Indy pass is out, sale starts on 9/1. https://www.indyskipass.com
7 new resorts added (for now), more to come. I've heard of some of the destinations in west coast. But I am not familiar with their locations / whereabouts, wondering if I can make a ski safari out of it?
Asking because I haven't purchased any pass for next season yet.
Of all indy pass destinations, Castle mtn, marmot basin, China peak,Tamarack resort are on my "wish" list. It'd be nice if T'line in WV can be added to Indy.
Did anyone purchase it last season? How many resorts did you visit? How many days did you use the pass?
I only visited 2 resorts: M'nut and Bryce, one for each day. Was planning to use it for Castle Mtn in Alberta in early April, then covid lockdown happened, had to cancel the trip.
I
I got the Indy Pass during it's first season for NC/VA/WV. Hoped to do a day trip from Mnut to check out CV for the first time but that never worked out. I used a day at Cataloochee, and two days each at Bryce and Massanutten.
Bryce is only an hour from Mnut so when I'm staying there for a few nights, it's a fun day trip for a little variety. Although the first day was unexpected. Bryce opened mid-Nov with one lift and essentially one run and I happened to be going to DC that weekend for other reasons. Stopped in on the way just for fun since I'd never been to Bryce before. Went back in late Feb when a friend got Indy for the late season price and joined me at Mnut over the weekend. We skied Bryce in the morning and Mnut in the afternoon.
I plan to get Indy again. This time I'll get the discounted price for also having an Mnut season pass.
I included Indy in the multi-resort thread for the upcoming season:
Multi-resort passes for 2020-21: Epic, Ikon, MCP, plus Indy
http://www.dcski.com/forum/99424
Indy has added Winterplace. I haven't been for a while but it's easy to reach from NC and fun when it's not crowded. That usually means midweek. But who knows how things will run this winter.
Also added Snow King and White Pine in WY.
Buck Hill in MN was added to Indy too. So 45 returning locations and 11 new locations so far. With kid's prices, could be useful for families in the DC/NoVA area willing to do a little driving to stay overnight for a weekend ski trip. Shawnee impressed me as having a good ski school for beginners. But both Shawnee and Winterplace would be better midweek. If kids are doing school online, perhaps that could work for some families this winter.
SOUTHEAST/MID-ATLANTIC
PA: Blue Knob, Shawnee
WV: Canaan Valley, Winterplace
VA: Bryce, Massanutten
NC: Cataloochee
TN: Ober Gatlinburg
The Indy Pass is getting tempting. If they add Elk (and a rollover to next season in case of COVID concenrs like some of the other passes) it'll be hard for me to say no.
wfyurasko wrote:
The Indy Pass is getting tempting. If they add Elk (and a rollover to next season in case of COVID concenrs like some of the other passes) it'll be hard for me to say no.
Indy has a very simple credit idea if someone can't get enough use out of their pass during 2020-21. Really very little financial risk in my opinion. As long as you are willing to plan ahead a little and make the drive to a couple of locations a couple of times. I have little doubt that CV, Bryce, and Mnut will open their slopes. $199 for adults and $99 for kids, with blackouts. Or $50 more if need to be able to ski during holiday periods.
You will receive an automatic credit for a 2021-22 pass if, for any reason, you use your Indy Pass less than four days ”“ no questions asked.
Zero days = 80% credit
One day = 60% credit
Two days = 40% credit
Three days = 20% credit
Indy is getting interesting, I am locked into a midweek pass elsewhere after they partially credited pass holders from last season.
I wonder if an Indy could work for an out west trip I would like to make, most likely driving, the pass I have is for a place up north so the Indy would give me local options as well, glad I have some time to think about it, thanks for the info Marz!
Indy Pass sales are open! Below is the email I got today. Doug Fish knows how to get right to the point.
https://www.indyskipass.com
FROM INDY PASS ON SEPT 1, 2020
Happy September!
Skiers and riders are the most optimistic people I know. No matter what mother nature throws at us we are convinced that the next storm will be a sweet one. The Corona Storm of ”˜20 slammed the end of our season and our entire country. However, as eternally optimistic skiers we believe fresh tracks are just around the corner!
Ski resorts are run by people with incredible determination and resilience who always rise to the challenge. And despite unprecedented challenges, our resort partners are going to deliver a great season. While we don't have resort-specific details to share today, some resorts are planning reservation systems and other protocols to ensure a safe environment for staff and guests.
Rest assured that Indy Passholders will be able to redeem two tickets at all participating resorts but some advance planning may be necessary on peak days. We will keep you up to date throughout the season on what to expect but our advice will be to check resort status in advance and "Know Before You Go."
We want you to be the first to hear that we are proud to welcome 55 independent resorts including 11 new members to the Indy alliance. 51 of those resorts will have ZERO blackout days.
New Resorts:
What's new for 2020-21.
I hope you’re as excited as we are about the coming season. We are all skiers and riders and this is just a big storm so let’s bundle up and make it a great year!
