Tahoe Resorts Work To Make Skiing More Accessible To Middle Class

Skiing has always been expensive, but a new report by the National Ski Areas Association shows 54 percent of skiers have incomes of $100,000 or more.

At the same time, the number of skiers making less is going down. The association says that an effect of the economic downturn. But, daily ticket prices at some resorts now top $100. That would be unaffordable for middle-class skiers like Dale Reynolds who skis at Mt. Rose.

“No, I mean we plan this, through the year especially Christmas time when my kids come so we save for it and are ready to do it, but we haven’t felt at this point that we are getting priced out,” Reynolds said. “At least here, I know some of the other ski resorts are a lot more pricey.”

At Mt. Rose, Reynolds buys a season pass at a significant discount. Representatives of Mt. Rose say that’s the trend with more season pass purchases. Responding to the decline in the number of lower-income skiers, Tahoe-area resorts like Rose, Homewood, Diamond Peak, Sugar Bowl and Boreal offer off-peak lift tickets, some as low as $15.