It's not getting any easier to keep up with the changes for the multi-resort passes. Announcements have started already with Indy and Ikon. What made sense for 2021-22 may not be true for next season, depending on where someone wants to ski out west.
The situation has shifted quite a bit since Alterra came on the scene in 2018 and helped to create Ikon, with many of the same independent destination resorts that are/were on the MCP.
Here are the threads for 2018-19 and 2019-20. Vail Resorts bought Peak Resorts in 2019. The pandemic started officially for the ski industry in March 2020.
https://www.dcski.com/forum/view_message.php?message_id=93356
If you aren't on email lists for multi-resort passes of interest, be a good idea to pay attention to websites or other sources this week. Making decisions for next season is not just a matter of checking how much prices are changing. The line ups and exactly what's included for different options within Ikon, Indy, and perhaps Epic too have clearly shifted. Depending on where you are thinking of going next season, might make a big difference.
The MCP will be back. Sun Valley and Snowbasin will be on the MCP. But Palisades Tahoe, Mammoth, and Sugarbush will not. Alterra moved them to Ikon only. That said, the list of independent resorts on the MCP remains impressive. The renewal discount is only going to be available until mid-March. Getting good value from the MCP is much easier than Ikon or Epic if willing to commit to a couple of trips to different destinations. Especially if get the MCP while the 3rd bonus day at a pre-selected location is available.
Sun Valley and Snowbasin will also be on Ikon in some fashion. Folks I know who are local to Snowbasin are pretty happy to be getting away from Epic, even if it means paying a bit more.
Ikon has evolved into three tiers: Full Ikon, Ikon Base Plus, Ikon Base. Ikon Base Plus is $200 more than Ikon Base. Moving up to Full Ikon for 7 days at every location with no blackouts, is another $110. Full Ikon is $1079, with $100 renewal discount available. People who want to ski at Alta/Snowbird, Deer Valley, Snowbasin, Jackson Hole, Aspen/Snowmass, and/or Sun Valley need more than Ikon Base. There are a few deals for military, nurses, and college students.
The Ikon Session Pass will have three versions: 4-day, 3-day, 2-day. A 3-day Ikon Session pass for $349 is more than an Indy Pass Plus (no blackout dates).
Here is an interesting piece of pricing trivia for older skiers who hold a season pass from a Mountain Collective Pass (MCP) member resort and may be considering whether to buy IKON base or IKON base plus or IKON full to complement their season pass.
I bought a Snowbird senior season pass last spring, and for a $259 upcharge it came with an IKON base pass. The IKON base pass through this special offer from Snowbird was not upgradeable to base plus or full IKON. Note, I don't have a MCP.
A few days ago I wanted to ski two days at the Aspen resorts. I walked into the ticket office at Snowmass and saw that the window price for a regular adult two-day ticket was $350+. But since I'm over 65 I qualified for the senior two-day rate of $252. But since I have a season pass at a MCP member resort (Snowbird) and I was purchasing tickets from another MCP member resort (Snowmass/Aspen) I qualified for an additional $111 discount.
The two-day ticket I used at Snowmass and Aspen Highlands cost me $141 in the end. $70.50 per day is not a bad price, especially since conditions were superb for both of my days at huge Snowmass and empty Aspen Highlands!
Ikon just came out and the price is not bad, and you get a 50 buck discount if you are renewing so even though I "only" bought the 4-session pass this year (and highway robbery it was), I can get the same discount.
Oh but here is the head kicker - I plan to be at Steamboat starting March 14 this year. The pass goes live March 10. I could have bought the damn pass and saved myself a couple hundred if assuming I would buy next year's pass. uggggg. Never even thought of it!
Jim, I need a like button for your post.
This might be helpful (it's not mine)
Far more info than most people need, but Stuart is attempting to track all season pass prices.
JimK wrote:
Here is an interesting piece of pricing trivia for older skiers who hold a season pass from a Mountain Collective Pass (MCP) member resort and may be considering whether to buy IKON base or IKON base plus or IKON full to complement their season pass.
I bought a Snowbird senior season pass last spring, and for a $259 upcharge it came with an IKON base pass. The IKON base pass through this special offer from Snowbird was not upgradeable to base plus or full IKON. Note, I don't have a MCP.
