Industry experts share some easy ways to bring down the cost of skiing in Colorado

One of Colorado's favorite pastimes is becoming unaffordable for many Coloradans. "Day of" lift tickets at Colorado's top ski resorts will cost you well beyond $200 at the window and online this year. While it's discouraging, Industry experts say there are some easy ways to bring down the cost.

When Vail Resorts launched season prices for the 2022/23 ski seasons, skiers reacted on social media -- a single-day lift ticket purchased "day of"? $275.

 Vail Resorts was quick to point out that any time you buy a ticket "day of," you will always pay the highest cost, but in advance, online? A major difference.

If you buy an Epic Day Pass, you can ski up to seven days at (almost) any US Vail resort, with no blackout dates for $119/day. If you choose the option that offers 32 resorts, WITH holiday blackouts, (Keystone and Crested Butte are the only ones in Colorado with this deal), you can ski up to seven days at $81/day.

Vail Resorts does warn to get your days locked in because ticket sales will be limited.

When it comes to kids, Colorado Ski Country USA has one of the best deals. The Kids Ski Passport is available at any time during the season, and you don't have to be a Colorado resident to snag it.

"Colorado Ski Country USA has a kids ski passport, and this thing is amazing," said Sarah Beatty, Director of Communications for Colorado Ski Country USA, "for $59, your 3rd through 6th grader gets up to 80 days on the snow. Up to four days at 20 member resorts."

The Epic SchoolKids Pass is another option, registration for this season has closed but will open next spring and is FREE program for kindergarten through 5th graders. It provides four days of skiing and riding at each of the state's top-ranked resorts: Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone, and Crested Butte.

The state of Colorado is also investing more into making the outdoors accessible and equitable for families.

"Gov. (Jared) Polis in partnership with the legislature launched the landmark Outdoor Equity Grants program. Governor Polis has distributed Outdoor Equity Grants across the state and in May announced an increase in funding for the landmark Colorado Outdoor Equity Grant Program after the program received 170 funding requests during the inaugural 2022 application cycle. This may be something to consider in the future," said a spokesperson for the Governor's Office.

Colorado Ski Country USA reached out to all of its member resorts on Friday to find the best deals for CBS News Colorado viewers. Here's the response:

Copper Mountain
Copper Mountain Season Pass with Kids Ski Free: An adult who purchases one Copper Mountain season pass is eligible to receive one free season pass for a child 15 and under with Kids Ski Free. Currently, season passes are on sale for $799 per person. This is a great option for families looking to save on pass purchases for the kids. Additionally, a Copper season pass comes with added perks including discounted friends & family tickets, savings on dining, retail, and rentals and three free days of skiing and riding at resorts such as Monarch Mountain and Taos Ski Valley. Purchase a season pass at CopperColorado.com.

Additionally... For each Copper season pass product sold prior to Nov. 15, Copper Mountain, in partnership with Nokian Tyres, will facilitate the planting of one (1) tree to help mitigate the negative impacts of climate change. This is part of POWDR's commitment to Play Forever and Nokian Tyres' commitment to helping save the world's winters for tomorrow's generation.

Play Forever Thursdays - discounted lift ticket deals (Jan-March)
As part of Copper Mountain's Play Forever commitment to protect the environment and support our community, we are focused on improving the lives of those around us. This winter, Copper will partner with non-profits that support local relief, on-mountain participation and environmental initiatives through financial, in-kind and volunteer assistance through our Play Forever Thursdays program. On select Thursdays throughout the 2022/23 winter season, $99 discounted lift tickets purchased online, in advance will have a portion of proceeds benefit a charity of choice. Copper is in the process of selecting 13 organizations to participate in the program on a selected Thursday during the season between January 5, 2023 and March 30, 2023.

Eldora
1. Want a refund on your Eldora or Ikon Pass? Eldora, just 20 miles west of Boulder and the closest Ikon Pass mountain to the Front Range, is now hiring for a ton of awesome seasonal FT/PT positions. If you are hired and have already purchased an Ikon Pass or Eldora season pass of any kind, Eldora will fully refund your pass. A free Eldora pass and free skiing at most other Colorado resorts is a perk of working at Eldora, so you'll still be able to ski/ride across the state all winter, even if you just work one or two days a week at Eldora. Browse jobs and benefits and apply online at Eldora.com/jobs, then come up to our Job Fair at Eldora tomorrow, Sat 10/22 to meet hiring managers and-most likely-leave with a fun new job!
2. An Eldora 4-Pass is perfect for Epic Pass holders. While prices on all Eldora passes just went up on Tuesday during our annual fall price increase, an Eldora 4-Pass is still an awesome accompaniment to an Epic Pass-great for those days you just don't feel like braving I-70 traffic to get to an Epic Pass resort. Eldora is just 20 miles west of downtown Boulder and is the perfect half-day mountain for Front Range skiers and riders. Come ski/ride for an hour or two in the morning or afternoon and you'll still have plenty of the day left for work, play, or whatever's on your to-do list. For Front Range skiers and riders, Eldora's proximity simply cannot be beat.

Ski Loveland
Our 4-Pak is available through 11/20. 4 lift tickets that can be used by anyone on any day. Use them yourself on 4 different days or share with friends and family all on the same day. No restrictions or blackouts. $229. $57.25/day.

Monarch Mountain
MARK YOUR CALENDARS!
4-PACK
FLASH SALE
OFFER VALID ONLINE ONLY
OCTOBER 26
$239
Visit skimonarch.com on 10.26.22 to purchase.
Get four (4) fully transferable lift tickets for only $239.
Blackout dates apply 12.26.22-01.01.23, 01.14.23-01.15.23 and 2.18.23-2.19.23
Tickets are not for resale, non-refundable and can only be used during the 22-23 season.

Purgatory
To improve operational efficiencies and encourage guests to plan ahead, Purgatory has moved away from traditional window rates to offer dynamic, demand-based pricing on lift tickets. Guests who purchase tickets in advance get the best pricing, with additional incentives when you purchase 3, 4 or 5-day tickets. Multi-day tickets are on sale now starting at $59 per day (some restrictions/blackout days apply). Unrestricted multi-day tickets (no blackout dates) are also available starting at $89. Both deals are on sale now at purgatory.ski/offers/multi-day-ticket-deals/.

More resources:
https://www.skierdeals.com/
https://www.mountainthreads.com/
https://sosoutreach.org/
https://discoversnow.org/
https://www.nbs.org/