As March comes to an end, it’s hard not to think about the long summer ahead. The only thing keeping riders going are daydreams of future pow days. To fuel these fantasies, it helps to have some physical emblem to keep you grounded. Buying a season pass for next season in the spring will not just save you money, it allows you to shop around and check out the slopes while they’re still open.

For most people on the Seacoast with kids, a steady job and a mortgage, nearby Gunstock will be the best value. Season passes are $379 for adults, $369 for teens and $259 for kids. And they include night riding, which allows families to ride mid-week after work and school—meaning you won’t always have to suffer in long lines with all the weekend warriors from Massachusetts and Connecticut on Saturdays and Sundays.

For those with a little less responsibility and a decent set of wheels, there are some good deals to be had. The best deal going in the east right now is the New England Pass, giving access to Sugarloaf, Sunday River and Loon. They range in price from $369 to $949, depending on whether you go for the Gold, Silver or Bronze pass. Sugarloaf and Sunday River combined give you more than 1,590 acres of ridable terrain. Toss Loon into the mix and you have a place to hang in the spring and hit some sweet jumps.

A great complement to the New England Pass is the $319 Bold and Beautiful Pass, allowing mid-week riding at Bretton Woods and Cannon. Bretton Woods always has great snow, and Cannon’s glades are the place to be on those foot-plus days. Bretton Woods is also part of the Threedom Pass, but the other two mountains attached on the pass (Cranmore and Waterville Valley) are not worth the heavy price tag of $799 for adults with blackout dates.

If you only have $500 to spend and need to make each excursion count, the pass to get is the Wildcat and Attitash Classic Season Pass for $499. Wildcat has the fastest quad in the east, six minute to the top, and Attitash has two distinct peaks: Bear Peak, full of cruisers and glades, and Attitash, riddled with narrow, fast trails.

Students looking to get outside in the winter have several great options. The best pass for students on the Seacoast is the N.H. College Breakout Pass for $279. Ride all season at Sunapee, Gunstock (including night riding, which means you won’t have to skip class to ride), and Wildcat. If you are a real powder hound and don’t mind driving more than two hours to get your fix, you want the Triple Major pass, with access to Jay Peak, Bolton Valley and Mad River Glen (MRG discriminates against snowboarders—skiers only).

For those folks with disposable income, there are a couple of mountains worth shelling out cash for a single destination. Killington’s season pass is $729 with 18 blackout dates (pass holders can ride any two of those blackout dates). This includes access to Pico, which is physically connected to Killington. Traveling from one area to the other requires a bit of walking but can be worth it on a pow day. Pico is closed midweek. Killington offers riders such variety of terrain that getting bored is pretty tough to do. Tons of early season snow making (an army of 1,500 snowguns), turns into mid-winter pow (250 inches of natural snow) and then amazing spring riding.

There is also the $3,800 Sugarbush Fancy Pass. It gives you “four seasons of fun with unlimited skiing/riding, golf, mountain biking, Health and Racquet Club access, disc golf and zipline.” A good deal for locals who visit the mountain every day, not so good for weekend warriors.

The most expensive and most badass pass in the East is the Stowe pass, weighing in at $1,503 for a full pass, or $1,353 with blackouts. The pass only includes Stowe, but after riding there, you won’t want to go anyplace else in the east. Steep terrain and glades abound, along with insane side country into Smugglers Notch and some of the best backcountry in the east on Mount Mansfield, Vermont’s highest peak.

While looking for the pass that will best fit your needs, remember to think carefully about a few things. Where will you be staying if the drive is too long? How much will it cost to drive? Do you know people who have the same pass that would be willing to split rooms and gas? 

Most importantly, will you ride enough to make your pass worth the cost? That kind of dedication sometimes means skipping a class, a day of work, or whatever else stands in your way when a big storm rolls through the Northeast.