A few days ago I wanted to ski two days at the Aspen resorts. I walked into the ticket office at Snowmass and saw that the window price for a regular adult two-day ticket was $350+. But since I'm over 65 I qualified for the senior two-day rate of $252. But since I have a season pass at a MCP member resort (Snowbird) and I was purchasing tickets from another MCP member resort (Snowmass/Aspen) I qualified for an additional $111 discount.
The two-day ticket I used at Snowmass and Aspen Highlands cost me $141 in the end. $70.50 per day is not a bad price, especially since conditions were superb for both of my days at huge Snowmass and empty Aspen Highlands!
Quite a few Ikon Partners are either including Ikon Base with their premium season pass or offering it as an add-on.
If I can figure out how many days I'll be at Alta in April 2023, getting an Alta Senior Pass might make sense.
MCP resorts provided the 50% off day tickets as a perk for their premium season pass holders early on. That was the way to keep those people from deciding to just buy an MCP if they weren't going to ski their home mountain too many days.
Keith_Moon wrote:
I wish Sugar, Beech and Wintergreen would get on the Indy Pass.
Beech is the only one that could eventually join Indy in my opinion. They had a couple of season pass perks set up for 2021-22 with Diamond Peak and Bogus Basin.
Sugar has done just fine with their ticket pricing, even though it's always been on the high side. Ease of access right off the highway from Boone makes a difference. As with buying a house . . . location, location, location.
Wintergreen is operated by a multi-resort company. Since Massanutten and Bryce were early adopters of Indy, very unlikely that Wintergreen has any chance of being added at this point.
The Indy Pass provides actual revenue to each location based on how many "redemptions" happen during a season. I think 85% of the money collected goes back to the ski areas/resorts. The goal is to keep the pricing reasonable but still provide a decent payout at the end of the season. From what Doug Fish has said, the reason the price stayed the same for 2022-23 is that the money came out about right for 2021-22.
Here are the prices for the Indy Pass for 2022-23. Same as this season. For people who had 2021-22 Epic/Ikon/MCP can get a bit of a discount, but only thru May 17, 2022. While some people may switch, I would guess there are also people who will add Indy.
Blackout dates will be a little different since those are set by the individual locations. There were a few places that required a reservation in 2021-22. I did it for Berkshire East and it wasn't too big a deal. Really only needed to pay close attention in advance for Saturdays and holiday Sundays.
For folks who can plan far ahead, here's what I did this season.
I opted to combine Ikon Base, the MCP, and Indy for 2021-22. I planned an Indy ski safari based on the Berkshires with friends. We went in late February. Even though it was a holiday week in New England, we had a very good time. I also planned two trips out west: Taos mid-season and SLC/Alta for three weeks during late season. Since I knew I would be skiing Alta/Snowbird for more than 7 days, the combination of 5 days using Ikon Base plus the MCP (bonus third day, 50% additional days) made the most sense.
Any ideas, scoops, or rumors about when Vail/Epic will announce prices and other details for 2022/23? They hold so many areas in PA now …
Woody
Details for the 2022-23 Mountain Collective pass have been released. Early purchase pricing is $539 for adults, $439 for teens, and $149 for children. Valid for two days at 22 ski areas with a bonus third day at the skier's resort of choice. No blackout dates and half-off additional lift tickets after 2 days.
Changes this year include the addition of Sun Valley and Snowbasin, and the departure of Mammoth, Palisades Tahoe, and Sugarbush.
More info available at https://mountaincollective.com/.
The deadline for getting the renewal discount for Ikon is April 21. It's actually not that easy to find the date but Storm Skiing has it. Last year it was May 4.
https://www.skimag.com/news/ikon-pass-2022-23-details/
https://www.stormskiing.com/p/ikon-pass-adds-snowbasin-sun-valley
If you are looking at Ikon, Epic, MCP, and Indy for the first time, here's a pretty decent summary of all four for 2022-23.
As expected, the prices for 2022-23 Epic passes were announced on March 21.
A good overview that includes details for western PA is what Stuart Winchester put together. Stuart is recovering from a skiing injury and has had more time for writing than expected in the last month. His sense of how season pass prices and the multi-resort options is based on a great deal of research for all regions.
https://www.stormskiing.com/p/2022-23-epic-pass-prices-tick-up
The Northeast passes for 2022-23 include the midwest urban ski areas in OH and MI, PA, NY (Hunter), VT, NH. The Northeast Value Pass is $514 for unlimited access to the list below, with blackout dates at Okemo, Mount Snow, Hunter. The Northeast Midweek pass is $385 for people who have no interest in skiing during weekends or holidays. Stowe is limited to 10/5 days midweek, non-holiday.
