JHMR raises pass prices slightly

Wednesday, August 01, 2007

By Sam Petri

Jackson Hole, Wyo.-If you don’t plan to be one of the 1,400 Jackson Hole Mountain Resort (JHMR) employees this winter season – and you still plan to ski at the resort regularly – this month is your chance to purchase a high-priced pass at the lowest price possible. In case you’ve been living under a rock, the price of a full season pass is at its lowest in August at $1,625 and increases each month until October, where upon it caps off at a whopping $1,970.

This leaves Jacksonites who are tired of working for the man a mere four to eight weeks to scrape together enough dough to pay for a pass. Many will go deep into debt just before the onset of the off-season. But they know that a no-frills season spent at JHMR is well worth a poor credit rating.

According to JHMR’s Marketing Director, Anna Olson, the reason JHMR has higher season pass prices compared to other resorts is because JHMR is not part of a resort group, sits alone away from any major city, and therefore sells fewer season passes. To account for operating costs, pass prices are high.

“We pride ourselves on our product,” said Olson. “We have an outstanding product with high value.”

High value with a high price tag. Following is a breakdown on adult multi-day season pass offerings available this August.

Currently, the cheapest multi-day offering for adults is the “10-day intro pass” at $485. However, the first 400 thrifty folk who want to go this route can get it for $370 during a one-day sale on Saturday, August 4 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the season pass office in Teton Village. That’s $37 dollars a day compared to the $77 a day you’d spend buying tickets outright during the season. But if 10 days just won’t cut it, step it up a notch.

Many people get the “20-day trailblazer” pass because their work schedules are in constant flux, they only like to ski after a fresh snowstorm, or they don’t ski that often. Whatever the reason, it gives you the option to ski any 20 days throughout the season for $860. At $43 a day, you’ll want to take around 10 runs each day to keep it under $5 a run.

If you’re a Monday through Friday, 9 to 5 working stiff and you love to ski your best bet is the “Weekend Warrior” pass for $615. You get 38 days of skiing at around $16 a day. True, you’ll have to pay $58 a day during the week every time you call in “sick” after a dump. But in general, you’ll be skiing for under $20 a day and will be stoked.

The “Weekday Wrangler” costs $1,290 and gives you a total of 90 days of skiing. If you ski all 90 days it costs about $14 a day to ski. Not bad, considering if you ski half of those days, it would cost about $29 a day, which is decent since most people are lazy and don’t end up maximizing their season pass option. If you work a night job and don’t want to deal with the influx of weekend traffic (many ski-stay packages begin and end on the weekend) the “Weekday Wrangler” is a pretty good option. 

Finally there is the full “Jackson Hole Mountain” season pass offered at $1,625 for 128 days of skiing. Last year only three people skied all 128 days on their season passes, utilizing the $13 a day cost. Only 55 people skied over 100 days. According to Olson, most full season pass holders get 70 to 90 days in a year. That means most people who pay for their season pass pay from $23 to $18 a day to ski.

Those who can foot the bill never have to worry what day it is or if their number of days is running out – a luxury you will relish when you can say “yes” every time you’re friends hit you up to go ride.

And yes, many independent businesses in the area offer season pass deals for their employees at 20 percent below the August price, indefinitely. If you can get it for cheaper, go for it. After all, these are just the base prices. How much is a day of skiing worth to you?

Photo by Miguel Esguerra
Just how much is a day of pow at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort worth?

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JHMR raises pass prices slightly | Planet JH News Article: Sports & Recreation

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