The Chief Snow Junkie dropping in at Wolf Creek, CO

It’s hard to believe that we’ve been running this website for four years now. Who knew that a couple of random posts about skiing and snowboarding would turn into an epic adventure? The only thing we wanted were a few lift tickets and some adventure, and boy did last winter ever deliver.

I ended up riding 85 days at 63 different ski areas during the 2009-2010 season. How are we going to top that this season? I have no idea, but rest assured that The Snow Junkies will come up with something. In the meantime, we’ll be performing some early season renovations on the site to help you easily find all the best ticket deals in the country. We’ll also be bulking out our ski area guide and refining the newest addition to the family: The Gear Junkies. You can use this to find all the sickest outdoor deals on the Interwebs.

It’s already snowing at our home base of Big Sky, Montana. I’m just saying.

Vito Valentinetti
Chief Snow Junkie

The fire sale continues up in Colorado this spring with tons of deals and specials. We’re getting in new ones every day and will keep you posted.

Here are a few to get you started:

A-Basin is offering its Spring 3 Pass, which is valid for three non-transferable ski days until the close of the 2009-10 ski season (tentatively scheduled for June 6, 2010). With this pass, skiers and riders get three days of skiing or riding for the regular-ticket-window price of two days. To sweeten the deal, the resort throws in $10 off of any rental package and a $50 morning class lesson for the passholder, available on the day the pass is used. Spring 3 Passes are available for sale until April 4, 2010.til April 4, 2010.

Aspen/Snowmass: Based on availability and specific dates, rooms start as low as $37.50 per night in Aspen and $35 per night in Snowmass.

Steamboat is offering its Springalicious 4-Pack Pass with four days of skiing for $99. Guests canski or snowboard any four days from Friday, April 2 to Closing Day, Sunday, April 11. Plus, Friday afternoons are free. Guests can simply present their passes at a lift or gondola anytime after 12pm on April 2 and April 9 for free afternoon skiing or riding.

Copper Mountain invites guests to grab their season passes from that “other” mountain, sneak over to Copper and pick up the Swinger’s Pass, which gets them one day at Copper for only $39.

Echo Mountain is offering Four Pack of lift tickets costs just $99 on weekdays (excluding Tuesdays when the resort is closed) and $119 on weekends. The special pricing continues through Sunday, March 28 and is good from when the lifts open at 9am until closing at 9pm—except Sundays when the lifts close at 5pm.  Blackout dates are in effect March 29-April 11, but the sweet deal returns Monday, April 12 through the remainder of the season—until Sunday, May 2. The caveat: all four lift tickets must be used on the same day they are purchased.

Powderhorn is currently selling next year’s season passes at this year’s prices.

Here is Lauren’s mission as she explains it:

Vermont boasts 20 alpine ski resorts. I intend to snowboard at each of them this season. Except for that board-averse Mad River Glen. There I’ll ski, or at least attempt to. Thus, the 20/20 Challenge. It’s my goal to carve a few turns at each of the 20 ski areas in the 20 or so weeks of a Green Mountain winter.

Each week she writes up her adventures for the alt-newspaper Seven Days. Check it out right here. Good luck Lauren!

[via Seven Days]

The Canyons in Utah is letting regular folk get behind the wheel  (do they even have wheel?) of a snow cat. For a price tag of $500, you can experience the thrill of driving an unwieldy machine twenty miles an hour while your friends pick up chicks in the hot tub back at the condo. Have fun!

Guests will be able to experience driving a massive snow cat in a controlled situation. An operator from The Canyons will be in the cat with the guest as they feel the 330 horse power of plowing, pushing and tilling technology in their hands. Guests will get to drive, till, turn, plow snow, and even groom a run if they feel comfortable. This will be $500 for a full grooming shift.

Note: You do not get to fire the rocket launcher.

[via The Canyons]

Vail Resorts wants to give you a season pass. What do they want back? Take some photos, write a few blog posts, and spend some time on Facebook. It’s a cool marketing idea — they’ll get tons of content and you’ll get some free riding. Your first mission: get picked. There’s a contest and you got to make a video. Deadline is April 1st.

[via Buzz.Snow]

Arizona Snowbowl outside of Flagstaff was the thirty-first stop on the 100 Days of Winter Tour. They’ve been getting pounded with snow all winter and our day there was no exception. These guys will have snow for weeks — they just announced they’re not closing until April 11th. Here’s a rundown of all their spring deals.

Spring Break Discounts: $25 tickets until March 28.
Twofer Tuesdays: 2 for the price of 1.
Women Wednesdays: $50 gets you a clinic and lunch.
Boomer Thursdays: 50 and over get a $26 ticket.
Family Fridays: $10 tickets and $10 rentals from 2pm to 6pm.

[via Arizona Snowbowl]

It’s Idaho week for the 100 Days of Winter Tour, and while we can’t make it to every ski area, we can certainly dig up the best spring lift ticket deals in the state.

• Bogus Basin: Get $10 knocked off the price when you buy a 12 pack of a Coke product at participating Chevron stations
• Brundage: Twofer Tuesdays with a voucher from participating Shell stations.
• Kelly Canyon: Two for 1 nights on Tuesday and Thursdays.
• Schweitzer: Local’s appreciation day on March 26 means a free ticket.
• Lookout Pass: Find $22 tickets during the week on Liftopia.

Just a few of the little things you might have missed during a busy week.

Craigslist isn’t just for picking up hookers. Apparently, you can also get lift tickets on the site. Or in this case, fake lift tickets:

Two local men were arrested last Thursday and charged with selling fraudulent ski passes through Craigslist, according to a press release from Breckenridge Police Department.

Busted! The Breck police department even went undercover.

Police set up an undercover operation where personnel posed as a husband and wife, wanting to buy two passes for the remainder of the season.

Hopefully this will take care of the illegal fake tickets and we won’t get screwed when buying illegal legitimate tickets on Craigslist.

[via Vail Daily News]