EPIC NORTHEAST
* - has limitations
MI: Mount Brighton
OH: Boston Mills, Brandywine, Alpine Valley, Mad River
PA: Seven Springs, Hidden Valley, Laurel Mountain, Whitetail, Liberty, Roundtop, Jack Frost/Big Boulder
NY: Hunter
VT: Okemo*, Mount Snow*, Stowe*
NH: Mount Sunapee, Attitash, Wildcat, Crotched
If someone just wants to sample selected Epic ski areas/resorts or meet up with friends for a day there is a new option. For 22 of the locations, it's possible to buy an Epic Day Pass for one day for $44 non-holiday. That 1-day pass excludes all Western resorts, plus the three Vermont mountains and Hunter so only for the small hills in the midwest and PA. For another $28, could pay $72 for one day at Stowe, Okemo, Sunapee, Hunter, plus Tahoe, Keystone, Crested Butte, or Stevens Pass.
Could that be a reaction to the Indy Pass for the midwest and mid-Atlantic?
Can get the lowest daily prices for the limited set of locations--22 or 32--for 1-7 days, non-holiday. Since the cost per day goes down as the number of days goes up, it would be possible to get 5 days at the Vermont Epic resorts for $65/day.
snowsmith wrote:
How about $385 for the Northeast Value Pass old geezer rate.
Does adding 7Springs, HV, Laurel make that the obvious multi-resort for seniors 65+ in PA and DC/NoVA?
The first deadline for Epic passes is April 21. After that people who buy Full Epic and Epic Local won't get 10 Buddy Passes.
Since I've never had an Epic Pass, hadn't bothered to figure out the difference between a Buddy Pass and Ski-With-A-Friend. The Buddy Pass discount rate varies by region and resort but stays the same all season. Mostly the discount is around 40%. For SWAF, there is a discount but the rate varies and is 10-15% less than a Buddy Pass discount.
https://www.epicpass.com/benefits/swaf.aspx
The complete list of Epic pass types is a bit overwhelming. Of course, most are regional so few people really care. The list of pass types that include Buddy Tickets is an easy way to get a feel for the regional differences.
What passes come with Ski With A Friend and Buddy Tickets?
Buddy Tickets are only offered for a limited time for guests who purchase eligible ski passes. Passes that are not eligible for Buddy Tickets include: Epic Day Pass, Whistler Blackcomb Pass Products and Epic SchoolKids.
Passes eligible for Buddy Tickets include:
Epic Products: Epic Pass, Epic Local Pass
Colorado Pass Products: Summit Value pass, Keystone Plus Pass
Tahoe Pass Products: Tahoe Local Pass, Tahoe Value Pass, Kirkwood Pass
Northeast Pass Products: Northeast Value Pass*, Northeast Midweek Pass
Park City Pass Products: Park City Youth Pass
Stevens Pass Pass Products: Stevens Pass Premium Pass*, Stevens Pass Select Pass
Other Pass Products: Afton Alps Pass, Afton Alps College Night Pass, Afton Alps Family Pass, Afton Alps Friends Pass, Mt Brighton Pass, Mt Brighton College Night Pass, Mt Brighton Family Pass, Wilmot Pass, Wilmot Family Pass, Ohio Pass**, Hidden Valley Pass, Snow Creek Pass, Paoli Peaks Pass, 65+ Keystone Breck Pass, Senior 70+ 10 Pass, Merchant Epic Pass, Merchant Epic Local Pass, Merchant Tahoe Pass
Passes eligible for Ski With A Friend Tickets include:
Epic Products: Epic Pass, Epic Local Pass, Epic Military Pass (Active, Retired, Veteran & Dependent)
Colorado Pass Products: Summit Value pass, Keystone Plus Pass
Tahoe Pass Products: Tahoe Local Pass, Tahoe Value Pass, Kirkwood Pass
Northeast Pass Products: Northeast Value Pass*, Northeast Midweek Pass
Park City Pass Products: Park City Youth Pass
Stevens Pass Pass Products: Stevens Pass Premium Pass*, Stevens Pass Select Pass
Other Pass Products: Afton Alps Pass, Afton Alps College Night Pass, Afton Alps Family Pass, Afton Alps Friends Pass, Mt Brighton Pass, Mt Brighton College Night Pass, Mt Brighton Family Pass, Wilmot Pass, Wilmot Family Pass, Ohio Pass**, Hidden Valley Pass, Snow Creek Pass, Paoli Peaks Pass, 65+ Keystone Breck Pass, Senior 70+ 10 Pass, Merchant Epic Pass, Merchant Epic Local Pass, Merchant Tahoe Pass, Adaptive Epic Pass, Adaptive Tahoe Pass, Adaptive Northeast Value Pass, Adaptive Midwest Pass, Eagle & Lake Student Pass, Summit & Lake Student Pass, Eagle/Summit/Lake School Employee Pass, Eagle & Lake School Employee Pass, Summit & Lake School Employee Pass, BC Club Member Pass, BC Club Non-Member Pass, BG Club Pass, BC Club Charter Member Pass, BC Club Charter Non-Member Pass
Note: Unless explicitly stated, all age groups are included.
