Ski Season 2014/2015

[csb]

Leaving this here for cement and RG to post pictures of them filming the next Warren Miller film.

In the meantime...

Intrawest sent me an e-mail today for the Intrawest Passport www.intrawestpassport.com

"It's that time of year to begin planning for your ski or snowboard vacation with friends and family! Great news for you, the revolutionary Intrawest Passport is BACK and on SALE! The Intrawest Passport™ will allow guests to ski/ride for six days during the 2014-2015 ski season at Steamboat and Winter Park in Colorado; Blue Mountain in Ontario; Mont Tremblant in Quebec; Stratton Mountain in Vermont; and Snowshoe Mountain in West Virginia."

Cost?

$589-primary adult passport

$449- additional adults

$249- Teens

Free- kids 12 and under


You get six days at each of the six resorts, so 36-days of skiing.

My question is this:

Who the hell is going to actually use up a pass like this? It works out cost-wise for Steamboat and Winter Park (IIRC lift ticket prices), but is anyone going to end up in West Virginia to ski as well?

 

[knight1fox3]

From my experience WV can be hit or miss in terms of good skiing weather. I recall it raining there at times in Feb. LOL

The prices seems reasonable but obviously only worth it if you intend to use up the 6 days at each area.

 

[Road Guy]

yeah not sure either, maybe if you lived in Ohio or somewhere central you would get to each place? or just people with enough $$ to travel

Snowshoe is pretty nice, its at high enough "relative" elevation where they get real snow (its not Colorado by any means) but its not to shabby. Its a total bitch to get through, closest thing on the east coast I have seen to driving through Berthoud pass...and your in WV so if you drive off the road you probably get cooked and eaten by the locals

we get the Rocky Mountain Super Pass which is $439 for adults, unlimited skiing at Copper/Winter Park, and they throw in 6 days at someplace in either New Zealand or Australia, which is odd to me. for $520 I think you can get the Rocky Mountain Super Pass Plus which throws in a week at Steam boat and this year Eldora... upi can pay relatively small amounts to add on days at other parks, wife actually wants to add on Crested Butte this year before the schedule changes..

The Epic Pass is similar but its a little more money, I think it includes A-Basin, Keystone, maybe Breck? we just like the option that if I-70 is F'd we can pull off to Winter Park. plus we have some friends that come out to WP every year (they have an aunt who lives there) so the kids will get to ski with some of their old friends a weekend- which is cool, they had a ball last year..

We need to add on the steamboat one year but its difficult to fit into a nurses schedule//when your already asking off for MLK weekend and such, hoping to have more vacation booked for next years ski season to do something like that...3 jobs in 1 year sucks up vacation time.

were staying on resort at Copper for new years, which were pretty excited about, booking early saves some serious $$ that will be fine for us..

we racked up at the sports authority bargains sale sniagrab this year, the deals are insane, there were people that had flown in just to buy stuff, so we will "own" most all our gear this year. except I got to go back and buy some poles for the 3 of us that ski.. as a mid level local I cant see the reason to pay $100 for a set of ski poles when I go to PIAS and buy some used ones for $10 bucks.. maybe next years sale.....im sure cement can tell me why I need them though..

CSB- we can get you $59 lift tix to winter park or copper with the season pass if you ever want to try that. I know if you go for 3 days you can get similar deals.. our friends used it last year and it was pretty smooth..

we are stoked for the season to start back up, 10-31-14!!! I may be sick that day

 

[Road Guy]

we are also shortlisted for some work at Idaho Springs and I am praying to god we get to work on that and there is some "onsite work"

 

[Road Guy]

 

[csb]

We've promised the kid this will be the year we get him on skis. We've been super lucky to travel the places we have the last two years, but it's finally a ski year.

I used to ski without poles. I mostly got them because they were cheap and then I could stab people in the lift line if they tried to cut.

 

[Road Guy]

you can probably get to steamboat faster than I can get to Loveland....

we saw some pics of when there used to be skiing at Rocky Mtn National Park a long time ago.. there are rumors of a ski resort opening near Colorado Springs? Be nice if there were options north and south to take some of the strain off of I-70

I have told the kids this year we are leaving at 0430, if they are not in the car they will be left at home.. they are working on the twin tunnels so traffic will suck donkey balls if you leave after 6 AM I am afraid..

 

[knight1fox3]

CSB- we can get you $59 lift tix to winter park or copper with the season pass if you ever want to try that. I know if you go for 3 days you can get similar deals.. our friends used it last year and it was pretty smooth..

Is this offer only valid for CSB?

 

[Road Guy]

Its valid for any who want them (until we run out) I think we are limited to 12 per season pass (so we would have 60 of them) ....

