Our Readers Offer More Places For Senior Friendliness and Significant Discounts.

Sundance offers senior discounts as well as season passes that include public transportation from Provo.
Credit: Sundance

A few weeks ago, we published the results of our Second Annual Ski Area Survey which identified 16 North American ski areas that made an extra effort to be friendly to seniors.

Since then, we’ve heard from our readers. Lots of reactions, some criticism, many additional ski areas to add to the senior-friendly list. Here’s what you told us :

• Paul from the UK: I can’t believe you have included Snowbird with no seniors program at all and a seniors pass costing $799 for 65+ while excluding Copper Mountain at $316 for 65+ with an all-season 4 days a week program of instructor-guided ability-based groups for only another $380! I ski Alta and Snowbird for 3 weeks each year so an Alta 65+ pass at $599 with $30 upgrades to ski days at Snowbird is the best senior package there. Even better, the Alta season pass is FREE for 80+ ! Copper Mountain remains top of my own senior-friendly ski areas list for quality and fun but thank you for news of areas offering free skiing for over 70s or very cheap senior season pass rates and free senior skiing programs, especially Sundance which sounds very welcoming and can be reached from Salt Lake City by public transport.
• Linda: Brundage Mountain Resort, McCall, Idaho. Steep discounts for seniors, for example, $26 for weekend ski days.
• Stewart: Berkshire East in western Massachusetts on weekdays. Reasonable price, short walk, excellent groomed trails, short lines. (Ed. Note: Weekday lift tickets are $28 for 65+).
• Leslye: I’ve only skied two of the areas in this list: Purgatory and A-Basin. Both are great mountains, but the Purgatory I skied was challenging at any age. A-Basin is one of my favs. Get there early, and it’s a very short walk to the lodge. There are runs for every skill level, and the view from the top cannot be beat. Waiting for last run at 12 thousand feet is one of my fondest memories. Burgers and Brats from outdoor grills at midway. I always found the staff and skiers among the friendliest in Colorado. At 67 I’d still give it a go. (Ed. Note: Arapahoe Basin has “semi-senior” (60-69) and “senior” (70+). Deep discounts.)
• Tom: You missed one of the best. Loveland ski area on top of the Eisenhower Tunnel on I-70 in Colorado has an unlimited senior ski pass for 70 years old plus with discounts on food, and friends who want to ski with you for $89.00, a hell of a deal. I live in Breckenridge, and I have a full EPIC Pass to all Vail Resorts ski areas and bought this one also.
• Stan: It’s not all about price for seniors, you know. Another big factor is ease of access, and although this article seems to want to ignore Vail Resorts areas, the ease of access to Beaver Creek’s slopes is unmatched anywhere. Besides the free parking and frequent bus shuttles to the base village, the escalators from there to the main lift area means that we older folks don’t have to expend as much energy getting to the lifts, and therefore have a lot more energy to expend on the skiing itself. For my money, Beaver Creek belongs prominently on this list.
• DL: I have been a skier for 56 years – since college. We go to Colorado for the winter season and ski almost daily. The best place for Senior Skiers in my opinion is Copper Mountain. They have a most reasonable season pass as well as a very active Over The Hill Gang that meets four days a week to ski in small ability and friendship based groups. We have tried almost every ski area in Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, Montana, California, and the Canadian Rockies. Nothing compares to the skiing at Copper with the Gang.
• Bill: Mountain High (southern California) Senior Program is in its seventh year this season. They average over 50 seniors each week. (Ed. Note: 70+ ski free every day)
• Lee K. in Albuquerque: It seems foolish that a ski area doesn’t offer extras for seniors. Seniors are more than happy to go to a ski area during the week and not ski on weekends. The ski area has a resource that is not being used to any way near capacity. Seniors should be looked at as newfound money. As a senior living in Albuquerque, New Mexico, I would like to suggest Ski Santa Fe as a great seniors ski destination.

  The Rio Metro Regional Transit District offers something special that can be truly awesome for Seniors —Take the Train       to Ski and Play in Santa Fe

  A senior gets a reduced fare on the Rail Runner so you could stay in a hotel in either Albuquerque or Santa Fe and ski all day at Ski Santa Fe for a very reasonable cost. Also a Super Senior (72 +) can ski for free! One of the best things I’ve seen at Ski Santa Fe, there are no or few lift lines during the week!

  I have a Bronze Pass (weekdays only) for the season and as a veteran (with a VA medical card) I can ride the Rail Runner for free. My transportation costs from Albuquerque to and from Ski Santa Fe amount to five dollars a day.

Take the train to ski at SkiSantaFe. 72+ ski for free! That’s senior-friendly.
Credit: Lee Kniess

We thank all our readers who commented on senior-friendly areas. Your comments validate our publishing philosophy—It pays to be friendly to senior skiers. We are often your best customers, and there are more of us every day.

Do you have a senior-friendly area that needs to be included? Please let us know.