Great places to ski for $50 or less

One thing that keeps me away from snow skiing, other than being lousy at it, is the high cost. Factor in the cost of renting skis, boots, poles and a lift ticket, along with meals, drinks, getting there, and possibly lodging and more assorted gear, and a day on the slopes can run into hundreds of dollars.

If you own your equipment, the cost can be a lot less, but there's always the expensive lift ticket, at least on weekends. A recent New York Times story on less costly lift tickets has some excellent ideas for places to get a lift up the mountain for $50 or less for a day, and I did some research on my own and found more places. I did my search among California resorts, but do an Internet search of your area to find more.

Remember, these prices are for adults skiing on weekends. They don't include discounts on weekdays or for seniors or children. Most of these ski areas are at lesser-known areas and not at the bigger resorts.