re: Industry expert says one third of U.S. ski resorts to shutter

I just moved to Colorado for work, and as a young professional who just had to upend my family, I'm on a tight budget. I have never been skiing. Neither has the wife (no pics). I really want to give it a go soon, but here's a basic rundown of some expenses at the cheapest resort within an easy drive of me:

Ski/boot/pole/helmet rental: $65
One day of lessons: $149
Lift ticket: $94
Total: $308, before tax.

And that's all for one person. And presumably we'd need more than one day of lessons, which each take an entire day. Add in lodging, food, gas, etc, and it's going to take us damn near an entire paycheck just to find out if we enjoy skiing. How is this sustainable?