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Vail is fantastic but, not cheap. Salt Lake City is a good place to stage an inexpensive trip and Utah powder is the best anywhere but, although you can have a good time off the hill, nightlife will not top the agenda. Sounds like you might need to go to Lake Tahoe. Great mountains, great partying and, you can find some deals that keep the cost reasonable. Have Fun!

This actually seems like it could be a pretty cool app and, I might trial it on a phone but, certainly wouldn't buy a device for it exclusively. Sounds a little like a GPS rangefinder for golf. By the time somebody using one is able to get it to give them the distance to the pin, I've already stepped it off from the nearest marker, picked the right club and, hit my shot. Besides, it just looked like a 6 iron anyway. Skiing, like golf is all about feel and I think too much data would probably get in the way of just enjoying a day on the hill. If my pants start to flap, I'm over 30. If I ski 10 Red Chair runs at Magic, its 17,000 verts. How much more do I need to know? Sometimes analog is perfectly ok. As for buying anything from a business that would allow a defense such as was posted above rather than a professional description of the merits of the product, forget it.

I appreciate this information. However, its presented as though this pass is some sort of a bargain. Before PWDR bought Killington, the blackout pass would have included all of ASC's New England properties (Killington, Pico, Sugarbush, Attitash, Sunday River, Sugarloaf) for $379. Now, its Killington and Pico for $649. Let's see here, that math works out to 1/3 of the skiing for 171% of the money. Not so great. To Mr. Nyberg's remark, your passholders may be your most loyal customers. In terms of value, you don't provide enough to keep them from dissapearing in droves which, like me, they have been. PWDR has taken many actions that have convinced me they don't actually like skiers much at all. Pricing is just another. So, until that changes, you might see me now and again but, it won't be often. I skied Killington once last year which means, I spent a whole lot more in the bar in previous (ASC) years than I did on everything combined under PWDR's ownership. Killington has always been a place New Englanders love to hate. PWDR brings that to a whole new level. The terrain keeps us coming back. The cons, (look at the reviews) make us think twice about going. PWDR's attitude toward the skiing public combined with the cons will keep me going elsewhere.

I'm not quite sure anyone has pegged this one yet. Its all about balance and I don't see any. Was Killington in need of a new Skye Peak chair? Yes, badly. The new one is a fast, smooth ride. Would ASC have ever built it? No. Do I enjoy handing over $82 to ride it for a day instead of $379 for what amounted to a season pass to much of New England's best skiing? I do not. ASC was a badly run enterprise with a failed business model focused on real estate rather than providing thier skiers with a good day on the hill. POWDR is a bully focused on nothing other than the bottom line and they've pretty much put the skiing public on notice that this is the way its going to be. The elimination of lifetime passes for Killington's founding investors and POWDR's statement about why they made this decision is a perfect example. I'd still rather help out a badly run charity than attend a skinhead rally. Again, where's the balance?

I'm sorry I'm a New Englander and can't quite relate to what would be a smart move for Tahoe. I can say I've always been hesitant to buy a pass at all. My favorites have been things like a fundraiser that included 1 day ticket to every operating area in Vermont. Use all the big hills and it turned out to be about $20/day. Burn the gas to ski the stuff I could find in my backyard too and, it got really cheap. (Sorry, its not around next year, or, I'd share) I'll try a scenario. Rumor to me, only place I've skied in CA is Mammoth. I'm South of the rain/snow line for a lot of storms that have one and hit all of New England. If I buy a local pass, I have to pay to have a powder day under those conditions. If I buy a pass further North and the storm is all snow, I have to slug it out through hours of who knows what on the road to ski with my pass. I hear Kirkwood is a lot higher than Squaw where you might get rained out on a day where at Kirkwood you could at least ski fresh goo. Passes can be handy and really keep costs down but, I really think they do put a damper on doing what you need to to get the best out of your season. Plus, you actually don't have to spend a mint on day tickets if you just sniff around a bit. Kinda like picking where you might go on your next ski day, look at the radar and, follow your nose.

Sounds like you did just fine!! I was thinking about my own season of 20 days at 13 hills. Picked off all the little local hills I'd never bothered with and had a great time doing it. Didn't string 2 days together until late March when I actually used my home as a home base for a mini-jaunt cause there was never time for a real trip. Went East to beat some incoming weather and skied Wachusett Thursday which, was a good call. Went home to my wife that night. Skied Hunter on a very nice Friday. Never been to either before. Had a good time at both. Went home to my wife Friday night. Picked up my Dad Saturday morning and spent a perfect spring day at Killington. You get creative and do what you can to get out there. For me, this year, that meant a ton (20) of day trips. Looking back, I'm thinking two things: Thank goodness for a very understanding wife and, not bad for a guy with a job...We'll just have to see how '09-'10 unfolds when we get there. I'm sure we can each figure out a way to make it another great season!!

I'm hoping for that all expense paid trip for you!! Good luck or, happy turns next year!!