Ski Road Trip on a Tight Budget
*Note: This was originally drafted to be a letter to Winter Park, but then the message changed a bit and I wanted to share it with a wider audience.
I came out to Colorado on a road trip from Alabama, sleeping in my small Toyota Corolla, which I like to call my camperolla, along the way to reduce costs. I had to make it work so I took out my passenger seat so I could lay all the way down with my feet sticking into the trunk (video blog link on my set-up at the end of the article). I slept in my car in a busy Walmart parking lot, at a user-named “pervert park” (which I didn’t know at the time), on national forest land outside a national park, at an apartment complex in a college town, and at a rest area with a low of 19 degrees Fahrenheit, all as a solo woman traveler. I set up the trip because I needed to shock my system into normal working order after sinking into a dark, negative mental state while at home for four months and grieving over the loss of my beloved cat. I missed snow and wanted to do what I love the most, ski. I wanted to visit my favorite little mountain town where I lived and worked last year, Winter Park.
I had been seeing the social media pictures of Winter Park’s snow stake showing the massive amounts of snow they were receiving from so many winter storms with extreme snow envy. Last year while working on the mountain I wanted it to snow two feet a day, there could never be enough snow. I became frustrated and angry with myself for not working this season with all the record-breaking incredible snow, but I know I needed to be at home with my love in her final days.
Once I arrived in Colorado I was able to score some house-sits where I could stay for free in exchange for caring for pets and the house. This enabled me to be closer to the mountains and become re-energized by the snowy, magic atmosphere.
I was planning on driving up Berthoud Pass to Winter Park to ski and visit friends. I checked the weather forecast and webcams for road conditions, but I didn’t feel comfortable driving my small car without four-wheel drive or snow tires up the pass last weekend in the snow. My house-sit was ending and I couldn’t imagine driving all the way out here and not being able to go to the mountain I worked at last year. So I decided to stay one more week and try again the next weekend. Luckily I was able to find a last minute house-sit to get me through the week and I could go up this weekend.
I contacted my former roommate from last season to see if I could stay with her, but she had family in town and didn’t have the space. Damn, but I was still determined to make it and decided I would just sleep in my car somewhere. The lows are in the single digits but I’ve got a good sleeping bag. I’m determined.
Then I looked at lift ticket prices. I guess I had never seen what they were last year since I got a free pass from working on the mountain. I was shocked when I saw the $179 price tag for a one day lift ticket. My heart sank. I simply cannot afford that price. Well, that’s not true, I have savings, but I am funemployed and I’m not willing to spend that much. True, I’ve skied at two other mountains on this trip but those tickets were under $90 and still hurt to shell out (justifying the costs from the fact that I had saved money by not eating out or staying at hotels). But almost $200 for one day? No way, I don’t have the means to drop that kinda cash.
In the past, I’ve only ever skied at a resort that I worked at and thus received a free pass or have been given free passes to other resorts by the ski resort I worked at. I can’t afford it otherwise. Skiing in general is expensive, the equipment is expensive. All my equipment is used. I’m using used poles without baskets that I got in 2013 at a ski swap in Flagstaff. My goggles were bought secondhand and scratched from Goodwill. I don’t wear ski pants just leggings and Gore-Tex rain pants (all that I got at thrift stores). I don’t know how good boots are supposed to feel cause mine are old Nordica’s bought at that same ski swap. My skis are the newest things I have and I bought those used from the rental department at Winter Park last year with my employee discount. Look, I’m not complaining, I’m just stating the facts. I am working with a limited budget and making it work trying to do what I love the most. I recognize that I am still very much privileged that this is even an issue for me. So please just allow me to a rant a bit on this industry.
So I am having to yet again re-adjust my plans. I am still planning on driving up to Winter Park, but I will sadly not be able to ski due to the cost. I’ll walk around the village and see the new gondola and say hello to my friends. I’ll just have to get my fill of snow by snowshoeing for free on forest lands.
Sara is a solo female traveler and adventure travel blogger who lives a frugal life and seeks out cheap ways to travel. To check out her latest blogs and videos go to www.whereintheworldissara.com or follow her on Instagram & YouTube @saratidewalker.
