The Snow Junkies

Early Season Steals in Colorado

Administrator — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 22:04:38 +0000

The snow is falling all over the West…and so are the prices. There’s a ski resort war brewing in Colorado as the Front Range resorts battle a weakening economy. What does that mean for snowjunkies? How about the cheapest riding we’ve seen in years.

THE EPIC PASS
Price: $579
Resorts: Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Beaver Creek, Keystone, Heavenly, and A-Basin
The Scoop: Vail Resorts really wants your business. Unlimited riding at all their resorts. No blackout dates. Consider that a season pass just to Vail costs $1800.
Where to Buy: Vail Resorts site
Offer Expires: 11/15

THE SUPER PASS
Price: $409
Resorts: Copper, Winter Park (Steamboat, Whistler with Super Pass Plus)
The Scoop: Intrawest fires back with their value pass. We recommend you cough up the extra $20 for the Super Pass Plus, which give you 6 days with Friday afternoons at Steamboat and with two free Whistler Blackcomb tickets.
Where to Buy: You have to pick up the Super Pass in person. Check the Superpass site for locations.
Offer Expires: 11/23

THE COLORADO GEM CARD
Price: $10
Resorts: Arapahoe Basin, Echo Mountain, Eldora, Loveland, Monarch, Powderhorn, Ski Cooper, SolVista Basin, Sunlight
The Scoop: The smaller resorts band together to offer discounts at nine mountains. For ten bucks, there’s no reason not to pick up this card. Deals include free days, 2 for 1, and daily discounts.
Buy it: ColoradoSki.com

Where are you finding deals this November? Let us know at tips@snowjunkies.com or drop a comment below.

New Gear Editor

Administrator — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 02:50:16 +0000

The genius who invented chili mac

Our newest member joined the staff today. Jason Luchini, aged 42, has just been released from prison. This new position allows for him to work from home without violating parole.

Welcome to the team!

5 Ways to Get to the Hill

Administrator — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 02:37:33 +0000

Get a ride with TJ and Dex!

Your car broke down. Gas costs too much. The cops jacked your license when they gave you a DUI. For whatever reason, every snow junkie occasionally finds themselves without transportation to the mountain. When you find yourself without wheels, here’s some less traditional methods to get on the snow.

SPONGE OFF A STRANGER – Catch a ride with someone who has a more reliable vehicle. Craig’s List is the easiest way to find a car pool.
Cost: Pitch in for gas money.

GET ON THE BUS AND RIDE IT, RIDE IT – Most hills are serviced by a ski bus. This isn’t the local Greyhound — these buses have perks, like the Bay Area Ski Bus which plays ski movies and serves breakfast. Cost: Varies depending on distance.

BECOME A HOBO FOR THE DAY – If you’ve ever been stuck in the Eisenhower Tunnel on a snowy Saturday, you’ll defintiely appreciate the ski train which goes straight from downtown Denver to Winter Park. They also have ski and ride packages.
Cost: Around $60 for a round trip ticket.

DON’T TELL YOUR MOM – Hitchhiking to the mountain is strictly a one-person affair. Usually, another snow junkie will pick you up once they see the gear. We’ve all been there at some point. Dress warm and pack light.
Cost: Our favorite price – free.

THE GREATEST PLAN. EVER. –- Cut out the middleman, pack up and move to your favorite ski hill. All that time and money shuttling back and forth could be spent on the hills. What are you waiting for?
Cost: Your boring 9 to 5 job.

Got a story about getting to the mountain? Of course you do. Send it to us at tips@snowjunkies.com. Later on in the season, we’ll be doing a feature on the best travel stories to the hill.

4 Unique Lodging Options

Administrator — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 23:22:26 +0000

STAY AT A STRANGER’S HOUSE – Everyone knows the best place to crash is on your friend’s couch. But what if you don’t have any friends in a ski town, yet still want to stay for free? Enter Couchsurfing.com, a non-profit connects you with folks who’ve got some space.

Bonus: Staying with a local

SHARE A BATHROOM – Hostels aren’t just for drunk college kids backpacking Europe. Here in the United States there are more than a few near the slopes for a fraction the cost of that fancy schmancy lodge. If sleeping dorm-style isn’t your thing, most of them offer private rooms, and usually have kitchens to cook your own food.
Bonus: Hang with people from around the world

GET CLOSE…REAL CLOSE — Renting an RV is easier than one imagines. Slap down your license, some cash and you’re off. Make sure to keep the gas filled or you might wake up a frozen corpse.
Bonus: First car in the parking lot. Every single morning.

MOVE OUT OF YOUR HOUSE – House swapping sounds like a bad reality show concept. Either that, or we’ve just got the wrong idea. It goes something like this: Join a service like Diggsville for fifty dollars a year. Meet folks who are tired of riding in powder everyday. You live in their place for a week while they go through the underwear drawer in your home. Sitcom style hilary ensues.
Bonus: Live like royalty on the hill.

Have you tried one or all of these sleeping styles? We want your stories. Email us at tips@snowjunkies.com or leave your comments below.

