There is no better skiing than free skiing. It should come as no surprise, however, that those options are pretty much limited to the youngest and oldest of us out on the mountain.
You might have noticed during your visits, but it takes a lot of people to run a ski area. Ski patrol, lifties, instructors, snowmakers, groomers, ticket sellers, cafeteria staff, bartenders, mechanics, parking lot attendants, hosts, cleaning crews, administration and plenty more that create your day on the slopes.
As summer winds down and flips to fall, ski area managers start looking to fill their openings for the winter. The starting salary for most of the positions will not be making anyone rich — though the starting hourly rate at Vail Resorts properties is $20. But almost all of these positions include a season pass.
It should not be a surprise, but the best ability is availability, and the more of a commitment you can make to the mountain, the better chance you can get the position you are looking for.
