Contemplating skipping the season pass this year...

So.......

I've always thought hardcore skiers/boarders were nuts when they told me they were skipping on the pass for the season to focus on the backcountry. My reasoning has always been:
-It's impossible to get the same amount of riding in without the lifts
-You're screwed on storm skiing/huge dump days cause either the vis is too bad or the conditions are too sketchy. Basically the best days at the resort aren't very good for the BC, which would suck if your only option is BC.

Lately however, I've been toying with the idea, and here are the competing reasons that are popping up in my head:
- Hands down, my most memorable days last season were BC days.
-I'm going to have to get very good grades this year to get into the grad program I want to, and I think if I'm not feeling the need to ditch class every pow day to go grab the turns at Alta before they're all gone, I could do better.
-Some guys I know last year skipped the pass. They bitched about not getting in as many days, but they also put together a descent list that included The Y, the Needle, Coalpit, God's lawnmower, Superior, and some others I can't remember. That seemed worth trading a season at the resort for.
-I'm starting to beat myself up about the finances. Just for starters this season, I'll be converting one of my DH rigs to AT, and I'm looking at other substantial equipment wants too. Saving $400 would help me feel like I'm not pissing away my life savings.
-I've got my repaired knee to think about, I feel like I'm putting lots of miles on it at the resort.
-I've taken up rock climbing this summer, and I'll probably try out ice climbing this winter, those could keep me distracted more so than I was last season.
-Oh yeah, Alta's passes go from $400-$475 after Sept. 15, so that's why I'm trying to get this figured out soon.

So, what do you guys think? I'm sure plenty of you have experience with this quandary.

Paging, Senor Powstash..... (dawn patrol) Paging Woodsy... (soli)

I'd think about how many 'in-bounds' days you really think you need this year and add that up. Tix @ Alta and other Utardian resorts really aren't too bad (except for the PC areas). Hell, the AM 1/2 day at Alta is still like $32 and good until 1pm so you can pretty much charge until the legs drop and get some classwork done afterwards.

Have you thought about purchasing some single rides from Soli or Brighton? or maybe the 1 day per week pass at Solitude? Great value and lets you still get that 1 day in per week on the bull wheels (plus you can get great bc access, too, if you don't feel like staying at the resort).

1 day/week at Soli is how I'd do it. You can plan your school work around the one day and then get hooked up with the Utah dawn patrol possie for the daily bc.

I think it likely that I'll probably skip the pass next season.
Grad school will limit my days and the best ones are almost always in the bc.

$400 thats what going skiing there like 8 times if you get day passes, seriously 8 days is nothing and anything beyond that you are saving money

poho and I were just talking about this very same issue the other day while climbing, but ....

for $400 bones dude - get the friggin' pass!!!

I have to agree a pass that cheap you would be a fool to pass up. Yesterday was bittersweet for me as I bought my first EC season pass in 4 years:(

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Originally posted by CUBUCK
I have to agree a pass that cheap you would be a fool to pass up. Yesterday was bittersweet for me as I bought my first EC season pass in 4 years:(

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Ha, ha!![/Nelson] Now you know my pain.

Non-hijack related, I'd question whether BC days would be doing your knees any favors.

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Originally posted by Xover
for $400 bones dude - get the friggin' pass!!!

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For real.

It's one thing if you're paying full price, it's another if you're getting the student pass.

When I was attending (flunking) MSU in Bozeman, me and my cronies made a pact one year to not buy a pass at Bridger. But it wasn't to ski BC, it was to fully commit to a year of severe knuckle bashing, face bleeding, ice climbing. But it inadvertantly led to lot's of skiing anyway, while scoping new remote ice climbs.

On second thought, buy a pass. That way I won't be racing you up the mountain in search of freshies.

The only negative to not buying a pass is you lose some of your skiing prowess because on a huge day in the BC you only get the equivalent of 2.5 runs at an average western ski area. I have learned to love the slog as much as the turns.

Freshie days IMO at ski areas SUCK! To many other people racing and getting all uptight for their little piece of the pie. After two hours it's all crud anyway. Weekends-bluebird day-2 ft of new in LCC, no thanks. The stop and go traffic up the canyon is enough to make me want to puke.

I will probably become a latter day Ted Kazinski with these views.;)

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Originally posted by gramps
So.......


-I'm going to have to get very good grades this year to get into the grad program I want to, and I think if I'm not feeling the need to ditch class every pow day to go grab the turns at Alta before they're all gone, I could do better.
-.

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Dude your priorities are all fucked, Just by the pass, it will set your head straight in no time.

You are so damn lucky you get a student pass. I'm wondering why i graduated this past may...now i pay full price.

You my friend, better take advantage of this...won't last forever.

Oh, and my grades were fine when i skied pow instead of went to class.

Thinking about the same thing gramps. Still contemplating. I had 2 passes last year (both super cheap), but found myself skiing backcountry a lot more. My best days were by far in the bc as well. However, the pass is good for those lazy days you really don't feel like skinning or hiking. It's also great for those big dumps when everything else is unsafe and too sketch. Get the pass, it's cheap.

Yo, you could buy the Alta card - $99 for the card and you get $20 off per day that you ski any day all season. It's transferable so you can get your buddies to go in on it with you and then it may only cost you only $20 for the card and then after 1 use it's saving you loot. You ski 5 resort days at Alta your total payout, including the card at $20 is $125.