I just figured CSB was the only one in closest driving distance to WP!

we have some family coming to ski this season, they don't seem to understand, yes we live in Colorado, no we don't have extra ski clothing, ski's, etc for you to use while your here, sorry you will have to rent some gear..

 

[Flyer_PE]

Snowshoe is pretty nice, its at high enough "relative" elevation where they get real snow (its not Colorado by any means) but its not to shabby. Its a total bitch to get through, closest thing on the east coast I have seen to driving through Berthoud pass...and your in WV so if you drive off the road you probably get cooked and eaten by the locals

Having been one of said locals, we didn't harm the tourists. We would just charge them a bunch of money to tow their idiot asses out of the ditch.

I never thought 219 was that bad. That little road running between Snowshoe and Cass is a twisty little bastard though.

 

[goodal]

I am a ski bum at heart. Living in West KY I don't get alot of opportunities to ski, but jump at every chance I have. I've been to Whistler, Steamboat and Winter Park. Whistler was incredible, Steamboat was bigger than Winter Park (at least it seemed so), but Winter Park was cheaper and not at all a bad experience. We have hopes of taking the whole family to Winter Park this season. The idea is to go over spring break which is the first week of April. I know that sucks to wait so long and by then we will be aching for warm weather, but I think that is the only way we can pull it off. Is there a better place than that for out of towners to go? Would need to be comparable in price. Steamboat was more expensive to stay, ski and get to than Winter Park when i was comparing.

 

[Road Guy]

I've never been to the high dollar resorts- only WP and Copper... We will one day.. Id like to enjoy a warm cookie in the gondola at vail

I've had lots of Friends with families tell me they have gone to WP cause the lodging is a bit cheaper than other places.. We have also found some good rates ourselves...but some other friends of ours swear by Keystone and won't go anywhere else.. I think vail bought keystone with the intent to make it a Disneyland style resort for families....

Again I've only skid at coper and WP out here but for family skiing I don't think you can go wrong. I really like winter parks new village they built and the downtown area is pretty nice but also small (in a good way)..

My main WP complain is the village is a hike from the slopes in ski boots (if say you want a beer) or something else other than the cafeteria food.. And it's pretty easy to get separated from your group if your worried about that.. We always end up with one kid at Mary Jane, one kid on one side of WP and us somewhere in the middle...doesn't bother me but it drives my wife nuts....

Let me dig up our spring break ski pic...

And if you do come let me know we will try and swing by if were available...

We prefer copper over WP but have had great days t both-- except out first day at winter park when we were not quite in shape for Mary Jane yet...

 

[snickerd3]

i will never migrate outside the bunny slopes again, so it doesn't matter where we go...if we ever go again

 

[csb]

I personally love WP, but enjoy Steamboat. Steamboat is just kinda out of the way and pricey (by my standards, not ski standards).

Winter Park has a lot of variety. I enjoy Mary Jane and Parsenn Bowl. The lift up Parsenn's on a windy day looks like you're taking a chairlift to Heaven.

Steamboat has some awesome runs and a gondola. Sunshine Express is a nice little place to hang out if you're having an easy day. Ted's Ridge handed me my ass one day.

 

[Road Guy]

CSB- if you go to WP this season please let us know.........I know you are several levels above us but we can hang out for a few runs..

I wish you hadn't posted the maps, now I am going to be day dreaming all afternoon...

Parsenns bowl was always closed the times we were there (well most of the time)

although this is sucky month since we paid for ski passes + bought ski ear, its PBJ for us the rest of the month..

 

[knight1fox3]

Ugh...now I got bit by the ski bug too.

 

[engineergurl]

I enjoy Mary Jane

I guess this is probably standard now on the Colorado ski slopes?

 

[Road Guy]

well technically illegal since all the ski resorts are on federal lands.. but I am sure it goes on..

we found a house that sleeps 32 adults and is only $5K/ week? anyone up for that one winter? price wouldn't be too bad if we had 10+ people...

 

[csb]

Gosh, it's been standard forever. The gondolas look like a Cheech and Chong movie most days.

And I'm daydreaming, too. On the right of the Mary Jane is Roundhouse (the upper part). That's where I had my ski wreck.

I'll definitely let you know, RG. I'm struggling with, "Do I take the kid to WP and he has a really good time at a really good ski school for $$$ or so I take him to the local ski range and hope for the best."

 

[csb]

well technically illegal since all the ski resorts are on federal lands.. but I am sure it goes on..

we found a house that sleeps 32 adults and is only $5K/ week? anyone up for that one winter? price wouldn't be too bad if we had 10+ people...

Does it have a hot tub (time machine or other)?