New England Wachusett Mountain - Abruptly ends season pass sales.

[crgildart]

So maybe folks are selling them for double on StubHub?

Well good to see PugSki/SkiTalk finally has a Wa thread!



Albeit with a mysterious agenda of some sort…

Bought a Steele pass within hours of it being posted. Was sold out the next day.

$199 M-Th….

Snooze u lose.

(I sat last season out)

Great to see you @hrstrat57 We should start a wa meetups and conditions thread when the season starts.

Looks like you two will be the only ones posting regularly in it.

 

[Steve]

Don’t know what makes you say that.

 

[hrstrat57]

Yeah we”ll see…

 

[crgildart]

Don’t know what makes you say that.

Because they stopped selling passes before everybody who wanted one got one.. It was a joke..

 

[BattSync]

I’ve been going to Wachusett for 30+ years(!) For the last 12 it’s been especially great for my kids to learn on and develop some skills to build upon, and have some great family times together. My son and I now go twice and sometimes 3 times a week. I was truly heartbroken to report to him that we may need to change our plans this season as passes are sold out—- because I snoozed, and might be the worst parent on earth. I wouldn’t have ever imagined this happening. We are unable to align with the session times nor can we afford it going at least 25 sessions each. The only available pass option option left is to buy 2 Corporate passes at $1300 each. At this point I am another guy who would be looking for 2 Bronze passes and willing to pay a premium for them.

 

[crgildart]

Sounds like there might be some money to be made opening up another ski hill near Boston. Anything that closed down awhile ago a good candidate for being revamped and reopned?

 

[BattSync]

Sounds like there might be some money to be made opening up another ski hill near Boston. Anything that closed down awhile ago a good candidate for being revamped and reopned?

http://www.nelsap.org/ Many of these have long since been repurposed. Took the kids to the one in Wrentham for sledding last winter, there were still some old light posts along a couple “trails” and old lift spindle at the top.

 

[hrstrat57]

Believe B East is still selling passes. Hooks you up with Catamount and Bousquet on same pass. Less convenient for sure for most but the terrain at B East blows Wachusett away. It’s a great hill and never sees the lift lines you get at Wa…

Season Passes

Discover which Summit Season Pass is best for you!

berkshireeast.com

 

[mdf]

Sounds like there might be some money to be made opening up another ski hill near Boston. Anything that closed down awhile ago a good candidate for being revamped and reopned?

There are still a few open.
Wachusett, Bradford, Blue Hills, Nashoba Valley.

There used to be a place called Boston Hill very near my house that closed in the 90's. Long overgrown, the bottom part is an assisted living building now -- they did have to put in a big retaining wall.

 

[RJS]

Sounds like there might be some money to be made opening up another ski hill near Boston. Anything that closed down awhile ago a good candidate for being revamped and reopned?

Like @mdf mentioned Nashoba Valley, Bradford, and Blue Hills are other local options, although Wachusett skis significantly bigger than any of these. Unlike out west, I don't know if any nearby mountains even exist that would have almost 1K of vertical. Wachusett is fairly unique in that respect for the area. If there are any nearby candidates, I wouldn't be surprised if they are on conversation land, making ski area development untenable. Wachusett truly is unique in having the vertical rise that it has for where it is geographically located. You have to drive quite a bit further from Boston or the surrounding suburbs to get to as good or better skiing.

 

[skiki]

The two options right now would be to get your names on the wait list, if they are still taking names, or sign up to put in 4 volunteer hours each week as a mountain host.

 

[hrstrat57]

Ski Ward is still running. Sadly Blanford recently shuttered. If you can’t make the trip out Rt 2 West to the Berkshires Wachusett is king. Only one ski area remains here in Rhody and it appears access will once again be limited. 5 week learn to ski is lottery only.

 

[mikel]

What about Ward Hill? My sister has skied there and said it is hugely popular and packed. Based on the pics, I think we have some larger tubing hills here in CO.

 

[Wilhelmson]

Now they can call it Club Wachussett.

I am pretty excited to ski Blue Hills a few times. Haven't skied it in 33 years. Well I tool my kid there when he was 4, that wasn't very productive. Wachusset is way bigger and better though

 

[Mark1975]

I’ve been going to Wachusett for 30+ years(!) For the last 12 it’s been especially great for my kids to learn on and develop some skills to build upon, and have some great family times together. My son and I now go twice and sometimes 3 times a week. I was truly heartbroken to report to him that we may need to change our plans this season as passes are sold out—- because I snoozed, and might be the worst parent on earth. I wouldn’t have ever imagined this happening. We are unable to align with the session times nor can we afford it going at least 25 sessions each. The only available pass option option left is to buy 2 Corporate passes at $1300 each. At this point I am another guy who would be looking for 2 Bronze passes and willing to pay a premium for them.

I spoke with a friend that works at Wachusett. He believes it would be a no-go to transfer passes between individuals. Company policy. The only pass that is transferable between individuals is the $1,300 dollar pass.

Forget the 3.5 hour session tickets. It would cost you a fortune unless you only ski 2-3 times per season. Plus, they just raised the weekend session tickets to $72 for 3.5 hours of skiing. The also raised the reschedule session fee to $24 from $18 last season. He told me people are madder than hell over this. He is also ticked off because he was told that they are planning to reduce his work hours this season from 8 hours per day to 3.5 hours (to match the session time he is scheduled to work).

Being in Medway, MA, you are not exactly close to ski country. I imagine it takes you close to one hour to get to Wachusett. It is going to be 2.5 hours to get to Berkshire East and Butternut from there. You might as well just travel north up to Crotched, Gunstock, or Sunapee.

I feel sorry for you and your son. Most people don't even start to think about skiing until Fall starts. The same thing happened to my friend. He ended up getting an Epic pass for his family. I think they are still available, but you missed the discount period. Good luck with what you decide.

 

[Mark1975]

Sounds like there might be some money to be made opening up another ski hill near Boston. Anything that closed down awhile ago a good candidate for being revamped and reopned?

Not with Massachusett's current environmental and business laws. There are many people in the state that would to see all ski areas shut down and "returned to nature". Every year, there are people who lobby the government to shut down Wachusett because it is in a state park. You would have better luck buying some land in southern NH and developing it for skiing.

 

[skiki]

It would cost you a fortune unless you only ski 2-3 times per season. Plus, they just raised the weekend session tickets to $72 for 3.5 hours of skiing. The also raised the reschedule session fee to $24 from $18 last season.

For those who do only plan on skiing Wawa around 3 times this season, they now have a "flex card" for sale, that is good for three 8 hour sessions. Priced at $249. Not a bargain compared to pass prices, but it looks like they are good anytime, no black out dates. And I don't think you need to make reservations, so no rescheduling fees if your plans change for any reason. In any case, better than buying three shorter sessions at ticket window prices.