Industry News
As ski resort prices continue to climb across North America, Pacific Group Resorts is doubling down on a different strategy: make skiing cheaper and easier to access. The company’s Mission Affordable initiative, which has guided pricing and programming across its resorts since 2016, returns for the 2026-27 winter season with discounted season passes, transferable lift-ticket packs, free learn-to-ski programs, and low-cost family and midweek deals.
The lineup spans six resorts in the United States and Canada: Jay Peak Resort in Vermont, Mount Washington Alpine Resort on Vancouver Island, Powderhorn Mountain Resort in Colorado, SilverStar Mountain Resort in British Columbia, Wintergreen Resort in Virginia, and Wisp Resort in Maryland.
PGR says Mission Affordable is not a temporary promotion but a philosophy that guides how it makes decisions. The company recently added a registered trademark to the Mission Affordable name, underscoring how central the initiative has become to its operations.
“Outdoor recreation should be more accessible, not less.” That philosophy is reflected in programs ranging from free beginner lessons to season passes priced below what many major North American resorts charge for just a handful of days.
Jay Peak Brings Back Ski Week
At Jay Peak, the biggest new Mission Affordable offering for 2026-27 is the return of its midweek Rite of Passage: Ski Week. The program packages lodging, lift tickets, and access to the Pump House Indoor Waterpark for a family of four, with stays starting at $449 per night. The package also includes welcome parties, additional activities, and resort-wide benefits.
Ski Week is available for select Sunday-through-Thursday stays from January 3 through March 25, 2027. Reservations must be made by November 4, 2026.
Jay Peak is also bringing back its Mission Affordable 4-Packs. The first four-pack to go on sale is a package of four transferable single-day lift tickets for $329, with sales beginning October 14. The price increases December 2.
Jay’s all-ages Value Days Season Pass starts at $459 and provides skiing Monday through Thursday on non-holiday dates.
Six Days at Mount Washington for CAD 579
On Vancouver Island, Mount Washington Alpine Resort is offering its Mission Affordable 6IX PAK for CAD 579 (USD 418). The package includes six shareable and transferable activity tickets valid any day of the winter season for either alpine or Nordic access. New for 2026-27, every ticket can be used for both day and night skiing, with access from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. The resort says the package represents CAD 200 (USD145) in added value.
Mount Washington is also continuing its Learn to Ski FREE program, which includes a beginner lift ticket, group lesson, and equipment rental. Participants pay a CAD 25 (USD 18) administrative fee, which is returned as future resort credit.
Friday nights are another low-cost option. Kids can ski for CAD 5 (USD 3.60), or CAD 15 USD 10.85) with rentals, while adults pay CAD 25 (USD 18), or CAD 40 (USD 29) with rentals, from 3:30 to 8 p.m.
Powderhorn Offers $299 College and Military Passes
Colorado’s Powderhorn Mountain Resort is taking aim at several groups that can be particularly sensitive to ski costs. Its Mission Affordable College Pass and Mission Affordable Military Pass are both priced at $299 through October 12. The regular Mission Affordable Season Pass is currently $579, while the youth pass for children ages 6-12 is $359 through September 7. Children under five and seniors 75 and older can purchase season passes for just $29.
Powder horn is also offering a four-pack of unrestricted, transferable lift tickets for $279 beginning October 14. One of the resort’s most notable affordability programs is its Bob Beverly Free Learn to Ski & Ride Program, which provides first-time skiers and snowboarders with up to three days of group lessons, lift tickets, and equipment rentals at no cost. Graduates can then purchase a $99 Rookie Season Pass valid at Powderhorn.
SilverStar Freezes 4-Pack Prices
At SilverStar Mountain Resort in British Columbia, the Mission Affordable 4-Pack remains one of the centerpiece products. The resort has frozen the price of the four-pack, which provides four flexible and unrestricted days with no blackout dates. The package also includes access to tubing, snowshoe trails, cross-country trails, fat biking, and skating.
Prices are CAD 485 (USD 350) for adults, CAD 400 (USD 289) for seniors and students, and CAD 249 (USD 180) for children through November 27.
SilverStar is also offering free learn-to-ski and snowboard programs and CAD 13 (USD 9) night skiing on the Silver Queen Chairlift.
Children five and under ski free all season, while a CAD 35 (USD 25) Tot Season Pass adds unlimited tubing, skating, night skiing, and other activities.
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Wintergreen, Wisp Keep Passes Under $600
PGR’s two Mid-Atlantic resorts are also keeping their Mission Affordable pricing relatively low. At Wintergreen Resort in Virginia, the regular Mission Affordable Season Pass starts at $579 for adults, while children and seniors can purchase passes for $519. College and military passes are $299 through October 12.
The resort’s Mission Affordable 4-Pack provides four unrestricted, transferable lift tickets for $279 when purchased between October 14 and December 1.
Wintergreen also offers the Fuller Experience FREE Learn to Ski & Snowboard Program, which includes two-hour group lessons, beginner-area lift access, and equipment rental.
Graduates can purchase a $99 Rookie Season Pass and continue into discounted follow-up programs.
At Wisp Resort in Maryland, the regular Mission Affordable Season Pass costs $579 for adults and $519 for juniors ages 6-22 and seniors ages 65-74 through September 7. College and military passes are again priced at $299 through October 12.
Wisp’s four-pack offers four shareable, unrestricted lift tickets for $279, while the resort’s Ace’s FREE Learn to Ski & Ride Program provides first-time skiers and snowboarders ages eight and older with three lessons, equipment rental, and a limited lift ticket for free.
Beginning in January, Wisp will also offer a $19 Wednesday night lift ticket and a $19 Thursday College Night, alongside a $24 Thursday night tubing deal.
Can Affordable Skiing Still Be a Business Model?
PGR’s Mission Affordable strategy arrives at a time when affordability has become one of the biggest challenges facing the ski industry.
Lift tickets at the largest destination resorts can now cost hundreds of dollars per day, while lodging, equipment, food, parking, and transportation can push the total cost of a ski trip far higher. PGR is betting that lower prices can help expand the market rather than simply reducing revenue per skier. Transferable ticket packs, discounted midweek skiing, free beginner programs, and lower-priced passes are designed to reduce the upfront commitment required to start skiing—or to keep skiing once someone has learned.
The approach also attempts to address one of the industry’s long-term problems: how to get new participants onto the snow and keep them coming back. For PGR, Mission Affordable is now entering its second decade. And as ski prices continue to rise elsewhere, the company appears increasingly willing to make affordability part of its identity.
