Jackson Hole Mountain Resort slashes cost of ski pass

by Kraig Becker on

While most of us continue to suffer through the hottest summer on record, it is difficult to envision ourselves shredding down a mountain on a fresh base of white powder. Fortunately, the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort is already looking to the winter ahead, and they’ve received plenty of attention in recent days for actually cutting the prices of their annual ski passes by an unprecedented 25% over last year.

In 2009, a full season pass cost skiers $1970, making it one of the most expensive in the entire country. But during the month of August, JHMR is selling the same pass for the 2010-2011 season for just $1255, a relative bargain in the world of major ski resorts. The price does come with a caveat however, as this early bird discount is good only until August 31st, after that the cost jumps up to $1570, which is still a substantial savings over last year.

Why the reduction in price? Simple economics it seems. The resort took a look at the most common buyers of their annual passes and found that they were most likely to be local skiers who hit the slopes on a very regular basis. Those locals may be a bit strapped for cash considering the current economic climate, so JHMR management wanted to give back to the community and offer up the discounted price. Fortunately, it isn’t just available for the locals.

Located just outside of Jackson, Wyoming, and not far from the Grand Teton Mountains, Jackson Hole Mountain Resort boasts 116 different ski runs, the majority of which are dedicated to the intermediate and expert level skier. With over 2500 acres of inbounds skiable area and a another 3000 acres of backcountry, the resort is amongst the most popular in the western United States.

So far, none of their big name competitors to the south have followed suit with a price reduction this season.

Food & Wine Classic in Aspen offers day passes to debauchery

by Laurel Miller on

It’s almost time for the 28th annual Food & Wine Classic in Aspen, and day passes are back by popular demand. The June 18-20 festival features seminars, cooking demos, grand tastings, and book signings by featured chefs like Thomas Keller, Mario Batali, and Giada De Laurentiis. All of this goodness in an alpine wonderland doesn’t come cheap, which is why the $295 Grand Tasting pass is such a steal.

The price includes attendance at two Grand Tastings in a single day, on Friday, June 18 or Saturday, June 19. Highlights include tastings from over 200 vineyards, breweries, and distilleries, as well as food samplings of meats, cheeses, olive oils, and chocolate. There’s also a Spanish pavilion dedicated to wines, spirits and foods of Spain.

Full consumer passes are $1,185, which include access to all Grand Tastings, wine seminars, and cooking demonstrations. If you really want to splurge (read: schedule follow-up appointment with your cardiologist), spring for some of the special events, such as the Food & Wine magazine Best New Chefs 2010 Dinner, or Reserve Wine Tastings. New this year is the Grand Cochon finale, featuring ten chefs, ten heritage breed pigs, and ten wines. Sounds like food porn just got really kinky.

Buy a Canadian ski resort for $1 (Yes, there is a catch!)

by Kraig Becker on

Earlier this week Line Beauchamp, Quebec’s Minister of Sustainable Development, Environment, and Parks announced a plan to sell the Mount Orford ski and golf resort, including all buildings, chairlifts and operating equipment, for just $1. But of course, like all deals that seem too good to be true, prospective buyers need to read the fine print before writing their checks.

The resort has been managed and operated by the Quebec Government for some time, and has continually run in the red. In fact, the resort has averaged a loss of $2 million a year, in part because the government was unable to use taxpayer money to promote Mount Orford. As a result, the bare minimum of funds were pumped into the operations, just to keep it up and running.

So what’s the catch on this $1 deal of the century? Who ever ends up buying the resort has to agree to keep it running for at least five years, and lay down a $4 million deposit to cover that claim. Bids are being taken through May 28th, at which time if there are no buyers, the resort will be shut down and all on-site facilities will be dismantled.

Anyone want to pool our cash together to purchase the resort? I can cover that first dollar!

Salt Lake City uses Facebook contest to get you psyched

by Tom Johansmeyer on

The #1 Fan Sweepstakes for the Salt Lake City CVB’s Facebook fan page kicked off on January 15, 2010 and runs until February 12, 2010. The goal is to get the number of fans pumped up to 5,000, while giving potential visitors information about everything Utah: from skiing to genealogy to Mormonism to convention business. Already, the number of fans has almost doubled — from 1,200 to 2,200 — indicating that the new Facebook push is working.

This is a trend that’s becoming increasingly common: travel companies and destinations are turning to Facebook to promote themselves and attract tourists. Recently, JetBlue and the Mexican Council for the Promotion of Tourism kicked off Facebook programs to attract interest and (hopefully) generate the sort of interest that will help them overcome the severe travel industry slump that we’ve been coping with for more than a year now. For Salt Lake City, which has been executing an aggressive media campaign, the move into social media isn’t at all surprising.

According to Inside Facebook, the #1 Fan Sweepstakes isn’t the first push that the Salt Lake City CVB has made on Facebook. Rather, it reflects the lessons learned from previous efforts. Says Shawn Stinson, Director of Communications for the CVB, “We started with a number of different Facebook fan pages: ski, visit, genealogy, meetings, and that didn’t work. It was too littered. So we went to simply Visit Salt Lake.” The straightforward approach is anchored in this new initiative. According to Stinson, “This contest in particular is being used to drive an increase in our fan base because we are looking to distribute more and more information via Facebook.”

The grand prize is a ski trip for two that is packed with extras beyond airfare and lodging: ski passes and a FLIP video camera are included, and the winner is expected to shoot video for a blog about the trip. Other prizes include a set of Dynastar skis and bindings, a two-day Ski Salt Lake pass valid at any of the four resorts in Salt Lake and 20 Ski Salt Lake belt buckles and t-shirts.

Are you a fan of Gadling on Facebook yet?

Ski for free at Stowe when you stay at Topnotch Resort

by Katie Hammel on

Ski season is in full swing at resorts throughout the US, and now through April 10, you can “ski for free” at Topnotch Resort in Stowe, Vermont. The resort sits at the base of Mount Mansfield, Vermont’s highest peak, which reaches nearly 5,000 feet. It offers luxury accommodations on 120 acres, 40 minutes from Burlington Airport. .

This season, included in accommodations rates, you’ll also receive two adult lifts tickets to Stowe Mountain delivered by the resort’s “Ski Concierge”, shuttle service to and from the mountain, and overnight ski storage. Rentals are available from the resort’s Nordic Barn. In addition to skiing, the resort offers tennis, a spa, and horseback trail rides.

Rates start at $250 (plus tax) for weekdays and $350 for weekends. Blackout dates include January 28-30, February 7-20, February 25-27, and March 21-23. Rate outside of the promotion start at $300 per night, and lift tickets at Stowe can cost $84 per day per person, so this deal would save you around $200 per day for two skiers….which means more money for apres ski fun and hot toddies by the fire.