Big Bear California Ski
September 5th, 2010
Question: where can you ski for free?
I am pretty poor I only make 800$ a month I live in southern California but I love to ski. I wen to the big bear the other day it was nice but it cost me 53$ for a lift pass for the day. can I ski for free somewhere? do I qualify for low income for some ski benefits?
Answer: Most USFS and BLM lands are open for free skiing. The catch is you usually have to hike or use climbing skins. The initial investment in the basic gear you need for safe backcountry skiing can run you around $2000, but once you have it you won’t have to replace the gear very often.
The cheapest way to ski for free is to get a job at a ski resort. Doesn’t matter what job, just some job since most resort jobs include a season pass and most other resorts will also either allow you to ski for free or at a reduced cost.
The next cheapest way to ski for free is to join the National Ski Patrol. Again, you will most likely get a free season pass to the resort you choose to volunteer at and you can pick up free and discounted tickets to other resorts as well. However you have to pay the annual dues to the NSP and your local patrol as well as pay for the training.
Based on what you stated, you are making about $5.00 an hour if you work a 40 hour workweek. That’s below minimum wage, so my guess is you only have a part-time job…work more or get a better job. I work 40 hours a week and still manage to ski 2-3 times a week for 4-5 hours a day. So there’s plenty of time to ski even if you work 5 days a week.
Marlaine snowboarding in Big Bear California 3/13/09
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