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Eastern Canada Blue Mountain Charging $59 for a..Hiking Pass??

scott43

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Title says it all...Alterra owned Blue Mountain up in Collingwood wants to/is charging $59 for the right to hike on their resort. You do get privs to ride the gondola..but..really???
 
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scott43

scott43

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I mean, I pay $6 for a pass to ride some of the best mountain bike trails in Ontario. $59 to hike??? You can hike anywhere.. Crazy..
 

Tricia

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I recall some other resorts charging for uphill hike passes. I can't remember which.
I know we can hike up Squaw to the tram and take the tram down for free. Thats an Alterra resort as well. Not sure what the difference is.
 
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scott43

scott43

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I mean, they can try... Market will bear, right? Toronto is full of people who may not blink at that.. But balls man...
 

Unpiste

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Sounds like a liability issue?

If they're required to enforce social distancing protocols on their property, I could see that they just don't want people coming. It also sounds like this is a season pass?

Even if so, the optics aren't great if they're not offering a more reasonable day option. Are there not free trails in the area, though?
 
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oldschoolskier

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Hate to say it, they got crazy when they started expanding many years ago. They a have a mini ski village at the foot of the hill, cottages cost more than you house, lift tickets well near $100.00 for a 780ft elevation. They are going to kill the golden goose that feeds them. Don’t even get me started about food. There I believe 3 or 4 private clubs in the area.

Worst is the reckless (entitled) skiing, at this redort I ski one way, poles horizontal to ground. Come vlose enough to run into them its your problem. I have seen more intentional close calls and collision cause by said close call by the reckless crowd it is unreal. Resort doesn’t care as this group spends big bucks.

Now they want to gouge access for hiking, give me a break. Seriously, if the excuse is COVID-19 this is price gouging and the province will crack down (or at least investigate) and they get some bad PR.

Bad, seriously bad Blue Mountain.
 

cantunamunch

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Oh, hey Ontario, welcome to the pay to play party. Let me introduce you to some folks that have been at the party for ...years and decades.

A White Mountain National Forest Pass is US$40 for publicly owned land. No reservation system, no COVID-19 distancing management.

A Shenandoah National Park Pass is US$80 for publicly owned land. Gated access so theoretically they could restrict access - though historically it has worked the other way with free days.


So. Right. CDN$59 for a season pass? On privately managed land?
Cry me a Great Lake, Ontario*.


*Yes, there is a Beds of Navigable Waters Act allusion there.
 
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Uncle-A

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I am guessing you are talking about Blue Mountain in Canada and not Blue Mountain PA.
 
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scott43

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I mean God love them they can charge what they want. Just a bad look. Not like the locals are going there to hike. They're just going to roll it into the resort fee. Gotta do what you gotta do I guess...
 

cantunamunch

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I mean God love them they can charge what they want. Just a bad look. Not like the locals are going there to hike. They're just going to roll it into the resort fee. Gotta do what you gotta do I guess...

If that's a response to my post, there's another way to read it.

To wit: Yes, it's a bad look. USE that bad look to expand Canadian freedom to roam laws. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_to_roam
 

Jilly

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The way I read it was that if you have a paid Ikon pass, you don't pay again. Something about winter ski pass. And what should be interesting is the intersection with the Bruce Trail. Nothing like hiking from Niagara and finding out you have to pay for a short section through Blue....
 

graham418

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So, if you already have an Ikon pass, a 5x7 pass or a mountain bike pass, you are good to go. The "Explore pass" is a bit much for the right to walk around the property, but it does give you access to the gondola for trips up the hill, which maybe is counter to the whole hiking thing.
My son, a big downhill biker, usually gets the seasons pass for biking ( although that is closed for the summer), because a single ride up is $16. He also has a pass at Horseshoe which is much cheaper and less crowded
 

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