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Sibhusky

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The Bozeman Daily Chronicle: Big Sky Resort lands on list of most expensive ski areas in North America.
https://www.bozemandailychronicle.c...cle_7d0078ad-4eec-5f09-9f14-cc97fa23d1d0.html

"With winter only a few short months away, a vacation rental company has come out with a list of most and least expensive resorts to help people plan this year’s ski vacations, and Big Sky Resort didn’t fare so well.

HomeToGo used equipment rental fees, lift ticket, lunch and accommodation prices to determine the total price of staying at 50 ski resorts in the U.S. and Canada, and Big Sky came in at No. 8 for most expensive resorts, costing an estimated average of $304.75 a day.

Whitefish Mountain Resort was ranked the 12th least expensive, and Canada’s Fernie Alpine Resort, just over the border from Whitefish, was named the best deal overall, costing about $178.14 a day."


Link to original list: https://www.hometogo.com/united-states/ski-vacation/#ski-price-index

Other findings:

  • Sugar Bowl Resort in California has the cheapest rental prices for ski equipment this season
  • Mount Hood Skibowl in Oregon has the cheapest single-day lift tickets in North America, at just $53.
  • Silver Star Mountain in British Columbia has the lowest lunch prices of all the resorts in this year's ranking.
  • Mission Ridge Ski Area in Washington has the cheapest accommodation prices, at $43.98 per person per night.
Be advised. They didn't look at every ski area, they looked at fifty. So I'm sure there are cheaper ones out there.
 
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David Chaus

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How we Produced this Guide
Total Cost = Equipment Rental + Lift Pass + Lunch + Accommodation

The 50 ski resorts provided data on the price of equipment rental and lift passes for the upcoming 2018-19 season. The equipment rental price includes intermediate skis, boots, and poles for one day. The lift pass price is for a full day’s skiing for an adult on a typical Saturday this season, outside of peak periods. These prices were researched in fall 2018 and may include discounts that are offered to customers who buy in advance.

The lunch price includes a cheeseburger with fries and a soda at a mid-range restaurant on the ski slopes. The lunch data was sourced using online menus. The accommodation price is the average price per person to stay in a 4-person vacation rental found on HomeToGo close to the resort, for one night between the dates of November 17, 2018 and April 20, 2019. Our own metasearch data provided this information.

All prices in USD. Please note that this is a forecast and that prices may change between now and the upcoming season. When prices for 2018-19 were not available from the resorts, we based our price forecasts on last season’s prices. Prices exclude sales tax. For additional information, please contact [email protected].

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Interesting.

One thing I noticed is that the 4 rotating Gathering locations are all among the most expensive destination (with Alta being the exception).

Another thing that stood out looking at the map, the cluster of more affordable destinations that are in the NW (AB, BC, PNW and Inland NW). Guess I’m lucky, all of those are within a day’s drive or so.
 

Bad Bob

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If you want it all, you are going to pay for it.
There is a lot to be said for skiing at the 2nd tier skia areas. You will probably miss out on the monster mountains, trams and wowzer accommodations. Like everything else, it comes down to personal taste.
 

Ski&ride

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That’s a cute title “most affordable ski resorts”! (Canadian mountains all ranks well in “affordability” due to exchange rate)

Another one size fits all “list”. As a travel to the west skier, I’m quite sensitive to destination cost. Yes, I found Big Sky expensive. So is Aspen. But I found Jackson perfectly affordable (for the quality of skiing). Snorbird, which ranks high on their “expensive “ scale, I found it downright “dirt cheap”!

Reason is simple, they both have “dirt cheap” lodging, OFF MOUNTAIN!

The list is probably not as relevant to this crowd, as many use season passes. And how many here rent equipment?
 

noncrazycanuck

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one other thing i discovered many years ago is that all those stops are also less than 2hr between.
I do less driving on a road trip for each day skiing than a typical day trip/return is to Whistler or Baker.
 
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Sibhusky

Sibhusky

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Reason is simple, they both have “dirt cheap” lodging, OFF MOUNTAIN!
But they weren't using on mountain housing per se:

"The accommodation price is the average price per person to stay in a 4-person vacation rental found on HomeToGo close to the resort, for one night between the dates of November 17, 2018 and April 20, 2019."

I'm not familiar with HometoGo, but assume it is like VRBO?
 

dbostedo

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"The accommodation price is the average price per person to stay in a 4-person vacation rental found on HomeToGo close to the resort,"

I wonder what "close to the resort" means to them.
 

dbostedo

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I'm not familiar with HometoGo, but assume it is like VRBO?