If you get the card alone, you'll have to use it more than 5 times to get it to actually pay off. If you're focusing on the BC and ice climbing, 5-10 days will be the max you'll want to hang in the lines at Alta.

I'm down for getting the pass if you can afford it.Maybe you'll want a quick fix before/after class & don't have the time to hike.In addition there's a lot of backcountry that's easily accessed from the resorts if you've time restraints.You're there, the snows there, the mountains are there,why not have options.I guess the only caveat is if you can't control your urges to go skiing & think the pass is too tempting.

Hey powstash,
my friends in Sandy never mentioned that the card is transferable,please specify.I was thinking of making a road trip & licence change to get one.That would save me some effort.

It's transferable from day to day but it can't be used by more than one person per day. Hence you should buy it with people you'll likely not want to ski with.

It's called the Silver Card.

Kinda funny I know so much about Alta's promotion.

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Originally posted by powstash
Kinda funny I know so much about Alta's promotion.

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Competitive intelligence

Well, you guys are right, it is cheap. The alternatives mentioned sound good, but don't really make sense for me, seeing as how I can get the $400 dollar pass. The one day a week solitude thing is neat, but the base price on it is $200 - and that's one day a week Monday-Thursday. I mean in my position it's either the Alta pass or nothing I think. I'm going to mention it to a couple of my real world buddies, and see what kind of response I get (although I can guess most of their responses already).

Oh, the other thing is I might take up tele this winter. I'd take a U class that would give me some days at Alta to work on dropping the knee. Maybe I could tele on safe terrain on real bad avy days. As it is now, my idea of "mellow but still fun" on alpine is like Day's fork, which is a dangerous place itself for avies.

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Originally posted by Trackhead
Freshie days IMO at ski areas SUCK! To many other people racing and getting all uptight for their little piece of the pie. After two hours it's all crud anyway. Weekends-bluebird day-2 ft of new in LCC, no thanks. The stop and go traffic up the canyon is enough to make me want to puke.

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Ding ding ding.

That's what resonates with me. On the other hand, on those days, you can use the lifts to get up high and go touring for the day.

Provided you're not at Crystal Mountain. Grrrrr.

It depends on what you're looking for: if it's maximizing the vert, or honing technique, then you have to buy a pass. But if it's being out in the snow, away from the madding crowds and having the touring mindset, then skip the pass.

However, I just bought my Alpental Pass. WOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!

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Originally posted by Buster Highmen
Ding ding ding.

That's what resonates with me. On the other hand, on those days, you can use the lifts to get up high and go touring for the day.

Provided you're not at Crystal Mountain. Grrrrr.

It depends on what you're looking for: if it's maximizing the vert, or honing technique, then you have to buy a pass. But if it's being out in the snow, away from the madding crowds and having the touring mindset, then skip the pass.

However, I just bought my Alpental Pass. WOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!

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The nice thing about having the Alta pass though is that you can wade through the crowds for two hours of freshies, then retreat to make laps off of Patsy or Wolverine area and have a nice fulfilling day of blower pow lift served and a few quick-medium hikes that can yield more awesome turns in much less crowded/tracked locales. Of course, the north facing stuff going down to BCC (silver fork, etc) will stay good much longer in the sun and you can make a nice day of mellow BC there pretty much any time 2 days after the storm without any uphill assistance. Everything in life involves trade offs, but $400 just doesn't seem like that much to add a little extra luxury to your season, while leaving BC options open.

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Originally posted by powstash

Kinda funny I know so much about Alta's promotion.

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You should since your lips are firmly and permanently planted on Connie's butt!!! :D :D

BWA!!!

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Originally posted by Xover
You should since your lips are firmly and permanently planted on Connie's butt!!! :D :D

BWA!!!

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Heh! That's funny.

Heli skiing and season passes are old school dude…skins and a beacon are new school. ;)

I agree with Trackhead and the others regarding the resort pow days being a Rat Race. Too many gapers trying to get there’s and the vibe is way too hustle and bustle for me. Depending on the resort, it’s usually tracked to shit in no time. Sure there are the weekday dumps, secret stashes, high traverses and what not but the real answer resides in your heart (corny I know). You either like get it or you don’t. I’ll take quality over quantity any day.

And to agree with Trackhead again… “I have learned to love the slog as much as the turns”

Nicely said, You either get that or you don’t.

Good luck with your decision…and the tele thing. ;)

edit:
Oh yeah…forgot to add.

Even on the sketchy-est avy days you can still ski the bc (at least in Cali). You just need to keep your angles down and stay in or below the trees. Some goes for storm days…it’s a great time to ski the bc. You’ll learn a lot.

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Originally posted by Trackhead
When I was attending (flunking) MSU in Bozeman,

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heh, currently working on my flunking of MSU.

Not gonna buy a pass this year either.

dude, it's all about the bc, resorts are like so beat man. screw the pass and get an avalung.

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Originally posted by Dexter Rutecki

Non-hijack related, I'd question whether BC days would be doing your knees any favors.

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For me there's no question. The snow's always smoother, and I only feel the uphill occasionally when I'm making some sketch kick turn. It's run after run of bumpy snow (and trying to keep up with the fellas on bumpy traverses) that gives me pain.

Oh and Trackhead - I think you could probably beat me up a slope. :) I've been getting pretty fast, but I don't think I could hang in there for 7,000 vert of bootpacking like I read about in your Needle/Coalpit day - impressive.