Lift tickets pricey, but on par

Skiers who are paying $74 for a single-day lift ticket in Aspen today shouldn’t fret. It could be worse.The Aspen Skiing Co. doesn’t have the most expensive ticket in the state this year, as it often does. Vail and Beaver Creek started charging $77 for its walk-up window price earlier in December. That will remain the regular price until spring, according to a ticket agent.Telluride and Steamboat have also matched Aspen’s $74 price during the busy holiday week, according to a telephone survey and check of resort websites by The Aspen Times.Keystone and Breckenridge aren’t far behind at $71.Several major Colorado resorts have kept single-day prices below $70. Winter Park is charging $69, and a $10 discount is available when tickets are purchased at Front Range grocery stores.Copper Mountain is priced at $67 and Crested Butte is at $66. Downvalley from Aspen, Sunlight Mountain Resort outside of Glenwood Springs is charging $36 for a lift ticket.Outside of Colorado, Whistler/Blackcomb is charging the most among resorts that were surveyed. Its single-day ticket price is climbing from $69 to $74 Canadian for the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day. The Canadian dollar is at 81 cents U.S., so it’s still lower than Aspen’s price.Deer Valley, which occasionally tops Aspen’s price, is charging $73 this holiday season. Killington is boosting its price from $67 to $72 for the holiday week.Park City is at $71, while Sun Valley and Stowe are charging $67.The resorts regularly contend that their single-day, walk-up window price is of little consequence because so few people buy it. Most savvy skiers buy multi-day lift tickets that offer a discount from the single-day price, or they buy packages that reduce the cost of skiing.Nevertheless, the single-day price is a barometer people outside the industry like to scrutinize, especially during the holidays when prices are at their highest.Scott Condon’s e-mail address is scondon@aspentimes.com