*80+/90+ & Tot Passes do not receive Buddy Tickets or Ski With A Friend Tickets. **Ohio Tot Pass does not receive Buddy Tickets or Ski With A Friend Tickets.
marzNC wrote:
snowsmith wrote:
How about $385 for the Northeast Value Pass old geezer rate.Does adding 7Springs, HV, Laurel make that the obvious multi-resort for seniors 65+ in PA and DC/NoVA?
Good points by snowsmith and marzNC.
For seniors in PA+DC/NoVA + the Shenandoah Valley, I agree that Epic's Northeast Value Pass is a good multi-resort choice. That's what I had in 2021-22 along with a T-Line Silver Pass (weekdays @ the old geezer rate) and a Snowshoe Unlimited Pass. I got my money's worth on all 3, including a trip to the Stowe area in Vermont.
But I like to area-hop, so I'm changing things up for 2022-23. I usually ski about 25 times per season including a trip or two to the Northeast. As a newish retiree, I usually ski weekdays and have recently backed away from moguls, higher speeds, and 7-hour ski days. Here are my choices and reasoning for passes next season:
If Epic manages to improve (and I had great days on the snow at Liberty and Stowe this past year), I'll consider switching back to Epic for 2023-24 if skiing is still in the cards.
Enjoying spring yet always thinking about the snow.
Woody
bousquet19 wrote:
marzNC wrote:
snowsmith wrote:
How about $385 for the Northeast Value Pass old geezer rate.Does adding 7Springs, HV, Laurel make that the obvious multi-resort for seniors 65+ in PA and DC/NoVA?
Good points by snowsmith and marzNC.
For seniors in PA+DC/NoVA + the Shenandoah Valley, I agree that Epic's Northeast Value Pass is a good multi-resort choice. That's what I had in 2021-22 along with a T-Line Silver Pass (weekdays @ the old geezer rate) and a Snowshoe Unlimited Pass. I got my money's worth on all 3, including a trip to the Stowe area in Vermont.
But I like to area-hop, so I'm changing things up for 2022-23. I usually ski about 25 times per season including a trip or two to the Northeast. As a newish retiree, I usually ski weekdays and have recently backed away from moguls, higher speeds, and 7-hour ski days. Here are my choices and reasoning for passes next season:
- My easiest and earliest decision was not to buy another SS Unlimited Pass. The Ridiculous Pass is gone (RIP), and I don't think I'll make good enough use of SS and the SS Unltd Pass to justify the rising cost of a pass there. The crowds on weekdays and holiday weeks were more than annoying this past season. A friend with whom I've skied for 15+ seasons was injured by an out-of-control preteen and may not return to skiing. :( For SS, I will consider one 3-day midweek trip and keep an eye out for ticket specials.
- For my multi-resort pass I bought the Indy for 2022-23. It provides 2 tix at each of 4 areas in our region: Bryce, Massanutten, Canaan Valley, and Blue Knob. (Fingers crossed for decent snow at BK.) And I'll build a trip to the Northeast around the Indy next season, with a focus on Saddleback, Cannon, and Waterville plus smaller area(s) on the drive up +/or back. Road trip!
- Timberline: you win. You're my new home area after more than a dozen years of loyalty to Liberty and Whitetail, thanks to the new TL ownership, investments, and management, and to the completion of Corridor H between Wardensville and Davis.
- And I added 3 Epic Day Pass tickets (= one-day weekday tix) so I can get to Liberty and Laurel at a good discount next season.