No, not quite. HomeToGo is just an aggregator... much like Kayak is for airfare and rental cars. HomeToGo will show you VRBO, and AirBnB, and FlipKey, etc. But you don't rent from them - they send you to other sites.
 

ksampson3

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Another one size fits all “list”. As a travel to the west skier, I’m quite sensitive to destination cost. Yes, I found Big Sky expensive. So is Aspen. But I found Jackson perfectly affordable (for the quality of skiing). Snorbird, which ranks high on their “expensive “ scale, I found it downright “dirt cheap”!

Reason is simple, they both have “dirt cheap” lodging, OFF MOUNTAIN!

This!
When I can stay in Sandy or South Jordan and pay $100 a night at a nice Hilton property and use my Mountain Collective at Snowbird/Alta, that becomes pretty cheap for the whole family. And when Hertz "forgets" to bill me for the rental land barge because they forgot to do the paperwork on on a car swap, even better.
 

dbostedo

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So how they managed to missed the extend stay lodging in Sandy for a song to ski Snowbird is beyond me then.

That comes back to the "close to the resort" comment, and how they define it. It could mean anything really, but I'm guessing "close" for these types of lists means within a few mins drive of the resort. I wouldn't say that Sandy is close to Alta-bird, if I think about "resort lodging" where people may want slopeside.
 
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Sibhusky

Sibhusky

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I would think within 15 or 20 minutes of the mountain? But that might not be possible some areas.

That being said, they are using what is in their database. if this place in Sandy isn't listed, then that's why. (Didn't bother to check as the price for here is easily right. You can stay ON THE MOUNTAIN for $95 per person INCLUDING LIFT TICKET.)
 
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David Chaus

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That all said, I have visited SLC resorts, Jackson as well as several of the “more affordable” places such as Mission Ridge, Lake Louise, Schweitzer and Sun Peaks. The rankings from the Home2Go list are pretty consistent with what I’ve experienced. Comparable accommodations in Sandpoint, for example are definitely less expensive than they are in Jackson or Sandy or other parts of SLC. And yes, part of the advantage and attraction for me for BC and AB destinations is the exchange rate.
 

tball

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Copper's lift ticket price is way too high in the list. No way they are more than Breck. Epic pricing has made it impossible to get a cheap ticket to Vail's resorts. Copper's tickets are substantially lower, and in the past, they have had lots of discounts that you would never find at Vail's resorts.

My guess is you can count on the lodging prices in the list. That's the authors business. The lift ticket prices are too hard to nail down with all the various ways to buy them.
 

Nathanvg

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  • Mount Hood Skibowl in Oregon has the cheapest single-day lift tickets in North America, at just $53.
Obviously, there are cheaper ski areas in North America. It is an odd list based on 50 destinations likely chosen based on hometogo's interests. Ie Afton alps included but not sun valley?

One cheeper example below. Not sure who has the cheapest walk up Saturday mid winter ticket. Can anyone beat $39? I think mt Marquette announced $20 day tickets but that hasn't happened yet.
https://www.ski-hesperus.com/tickets-passes/

One update: Caberfae is also 39 but will sell you day tickets now for 16.
 
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New2

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I want to know how they found Saturday tickets at Alta for $54! I assume this is just a typo or made-up number, but that would definitely be a steal.

One cheeper example below. Not sure who has the cheapest walk up Saturday mid winter ticket. Can anyone beat $39? I think mt Marquette announced $20 day tickets but that hasn't happened yet.
https://www.ski-hesperus.com/tickets-passes/

Not even the cheapest in Colorado! Howelsen is $25. Lake City hasn't published for 2018-2019, but last year was $20. And I'm pretty sure Ouray's cheaper, too.
 
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Sibhusky

Sibhusky

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I'm not surprised they left off some of these resorts that no one except locals talk about, but am perplexed by them missing Sun Valley. Possibly they think there are only potatoes in Idaho and forgot the whole state?
 

David Chaus

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I'm not surprised they left off some of these resorts that no one except locals talk about, but am perplexed by them missing Sun Valley. Possibly they think there are only potatoes in Idaho and forgot the whole state?

Well, they included Schweitzer so they didn’t exclude Idaho completely.

FWIW WA grows 3x the potatoes as Idaho, but nevermind.
 

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