• File: Shem Roose

Snow sports make winters in the Green Mountain State so much more enjoyable, but they're not cheap. For example, a one-day, regular season lift ticket for a 6- to 18-year-old at Smugglers' Notch Resort in Jeffersonville runs $65. And that doesn't include equipment rentals or lessons.

To make wintry fun a little more accessible, Ski Vermont runs the Fifth Grade Passport program. Each year, the nonprofit trade organization, which represents member resorts, offers fifth graders a passport that includes three lift tickets at 20 participating resorts and up to three cross-country trail pass vouchers at each resort.

The passport costs $20; students must be currently enrolled in the fifth grade to participate, though they don't have to attend school in Vermont. To take advantage of the free passes, young skiers and riders must be accompanied by a ticket- or season pass-holding adult.

Families interested in accessing the program can register now; the passport is valid from December 1, 2022, through May 1, 2023. Said Ski Vermont office and programs manager Alicia O'Gorman: "Historically, we have not sold out, but we do only offer a set amount each season, so we recommend purchasing sooner rather than later."

Learn more and sign up for a pass at skivermont.com/fifth-grade-passport.