"BrainsWe live in an era where skiing is becoming increasingly commercialized. Your hometown resort has been gobbled up by a mega corporation, and lift ticket prices have doubled-or even tripled in the past 10 years. Now you're forced to buy a $1,500 multi-resort pass just to ski the same mountain you used to visit a few times a year for just $50-$100 a day. Gone are the days of an affordable family ski trip to a laid-back, locally oriented mountain...right? Well, maybe not quite yet."
"Despite major consolidation driven by companies like Vail and Alterra, a number of family, community, and even tribally owned ski resorts still exist-offering terrain and experiences that rival name-brand destinations without gouging you at the ticket window. Below are 15 of the biggest, best, and deepest independently owned ski areas across the country where the old-school spirit of skiing is still very much alive."
"Note: Only resorts that do not participate in mega or multi-resort pass products (such as Ikon, Epic, or Mountain Collective) were included in this list. This helps ensure that the resorts on this list are not only less crowded, but are also able to focus more on providing the best possible experience for their immediate community, rather than catering to a broader tourist audience."
"For those seeking an old-school East Coast alpine vibe, Cannon Mountain is the place to go. The resort boasts over 2,000 vertical feet of steep, sustained fall-line skiing and is home to one of just two aerial trams in the Northeast. Cannon Mountain is owned by the State of New Hampshire, freeing it from the corporate interests spreading through much of the American ski industry."
Skiing has become increasingly commercialized, with hometown resorts bought by mega-corporations and lift ticket prices doubling or tripling. Many skiers now face a $1,500 multi-resort pass just to access familiar local mountains. Despite consolidation by companies such as Vail and Alterra, numerous family-, community-, and tribally-owned ski areas remain, offering terrain and experiences that rival big-name destinations without steep pricing. Selection excludes resorts participating in mega pass products to prioritize less crowded, community-focused operations. Examples include Cannon Mountain, owned by New Hampshire, and Ski Apache, founded in 1963 and owned by the Mescalero Apache Tribe.
Read at SnowBrains
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