Too many people believe that skiing is only for the wealthy or those in the west, but that just simply is not true. Brisk mountain air refreshes your face as your freshly waxed skis cut through the new fallen powder. This is skiing. To those who believe skiing is way too expensive to be able to do, there are plenty resorts that are totally affordable for everyone. Many ski resorts are embracing the mentality that skiing is meant to be fun, not expensive. Although there are still many must-ski locations for novice to advanced skiers, for those desiring such an experience, there are many ways to not stay at the main resort so that skiers keep their economic sanity.

Wildcat Mountain

An affordable and smaller resort that can be found by driving is Wildcat Mountain in Notch, New Hampshire. Wildcat Mountain is not the largest ski resort, but if you are looking for affordability, Wildcat is a place worth the money. Wildcat provides 500 acres of terrain on just one ticket. The terrain encompasses many new ski areas too, such as tree areas experts are sure to love. The wide range of hills from expert to beginner, allows individuals of all levels to be welcome here.

One of the many places to save money on the ski trip as a whole is in airfare. Flying midweek is significantly cheaper than flying on weekends and Fridays. Within that concept rests the idea of driving to the resort, which leaves the location on the east coast, if driving isn’t what the majority of the trip is going to be.

Mount Baker
Another resort that is affordable and cheap, but a plane ride away, is Mount Baker in Washington. Mount Baker, not well-known among non-ski enthusiasts, has around an annual snowpack of 659 inches, and it’s highest elevation is 5000 feet. The vertical rise is 1500 feet too, making for a very impressive resort. With all of this fun, and over 50 trails to chose from (or create your own), there comes almost imminent danger, especially if you are looking to go off the beaten path. In this case, the trail is easiest to stick to if you are anywhere within the range of beginner to advanced. If you are on the upper level of advanced or an expert looking for a challenge, there are plenty of fun, make-your-own paths to discover as well.

Also, the danger as mentioned before is something people need to be aware of before doing such. Many of the dangers lie in the unpacked and ungroomed snow of the off-trail areas, which can cause snow suffocation. Also, there are dangerous cliffs that could lead to near certain death if you are an expert and chose to ski Gabl’s, The Chute, Pan Face, and The Canyon.  

Telluride

Another ski resort that’s just a plane ride away is in Telluride, Colorado. Beautiful Telluride is located in southwestern Colorado, with direct flights out of all major airports. With an elevation of 13,320 feet, and over fifty trails, Telluride does not disappoint even the most avid skiers. From the chutes located at the top of the main peak to the bunny hills at the bottom of the multitude of peaks, and littered throughout the entire resort, there is a hill for everyone. The boundaries of safe and unsafe skiing is pretty distinctive, although there is nothing stopping you from backcountry skiing other than the advisement of others, but if that isn’t enough to stop you, Telluride is the place to go.

Killington

Killington, Vermont, is driving distance from Pennsylvania. With a mix of difficult and easy trails, the entire mountain is tons of fun. No expert lifts here! Although Killington Peak is notoriously more difficult than the other peaks, blue trails still clutter the top, making even not advanced skiers welcome. Known as the beast of the east, Killington is very large for an east coast resort, hence the name. Also, Killington has the highest peak elevation is 4241 feet, which is one of the highest on the east coast.

Affordable and quality ski resorts are all around the country, and most likely just in your own backyard, wherever you live. East to west, great skiing is littered all over the country. So, if you are searching for some fun on the slopes, there is a fun and affordable ski resort for you.