While Tufts students often take advantage of the University's proximity to Boston, they may be forgetting about one of New England's other great sources of entertainment: skiing. With special deals for college students available, this winter pastime may be more in reach than students think.
There are a number of season passes available at discounted prices for college students.
"A lot of students I know have the Threedom Pass," said junior Lisanne Petracca, a member of the ski team. The Threedom Pass covers Loon Mountain, Waterville Valley, and Cranmore, and it costs $219 for college students.
"The best deal and best skiing is with the Threedom Pass - a normal ticket [for one day on each mountain] is $50 to $60," sophomore and ski team member Joseph Shaw said.
The pass pays for itself quickly: "Go skiing four times and you've paid it off," junior and ski team member George Fraley said.
The other main multi-mountain pass for college students is the All East College Pass. "The All East Pass is very popular because it gives you access to a lot of mountains, but it's not as good a deal as it used to be," senior Kirit Radia said. "It includes some popular mountains like Killington."
The All East College Pass allows unlimited access to Attitash, Killington, Mount Snow, Pico, Sugarloaf, and Sunday River - all the Northeast ski areas owned by the American Skiing Company - and is priced at $599. (A Sunday-through-Friday version is available for $459).
With access to six area ski resorts, students who own the All East College Pass do not fear that their skiing adventures will become mundane. "You'd get bored going up to the same mountain," Fraley said.
Season passes for Okemo and either Mount Sunapee or Stratton are available for $399. These dual-mountain passes are less expensive before December: "I have the Okemo/Stratton pass, which was 300 bucks before December 5 and 400 bucks afterwards," Radia said. "It pays for itself after five trips."
Buying passes before the start of the ski season is a great way to get even better deals. Still, even when bought in-season, the passes often pay for themselves after a few trips. "The passes are cheaper if you buy them pre-season, but they're still worth it if you're an avid skier," Petracca said.
Deals outside the popular multi-mountain passes can be found as well. "Most mountains will have good deals for college students, for season passes," Shaw said, noting that individual lift tickets may not have such discounts.
For novice skiers, smaller mountains may be the answer: Nashoba Valley and Blue Hills ski areas are both located in eastern Massachusetts, but may offer little challenge to anyone but beginners. "Blue Hills and Nashoba are little more than mounds," Fraley said.
Slightly farther away is Wachusett Mountain, which is located an hour from Boston in Princeton, MA. "It's the best place if you really want to learn to ski," Fraley said. For more experienced skiers, though, he recommends that students "take a drive - go north."
"Killington is by far the biggest - Killington and Sunday River are massive," he continued. "If you don't want to go too far, Loon and Waterville Valley are good for the price you pay."
Financial concerns can be an issue for college students, and weekend trips can get more expensive when overnight lodging is required. Staying at the Loj - a lodge in New Hampshire that is owned by the Tufts Mountain Club - is one alternative to expensive ski resorts.
"I know that a bunch of people like to stay at the Loj cheaply - regardless of whether they're in the mountain club - and then ski at nearby Loon or Waterville," Petracca said.
Other constraints on students' enjoyment of New England's ski areas are time and
transportation: bigger mountains are generally two to three hours away, and there is little-to-nothing in the way of public transportation.
"I don't think most Tufts students take advantage of the mountains because they have no way of getting there," Radia said. "There is really no other option that I know of [other than having a car]."
Another impediment for many college students is the fact that getting in a full day of skiing requires an early start. "We have to get up at 6 a.m. to get out to the mountain at a reasonable time to make it worth it, because the mountains close at 4," Radia said.
"Most mountains aren't open nights," Fraley added. "You have to leave at 5 or 6 in the morning, and you probably won't get back until 8. It's definitely a full-day thing."
The early closing of the ski hills is not without benefits, though. "That means that we can get back to Tufts in time to have dinner, get some work done, and still go out for the night," Radia said.
"It's definitely possible to get in a full day of skiing and get back for the evening Tufts scene," Shaw agreed.
Information on the Threedom Pass can be found at www.threedompass.com. All East College Pass information can be accessed through the American Skiing Company website, www.peaks.com.