If Epic manages to improve (and I had great days on the snow at Liberty and Stowe this past year), I'll consider switching back to Epic for 2023-24 if skiing is still in the cards.
Enjoying spring yet always thinking about the snow.
Woody
Somewhere there's somebody with a Perfect smile reading your post.
bousquet19 wrote:
. . .
For my multi-resort pass I bought the Indy for 2022-23. It provides 2 tix at each of 4 areas in our region: Bryce, Massanutten, Canaan Valley, and Blue Knob. (Fingers crossed for decent snow at BK.) And I'll build a trip to the Northeast around the Indy next season, with a focus on Saddleback, Cannon, and Waterville plus smaller area(s) on the drive up +/or back. Road trip!
Massanutten will have a new trail on the upper mountain next season. :-)
I did a northeast Indy ski safari while based in the Berkshires of western MA in late Feb. Even though the trip started on a holiday weekend that became a NY/MA school vacation week, it was a lot of fun. My travel/ski buddy and I covered Catamount, Berkshire East, and West Mountain. Catamount was hurting after a major rainstorm washed away a lot of snow so we only got in one day there. Berkshire East had a deeper base and recovered quicker. West Mountain is near the Queensbury outlets (Eddie Bauer, LL Bean) so that was a bonus for that day trip. I finished up the trip with a powder day at Plattekill (not Indy) and a morning at Montage.
Berkshire East is probably the MA/CT Indy ski area most worth a slight detour to ski for a day on the way to NH. Although once the new lifts and snowmaking additions are completed for Catamount this summer, there is a good variety of terrain there.
The price for the MCP went up $20 and there is no more bonus day. As of May 17, the MCP is $569 for adults, $459 for ages 13-18, and $169 for kids 12 and under.
Sun Valley and Snowbasin (same ownership) moved from Epic to the MCP and Ikon starting in 2022-23. Grand Targhee is the only resort on the MCP that is not also part of Ikon.
Alterra took Palisades Tahoe, Mammoth, and Sugarbush off the MCP. That means Californians are being pushed to Ikon. When the MCP first started, many of the first adopters in 2012-13 were Californians interested in skiing Alta, Jackson Hole, and/or Aspen/Snowmass, in addition to getting a couple days at Squaw/Alpine. The first MCP was $349 and sales ended mid-November.
pagamony wrote:
I reluctantly got an epic pass this year. My reasoning is that based on my kids work schedules we *might* have to ski on 1 or more holidays, and I got the 10 (or whatever) buddy tickets. Best case scenario I can also do a long weekend at a place like Beaver Creek that I have not skied before.
I stumbled onto a few articles this morning about Walt Disney World. Reports/reactions from numerous recent travelers to Mickey Mouse Land make the online complaints about Vail Resorts sound like a chorus of angels. I guess costs and crowds are way up at Disney and the quality of services and the experience is way down. They keep thinking of new ways to extract your money with across-the-board price increases way above the inflation rate, but still the revenge-travel hoards grow. If you spend much of your day at the park with your nose buried in your phone working Disney's online attractions-reservation system you can keep waits for individual rides under one hour. If you don't play that game you can wait up to four hours to get on a single popular ride. A family of four can spend 10+ grand for a week of park tickets, lodging, food, souvenirs, and airfare.
It's been since before the pandemic that I've been to Beaver Creek, but I had a memorable day when I caught a foot-plus storm on a Tuesday in late February 2017. The snow kept falling lightly all day. I hung around the Centennial chondola for six or seven runs. Even though it was in plain view of the base village, I was one of the few people having a blast tracking out single black diamond Helmut’s trail while riding empty chondola cars to escape the elements between each powder run.
I've been reading about Disney as well -- makes me have no interest in visiting (and I used to enjoy visiting Disney World!). I'm not sure how it will all play out in the end, but as long as people keep showing up, Disney doesn't have much motivation to improve quality / decrease nickel-and-diming.
I think it's important to remember that at most Epic resorts most days last season, there really weren't issues. We hear about the insanely crowded weekends at some of the more popular properties, but if you have any schedule flexibility (and take advantage of tips from fellow skiers on forums like DCSki and SkiTalk), it's pretty easy to avoid that. (Granted, all bets are off if your schedule only lets you ski on a holiday weekend!) My sister skied at Vail and Beaver Creek multiple times last season and never waited in a lift line more than a few minutes. The (midweek) days I skied at Whitetail last winter, it was never crowded.
