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Tuesday, October 23, 2007

This week in Snowboarding

posted by on October 23 at 10:58 AM

Extreme_snowboarding.jpg

The Snow Fever expo is this weekend at Qwest Field Event Center. It runs Friday afternoon and all day Saturday and Sunday. If you’re itchin’ to swap out your equipment, or to buy some of last year’s stock at great discounts, this is your last chance to do it.

Every ski resort in the the Northwest will also be there trying to get you to come and visit, or even buy a season pass. Some will be selling discounted passes, others will offer no discounts at all.

Here’s a breakdown of the local resorts, their unlimited-season-pass prices for adults, and the cost of a single day ticket:

Summit at Snoqualmie: $379/$51 (you have to visit 8 times to break even). A $459 pass includes 5 days free at Crystal Mountain, the new owner of The Summit.

Stevens Pass: $749/$54 (14 visits to break even).

Crystal Mountain: $1095/$58 (19 visits to break even!) Including the brand-new Northway Chair and 1,000 new acres of terrain.

Mt. Baker: $655/$41 (16 visits to break even).

Mission Ridge: $539/$48 (12 Visits to break even).

The best deal still appears to be Snoqualmie (funny, as they get the least and wettest snow).

Spending two weekend days at each mountain would cost $504 before taxes and without lodging. That’s 10 days of boarding, all over Washington, for less than a single season pass at four of five Washington resorts.

In comparison, a Colorado Ski Pass, which groups five CO resorts (including Vail, Breckenridge, and Keystone) under one season pass, is $279.

RSS icon Comments

1

The arrogance of the operators of these hills is astounding, particularly Baker - largely reviled as total dickheads, yes I'm talking to you duncan - anyway, why fuck around in WA when Whistler is just over the border?

Posted by fuck mt baker | October 23, 2007 11:08 AM
2

Wow, I don't think I've seen that many bad photoshopping techniques all combined into one image in quite a while. The lens flare completes it.

Posted by mr.designer | October 23, 2007 11:08 AM
3

But then you'd have to live in Colorado..

One thing you can do at Stevens, is get togther with 3 other friends and buy the Friends/Family pack for $250 each. It is only midweek/nights, but you can ride on weekends until mid December and from March 1st on...

Posted by Clint | October 23, 2007 11:19 AM
4

It's even cheaper at Red Mountain in Rossland, BC. Just fly to Trail BC from Vancouver BC or Spokane WA and you can afford to live on the mountain and ski for two weeks for less money.

Plus, they have real snow.

Not the baby snow you see around here.

We're talking Rocky Mountain snow.

Posted by Will in Seattle | October 23, 2007 11:25 AM
5

1,000 new acres of terrain? No, the terrain was already there. What's new is the ski resort chopping down the trees and grooming it for snowboarders.

Posted by Fnarf | October 23, 2007 11:28 AM
6

Good point, Fnarf.

Posted by Dan Savage | October 23, 2007 11:31 AM
7

The Summit at Snoqualmie pass which includes 5 days at Crystal is $459, not $379.

$379 is the pass without the days at Crystal.

Posted by Mahtli69 | October 23, 2007 11:36 AM
8

Fixed; thanks!

Posted by Amy Kate Horn | October 23, 2007 11:40 AM
9

True, Crystal's north backcountry was always "there."

But, you either had to a) take the crappy traverse back to the base, two lift rides, then do more crappy traversing; or, b) ski always icy, shrub-studded Lower Northway, take off your skis, wait for a shuttle bus, ride the bus, walk through the base area, two lift rides, then do more crappy traversing.

I'll take the new lift, thanks.

And, they're not going to groom out there. And, it's now easier to get out to terrain beyond Northway Bowl, which will become the "new" North Backcountry, I predict.

Posted by asdf | October 23, 2007 2:07 PM
10

@1,

I've never heard anyone complain about the Baker people.

If you think the Baker people are dickheads, you were probably breaking the rules, which are designed to keep people from dying.

Posted by asdf | October 23, 2007 2:11 PM
11

All of that said, we really do deserve cheaper full season passes. More people would ante up for them - they'd come up more, and spend more on food and whatever else in the process.

Posted by asdf | October 23, 2007 2:15 PM
12

Yikes. I was thinking of taking up snowboarding this season...didn't know the passes were that much! Super 'spency!

Posted by laterite | October 23, 2007 3:15 PM
13

Take up snowboarding! You won't regret it! But go up at night when there are no crowds, the tickets are cheaper, and the snow is better. Stevens is especially beautiful at night (open until 10 pm).

Posted by Amy Kate Horn | October 23, 2007 4:45 PM

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