That goes to something interesting, the cut offs for rebates can be lowered again and again…by the powers that be…
Interestingly, the ski resort industry is doing the same thing. A small number of owners control most of the ski hills in north American, and all of the big name hills. That gives them pricing power, and boy howdy are they taking advantage.
For instance, as a young lad in the 1980s, I liked to ski at Alta Utah. Now, Alta at that time was the bomb dot com. Sure, the lifts were a little slow and the amenities were light, but the terrain is steep and the powder is dry as dust. Plus lift tickets were $10, which they raised to $12. That saved you about $15 for driving the two miles up the road from Snowbird that had all the whizzzzz bang stuff.
Now Alta is $172! I get inflation and everything, but Jaysus! The first time I paid $100 for a lift ticket was a Jackson Hole and not all that long ago–a special trip and they got the whizzzzzzz bang everything, so okay. Now Jackson is $200 for a day pass. And isn’t like you have animatronics or a fireworks show at night.
So it is basically impossible for a normal person to afford skiing–unless you buy the multi-resort season pass, for an absurd amount of money. But the multi-resort season pass is actually cheaper if you ski a lot.
But perversely, the multi-resort season pass holders have overloaded the local, family resorts, because…why not? You already paid, so cost isn’t a factor. In response, some of the local hills have to throttle back the multi-resort passes, which makes them less valuable.
For this season, I got a season pass for weekdays and no holidays at the local crappy local hill instead of getting day passes at the places I really wanted to ski.
Skrew you Big Ski!
P.S. I apologize to anyone who may be offended by words similar to “Skrew” or “whizzzzzzz”
P.P.S. Motely Fool, grow up. We are all pretty much ready for wheelchairs. We can handle the word “whizzzzzzz” We’ve heard worse. Trust us.
@CMFMints - Can we take whizzzz with one z off of the endangered words list?
Thanks!
'38Packard
now Alta is $172! I get inflation and everything, but Jaysus! The first time I paid $100 for a lift ticket was a Jackson Hole and not all that long ago–a special trip and they got the whizzzzzzz bang everything, so okay. Now Jackson is $200 for a day pass.
Wow, those are some steep prices ( no pun intended,lol ).
That what I luv about xc skiing, I get a voluntary season grooming badge for the great local trail network for $100, and also get a seasons pass at a trail network about an hour away for some variety, that was $190. Usually do a fair amount of making trail in the forest on wide, metal-edges ski’s, too, that’s free.
But not this year, January has been the worst snowfall month that anybody can remember in northern Michigan, looks like late April out here. Luckily, the place an hour away has a man made snow loop, so have been skiing about 3 times a week, but it’s just not the same. sukz big time.
I feel your pain. When the plague arrived in Michigan in March 2020, I had just paid annual memberships for The Henry Ford (museum and Greenfield Village) and the Gilmore Car Museum. Didn’t use either a single time that year.
Steve
Sure thing - it’s done.
Whiz! Whiz! Whiz!
Thank you!!
Gee Whiz, I had a Wadsworth Antheneum membership going into 2020, $75. I think it remained the same. But my Costco membership rose to $60. I was networking at the Wadworth, the oldest museum in the US. There are people up and down from Boston and NYC in the arts world.