Alta had a half day morning pass almost exactly like that when I was in college. I think it actually cost $31 if memory serves correctly. I had arranged my schedule during my senior year so that I could ski Tuesday mornings, Thursday mornings, and all day Friday. I had a friend who had a lot of schedule flexibility so we had a policy that if Alta was reporting 10 inches or more on any of those days I would show up at his apartment to pick him up around 8 am. It was a big snow year. That may not have been the golden age of skiiing but it was the standout year of my skiing life.
Of course, with generally lower season pass rates (even before inflation) my per day cost of lift tickets last year was probably right around $31 even with several days at areas not included on my pass.
@Carl and @SecretAgentMan totally echo my feelings about skiing with my kids. That has been the highlight of my skiing life for the last 20 years. We have so many good memories from skiing as a family. I am a better father and have closer relationships with my 3 boys because of skiing. The time in the car and on the lift just naturally leads to conversations and topics that might otherwise not come up.
As for the general topic, this strikes me as a grass is always greener type discussion. The truth is skiing is both better and worse now for many of the reasons brought up earlier in this thread. The breakdown is often just the opposite side of the same coin. Fast lifts and fat skis have turned many powder “days” into a two run affair. Of course, those same skis have turned crud skiing into a much more enjoyable experience. Those fast lifts allowed me to tire out my still early season legs in about 3 hours this morning.
One thing I can say with perfect confidence, it is the golden age (to date) of ski equipment. The equipment I ski on today is so, so, so much better than the relative crap I used to use. The only problem is I can’t stop buying it!