Be well and stay stoked,
Doug Fish
Founder, Indy Pass
A nice change from last year, Canaan Valley no longer have blackout dates. It had last year.
It will NOT be selling on REI this year per Doug Fish.
Any idea if and/or when they stop selling the Indy Pass? Like a lot of folks, I'm sitting on my hands trying to decide what to do for the upcoming season. The show stopper for me in not buying an Epic or Ikon Pass this year is the whole reservation issue. I'd usually have my passes and airplane tickets bought by this time for the upcoming season. Not this year.
It would be nice to know that I could buy the Indy Pass at the last minute once the ski season has started. That way I'd have a better idea of how the smaller mountains are going to handle operations for this season.
I'm very happy to see Winterplace added to the Indy pass.
ksampson3 wrote:
Any idea if and/or when they stop selling the Indy Pass? Like a lot of folks, I'm sitting on my hands trying to decide what to do for the upcoming season. The show stopper for me in not buying an Epic or Ikon Pass this year is the whole reservation issue. I'd usually have my passes and airplane tickets bought by this time for the upcoming season. Not this year.
It would be nice to know that I could buy the Indy Pass at the last minute once the ski season has started. That way I'd have a better idea of how the smaller mountains are going to handle operations for this season.
Based on what happened for 2019-20, the first season for Indy, they won't stop until early spring What happened was there was a "sale price" starting in Feb 2020 for spring skiing. Then sales stopped on March 1. My guess is that plan had nothing to do with COVID-19.
I fully expect Indy to stil be available in January. What Doug wants to do is help small independent ski areas. For those operators, it can make a difference that a visit based on Indy actually brings in revenue. Obviously not as much money as when someone buys a day ticket, but having Indy could encourage them to at least give a small hill nearby a try for a day trip. I'd thought about checking out Bryce for years when staying at Mnut, but Indy made it happen.
ksampson3 wrote:
Any idea if and/or when they stop selling the Indy Pass? Like a lot of folks, I'm sitting on my hands trying to decide what to do for the upcoming season. The show stopper for me in not buying an Epic or Ikon Pass this year is the whole reservation issue. I'd usually have my passes and airplane tickets bought by this time for the upcoming season. Not this year.
It would be nice to know that I could buy the Indy Pass at the last minute once the ski season has started. That way I'd have a better idea of how the smaller mountains are going to handle operations for this season.
Per Doug Fish, IndyPass founder: "Our prices will increase on 11/30 and we will stop selling passes sometime in March"
fosphenytoin wrote:
ksampson3 wrote:
Any idea if and/or when they stop selling the Indy Pass? Like a lot of folks, I'm sitting on my hands trying to decide what to do for the upcoming season. The show stopper for me in not buying an Epic or Ikon Pass this year is the whole reservation issue. I'd usually have my passes and airplane tickets bought by this time for the upcoming season. Not this year.
It would be nice to know that I could buy the Indy Pass at the last minute once the ski season has started. That way I'd have a better idea of how the smaller mountains are going to handle operations for this season.
Per Doug Fish, IndyPass founder: "Our prices will increase on 11/30 and we will stop selling passes sometime in March"
That works for me. I don't really care if prices go up in December as long as I can still buy the pass. Like others have said, this looks like the year to check out some hills that I wouldn't have looked at otherwise.
Got my Indy Pass Add-on today. My number was #2208. Last year on Sept. 12 I was #182. Fair to say a lot more people are interested in Indy this season.
Getting the Add-on was a little confusing. It's listed as a separate "product." The explanations are very clear, so if you read those for Indy, Indy+, Indy Add-on, and Indy+ Add-on then it's actually pretty obvious.
As part of the purchase process, there are survey questions to see if people are also buying a season pass, Ikon/Epic/MCP, and/or using Indy instead of some other multi-day package for a specific ski area.
Here's an overview of the Indy locations in all regions for anyone interested in using it outside the Mid-Atlantic.
https://skiing.substack.com/p/indy-pass-solidifies-second-year
Thanks for the article marz, enjoyed it. Indy Pass really is a no-brainer this year!
swoop wrote:
Thanks for the article marz, enjoyed it. Indy Pass really is a no-brainer this year!
I agree. That was an Excellent synopsis of the latest scoop on the Indy pass!
There is other good info about Indy locations in an earlier article on The Storm Skiing Journal from May when the addition of Cannon was announced.
https://skiing.substack.com/p/indy-pass-adds-cannon-and-six-other
Another link well worth checking out in the Sept article is a custom Google Map with all the locations on the east coast, from New England to NC. Hopefully one for the west coast will be developed too.
https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/4/viewer?hl=en&hl=en&mid=1sUe2bMYD74LZdjs6TrWhd402BlQqbDPo&ll=40.13583937099599%2C-77.36102245&z=6
I don't think I can pull the trigger this year. If I had my own equipment, I'd do it, but I don't yet. Sigh.
wfyurasko wrote:
I don't think I can pull the trigger this year. If I had my own equipment, I'd do it, but I don't yet. Sigh.
