CA - Okay, the cost of skiing scoop for newbies, please.?

Question

Yesterday, my 13 yr old daughter went skiing for the first time, in the Lancaster area (we live in the So.CA Santa Clarita Valley). SHE LOVED IT & is a natural....and of course, wants MORE. However it is pretty expensive, huh? Any suggestions of great places to ski w/in a 1-2-3 hour driving distance & if it's possible to get discounts, the best times to go, and other info. Tx. very much.

Answer 1

Welcome to the crazy world of skiing

There are a few places to ski near LA. Big Bear/Snow Summit, Wrightwood has Mtn High&Sunrise aswell as Waterman and SnowCrest and least we forget Mt Baldy just across the LA county line in San Bernardino Co. Here's a pretty good link http://www.skicalifornia.com/

Midweek is always the best time to go skiing. Avoiding the crowds means less time spent waiting for the lift and more time on the slope, also less skiers mean the snow conditions hold up better=less ice. Nothing deters a beginner skier more than ice, once she becomes more adapt at skiing ice just becomes a ski condition(a condition that Socal resorts are notorious for) not a harrowing experience.

From a cost perspective pick a hill that is easy to get to and purchase a season pass. Do this early in the season Oct/Nov to get the preseason discount. With her being a teenager this should only cost about $300-$350/year. Buy her the best pair of skiboots your budget allows, don't waste alot of money on skis, her skiing ability will constantly outgrow the skis and buying top of the line skis from the getgo will hurt her development. Used skis are probably the best way to go or buying at either the end of the season or getting last years models(after the new models come in) in late Nov. is the most cost effective way to go.

Do some research on ski maintainance and teach her to maintain her equipment properly. This will ensure that her equipment performs and lasts....this will cut down on the cost and be an invaluable skill when she gets older and skis at a racing level or just if she becomes someone like me who skis daily

Answer 2

If you want to save a few bucks, look around in your area for a Ski Club to join. Usually they have group trips and you can sometimes save a few bucks.

I started skiing when I was 11 and we didn't have a lot of money. I went on ski trips with my school and scout troop the first few years and rented my equipment. I didn't get my own skis until I was in High School.

I still didn't have a lot of money then...so I did just about anything I could to get discounts. If 6 proof of purchases from Pepsi got me a $20 lift ticket, I brought the cans to the hill. My mom would get deals through AAA, We'd look all over for Buy-one-get-one-free deals...because almost every resort has them...you just have to look around.

If she really has the bug and wants to stick with it, getting a season pass BEFORE the season starts is a good way to save some dough. Use seasonal rentals on the equipment until she stops growing. It saves money over the course of the season...and over the long haul too.

When you are ready to buy, buy at the end of the season or find a ski swap in your area. End of season sales are great.

Once she gets old enough she can get a job working at the mountain. A lot of places will take 15 year olds as junior instructors. Sometimes it is a non-paying job...but she'll get to ski for free where she works and she might get discounts on other places too.

Same thing if she gets a job at a ski shop. They usually have comp tickets or shop passes to a ski area close by.

Unfortunately you'll have to squeak by these next two years or so unless the local mountain has something for 13 year olds to do. Ask around though...Pico Mountain and Sugarbush in VT allow kids as young as 12 to work with the Disabled Skier Program. All of the instructors and helpers get to ski for free the day they are working with the clients and then get a comp ticket to use later in the season for a free day. You might have something like that in your area.

Ski areas love quid-pro-quo help and most of them have some sort of volunteer program.

Good Luck!