Resorts offer deals for resourceful skiers

Skiing and snowboarding can cost a lot of money, if you’re careless. Playing in the mountains costs a lot less if you’re smart. Deals are everywhere long after the season-pass sales are gone.

You don’t have to be a corporation for the Ski NW Rockies Corporate Pass: $1,500 for 50 adult passes – $30 a day. Vouchers are accepted at Mt. Spokane, 49 Degrees North, Silver Mountain and Lookout. Schweitzer quit Ski NW Rockies and isn’t in on the deal. As of last weekend, Tom Stebbins at Ski NW Rockies said there were about 20 corporate passes left. Start a ski club with your friends and family at skinwrockies.com.

With the Mount Spokane Family Fun Pack, the deal begins with the drive, depending on your gas mileage. The package is 20 fully transferable tickets anyone can use for $449 – a $900 value at the regular price of $45. That’s $22.50 a day, good anytime. A Stocking Stuffer is six youth or four adult tickets for $99. A Student Pack is five days for $99. Get yours at mtspokane.com or any Spokane Yoke’s supermarket.

Mt. Spokane has also lowered regular prices for 2010-11. Adults pay $32 on weekdays. Kids to age 17: $25. Night skiing and riding is $19 from 4 to 9:30 Wednesday through Saturday. Mt. Spokane is extending its night schedule again this season to 48 nights, eight more than last season.

A two-for-Tuesday ticket at 49 Degrees North is a good reason to get a Papa Murphy’s pizza. Participating stores have vouchers good for two lift tickets at the price of one ($45) at 49 on Tuesdays, with some restrictions.

Silver Mountain is celebrating its 20th anniversary and will announce $20 lift tickets on select days throughout the season. A $70 Silver Rewards card includes an adult lift ticket ($50 regular price) and 10 percent off going forward. Plus, every fifth lift ticket is free. Six days add up to $250, or $41.67 a day. An overnight stay at the Morningstar Lodge for $89 a person based on quad occupancy includes four passes for the mountain and the Silver Rapids water park.

Lookout Pass is a great deal anytime. An adult lift ticket there is only $32 weekdays and $35 on weekends – cheapest in the region. Passes for kids 17 and younger are just $25 and $23, respectively. Skiers and riders of a certain age should circle Boomer Fridays on their calendar, because passes are only $22 for people 40 and older. It takes a little longer to drive to Lookout, but for a cheap weekend getaway, an overnighter at the Wallace Inn for two includes two Lookout lift tickets for $108.

At Schweitzer.com you can shave $5 off the $65 adult lift ticket with the Ski-3 Package, available until Christmas Eve. You get three fully transferable passes with no blackout dates for $180.

Fifth-graders have it made. The 5th Grade Passport program lets fifth-graders ski free for three days at any Ski NW Rockies mountain. It’s easy to sign up at 5thgradeskipassport.com. And speaking of easy, the EZ Ski 1-2-3 program is an affordable introduction to skiing and riding. Three days of lessons, plus all the gear and lift tickets, range from $99 to $139 at Ski NW Rockies mountains. Go to skinwrockies.com and discover you new winter obsession.

With all the deals, there is no excuse for paying full price. So get creative. No one is born a ski bum. You have to earn it.