Beaver Creek is a great property. If you make it there, Pagamony, you'll have a blast! And I've never seen it crowded, even on weekends.
I stumbled onto a few articles this morning about Walt Disney World. Reports/reactions from numerous recent travelers to Mickey Mouse Land make the online complaints about Vail Resorts sound like a chorus of angels. I guess costs and crowds are way up at Disney and the quality of services and the experience is way down. They keep thinking of new ways to extract your money with across-the-board price increases way above the inflation rate, but still the revenge-travel hoards grow. If you spend much of your day at the park with your nose buried in your phone working Disney's online attractions-reservation system you can keep waits for individual rides under one hour.
Got a link to the best (ie most negative) story? My brother is thinking of taking his kids there and I want to discourage him. =)
All you have to do is google Disney Complaints. Full disclosure, I visited Disney World twice in the early 1990s when my kids were young, but no interest now. Here's one example piece with hundreds of comments from long time Disney fans turning sour on the experience:
https://www.disneytouristblog.com/biggest-complaints-disney-world/
Mongo wrote:
I stumbled onto a few articles this morning about Walt Disney World. Reports/reactions from numerous recent travelers to Mickey Mouse Land make the online complaints about Vail Resorts sound like a chorus of angels. I guess costs and crowds are way up at Disney and the quality of services and the experience is way down. They keep thinking of new ways to extract your money with across-the-board price increases way above the inflation rate, but still the revenge-travel hoards grow. If you spend much of your day at the park with your nose buried in your phone working Disney's online attractions-reservation system you can keep waits for individual rides under one hour.
Got a link to the best (ie most negative) story? My brother is thinking of taking his kids there and I want to discourage him. =)
I agree covid effect = more people out.
Disney and any other area are about the same. Packed.
marzNC wrote:
The prices for Epic passes didn't go up much. As of early June, Full Epic (13+) is $859 and Epic Local (19+, blackout dates) is $639.
And still a relatively good deal, but you don't get the buddy tickets you would have gotten in April. These guys are all master manipulators.
A little tidbit for those that want to dabble with Boyne but don't have an Ikon pass.
Boyne has Go Cards that can offer a significant discount. I haven't looked into all their resorts, but I have checked the NE resorts as well as Brighton.
Sunday River, Loon, and Sugarloaf have NE multiday passes that are flexible, with 2-5 day options. There's the unrestricted version, good any day of the year at all 3 resorts. Don't have to be consecutive. Direct to lift with RFID. Prices range $189-409. The restricted is good all year at Sunday River and Sugarloaf, except for blackout dates at all 3, and not valid Sat/Sun at Loon. Same as the unrestricted otherwise. Prices range $149-319. Neither is transferrable. Good all season long.
Wish I would have known about this at Christmas. Would have saved me some good money.
https://www.sundayriver.com/21-22-ticket-packs
Now Brighton's are just a screaming deal. Only valid there though.
Not only are they cheap, but they're transferrable. Use it a couple times and sell/give it to a friend.
They only have 5 and 10 day options, but they also have NO BLACKOUTS! Perfect for the holiday. 10 day option also lets you add kid season passes at a discounted rate ($30/kids, $99/7-12, $199/13-18), though you get 2 kids free under 6 per paying adult, even with the card. 5 days is $375, 10 days is $675. Considering rack rate is $135, this gives you nearly half off during the holidays. Can't even do the locals for that if you were buying a ticket. No, it may not have the clout of Snowbird/Alta, PC or Snowbasin, but it's still a great mountain - especially for the price. Good all season long, and still better than you'll get hunting for discounts at the local ski shops and grocery stores.
Only caveat with any of these passes is that they can only be used once per day. And Brighton's card doesn't give you the privilege pass holders get, like free UTA ski bus.
https://brightonresort.com/go-cards/?keyword=5DayGoCard
There may be similar cards at other Boyne resorts. None are as good as Epic's multiday 22 resort prices, but still very good for Utah.
I know I'm heading to Utah for Christmas already, so I'll be picking up a 5 pack. Could always use a ski buddy. :D
For folks with Ikon passes, there are a few more Ikon Partners requiring reservations this season. Boyne Resorts wants reservations for Big Sky, Loon, Brighton, and Summit at Snoqualmie. Aspen Ski Co. also decided Ikon reservations were a good idea. Jackson Hole and Taos required reservation last season and will again for 2022-23.
