Pats Peak Season Pass Fun

PHOTO: Becca night skiing/snowboarding at Pats Peak and it is still light out. March is a great time to get out to ski and snowboard! The days are getting longer and warmer. The annual Pats Peak Pond Skim contest is this Saturday, March 15, come watch or make a splash. The first day of Spring is March 20th and that means ski resorts are offering their season passes for sale at the lowest price for next year.

by Amy Patenaude
Outdoor/Ski Writer

My friend Doreen and I went to school together and we grew up together in the Pats Peak Ski Club. We raced as kids, sometimes traveling to other New Hampshire Ski areas to race against their ski clubs. We both have many fond memories skiing together when we were children.
When we became young adults Doreen became a ski instructor and I coached for the Ski Club. We both married skiers too.
Doreen’s children belonged to the Ski Club too and now both her children are coaching. The race director at Pats Peak Racing was once in my group of kids I coached at the Peak many years ago. How time flies while you’re having fun.
Doreen and I have season passes and this year we made a pack to ski every Wednesday morning for at least an hour. We made this agreement last year but we only went twice. This season we made it work. We only missed once due to a nasty cold. We even went skiing in the rain but when we got to the ski area the rain stopped while we skied. Then the rain started again when we left. That’s good luck.

We can’t believe it is already deep into March and there are only a couple more Wednesdays left to ski because Pats Peak closes the last weekend of March no matter how much snow is left covering their slopes. They have to get ready for their other season–wedding season.
A few of my friends have the Indy Pass that is good for two visits to independent ski areas all over the country. Pats Peak participates in the Indy Pass and night skiing is included.
Last night Becca and I enjoyed skiing and snowboarding at Pats Peak. When I got there she proudly showed me her new season pass. She had just purchased next year’s season pass at the best deal that will be offered by buying it before April 15th. Her pass is good for the rest of this year too. Becca decided she really wants to get better at snowboarding and just getting out on Saturdays wasn’t enough. She said buying a pass would get her to go more often and she would be able to improve her snowboarding skills. She wants to have more fun!

Last Thursday night was the Pats Peak Adult Ski Racing League’s finals. The top five teams from the four nights of racing all met to determine the grand champion. My team didn’t qualify this year, we came in 7th place for Monday nights. How eight weeks of racing went by so quickly this year I don’t know. We were blessed with good weather. Well a few nights were really cold but that’s called winter and we dressed warmly for it. I can’t wait to race again next January!

I really tried to wear-out my season pass this season. I wasn’t able to travel around as much as I like to do this year but I made myself happy skiing right at home often. Skiing brings me joy and it is a wonderful way to spend time with my friends.
Season passes are all on sale right now at all New Hampshire ski areas. I agree with Becca having a season pass removes all the excuses not to get out to the slopes. The resorts won’t be offering prices this low again so be sure to invest in some happiness and joy before the price increases. Have Fun