Prices at ski resorts will increase this year, but operators are optimistic. They expect most skiers to shrug off the high cost of gas to get to the slopes. Once there, they do not think skiers will worry about the high cost of the ski lifts.
The lodges at Stratton, a big Vermont ski area, are already fully booked for the Christmas holidays, despite a $2 increase in the lift pass to $18. Other ski areas in the Northeast report a 10 percent increase in their daily lift tickets compared to the last season. Their tickets now cost $17, while at resorts in the Rockies, a 10 percent increase brings ticket prices to $16.
To dull the pain, Amtrak is expected to cut rail fares by 35 percent to ski areas such as Jackson Hole, and Aspen, Colorado (in the West); and Sugarbush, Jay Peak and Bolton Valley in Vermont. One major ski resort in the East – Stowe, Vt., is offering a cut on pre-Christmas lift prices. Prices will drop from $16 to $13 for the special promotion.