Tickets for Food

Administrator — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 01:14:21 +0000

Welcome to another Tuesday edition of Cheap Tix. This week, we dig into the noble world of charity where your old cans of food are transformed into discounted lift tickets, or in some cases, the holy grail of discounts: The FREE TICKET. So pack up those dusty cans of chicken broth (seriously, you’re never going to eat it) and get ready to save some cash at the following seven resorts.

1. Okemo Resort, VT (Dec 7) : 3 cans for a $30 ticket
2. Shwanee Peak, ME (Dec 16-18): 3 cans for a $15 ticket
3. Mount Sunapee, NH (Dec 7): 5 cans for a $25 ticket
4. Sunday River, ME (Nov 8-9): 3 cans for a $20 ticket
5. Sugarloaf, ME (Nov 22-23): 3 cans for a $25 ticket
6. Mt. Bachelor, OR (Feb 6): 3 cans for a FREE ticket
7. Greek Peak, NY (Dec 24): 1 can for a FREE ticket

Know of any other way to translate food into discounted tickets? Let us know at tips@snowjunkies.com.

2009 Gear Guides

Administrator — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 00:25:34 +0000

There’s nothing better while waiting for the snow to fall than to drool over the annual gear guides from various magazines. We scoured the Interwebs for the flashiest ones of 2009.

Snowboarder Magazine: Not much information, but the pictures sure are pretty to look out.

Freeskier: Tons of products with pictures, prices, and links to buy the goods online.

Ski and Skiing Magzine: Ski and Skiing are owned by the same company and have both of their gear guides posted in the same spot.

Outside Magazine: Has video reviews of editor’s picks for the winter season. Very informative, but we wish there were more products.

Powder Magazine: Our pick for best gear guide for skiers. It’s chock full of video reviews for skis and boots.

Snowboard Magazine: Opted to put the entire issue online for free. Thanks!
Tip: Skip to page 68 for the actual guide.

Our recommendation: The Powder gear guide if you’re a skiier. The snowboard online magazine for riders.

Babes On Boards

Administrator — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 23:59:11 +0000

With all the flak over the Burton Love line, we wondered if there are other scandal prone snowboards on the market this season. Turns out Burton isn’t the only company to have scantily clad ladies adorn their planks. They’re just lucky enough to get called out on it.

Palmer Classic: Pixelated long legged lady in a bikini. Is she one of Charlie’s Angels? Nothing from the seventies is controversial.
Scandal Level: Low
Hotness Rating: Hazy

Lib Technologies Jamie Lynn Phoenix BTX: A naked blue skin woman cradles an…alien? Nipples ensue.
Scandal Level: High
Hotness Rating: Weird

Monument Loveless : Another girl in a bikini, but gets a free pass because it’s from a painting. That makes it art.
Scandal Level: Low
Hotness Rating: Artistic

Head JR Pro: A smoking hot girl in a bikini. Head wishes they got the media attention heaped onto Burton.
Scandal Level: Trumped by Burton
Hotness Rating: Awesome

Rome Artifact. Rome brings the strip club to the slopes with a sleazy flourescent sign that says: Bent Over Babes.
Scandal Level: Low
Hotness Level: Reading takes too much effort

[Show as slideshow]

5 Epic Movies On Tour

Administrator — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 20:59:22 +0000

Lots of big movies making the circuit this fall. Check out the trailers below and click on the title to find out if the following films are heading to your town.

Warren Miller’s Children Of Winter

Matchstick: Claim

Teton Gravity Research: Lost and Found

Burton: It’s Always Snowing Somewhere

Absinthe Films: Ready

How to Ride Free on Your Birthday

Administrator — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 20:03:05 +0000

The best deals are the ones that produce free lift tickets. And the best free tickets are the ones you don’t have to do a thing for except get one year older. Here are ten resorts that are giving away free tix on your birthday during the 2008-2009 ski season.

Make sure to click through for details. Even if your birthday falls during one of the summer months, the mountain might still hook you up.

Snowboard Cat Wishes You a Happy Birthday

Do you know a resort that we missed? Drop us a line at tips@thesnowjunkies.com.

Free Music Friday: Music from REI

Administrator — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 11:01:27 +0000

This week in Free Music Friday, we dig into the REI Go Playlist. Corporate sponsorship at its best. Artists get money and marketing. We get free music. The only price you pay REI’s irritating flash navigation and corporate ads. The payoff is ten free songs. You need to download them individually. Here’s the playlist:

Persephone’s Bees: We’ve Just Begun

Saxon Shore: Bar Clearing Good Times

Quadrillion: Dropped

Ohmega Watts: Can You Hear It

Robbers on High Street: Training the Tricks

The Apples in Stereo: (Baby It’s) So Cold

Eagles of Death Metal: Now I’m a Fool

Au Revoir Simone: Fallen Snow (Redux)

The Rentals: Colorado

American Analog Set: Ice King

Know anymore free music we can get our hands on? Email us tips@snowjunkies.com and let us know.