"The Travel" published an article entitled "10 Cheapest Ski Slopes in North America". Something seemed off, so I checked their research (yes, I'm a grumpy old man with time on his hands.)
Most of their "best price" values are for kids tickets, purchased in advance -- and kids don't make enough money to buy tickets. Adult prices (and walk-up prices) are significantly more.
| Mountain | The Travel Claims "tickets starting at" | Reality | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bear Mountain, CA | $65 tickets | That's the child's price. Adults (the people who actually pay for the tickets) are charged $100+ | |
| Cannon Mountain, NH | $81 | That's the teen/college, buy-in-advance price. Full day advance purchase is $94 | Cannon should be a bit cheaper than others -- it's owned by the State of NH. |
| Mont Tremblant | $85 | I can't find an $85 ticket on the site. A 1-day adult ticket is $129-$145, depending on season | This was the one that got me thinking. Tremblant is a Vail property. "Vail" is a Native American word meaning "Expensive." |
| Whiteface Mountain, NY | $75 | $75 is the price for 7-12 year olds. The adult one-day price is $119. | I think Whiteface is owned by the state of NY |
| Big White, BC | $78 | I can't find a $78 ticket on the site. Adult tickets range from $93-$179, depending on when and how you buy. | |
| Big Bear, PA | $75 | They nailed one! That's the holiday rate when purchased online. It's also the most expensive ticket they offer. Every other ticket is cheaper. | I thought they were confusing Big Bear with Big Boulder, but I learned something. Where in the world is Lackawaxen? |
| Mont Sainte Anne, QC | $60 | I can't find a $60 ticket anywhere. Adult tickets are $119 (double!) | |
| Big Sky, MT | $65 | I can't find anything approaching $65 at any level (well -- tiny tots at $1). Adult tickets seem to range from $185-$245. | Big Sky is legendary for their high prices, so I was surprised to see them on any list involving the word "cheapest." |
| Breckenridge, CO | $80 | Looks like an adult one-day ticket (even purchased in advance) is about $185. | Breck makes it really hard to figure out what a ticket will cost (unless you just want the most expensive ones). That's another Vail property for you -- expensive and hard to do business with. |
| Sugarloaf, ME | $84 | They got this one right. Sugarloaf is doing daily pricing now, so if you buy in advance for Mon-Thur, an adult ticket seem so range from about $58-$80. |