I remember my first day on skis being at stevens when I was 7. The employees were joyful, the lines were short, and every lift was open as long as avy conditions were safe.
Now that stevens pass has been purchased by vail, they have driven my desire to ski there into the ground and have failed to open 65% of the terrain due to staffing issues we are all familiar with.
If you are from Washington and are looking for a fun time with minimal risk, stevens is so short staffed it’s comically easy to ride for free. Half the lifts dont have scanners or are busy enough that the one scanner they have is easily dodged. So, if your a little bold and very broke, theres no need to buy a pass.
disclaimer: this is not foolproof. Be smart abt it and act like you really do have a pass. Also be super kind to the employees, lots of my homies are working there out of passion and want the best for the mtn. Also best performed at night.