouth Skiway (http://www.dartmouth.edu/~skiway/), Granite Gorge Ski Area (http://granitegorge.com/), King Pine (http://www.kingpine.com/), McIntyre Ski Area (http://mcintyreskiarea.com/)


MT SNOW- VT
These deals end 10/10/11. There is the baller pass that I just wrote about under Attatash and Wildcat (the Nor'Easter). The Classic season pass is $749. It doesn't say how much the tickets are this year, but last year I remember them being $79, so it would be ten times to break even with the Classic Season Pass. The Midweek season pass is $549 (seven times to break even). The Midweek plus Sunday is $649 (nine times to break even).  The Sunday only pass is $374, (five times to break even) which could be a sweet pass to have if you wanted to go further north or east on Sat. and then head closer to the city on Sun. All of these passes have black out dates except for the Nor'Easter.
http://mountsnow.com/seasonpass/

THE CANYONS- UT
The Canyons have 14 different season passes depending on age, residence, school, and profession. The Regular Season Pass is $1149. The daily lift ticket prices are still TBA, but they are selling 2 out of seven day passes for $184. That makes a lift ticket the crazy price of $93.50. So you would need 13 days to break even for the Regular Season Pass. The Midweek Season Pass is $899 (10 days to break even) and includes Sundays. If you are a local you can also buy seven different 5-10 day passes. The Cherry Picker is $289 for five days (57.80 per day), there are blackout days. The adult 10 day is $599 ($59.90 per day). You have until 10/15/11 to take advantage of all of these prices.
http://www.thecanyons.com/seasonpass2012.html

photo- the Rician

HEADS UP IV

14th St- NYC

CRYSTAL MOUNTAIN- WA

A Gold Unlimited Season pass is $949 (you need to go 13 times with ganjula access to break even).  With this purchase you also get 10 days at any of these resorts: The Summit at Snoqualmie (WA), Big Sky (MT), Boyne Highlands (MI), Cypress (Canada), Brighton (UT-), Loon (NH- http://elevatedlocals.blogspot.com/2011/08/heads-up-for-next-season-part-ii.html), Sugarloaf (ME), and Sunday River (ME). There is also a Silver Midweek for $599 and a Bronze unlimited for $699, these passes do not include ganjula rides. Get these deals before 9/30/2011
http://www.crystalmountainresort.com/Tickets-and-Passes/Season-Passes


 JAY PEAK- VT   

book your Jay vacation before 9/23/2011 and save 25%

http://www.jaypeakresort.com/index.php/landing_pages/book_early_save

We love Shéady Acres, though- http://www.sheadyacres.com/ (http://elevatedlocals.blogspot.com/2011/03/elevated-locals-of-jay-peak-oshea.html)

KILLINGTON- VT

K57 ticket deal- If you live around the city you should do this. Killington doesn't really do tickets on Liftopia and you know you're going to go there. $57 tickets until Oct. 20th, 2011. There are some black out days (Dec. 26, 2011 - Jan. 1, 2012; Jan. 14 - 15 and Feb. 18 - 26, 2012) http://www.killington.com/winter/plan/tickets_and_cards/k57

Purchase the Express Card for $86 until Oct. 21st. The Express Card gives you 50% off of tickets midweek and 25% off of tickets on the weekend. http://www.killington.com/winter/plan/tickets_and_cards/express_card  


MT BATCHELOR- OR
I haven't been here in a while, but man did I have fun on this mountain!
 Batchelor's pass deals are good until 9/30/2011. The season pass is $829 (12 times to break even), if you buy this after 9/30 it's $1,039. They have a midweek for $549 (8 to break even). You should probably go ahead and be in between the ages of 19 and 23, then you get a season pass for $379. They also have a 12 day pass for $450 ($37.50 a ticket).
http://www.mtbachelor.com/winter/mountain/tickets/season_passes
Would you like to know more?
http://www.onthesnow.com/news/a/40080/mount-bachelor-runs-september-pass-sale?utm_source=20110915_Nltr&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=W11_OTS_Nltr&utm_content=Feat_story_2&XE_LNK=Newsletter
(thanks onthesnow.com)

  SUN VALLEY- ID
It's $79 for a room and a lift ticket Nov. 23rd- Dec. 20th. You need two people for the deal. Call 800-786-8259

Greek style

HEADS UP FOR NEXT SEASON PART II

Here are some more resorts that are doing early deals:

Brighton- UT
A Season Pass is $849 (you need to go 14 times to break even), a midweek pass is $485 (eight times to break even), and a night pass is $319 (10 times to break even). To get these deals you need to purchase them before 9/15/2011. http://www.brightonresort.com/ticketspasses.seasonpasses.html

Loon Mountain- NH, Sunday River- ME, and Sugar Loaf- ME
The New England Pass is a season pass for Loon, Sunday River, and Sugar Loaf. The Gold New England pass is $999 (17 times to break even). The Silver New England pass is $699 (12 times to break even). The Bronze New England pass is $439 (eight times to break even).  These deals are good until 10/10/11.
http://www.loonmtn.com/info/winter/rates_passes.aspx



Sugarbush- VT
Sugarbush does a recent college grad. pass (I've never seen that before), so if you graduate in 2011 you can get a season pass for $319 (before 9/15/2011). The season pass is $1,259, you need to go 15 times to break even (an all mountain pass is $84). A mid week pass is $529 (seven times to break even). The Mt. Ellen Pass is $549. All of these deals are good until 9/15/2011, then prices go up. There is also a SugarDirect card that gives you 25% off mid week, 20% off weekends, discounts on lodging and food, an all mountain pass when you purchase the Sugardirect card and an all mountain pass after you have purchased 10 passes. http://www.sugarbush.com/vermont-skiing-snowboarding/season-passes
 
Wolf Creek- CO
Wolf Creek has a season pass for $574 before Oct. 9th (eleven times to break even). http://www.wolfcreekski.com/wolf-creek-season-passes.php

Whistler- Canada
I think the most affordable way to visit Whistler is to take advantage of the Early Booking Deals. If you buy your vacation before 8/31/11 you can save up to 45%. (http://www.whistlerblackcomb.com/deals_packages/packages/earlybooking/index.htm) Here are some of the deals: four nights and 3 days on the hill is $87 a person, seven nights and five days is $81 a person, and eight nights and six days is $82 a person. A mountain pass is $96 so it's like you are staying or skiing for free. These are Canadian prices but our currency is practically the same at the moment.
Whistler also has discounted tickets for sale until Nov. 15. The best deal seems to be seven days for $401-$597 (depends on the day). That's $57- $85 a day. http://www.whistlerblackcomb.com/tickets/winter/index.htm
The Early Early Bird special for a $1,199 season pass deal is now over, sorry I didn't tell you in time (#FAIL). The new season pass prices will go up on 8/31/2011.
If you live in Washington state or Canada you can get an Edge card which will give you discounts on lift tickets (http://www.whistlerblackcomb.com/tickets/edge/gate.htm?passthru=true&referer=%2Ftickets%2Fedge%2Findex.htm)