by I know this is a little different than my usual blog post but some big news happened this last week in the ski pass realm so I thought I would share the info. Gonna ski more than two days next season, consider an annual ski pass. Here’s some info to help you choose…
Ikon Pass
Last week the Alterra Mountain Company unveiled a new ski pass that hopes to compete with Vail Resorts Epic Pass. This is going to be a hard fete to accomplish, with Vail selling 750,000 Epic passes last season. The new Ikon pass, as it’s called, will replace the Rocky Mountain SuperPass. This new pass will offer a blend of limited and unlimited skiing on 50,000 acres across 23 resorts in nine states and three Canadian provinces. This pass will include coveted resorts such as Aspen Snowmass, Jackson Hole, Alta & Snowbird. It is not clear how much skiing at those and other resorts will be offered and under what restrictions. Unfortunately, pricing also was not disclosed at this time. Alterra Mountain Company lists its resorts as Steamboat, Winter Park, California;s Squaw Valley-Alpine Meadows, Mammoth Mountain, June Mountain and Big bear Mountain Resort, Vermont’s Stratton, West Virginia’s Snowshoe, Canada’s Tremblant and Blue Mountain, Utah’s Deer Valley Resort and CMH Heli-Skiing & Summer.The Ikon Pass partners are Aspen Snowmass, Cooper Mountain, Eldora, Jackson Hole, Montana’s Big Sky, Vermont’s Killington, Maine’s Sunday River and Sugarloaf, New Hampshire’s Loon Mountain and Utah’s famed Alta and Snowbird. Will this be the Epic pass killer?
Sums it up pretty good!
Epic Pass
Not one to like being outdone, Vail resorts adds Telluride Ski Resort to Epic pass in 2018-19 winter season. While Vail did not buy Telluride they have formed a partnership alliance. Epic Pass holders will receive seven days of skiing or snowboarding with no blackout dates. Once the seven days have been used, pass holders can get 50 percent off lift tickets to Telluride. This years full pass cost was $869. No BLACKOUT DATES. The Epic Pass offers full access to Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone and Arapahoe Basin in Colorado; Park City in Utah; Heavenly, Northstar and Kirkwood at Lake Tahoe; Stowe Mountain Resort in Vermont; Afton Alps in Minnesota; Mt. Brighton in Michigan; Wilmont Mountain in Wisconsin; Whistler Blackcomb in Canada; and Perisher in Australia, with no blackout dates. The Epic Pass also provides limited access to Les 3 Valles, Paradiski and Tignes-Val D’lsere in France; 4 Vallees in Switzerland, Arlberg in Austria, and Skiama Dolmiti in Italy.
Mountain Collective Pass
Don’t want the crowds of the Epic? Don’t need unlimited skiing or riding? The Mountain Collective Pass may be your answer. Each pass holder will receive two days at the Collective destinations for a total of 32 days. This pass costs $519. No BLACKOUT DATES, 50% off all additional days at The Collective destinations.
Collective destinations: Alta Ski Area, Aspen Snowmass, Banff Sunshine, Coronet Peak | The Remarkables, Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, Lake Louise Ski Resort, Mammoth Mountain, Revelstoke Mountain Resort, Snowbasin Resort, Snowbird ,Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows, Sugarbush Resort, Sun Valley, Taos Ski Valley, Telluride Ski Resort, Thredbo Alpine Village.
RECAP –
Don’t just show up at the window and pay the walk up rate. Most resorts are charging close to $200 for a single day. Break-even on the passes is anywhere from 3.5-10 days in the US. You can also get a small discount on multi day tickets if you reserve them online, usually about two weeks or more in advance. Lastly, Liftopia can be another solid resource in finding discounted single day and multi day lift tickets.
Go get your lift tickets and passes. The Thrill of the Mountain is waiting for you.
CCM
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