Possible to make Ikon reservations already. Easy to cancel and best to remember. Possible to have an Ikon pass suspended for 30 days if someone is a no show.
Denis wrote:
I am wondering where the reservation system leaves those of us who chase powder. How much lead time is required, or does it depend on when a fixed number is reached. I don’t know because I haven’t skied in the reservation era. I thought it would be more fun to have surgeries to repair and replace body parts. 🙁. Hoping to get back to it this season.
My impression is that for any lift access reservation system, not all of the slots are made available far in advance. In my experience, more slots are released early in the week (usually Mondays) if snow conditions warrant having more people on the slopes. All the resorts have a sense of the "comfortable carrying capacity" for lifts. During the 2020-21 pandemic season, Alta Lifts knew what numbers they were willing to allow based on limiting day tickets. My Alta instructor has been there long enough to know such things. In some cases, lack of parking is more of a factor than lift or mountain capacity.
I used to know someone on SkiSoutheast who lived in DC. He mostly did backcountry skiing in the Utah mountains. He would book several long weekends on Southwest during the fall sale. He would ask for the days off from work in advance as well. If conditions weren't going to be worth the travel effort then he would cancel the trip. Not exactly powder chasing but a way to plan ahead but not get locked in.
Note that it's easy to cancel an Ikon reservation. In theory, could reserve a few days a couple weeks before and then cancel if a storm doesn't come through. Not that much different from making a motel reservation when powder chasing.
The Indy Pass continues to add locations. There are also Affiliated locations in the northeast that provide a discount for day tickets.
With Jay Peak being bought by PGRI, the chances are good that it will stay on Indy after the 2022-23 season. The closing date is mid-Oct 2022.
Boyne Resorts is requiring Ikon reservations for Big Sky, Brighton, Snoqualmie, and Loon. Jackson Hole and Taos will require Ikon reservations again. Aspen/Snowmass has added Ikon reservations.
Pretty sure Jackson Hole and Taos are also requiring reservations for MCP holders too. That's new for 2022-23.
The Ikon reservation system opened up recently. There are a limited number of advanced reservation spots to start with. More become available early in the week once the season gets going. It's easy to cancel and best to do so. Not only to allow someone else to use the reservation slot but also because people who don't cancel could be locked out of making any new reservations for up to 30 days.
My friends and I had no issues making reservations for Taos a month or two in advance. One friend forgot. He couldn't get Sunday about two weeks before the trip. However, he got a reservation a few days before he arrived on Saturday.
Prices go up mid-Oct for Epic and Ikon.
Telluride will stay an Epic Partner. Ikon added Sun Peaks in BC.
superguy wrote:
Epic didn't go up much. Only about $25-30.
It's fairly typical that the price increase is relatively small each time they go up after sales begin in the spring. The objective of the staged pricing for all the multi-resort passes is to get people to commit sooner rather than later. The difference between the lowest and highest price is typically a bit less than a 1-day lift ticket.
Final price increase for Epic passes for 2022-23:
Epic $899 (was $879), Epic Local $669 ($655)
Northeast Value $546 ($535), Northeast Midweek $410 ($401)
Tahoe Local $569 ($555), Tahoe Value $485 ($475)
Keystone Plus $365 ($355), Summit Value $540 ($529)
Ohio $325 ($315)
marzNC wrote:
superguy wrote:
Epic didn't go up much. Only about $25-30.It's fairly typical that the price increase is relatively small each time they go up after sales begin in the spring. The objective of the staged pricing for all the multi-resort passes is to get people to commit sooner rather than later. The difference between the lowest and highest price is typically a bit less than a 1-day lift ticket.
Final price increase for Epic passes for 2022-23:
Epic $899 (was $879), Epic Local $669 ($655)
Northeast Value $546 ($535), Northeast Midweek $410 ($401)
Tahoe Local $569 ($555), Tahoe Value $485 ($475)
Keystone Plus $365 ($355), Summit Value $540 ($529)
Ohio $325 ($315)
I just find it kinda funny that they make it seem like there's going to be a huge increase out you don't buy right now. I bought the NE Value pass the day it went on sale and I paid $515, so there was only about a $30 or so increase. This big incentive in the beginning was all the buddy passes which was a much stronger selling point IMO.
Mountain Collective is trying something different for the last few weeks of sales. There was a code for a few days good for $75 off. After that expired a new code for $25 off is good Nov. 22-29, 2022. That code is 25OFF.
