For decades, ski vacations followed a predictable pattern, and it went a little like this: pick a mountain, book accommodations, fly or drive to the resort, buy lift tickets, ski a few days, return home. Repeat cycle the following year.
The past few years have seen an explosion in passes that let holders ski and ride multiple mountains across North America (and beyond) for free or at discounted rates. In turn, they have encouraged a new kind of ski trip in which people sample several hills in a single season.
In February, for instance, I flew west from my Brooklyn home on two separate occasions and skied for 10 days.