Crystal - Arm twist on 07-08 Season Passes

GRrrrr....

Greetings from Crystal:  www.skicrystal.com/1730.html

I don't know, maybe I'm just unreasonably cynical.  Seems to me that Crystal Mtn is doing a little arm twisting on season passes.  I usually take advantage of pre-season discounts - buy the pass before mid September and get a decent rate.

However for this year (or next year) Crystal wants the money by May 31 (like now) in order to get the full discount for next season.  e.g. ,  Midweek Pass: $575 by May 31st, $695 by Sept 15, $895 after Sept 15.

That new lift to North Back isn't free now is it?  Note how, on that web page, they have a map of the new lift right above the table of next season's pass rates.   Yea... that's pretty clear.

I guess the other way to look at it is that they have to jack up prices because of the new lift and other future lifts.  But we can get a little break by paying now. 

Glass half empty - Glass half full.    Ok.. be positive.... What a deal!

Sheesh. Bummer. I guess that's why I prefer Baker.

Great mountain, greedy corp. Thats why I'm an alpentalic. Kircher is not my favorite, routinely screwing people seems to be a norm at CM. They should learn some customer service skills from their sister, Brighton. It pains me that I can only afford to ski there once or twice a year, and its the closest mountain to me. Just wish WA would remain the last best kept secret in skiing, but looks like thats on it's way out quickly.

...Glass half empty - Glass half full. Ok.. be positive.... What a deal!

I paid $916 with tax for my crystal pass this year.

Individual ticket cost = $2323

Big Sky 5 days x $69= $345
Brighton 6 days x $47= $282
Crystal 32 days x $53= $1696

Savings over individual ticket cost = $2323-$916=$1407

43 days of skiing cost me on average about $21 a day.

So for me the glass was half full. I might have to work (play) harder next year to offset the added expense.

I agree that the way crystal is managed leaves much to be desired...

Question...how many of you guys are the owner operators of a large corparation that are trying to give the best services possible and can only sell what you offer five to six months out of the year? 

And don't forget last year...when the winter was so poor that they only were able to sell lift tickets for 30 days out of the whole season.

I don't mean to be harse boys, but it is more difficult than you think to keep a ski area going and make a buck.

How much are the lift tickets at Whistler, Vail, Aspen and Snow Bird?

Crystal has the goods no matter how you look at it...Steepness of terrain, tons of acres of skiing and length of runs...

Keep in mind - like many of us - you can always backcountry ski and it wont cost you a dime for a lift ticket!

This is going to be good...

Larry, I noticed that Whistler is doing much the same with the Edge card. I loaded 5 more days last month, now I can ski unlimited spring days for $86 US. Corporations like the money in the till now and like the idea of capturing the customer early on before someone else does. There is no doubt that management balances services against expense to create a bottom line, sometimes it's the PERCEPTION of the service that counts the most, ie the perception IS the reality. With the new chair Crystal will have the states largest LIFT Served terrain, with the new lift my perception is that the quality goes down, more people on the slopes means less quality snow. For my money Cyrstal still provides the best value . I skied 63 of my 76 days at CM which works out to $7.50 per day, the RV parking ran me $20 a nite for all the power I needed and sometimes a shuttle ride up. At Whistler I was $42 USD for lifts and $76 a nite for condo. I still feel the mountain over charged for RV spots, the guys who payed $10 a nite for no power really got ripped off. In comparison the campground at Whistler is $50 CDN a nite with a 1 mile hike to the bus in ski boots. I'm just not willing to sleep in a tent 4-5 days per week to ski nor am I willing to waste 2-3 hours a day driving back and forth so the RV still makes the most sense. The pics are the last official ski day at Crystal looking at Northway Peak WITHOUT A CHAIR TERMINAL from Morning Glory. BTW the Patrol bomb throw at 4:15 today was pretty cool.