Ski Cheap in New Hampshire
Save Money Now on Next Year’s Skiing with Bargain Season Passes
The best ski bargains in New England happen in the spring. Ski areas offer great money saving deals, but you have to buy now.
Ski Area Finance 101
One way that ski areas get started in the fall is to have a bit of money in the bank to pay folks to get the slopes prepped. Those bucks come from advanced ticket sales and the savvy skier gets the best bargain. Some ski areas offer deals on their own tickets and other combine with a number of other areas to offer multi-mountain deals. You always win.
Is It The Deal For You?
The main issue for you to decide is whether you will use it often enough to make it pay. Figure out how many times you are likely to be able to get out onto the slopes. Then figure out what the cost would be at regular daily rates. But, remember, if you have a pass you will want to get out more often because it won’t cost you more. If you expect to get out 9 or 10 times you are probably better off with the pass.
The Down Side
There aren’t many bad parts about saving money but remember, with a pass you are usually committed to one mountain. Passes that include more than one mountain generally cost more money so it is a trade off that you have to decide on.
Getting There, How Close
The mountains of New Hampshire offer some of the finest skiing in the east and have the added advantage of being easily accessible from most of the major population centers in the northeast. For most of the northeast Interstates I-95 and I-93 are corridors feeding into the snow covered slopes of both states.
Great Deals in New Hampshire
Gunstock Mountain Resort, an outstanding family resort,in New Hampshire’s Lakes Region in the center of the state, will celebrate its 70th year next year and is selling an all season pass for $299 for adults, teens and seniors and a youth pass for $199 and there are no residency requirements. But the deadline is April 30. After that date prices will rise by $50.
Cranmore Mountain Resort, another historic ski area with a broad range of trails and very family friendly has its own early bird special with a Happy Trails Adult Anytime pass for $399, the teen equivalent for $239 and a youth pass for only $149. This price is good through May 31.
Multi-Mountain Passes
Cranmore also teams with Loon Mountain Resort and Waterville Valley Resort in offering multi-mountain passes. Loon and Waterville are easily accessed from I-93; Cranmore is on Route 16 in the Mount Washington Valley. The Anytime Threedom Pass is $749 for unlimited access. The Limited Threedom is $599 with some date limitations. A Junior/Senior (6-12 and over 65) Anytime pass is only $399.
Crotched Mountain Resort, in Bennington in the southern part of the state, will post their pass rates on April 9 but look for some bargains here. Peak Resorts, the parent company, has bought Attitash in the White Mountains and Mount Snow in Vermont and expect to offer enticing package deals. Check out their site.
Most mountains now have their special rates available and if yours is not listed here be sure to check them out online. Some will have an April deadline, for others it will be the end of May. This is a sure way to kick-start next season.
