Ski packages a slick way to save money, cut hassles on snow-country vacations

October 29, 1998

Ski packages a slick way to save money, cut hassles on snow-country vacations

By HILDA ANDERSON
SPECIAL TO THE POST-INTELLIGENCER

Photo of Hilda

Ski season is nearly upon us and it's time to start planning that winter weekend getaway or snow-country vacation. With more than a dozen winter sports destinations within two hours by air from Seattle -- and others less than an hour by road -- there's a place for just about any budget, lifestyle and skill level.

Typically, the best values and fewest hassles come with ski packages. Often you can combine lift tickets with transportation and/or lodging at a price that is less expensive than purchasing them individually. Most ski packages are available either directly from the resort, through the air or rail carrier, or from your travel agent.

Here are some choices in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, British Columbia and elsewhere.

Washington

Sun Mountain Lodge at Winthrop in the North Cascades is on the second-longest cross-country trail system in the nation -- 105 miles. Its Skidaddle Pak package, good Jan. 3-March 13 (except for Martin Luther King's Birthday and Presidents' Day weekends), includes accommodations for three nights, breakfasts, dinners and trail pass starting at $306 per person. Call 800-572-0493.

Oregon

Mount Bachelor is central Oregon's winter playground. Several area resorts have packages that include lift tickets. For additional information, or to book a package via the Web, visit the Internet site at www.mtbachelor.com

Stay three nights or longer in a one-bedroom or larger Ski House at Mount Bachelor Village (from $99 double occupancy) and receive two lift tickets, limit of two per reservation. Not good Dec. 18-Jan. 2. Call 800-452-9846.

At the Inn of the Seventh Mountain, the Bachelor Blast includes accommodations plus lift ticket and ski shuttle for $57 per person double occupancy. The weekday special good Sunday-Thursday for $69 per room, per night, in a studio condo for three nights or more includes complimentary continental breakfast (but no ski passes). Youngsters 12 and younger stay free.

Sunriver Resort's Stay and Ski package includes lodging (free for kids 12 and younger), lift tickets, ski shuttle to the mountain, $500 in discount certificates for winter activities and merchandise and intraresort transportation starting at $49 per person per night, two-night minimum. The resort's Taste of Sunriver package substitutes dinner at The Grille at Crosswater for the lift tickets and shuttle in the previous package, and also starts at $49 per person per night. Call 800-547-3922.

Timberline, on Mount Hood, is offering a Mid-Week at 6,000 Feet package good Sunday through Thursday nights except holidays. For the price of a regular room, which starts at $100 per night double occupancy, you receive complimentary buffet breakfast, $25 credit toward dinner for two in the Cascade Room, an $18 discount lift ticket and snow park permit. Call 800-547-1406.

Idaho

For skiing Schweitzer, at Sandpoint, the Winter Stay and Play packages at the Green Gables Lodge include the Peanuts Package good from the start of the season to Dec. 23, Jan 3-14 and March 28 to closing with one night's lodging, lift ticket and continental breakfast for $49 per person double occupancy. A three-night package for $239 per person double occupancy includes lodging, lift tickets for skiing and snowboarding, cross-country skiing (with rental equipment), snowmobile tours, continental breakfast and discounts at local businesses. Call 800-831-8810.

Despite Sun Valley's reputation as the playground of the rich and famous, the granddaddy of ski resorts has packages for all budgets. Sun Valley Resort's Thanksgiving special (Nov. 26-30) includes four nights' lodging, three days of skiing and Thanksgiving buffet starting at $235 per person double occupancy.

Elkhorn Resort's off-peak lodging and lift ticket packages before Christmas and after April 1 are $59 per night per person double occupancy. Youngsters 15 and younger ski free when their families stay in a participating area lodging property Nov. 26-Dec. 18, Jan. 4-Feb. 6 and March 13 to the end of the season. In addition, there are savings to be had during several theme weeks, among them ones focusing on seniors and ski clubs.

For information on the above and other packages, call the Sun Valley/Ketchum Chamber of Commerce at 800-634-3347, Ext. 2102, or visit its Web site at www.visitsunvalley.com

British Columbia

For Whistler Resort skiing, B.C. Rail's Whistler Daytrip includes round-trip travel on the Cariboo Prospector -- a 2-1/2-hour trip from North Vancouver -- and shuttle from the train station to Whistler Village, along with a lift ticket and breakfast and dinner on the train for $68.50. Its Whistler Getaway Package includes the above plus an overnight at a Whistler hotel and two days skiing from $154 per person based on double occupancy. Call 800-663-8238.

Whistler Resort Association offers three-, five- and seven-night packages that include a variety of components. Its three-nightUltimate Experience package includes accommodation, a full-day private lesson, three-day lift ticket and dinner starting at $427 per person double occupancy Nov. 25-Dec. 18, $451 Jan. 4-28, and $488 Jan. 29-April 4.

The three-day Heli-Ski Plus package includes accommodation, a day of heli-skiing/heli-boarding and two-day dual-mountain lift ticket from $475 per person double occupancy, $533 Jan. 4-28, and $568 Jan. 29-April 4.

The three-day Whistler Wonderland package includes accommodation, three-hour snowmobile tour with lunch or three-hour twilight mountain safari by snowmobile starting at $212 per person double occupancy, $249 Jan. 4-28, and $288 Jan. 29-April 4.

For Whistler reservations, call 800-944-7853.

Horizon Air Holidays

This is not a destination like the previous listings, it's a way to get to a snow destination without having to drive there. Seattle-based Horizon Air Holidays offers ski packages to Banff, Lake Louise and Jasper in Alberta, Big Mountain and Big Sky in Montana, Big White and Silver Star in south-central British Columbia, and Mount Bachelor, Sun Valley and Whistler in conjunction with Horizon Air flights.

All of the ski vacation packages include accommodation, lift tickets, taxes, overnight delivery of all travel documents, Horizon Air phone card and 1,000-mile bonus for Mileage Plan members. Not included are air fares, which are added at the time of reservation.

In addition, tour takers receive Horizon's snow guarantee that assures a minimum level of skiing will be available for all departures between Nov. 26 and April 1. If not, passengers can either reschedule their ski vacation, choose another of Horizon Air Holidays' ski destinations, or cancel their trip and receive a complete refund.

As an example, in British Columbia, if you're going to Big White or Silver Star, Horizon Air flies to Kelowna, where you can board a shuttle for either resort. Package rates for Big White's White Crystal Inn range from $340 to $429 for five nights, three-day lift ticket and buffet breakfast. At Silver Star's Delta Silver Star Club Resort, a five-night package ranges from $297 to $367.

Skiers headed for Banff and Lake Louise fly into Calgary, where they can transfer to the resorts. Five-night, three-day lift packages range from $255 to $548 depending on choice of lodging and date.

Fly to Kalispell, Mont., to ski at the Big Mountain, where five-night packages range from $189 to $458. Fly to Bozeman, Mont., to ski at Big Sky, where five-night packages range from $329 to $713.

For Horizon Air Holidays information and reservations, call 800-547-9308.

We've listed some of the available packages. If your favorite ski area is not included here, contact it and ask what packages they offer.

Consult your travel agent for other packages that include Amtrak.

Barry and Hilda Anderson's new book, the updated and expanded "Short Trips in the Pacific Northwest," is now in area bookstores. For an autographed copy, send $16 plus $3 to cover shipping, handling and sales tax to Short Trips, P.O. Box 1555, Port Townsend, WA 98368.