Springtime makes skiers and snowboarders a bit giddy in the mountains. Storm days followed by bluebirds. Deep powder stashes combined with deep discounts on equipment, clothing and even next season’s passes. Yes, friends, the best ski deals of the year blossom not in the fall but in the spring, and not only can you save hundreds—even thousands—of dollars but be environmentally savvy, too. Consumption and sustainability don’t have to be mutually exclusive. With a bit of knowledge and forethought, you can achieve both. Here’s how…
Gear and Clothing
There is no shortage of stores to purchase great ski and snowboard gear. The trick is getting the right gear for the right price. From major retailers to local haunts, spring sales are abound. They are all trying to clear their shelves before next season’s line arrives. The minimalists shrug, mumbling about too much stuff, overconsumption, etc., but here’s where eco-conscience adventurers might see opportunities to make an impact and save a few bucks.
High-quality outdoor clothing and gear, likeStio and Rossignol, are designed to last for years. Still, most skiers and snowboarders only pull them out of the closet for a week, a month, or, even for locals, a season. These items get minimal use or wear, making them a good investment.
Here’s the inside scoop: In addition to the plethora of outdoor retailers offering clearance prices after President’s Day, Utah has an inordinate number of resale shops, such as Lone Pine Gear Exchange, where local athletes and aficionados consign their jackets, bibs, skis and boots for a fraction of their retail price. Don't like to sift through racks? Lone Pine and others list their entire used inventory online. Purchasing clearance and consignment goods and reselling them again is economically and environmentally ingenious. [Remember: This stuff is built to last. Need a little refresh? Read about how to Wash Your Gear! Beginning to see the opportunity?]
Buyers can save money on…Can we seriously castigate last season’s Gore-Tex shell for 60 percent off or more as ‘second-hand goods’?…great stuff! Forget renting ill-fitting ski boots when you can purchase your own for the same price. Engage in some gear arbitrage: Purchase used skis (often from the resorts’ or shops' rental fleets), shred until you’re dead, consign them back at the end of the trip, and buy a different pair next time. Save money and save gear from collecting cobwebs or hitting a landfill.
Transportation
Getting to and around the mountains has a significant impact on the environment. Knowing the options for air and ground travel can lighten travelers' carbon footprints while fattening their wallets. For example, Delta Air Lines is not only committed to some of the most ambitious sustainability goals in the industry, but it is putting them into practice now. Salt Lake City International Airport is a Delta hub, offering nonstop service (less stops and fuel) to cities nationwide and worldwide. Savvy travelers can search for flights that produce less carbon emissions and typically cost less. These generally are flights with earlier and later departures, a benefit that gets skiers and snowboarders to the slopes before noon and shredding until the last chair. Moreover, Delta recently announced its partnership with JetZero, redesigning and introducing groundbreaking airplanes expected to be 50% more fuel-efficient than those presently flying today.
While here, guests can reserve electric vehicles from all major car rental companies or utilize ride-hailing services, putting fewer autos on the roads. Guests staying in Park City can reduce even more money and lower air quality indices by utilizing its free electric bus system that ferries people from throughout the area to both Park City Mountain and Deer Valley Resort as well as Historic Main Street. In Salt Lake City, the Utah Transit Authority Ski Bus has park-and-ride locations throughout the valley, serving Brighton and Solitude Mountain Resort in Big Cottonwood Canyon and Alta Ski Area andSnowbird in Little Cottonwood Canyon. Tips on riding the ski bus can be found here.
Ski Passes
What do ski passes have to do with sustainability? Let’s start with the more straightforward question: How does buying them in the spring save money? The First Law of Ski Passes: Daily lift tickets are more expensive than season passes. The Second Law: The BEST PRICES for ski passes — from multipasses like Ikon and Epic to individual resorts — are in the spring. They are hundreds of dollars less before Easter than after Thanksgiving and, if you purchase early enough, those passes are often good for the remainder of the existing season. Some, like Ikon Pass, aren’t even available by the time winter lifts start spinning! In sum, the best time to buy the cheapest pass is in the spring.
Now, the sustainability part. Buying a pass or multipass allows guests to return to the mountain throughout the season (or even throughout the year). It may seem counterintuitive, but this experience and familiarity will reduce friction, making travel easier and more fluid. Less time, effort and resources are expended to plan, execute and enjoy any of Utah’s 15 ski and snowboard resorts (not to mention the surrounding parks, trails and other attractions). For example, if you purchase an Ikon Pass to ski Snowbird and Alta during winter break, you not only have your lift tickets covered for a return during spring break, but know exactly where to stay and après. This, too, is conservation. Like the gear, a ski pass is an investment that pays dividends beyond a single week or season.
Like every other activity and entertainment, skiing and snowboarding require planning and gear, but they don’t have to be expensive. Moreover, the industry and community have found ways to make them more affordable and sustainable to preserve the resplendent environment they rely upon to make it all possible. So, spring forward and spring for a (slightly used) pair of boots. Then, grab a cheap pass for next winter and hit the mountain for some bonus runs for the remainder of this season.
