Pikes Peak Region Trail Finder

Coupons, deals, passes give savvy skiers a jump on savings

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Created on Thursday, 23 December 2010 20:50

Written by Nathan

                                                      Photo by Christian Murdock, The Gazette

By MARK JAFFE, THE DENVER POST

Buying a ski-lift ticket has become just like buying an airplane ticket. If you don't plan ahead, you are going to pay — a whole bunch.

"If you walk up to the counter at the airport to buy a ticket, you know it is going to be expensive, so nobody does that," said Ron Schneidermann, co-founder of Liftopia.com, an online lift-ticket service.

Vail Resorts Inc. raised eyebrows this week when it raised the walk-up price for a one-day lift ticket for the week beginning Dec. 26 to $108. After the holidays the price will drop to $102.

Here's a photo gallery shot Wednesday from Breck!

"Breaking the $100 barrier is emblematic of what's happening in the ski industry," Schneidermann said, "but it doesn't mean skiing is more expensive. It means skiers have to be more savvy."

There are, indeed, a host of ways to ski and snowboard on the cheap — or at least more cheaply.

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