#affordable-skiing

#affordable-skiing

After skiing every open blue run and black diamond at Appalachian Ski Mountain in about 20 minutes, my thoughts were that it isn't a ski area for everyone. If you're accustomed to long, wide groomers that wind for miles or resorts known for their powder, vertical drop, and off-piste terrain, you're not going to be impressed with what this historic hill has to offer. But by the end of the morning, my perspective shifted.

Purgatory's outrageously cheap lift tickets are what brought me and a gaggle of deal-hungry friends to the resort. And if you're thinking the skiing has got to be subpar, keep reading. Purgatory, or "Purg" as locals call it, has 11 lifts, 107 named trails, and multiple terrain parks, accounting for 1,600 acres of skiable terrain. It's got excellent tree skiing and a rolling-hill-roller-coaster vibe that's playful and, at times, just the right amount of scary.