Trying to love the resort thing...

I got out for my first day of snow sliding of the season Sunday. I snowboarded a ton for 10 - 12 years back when you had to check if you were allowed to ride at each resort. I have to say these days my desire to buy a ticket, line up with a bunch of people, sit on a chair lift and then cruise down a run...is pretty limited. Why bother? Entirely because my GF wants to do it. She does lots of sporty stuff I want to do so I figure now that we live 30mins from a hill I can't really say no if she wants to ski. I didn't touch a snowboard for 10 years and just have a couple days in the legs since we moved to Comox. So in that respect it's good for team morale that my GF has to wait for me and make sure I'm okay. 

I bought a six pack of tickets so hopefully by the end of this winter I will have busted all the rust off and be back to my previous level of skill.

That said I have to admit I was thinking "I'd rather be riding my bike!" a bunch yesterday.

I remember lift tickets at Cypress for $12...We still couldn't afford it, waited in the parking lot with clippers and offered people $5.

What's Whistler's walk up window price these days? $220?

If you hate it and would rather be doing something else then I'd say don't do it.

Or see it as an opportunity to practice focusing on the present and enjoying being active outside in good company.

Im with Vik on this one. Used to go to Whistler regularly 10-15+ years ago. Could buy a 10 pass Edge card for $300. 

Current prices range from $170-$220/day. So if my wife and I want to go for a day, we are looking at a $500+ day if you include transport (and that doesnt include if you decide to buy food). No thanks. 2 hour drive each way to wait in horrendous lift lines with often questionable weather. Glad I got to experience it before Vail took over.

Apparently you get a free family pass if you work regular PT shifts at our local mountain. I was joking with my GF that when she retires she has to work the lifts to get us a ski pass and I'll work in a bike shop to get cheaper parts. Seems like a reasonable deal. ;-)

Posted by: shoreboy

Im with Vik on this one. Used to go to Whistler regularly 10-15+ years ago. Could buy a 10 pass Edge card for $300.

Current prices range from $170-$220/day. So if my wife and I want to go for a day, we are looking at a $500+ day if you include transport (and that doesnt include if you decide to buy food). No thanks. 2 hour drive each way to wait in horrendous lift lines with often questionable weather. Glad I got to experience it before Vail took over.

Same here, had an Edge Card for 10+ years (spring skiing for $35 was awesome), but then it got stupid expensive. A friend from Ontario is at W/B this week and wanted me to come up and ski for a day, but I just can't justify $200+ (ticket, gas, food) for a day trip.

On a positive note, they've dropped backcountry passes down to $45, which is pretty reasonable considering it hasn't been under $50 for about a decade.

You are a wise man, Vik. Compromise is key to a healthy relationship. Suck it up & go boarding with her. At least you're getting out & doing something.

I don't know what average working man can afford to ski W/B. Over $200 for a walk-up day pass? Ridiculous. I see the season passes & Edge cards are sold out there too, so anyone wanting to ski there would have to pay the walk-up price.

Back in the day my son & I averaged 9 days a season on the slopes, which wasn't too bad. We mostly did W/B, Cypress & Seymour. I kinda miss the skiing, but not the line-ups, traffic, parking, prices etc.

If I lived in the lower mainland and had a Monday to Friday 9-5 I don't know if I'd ski. But I live in Whistler and don't work 9-5, and skied Tuesday pow today.. It was awesome.

Posted by: Kevin26

If I lived in the lower mainland and had a Monday to Friday 9-5 I don't know if I'd ski. But I live in Whistler and don't work 9-5, and skied Tuesday pow today.. It was awesome.

Exactly this. I can only get out to the mountains on the weekends. Sadly, there is no way Whistler makes sense anymore in terms of time and money.

Holy Guacamole.  I got out of skiing when I was broke because it was too expensive.  Now I'm not broke but couldn't justify $200 for a day of skiing.

The idea with WB (and any big resort) is disincentivize day trips through high ticket window prices and get people buying season passes/cards before the season starts. Assured revenue regardless of conditions/weather/traffic/life etc. WB can still be awesome for casual skiers with an Edge card, once you are actually skiing. Biggest problem in my view now is the highway/traffic whenever it snows. Significantly worse than 5-10 years ago, seemingly due to more inexperienced drivers on shitty tires.

if only there were some train tracks there on which a huge people mover could operate and carry those pesky city dwellers to the mountain…

*hugshisswisstrainnetworkflatratecard*

Posted by: Sethimus

if only there were some train tracks there on which a huge people mover could operate and carry those pesky city dwellers to the mountain…

*hugshisswisstrainnetworkflatratecard*

BRING BACK B.C. BUDD!

- a many time NVMons Budd rider

Posted by: Vikb

I got out for my first day of snow sliding of the season Sunday. I snowboarded a ton for 10 - 12 years back when you had to check if you were allowed to ride at each resort. I have to say these days my desire to buy a ticket, line up with a bunch of people, sit on a chair lift and then cruise down a run...is pretty limited. Why bother? Entirely because my GF wants to do it. She does lots of sporty stuff I want to do so I figure now that we live 30mins from a hill I can't really say no if she wants to ski. I didn't touch a snowboard for 10 years and just have a couple days in the legs since we moved to Comox. So in that respect it's good for team morale that my GF has to wait for me and make sure I'm okay.

I bought a six pack of tickets so hopefully by the end of this winter I will have busted all the rust off and be back to my previous level of skill.

That said I have to admit I was thinking "I'd rather be riding my bike!" a bunch yesterday.

Vik. there is another place to go near you and is low key. Can't recall the name of it but recall Rewoga who used to post here goes there. Let me check .

Update, found it.

https://www.facebook.com/mountcain/