Expensive prices, long lines, short runs, this is the typical skiing experience for locals planning on skiing in Ohio. Boston Mills is a small ski hill located in our local Cuyahoga Valley. Boston Mills is a place where northern Ohio residents have gone to escape the dreary Ohio winters, which is what I find myself doing. Before the pandemic, Vail Resorts purchased our beloved ski area – and now we must question: is the escape the ski hill provides worth the pretty penny? This season the lack of snow has been disappointing, and with the few lifts open and large crowds, Boston Mills is no longer a place I want to ski, despite its ideal proximity.
The downfall of Boston Mills began in 2019 when they were bought by Vail Resorts who have bought up all sizes of ski resorts. With their trademarked EPIC pass, the price of a day pass at Boston Mills is $60. Because of the new ownership, the food you find in the lodge is obscenely overpriced for the quality you will find. I’d be lying if I said that Boston Mills didn’t give me a feeling of nostalgia because I learned to ski at this tiny hill. There were many happy memories made from mogul mites, olympians racing program and ski club. The small ski hill ambience with the fireplaces in the lodge make the environment feel quaint and cozy.
The thrill of skiing is much better found in farther mountains like Holiday Valley in New York, which is only an additional $30, but with three times the amount of vertical. The only good thing brought to the hill with the Vail ownership were the sustainability initiatives, with goals such as zero net emissions by 2030, zero operating impact on forests and habitat and zero waste to landfill by 2030. These changes were set by Vail Resorts and have effect on around 40 other ski resorts in the United States, Canada and Australia which they have collected.
Boston Mills is the place you want to ski only if there is absolutely no other option for you. Why ski at such a tiny, expensive hill with minimal snow and elevation. Since they were bought by Vail, they now cost close to what you will find at much greater ski resorts that have the elevation and size to satisfy the adrenaline junkies us skiers are.
