Winter is here, snow is being made and the mountains are crowded once again, but at what cost?

Lisa Moser’s family of four began skiing together at Mount Peter Ski Area in Warwick three winters ago as an outdoor activity during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“My family loves it,” Moser said.

But even on the slopes, inflation is causing skiers’ wallets to reach new heights.

“Skiing’s a super expensive sport, and it’s just getting more and more expensive for sure,” Moser said.

John Baiata, the Mount Peter director of marketing, said higher fuel, electricity, concessions and the need for competitive salaries are hitting the business hard.

“There’s the staff to run all of it, and those guys work extremely hard. We have day shift and night shift staff to snow make,” Baiata said.

The workers at Mount Peter said they do what they can to keep the cost reasonable, so everyone can come out and enjoy the slopes.

“Of course, we can’t absorb it all, so yeah, some of our prices have been impacted, but to give you an idea, our lift tickets only went up $4, so we really try to create opportunities for families to access this mountain in ways that don’t hurt them too much,” Baiata said.

According to the New York Ski Authority, lift tickets can cost anywhere from $25 to almost $100 per day. Mount Peter’s pricing ranges from around $30-80.

“That’s not to make small what families are facing and some of the economic challenges they’re facing in this current climate, because inflation is really taking a toll,” Baiata said.

To keep things affordable, Moser said free lessons and season passes are a way to add value to a winter sport they love.

“We can come as much as we want and not have to pay per time. Definitely getting the season pass is the only way we can kind of afford it as a family,” Moser said.