Did you realize you can get a season pass that includes your gear rental? A great option for beginners, check out the three equipment rental passes offered by Vail Resorts: Unlimited Sport Equipment ($359 beginner to intermediate), Unlimited Demo Equipment ($459 intermediate to expert), Unlimited Junior Equipment ($199 for 12 and under). These passes and rentals are good at Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone and Heavenly Sports locations. I might consider the demo pass myself next year as I continue to turn my new skis into a pair of rock skis.

From Sam: Vail Resorts came out with a press release yesterday about their new 'Epic Pass'. It is an unrestricted (no blackout dates), and unlimited (go as many times as you want) to Vail, Beaver Creek, Keystone, Breckenridge, Arapahoe Basin and Heavenly for $579 for adults and $279 for kids. It is available until November 15th. This is probably going to be the best ski deal of the year. Click here for details on the Epic Pass. Also, as a bonus, all of the passes will be using RFID (radio frequency) technology this year so you won't ...