Many towns in VT and NH still have public/non-profit ski hills that are even cheaper. Especially for people who are new to skiing, these are fantastic deals (ma

Many towns in VT and NH still have public/non-profit ski hills that are even cheaper. Especially for people who are new to skiing, these are fantastic deals (many also have cheap lessons, and there's no reason to pay big-mountain prices to spend all day on the beginner slope). I learned to ski here as a kid: http://www.vtsnowsports.org http://www.vtsnowsports.org ($75 season pass, $200 for a family). Down the road from me now (lift currently closed for a mechanical issue, will hopefully re-open this weekend): https://skistorrshill.com https://skistorrshill.com ($160 season pass, $270 for a family). There's a bunch of gems like these scattered throughout New England if you look. And, since they're in "normal" towns, there's plentiful cheap lodging and plenty of other stuff to do. You're not isolated at a resort. Cross-country and back-country skiing are even better options for the budget-minded, and almost limitless in where you can go. Ski-skate sales are full of cheap gear every fall, so the cost to get started is almost nothing.