Looking to hit the slopes this weekend? Depending on where you go, you will be shelling out more for a lift ticket.
Arizona is home to three of some of the southernmost ski resorts in the country. The drive from Phoenix to all of them is comparable. One resort is charging significantly more than the others.
Arizona Snowbowl, the resort just west of Flagstaff, is charging $309 for a lift ticket Saturday. Sunrise, a four-hour drive from Phoenix into the White Mountains is charging $79. Mt. Lemmon, the resort near Tucson, is asking $69 for a day pass.
Cody Lee Bradshaw is an avid skier who lives near Snowbowl. He told ABC 15 the high prices are frustrating to see.
“If you’re going to charge the big boy rates, you got to run the resort in a good fashion,” Bradshaw said. “I mean, I know the gondola doesn’t run when winds are over 30 miles an hour, which is most cases when it snows.”
ABC15 looked at single-day lift ticket prices at some of the largest resorts in the western United States. Park City, Utah, the nation’s largest resort was charging $260. The major Colorado resorts Aspen, Vail, and Breckenridge ranged from $224 to $262.
Many of these resorts were located a long distance from major metro areas, so ABC15 also looked at “urban” ski resorts situated only a few hours from large cities.
Lee Canyon near Las Vegas was the most affordable of these resorts, charging $82 to hit the slopes. Mountain High and Big Bear, both situated near Los Angeles, were $129 and $165 respectively for a Saturday lift ticket.
Snowbowl uses dynamic pricing for lift tickets based on demand. On Friday morning, the price of a ticket was $299 compared to $309 in the afternoon. Next week, a day pass is currently priced at $179 and by the last Saturday in March, tickets plummet to $35.
ABC 15 reached out to Snowbowl for a statement. They sent the following:
"We believe in giving everyone the freedom to ski and our prices are deeply discounted for those who purchase online and in advance. As more people buy lift tickets on select dates, ticket prices will begin to increase. For instance, next week our lift tickets are as low as $67, nearly all our ticket prices in March are currently $35, and kids 12 and younger are eligible for a free Power Kids season pass which allows them to ski for the entire season. Our recommendation to our guests is to view our ticket calendar well in advance to save the most on their next visit."
