Your opinion on what is a good mountain and what is a trash one is irrelevant. :-)

Weekday, Non-holiday $35 https://skibutternut.com/tickets-passes/tickets-passes/lift-tickets?hold_site_alert=1

You are correct. $50 is about the bottom for a full day ticket. Whaleback or Bradford, even Jiminy has a lower mountain pass for $49. Not sure what type of deal you are looking for. Movies are $20 for 2 hours! Perhaps it is me, but it seems 50 for 8 hours of ski time is still decent.

Yeah...Nashoba is basically in my backyard and I was always confused by the pricing there. Growing up it was Powder Ridge and Mt. Tom, or Brodie. Pat's is decent, but rentals anywhere are ridiculous. Local Lyons had a swap this past Nov and I picked up larger gear for my rapidly growing 12yrold. Boots $5, skis $10, ski pants $4.

It's a shame that skiing has attracted an image that it is primarily a rich persons sport. Local small mountains are affordable and have a laidback vibe, gear can be picked up at tag sales and swaps for next to nothing, and getting outside and having some fun should not be tied to Chad and Buffy at Vail. I blame the 80s lifestyle of excess for this. I grew up in a lower middle class house and my folks always found a way to get us out skiing with our cousins once/twice a season on hand-me-downs and tag sale gear. Long underwear under jeans and your older cousins coat from 3 years ago has given way to 1000s of dollars in stupid crap that does nothing to improve your fun. If this image has kept you from trying the sport, hit a swap, ask a family member to dig out those boxes in the attic, and head over to a small local hill. Take it back.

All private companies in Acton

Put up SunRun Solar 5 years ago through Costco. Never had a problem. A couple years ago they detected my array was producing a lower amount that the previous year and came out to inspect. Other that the little rubber caps falling off the mounting rails they used, no issues with the equipment or company.....so far.