How to Ski Jay Peak on a Budget (Without Selling a Kidney)
Skiing in New England can drain your bank account faster than a high-speed quad on a powder day. But fear not, fellow budget-conscious ski enthusiasts —I’ve cracked the code for an affordable Jay Peak getaway that doesn’t involve sleeping in your car or surviving on ketchup packets. Now, to be clear, Jay Peak Resort does have a very nice hotel at each of their two bases. One even has an indoor water park, but that’s definitely a very different vacation than what I’ll be talking about in this blog! I need to do it on the cheap!
Grampa Grunts Lodge
Step 1: The Accommodations (AKA, Grampa Grunt’s Lodge)
If you’ve never heard of Grampa Grunt’s, it’s a legendary ski bum hostel located just seven miles from Jay Peak in the town of Montgomery Center, VT. It’s no frills, cash-only, $50 a night, and filled with characters who probably have better ski stories than you (or at least more questionable life choices). Imagine rustic charm meets college dorm room, but for grown-ups who prioritize first tracks over thread count. Honestly it’s clean and the people are very friendly, it’s a great place to crash while skiing or hiking. There is a sauna and a common hang-out area where the ski day ‘debriefing’ happens. There is a pool table, a common kitchen area with fridge, couches, and a fireplace.
Jay Peak
Step 2: The Skiing (Indy Pass for the Win!)
As you know by now, I’m an Indy Pass evangelist, and if you’re not using one yet, you’re doing skiing wrong. Instead of dropping $100+ per day on a single lift ticket, I stretch my pass across multiple resorts. If you can pull this trip off, these 4 days of skiing makes the pass worth buying alone.
Ski Day #1: Bolton Valley (on the way up) – It’s included on the Indy Pass, and it’s a great warm-up before hitting the big leagues at Jay. It’s another hour north from there to Grampa Grunts.
Ski Day #2 & #3: Jay Peak – The main event. Two days of legendary glades, deep snow, and potential wind that is strong enough to make you question your life choices. Grampa Grunts makes for a home base, just 7 miles from the mountain.
Ski Day #4: Cannon Mountain (on the way home) – Another Indy Pass gem. It’s got steep runs, old-school vibes, and the type of no-frills skiing that makes you feel like a true New Englander. One of my favorite NH ski areas if you are lucky enough to get great weather.
These mountains are pretty far north so they tend to still have good snow in mid to late March, which is when I go. The crowds weren't bad at that time either!
Keep It Simple
Step 3: The Dining Plan (PB&J and Hope)
Is your favorite part of the trip the après ski? Well, since I’m doing this on a strict budget, this probably isn’t the trip for you.
I bring jars of peanut butter, jelly, a loaf of bread, some good munchies and a dream. Why? Because ski lodge prices are criminal. $20 for a burger? No thanks—I’ll be enjoying my gourmet sandwich in the parking lot like a true ski dirtbag.
Snacks are also essential because Jay Peak is basically Canada, and there’s no grocery store next to the lifts. I like beef jerky and granola bars to bring on the trail. Another tip is to bring everything you need, or risk paying resort prices for a granola bar that costs more than your childhood allowance.
There are some other more expensive accommodations in Montgomery Center and a restaurant or two that looked decent. All are walkable from Grampa Grunts if you really wanted to treat yourself, but I haven’t tried any of them. There is also a small general store where the coffee is hot and the people-watching is well worth the walk into town.
Jay Peak
Final Thoughts
Just to be clear, I couldn’t ski nearly as often as I have this year if I needed to spend $500+ per day on lodging, food, and lift tickets for each adventure. Why do that when I can ski 4 days at these three mountains all included on my Indy Pass? It actually a lot of fun to crash at a hostel with legendary ski bums, and fuel my powder days with PB&J! Skiing Jay Peak on a budget is possible—you just need a little bit of cash, an Indy Pass, and a tolerance for hostel life. If nothing else, it’s guaranteed to give you some fun stories to take home!
See you in the glades!
