Ski deals save students cash

For those of us looking to Lolo Peak’s newly whitened northern slopes and dreaming of the winter to come, it’s about time to come up with a plan for affording some fun this season. Old Man Winter and the Fair Lady of Snow Sports go hand in hand, but remember, relationships can be expensive.
Skiers and snowboarders face, as always, a variety of season pass and ticket deal options for the resorts around Missoula this winter. What you’re looking for and how much you plan on skiing or riding this winter will dictate your choice, but making the decision soon can save you a considerable amount of money. Most areas have a sliding scale of season pass prices respective to deadlines set throughout the fall—the sooner you buy, the more you save. Some deadlines have already passed with the end of September, but more are coming up in the next few weeks.

Though in many cases buying a pass may not seem practical, considering your options and doing some quick math before writing it off might just save you some cash.
Also worth considering is the fact that most Montana ski resorts will sell full-day tickets at the half-day price for displaying a season pass to any mountain, saving the skier or snowboarder five bucks or so every time he decides to go somewhere different.
Look at Snowbowl first for no other reason than its proximity to town. Dividing the student pass rate by the daily ticket price will reveal that students only have death to defy on their way up Snowbowl Road 12 times this winter for a pass to pay for itself. There is also a weekday-pass option for $291, meaning students would have to skip eight precious days of classes to come out on top if they did not avoid a full-week course load.
Lost Trail Powder Mountain and Discovery Ski Area are both offering deals to attract Missoula skiers and riders will migrate south this winter. Lost Trail is offering a 10-day pass for $279 this winter, targeting frequent visitors who are hesitant to fork out for the entire season. Discovery, on the other hand, offers the best break for college students of the nearby resorts, giving undergraduates in the Montana University System a $150 discount off the area’s normal adult rate.
Lookout Pass, located due west on the Montana-Idaho border, offers season tickets for less than half of what is charged by most of the competition. Though unable to boast the terrain and vertical drop fount at some of the other mountains, Lookout did open new lifts last season and traditionally gets more than its share of fresh snow.
Silver Mountain is also an option, located 20-something miles into Idaho on Interstate 90. With a large terrain park and good annual snowfall, some will find it worth the drive. Those willing to venture further—and pay significantly more—will have great days up north at Whitefish Mountain Resort and east at the mountains around Bozeman.
Anyone considering planning more extensive trips should consider purchasing a six-day student pass to Jackson Hole, available here at UM on Oct. 16 for $200. The deal only lasts for one day per school, so be sure to make it to Campus Recreation next Thursday with your Griz Card if you want “on board.”
william.freihofer@umontana.edu