Hundreds of millions of dollars have been spent on high-speed lifts and gondolas, but resorts are offering some of the best lift ticket deals since the 1970s. Christensen says the lift ticket deals are being offered because of competition for what has been a flat skier market for nearly a decade.
Resorts hope to make up lost lift revenue with dollars spent on fancy food and sports gear.
Skiers and snowboarders also can count on more snow in the West. We expect more significant events, arctic outbreaks of cold air, and probably a lot more significant precipitation events inland than we had last year. Even before the snow-making machines began laying down a layer of white, the battle for skiers and snowboarders was on, especially in Colorado. Copper Mountain and Vail Resorts matched the offer, the latter selling the passes for its Keystone and Breckenridge areas. It also could be used at Arapahoe Basin, with which it has a marketing agreement.