April is skiing鈥檚 most underrated month. There are warmer temperatures, no lift lines, and plenty of season-ending parties and pond skims. Right now听there are still , including many in the Northeast, where nor鈥檈asters blanketed the region throughout March. If you didn鈥檛 know, it鈥檚 also the best time to buy next season鈥檚 ski pass.
Don鈥檛 believe me? Look at听 ($899), which is good for unlimited skiing at 15 North American resorts听补苍诲 limited skiing at 46 others in听eight countries. If you buy before April 15, you also get six transferable buddy tickets.听Until April 9, the , which includes skiing at 26 resorts, is offering $250 off a kids鈥� pass听(making it听$199)听when you also buy an adult pass ($899). Buy the Mountain Collective pass this spring, good for two days at resorts like Snowbird, Aspen, and Jackson Hole ($409),听补苍诲 a child鈥檚 pass will cost you just $1.
Ski areas have long offered lower pricing tiers in spring and summer to help with cash flow and as a hedge against a potentially dry听upcoming season. But after the lackluster听snowfall this season in California and much of Colorado, resorts are stepping up the promos听in hopes of getting skiers to commit.
On the East Coast,听passes at many of New Hampshire鈥檚 resorts, including Waterville Valley and Loon, have better听. Pass prices at Maine鈥檚 Sunday River and Sugarloaf听will go up after April 30. At Wyoming鈥檚 Jackson Hole, they鈥檙e offering the before June for $180听cheaper than the August price (normally $1,579), and you听get five buddy passes (good for 50 percent off a lift ticket).
One offer with potential for added adventure听comes from听Montana鈥檚 Big Sky Resort. Purchase an for next season ($1,299) by April 8, and riders over 18听are entered into a drawing to win a heli-ski day on the resort after the season ends. The winner, two friends, and a guide and photographer will have the whole mountain to themselves, and a helicopter will drop everyone at the 11,166-foot summit of Lone Peak for as many runs as they can handle between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. 鈥淟ast year鈥檚 closing day, April 23, was a powder day, and we are getting snow right now, so the skiing should be great,鈥� says Big Sky听spokeswoman Chelsi Moy. There鈥檒l also be a champagne brunch听at the Lone Peak summit before the final run.
Lone Peak is best known for runs like the North Summit Snowfield听补苍诲 the Big Couloir鈥攁 1,400-foot, sustained 50-degree slope so daunting that riders normally have to sign in with ski patrol and bring avalanche gear and a partner to be allowed in. Not ready to check Big Couloir off your bucket list yet? There are plenty of mellower runs off the south side of the peak, and the chopper will meet you wherever you end up. Either way, Moy says, 鈥渨ithout ski patrol鈥檚 ropes, moving chair lifts or ski tracks other than your own, it鈥檒l feel like a remote, wild mountain.鈥�
Still want to ski now? Sunday River and Sugarloaf will let you grab a few last turns on next year鈥檚 pass. Next-season鈥檚听Ikon pass will get you free skiing every day for the rest of this season at five resorts: Squaw Valley, Blue Mountain, Mammoth, and Winter Park. Squaw Valley鈥檚 famous Cushing Crossing pond skim is April 28, and .
All of which proves that, when it comes to buying a ski pass, it pays to be impatient.听