Summer Special – Ski Houses
There are things you can be doing now to ensure that this season will be your best. It snowed the weekend of Halloween last year—several resorts got their lifts spinning.
Were you prepared?
these look like Ski House folk 
If you have been thinking about going in on a ski house this year, make it happen.
Main Entry: skier’s winter
Function: noun
: the season that lacks a January thaw and rain events. The weather pattern, hypothesized to be a consequence of global warming. Snowfall produced from series of nor’easters.
Pros of having a ski house –
• A place to go ski
• Variety of board games
• Store your gear there
• No check-in or check-out
• Outside keeps the beer cold
• Waking up on a powder day
• Fireplace or stove
• No quiet hours
• The yard: sledding, small jumps and the like
• You can name it
Ski Houses: First thing first. You need to either decide upon getting a group of friends together and seeking out a house (read – lease) of your own OR going in—as a ‘share’—with an existing house.
The jargon: Ski house shares
Full Share – a bed to sleep in every night you are present, unless you forfeit that right (house rules apply). You make the rules with the other full shares. Signer of the lease has ultimate veto when in a house debate.
Half Share – a bed to sleep in every other weekend, substitutions and swaps are up to the house…most will welcome you to spend your off weekend nights on the floor or an empty couch.
Quarter Share – rare breed that entitles you one weekend per month in one bed (not room per say).
The winter hedge = a couple of 1/4’s at different houses.
The basics you should know about getting your own ski house.
You need a group of interested friends/acquaintances who are willing to put up dollars for a six month investment (Nov till Apr). Word is that having a ski house is awesome. Plan on about a grand ($1,000.00 USD) per person/bed/share for the starter kit, entry level house which sleeps 8 – 10.
maybe the ski house you find will have a fire pit…
Travel distances: Consider the commute to your ski house from home. Saturday morning how far are you willing to travel to get to the slopes? A ski house does not necessarily have to be at any one mountain. Inside one hour’s drive of several different options may serve your group well.
Additional things that will cost $ if not included, make sure to ask.
• Snow Removal
• Utilities
• Rubbish/Trash removal
• Firewood
The most important decision you will have is where you want to get your house.
Start with a few good ski communities. All within reasonable proximity to several ski area options. I am not saying that you should get a place within these actual towns, but use them a starting point in your search. The areas around them have slopes for all levels of ability. Links to the Chamber’s of Commerce
North Conway, NH – Striking distance: Attitash, Black Mountain, Cranmore, Wildcat, and Tuckerman’s Ravine
Manchester, VT – The southern VT resorts all within and hour’s trip: Mount Snow, Bromley, Okemo, Stratton and (fingers crossed) Magic…
Lincoln, NH – Easy drive from Boston. Waterville Valley, Loon and Cannon are all very close.
Waterbury, VT – The town istself does not have a Chamber of Commerce, so I would suggect using the moutnains websites as a starting point or Google to further search the region. The short list: Sugarbsuh, Mad River Glen, Bolton Valley and Stowe. Feasible to make a day trip to Smuggler’s Notch or Jay Peak from Waterbury. Just have no aversion to windshield time. Both are well over and hour away from the town.
Maine –The dynamic is not the same; the major mountains are spread out more, so if you are after Sunday River (Bethel, ME) or Sugarloaf I would suggest sticking around the areas themselves. A little further away but worth the journey. You will find that Sugarloaf & Saddleback are close to one another.
And of course there is Killington, VT. The ski house, as we know, it was invited somewhere on the access road many years ago. I am making that up… This I am not, “I know of know other place that even comes close in the ski house department.”
first tracks
How do you find a realtor?
I would recommend starting with the resorts websites. Most should have some sections on rental houses. Another invaluable tool you should use is the local towns Chambers of Commerce. Most all of them have updated websites. If you do not find what you are looking for on their websites, pick up the phone and give them a call. The good folks at the chambers will steer you in the right direction.
The Season Pass
If you have one destination in mind and get that place close to your favorite hill, you should also purchase a season pass. Seriously, it will make your season infinitely more enjoyable. Each day will be more leisurely, you will not feel that you have to be out there skiing for eight hours on a day ticket to get your monies worth.
Season pass deals are in full swing for almost all the resorts. Simply visit their websites. The powder hound (early bird) specials can save you dollars this winter even if you only get out there half a dozen days.
My two cents: the multi mountain pass deals are the best. Think ASC or Booth Creek. All the mountains have great summer deals that should be available for a couple more months.
sunny days and soft snow
Extra for your research…
Check these websites: Ski New Hampshire, Ski Vermont and Ski Maine. Note: these websites have great maps of the ski areas within each state.
***BREAKING NEWS & DEALS***
New lifts, base lodges, trails, deals and summer events. I have tacked some releases from the hills up on the Message Board.
Sweating snowflakes,
S.G. ~ photos
