Crystal, Steven Pass will charge $60 for lift tickets this season

Daily tickets at Mt. Baker Ski Area will rise by $2

MCCLATCHY

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Ski season is a little more than a month away, enough time to start saving for more expensive lift tickets throughout Washington state.

This winter Crystal Mountain and Stevens Pass will become Washington's first resorts to charge $60 for lift tickets. Crystal is charging $60 and a weekend pass at Stevens Pass will cost about $61 with tax.

In the 2004-05 season Crystal charged $45 a lift ticket. Resort operators say the cost of energy is the primary reason for increased lift ticket prices.

LIFT TICKETS FOR 2008-09
Here are what Washington's top six ski areas are planning to charge for a lift ticket this year. The prices are subject to change. Price estimates include tax for the Summit, Stevens Pass and Mount Baker.
- Crystal Mountain: $60
- Mission Ridge: $50
- Mt. Baker Ski Area: $46.54
- Stevens Pass: $61
- Summit at Snoqualmie: $55
- White Pass: $47
Mt. Baker Ski Area

The average cost of a lift ticket to the state's six biggest resorts will be $53.50 up from $48.35 last year.

Mt. Baker Ski Area also will see an increase this year, but ski area operations manager Gwyn Howat said the area "did so very carefully and very consciously."

Mt. Baker daily lift ticket prices went up $2 (or about four percent), Howat said, and are now listed at $43.17 for adults, plus tax, on weekends and holidays and $35.75 midweek.

"It was a minimal increase, because we were concerned about keeping the price down," Howat said in a phone interview. "We realize that people are spending more on fuel to get to the area, and we wanted to keep our prices the lowest in the state for any area our size. We want to make sure that skiing is a hobby that can be enjoyed throughout the winter, and not just a luxury or a vacation."

Howat said the ski area is not sure if the price increase will cover completely the increased price of diesel to run the ski area this winter and also noted that the area has installed a new $1.7 million chairlift for this winter.

Adult season passes to Mt. Baker Ski Area will cost $626.52 plus tax this year if purchased by Oct. 31.