I did a season in Canada as a lifty last year, currently working part time and just riding this year but I have a free place to live now. Last year I made minimum wage for Alberta that's $9.40 Accoms where like 300 a month provided through the hill mostly all in a massive log building that was basically like a college dorm without homework.
I'm not sure how it works elsewhere but hear and some other places like Revelstoke, lifty's get ride breaks and where I was working we were paid for them. They say you can only ride green runs on your breaks since you are still punched in but it is barley enforced and where I worked it was a huge mountain so to get caught you basically had to be skiing a lift line in uniform and have somewhere who cared ride up(very few people cared) Perks where discounts at several other ski resorts, Full time was free at kimberly nakiska,sunshine,fernie,norquay, half off at revelstoke kicking horse, castle, red mountain, white water. We also got 40% off food in the cafeteria which was ridiculously expensive so it basically just made it regular price but if you knew the right people you could get stuff real cheap.
For all the basic entry level jobs at a hill(rentals,retail,food n bev, ticket checkers,Dishwasher) Only lifty's got paid ride breaks and always got them no matter how busy it was so on x-mas when everyone is working overtime inside and hearing about all the good snow, ur day just goes faster because your working hard and your getting to ski still and getting paid for it. Liftys rule period. That said i'm not sure of the policies in Colorado or anywhere other then hear so this is just an idea.
If you get a job in town instead you have to factor in buying pass, shuttle to the hill, in this town its free but i no in revelstoke unless you work for the hill you have to pay to take the shuttle unless you have your own car. If your job doesn't provide staff accom's it will most likely be more expensive, like 500bucks a month whistler from what i saw its like 700 and your in a house with a shared room.
Groceries and what not are always expensive in resort towns but if you get a friend with a car or some places even offer buss trips for a small cost to bigger cities/towns where food and stuff is cheaper so you can buy a shit ton and then live off that for a while.
Beer/Liquor, Obviously your going to want to chill out n crunk some brews after a nice day on the slopes beer is marked up in the town I'm at from what it is in the city and the bars are fairly expensive. I live in a small ass town and the only local bar will have specials like $3 Jagers but most things are even more expensive some restaurants charge 6.50 a beer and its just a pub. Now those booze prices are probably fairly different then that in the states cause you guys pay less taxes(WOOO HEALTHCARE) but still expensive.
Again if you don't get a job at the hill try and find somewhere that you can get more days off or at least some later or earlier shifts that would allow you to ride the maximum amount.
Anyways I hope that at least helps you a bit and I guarantee as long as you don't get fired, arrested you will have one of the most epic years of your life. I still hear from people riding the lifts every day about the years they worked at a ski hill and how they remember them being the most fun ever. I plan on staying in a ski town for the rest of my life!