Once the MCP goes off sale in mid-December, it won't be offered again for the 2022-23 season.
I learned about the $75 discount at the Boston Snowbound Expo from the MCP rep. He's been working for the MCP for seven years and was pretty knowledgeable. Ikon was a major show sponsor and had a big booth. But there were plenty of people stopping by to find out more about the MCP on Friday afternoon/evening and Saturday. He was happy the show closed at 7pm on Friday and 5pm on Saturday instead of having later hours as it was under the previous show operator.
Deadline for buying an Epic pass for 2022-23 is Dec. 4.
The Ikon pass deadline is usually around Dec. 8.
marzNC wrote:
Deadline for buying an Epic pass for 2022-23 is Dec. 4.
The Ikon pass deadline is usually around Dec. 8.
No more Epic pass sales.
There is a count down clock on the Ikon homepage for the last few days.
I'm looking at moving to Utah next season, if things go my way. I was looking at Ikon and it seems like the only pass that makes sense out there is the full Ikon pass. The others just have too many blackouts with practically nowhere to go on those days.
I've kicked around getting a twilight pass to Brighton since I go a lot at night and maybe getting a base or base plus pass. Main reason thinking is I wouldn't want to waste the limited day passes to Brighton on night tickets. Thoughts on this idea vs a full blown pass?
superguy wrote:
I'm looking at moving to Utah next season, if things go my way. I was looking at Ikon and it seems like the only pass that makes sense out there is the full Ikon pass. The others just have too many blackouts with practically nowhere to go on those days.
I've kicked around getting a twilight pass to Brighton since I go a lot at night and maybe getting a base or base plus pass. Main reason thinking is I wouldn't want to waste the limited day passes to Brighton on night tickets. Thoughts on this idea vs a full blown pass?
A friend who lives in SLC after moving from the midwest got an Alta pass with the Ikon Base add-on, plus a Brighton night pass. She and her husband have been happy with that combination. An Alta pass also includes a few days at Snowbird, Solitude, and Brighton. Note that the best time to look at pass prices is in March or April, not August.
Right - I should have a better idea (hopefully) on the timeframe for moving by then. Company's not currently out there but they're looking at contracts with partners they could put me on.
Brighton has a similar deal with a pass plus Epic base pass. I just run into the same problem with the days being blacked out elsewhere. Doesn't give Deer Valley either, but not a huge loss. I'd just like to be able to try it without paying nearly $200 for a lift ticket.
I've only ever done Alta and Snowbird once each, and that was back in 95. Not places that are really conducive to going by myself, but hopefully I'd find a ski buddy by the time I ended up out there. Solitude and Brighton I know well, plus night skiing at Brighton fits my timing pretty well.
marzNC wrote:
superguy wrote:
I'm looking at moving to Utah next season, if things go my way. I was looking at Ikon and it seems like the only pass that makes sense out there is the full Ikon pass. The others just have too many blackouts with practically nowhere to go on those days.
I've kicked around getting a twilight pass to Brighton since I go a lot at night and maybe getting a base or base plus pass. Main reason thinking is I wouldn't want to waste the limited day passes to Brighton on night tickets. Thoughts on this idea vs a full blown pass?
A friend who lives in SLC after moving from the midwest got an Alta pass with the Ikon Base add-on, plus a Brighton night pass. She and her husband have been happy with that combination. An Alta pass also includes a few days at Snowbird, Solitude, and Brighton. Note that the best time to look at pass prices is in March or April, not August.
superguy wrote:
Right - I should have a better idea (hopefully) on the timeframe for moving by then. Company's not currently out there but they're looking at contracts with partners they could put me on.
Brighton has a similar deal with a pass plus Epic base pass. I just run into the same problem with the days being blacked out elsewhere. Doesn't give Deer Valley either, but not a huge loss. I'd just like to be able to try it without paying nearly $200 for a lift ticket.
I've only ever done Alta and Snowbird once each, and that was back in 95. Not places that are really conducive to going by myself, but hopefully I'd find a ski buddy by the time I ended up out there. Solitude and Brighton I know well, plus night skiing at Brighton fits my timing pretty well.
I think you mean Brighton season passholders could get a deal on an Ikon pass, not Epic. It's a moot point since neither are available for 2022-23 any more.
I'll be out skiing Alta in April per usual.
Yes, you are correct. Ikon. 😀
Currently planning on being out there the first week of April as well. Looking to do at least Brighton and Brian Head.
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