You've been renting ski gear? Boots too? What's been holding you back, if you don't mind me asking?
marzNC wrote:
wfyurasko wrote:
I don't think I can pull the trigger this year. If I had my own equipment, I'd do it, but I don't yet. Sigh.
You've been renting ski gear? Boots too? What's been holding you back, if you don't mind me asking?
Cost and frequency of use if I did buy boots and skis. At 1 to 2 trips a season, it's hard to justify the huge expense. I'm sure if I had my own equipment, I'd get more trips in but that's difficult with two growing kids.
wfyurasko wrote:
marzNC wrote:
You've been renting ski gear? Boots too? What's been holding you back, if you don't mind me asking?
Cost and frequency of use if I did buy boots and skis. At 1 to 2 trips a season, it's hard to justify the huge expense. I'm sure if I had my own equipment, I'd get more trips in but that's difficult with two growing kids.
Can fully understand life is very busy with two kids. I only had one, retired early, and she liked to ski. :-)
I always had my own boots as an adult, even though I skied very little. Bought them before becoming a parent. First pair of 4-buckle boots were $250 bought during early season near Sugar in NC. They were comfortable recreational fit. Rented skis for a couple seasons since that made rental for my daughter free (under age 5) for Massanutten. Then I bought former rental skis for $100 from eBay. So the payback compared to renting was pretty quick. We were only taking 2-3 ski trips those winters for 10-15 days total, staying overnight since closest ski areas are 3+ hours away. By then I was doing a season lease for my daughter. Even if just break even, not having to deal with the paperwork and lines for rental gear was worth it for me.
I had boots for 20 years, but I couldn't get shops to rent me skis for them any more.
<a data-flickr-embed="true" data-header="true" data-footer="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/wfyurasko/34810065492/in/photolist-V33FGY" title="Farewell Superman boots"><img src="https://live.staticflickr.com/4252/34810065492_f2ba5a846a.jpg" width="500" height="281" alt="Farewell Superman boots"></a><script async src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
What's a decent pair go for these days?
I had "Superman boots" for 20 years -- some San Macros I got when I was in college. The toe and heel pads were gone and shops wouldn't rent me skis anymore. Every rental I have had since is so much more comfortable, so it's not all bad.
Wfy, I have a used pair of K2 Apache Recon 160's you can have if you want,
wfyurasko wrote:
I had boots for 20 years, but I couldn't get shops to rent me skis for them any more.
What's a decent pair go for these days?
Really depends. But obviously there is no reason to buy the current model year. During early season and late season sales, a good boot fitter has a collection of "new old stock" that can be worth considering. The general advice for a newbie for whom a recreational fit is fine is to budget $500. But I think $300-400 is possible if you don't have complicated feet. No need for a custom footbed, but worth spending $25 for a generic footbed.
A phone conversations with one of the experienced boot fitters in the DC area could be worth considering.
Rental boots are always too big. Otherwise they wouldn't be comfortable. However, that also means less control because when you move your foot a little, nothing is transmitted to the ski. Not a big deal for cruising on MidA groomed trails though. So it's a matter of personal preference when not skiing more than 10 days a season.
wfyurasko wrote:
What's a decent pair go for these days?
Got my from a ski shop here in DC for $299 - Lange brand (a high end model as I am told). It is past years' model, brand new. I told my ski boot fitter, I am not looking for high end, don't want to spend a fortune, just need something better than my then "bucket" boots (i.e. oversized). He found it from a shop in Salt Lake City, shipped to the shop, got me fitted.
For men's, my understanding is, it is usally more expensive than womens. My boot fitter told me and I am not sure why.
The latest addition to Indy is Jay Peak!
With the Canadian border closed, Jay is not expecting to need any reservation system for lift access. Now their problem is that Vermont is likely to continue travel restrictions for a while longer. So even people within a day's drive who live in other states may not be able to travel to Jay or the other VT ski areas on Indy.
fosphenytoin wrote:
Per IndyPass on FB page:"2 NEW resorts will be announced on Wednesday at 7AM PST/10AM EST by our friends at NYSkiBlog! Give them a follow to be the first to know!"-> Wednesday 11/18.
Wow thank you fos! I have been on the fence about getting one, hope theirs more in the east
Plenty of guesses on the Indy FB page. Mostly the guesses include at least one NY ski area given that the announcement is happening on NYSkiBlog. Plattekill would be wonderful!
My hope is still for Timberline. CV, Tline, Bryce, and Mnut would make Indy almost irresistible for my friends in DC/NoVA who don't plan on flying to ski this winter. Blue Knob is also close enough to DC. Probably would pull in folks who read SkiSoutheast too.
Snow Ridge, NY and Antelope Butte, WY. Denis know Snow Ridge.
marzNC wrote:
Plenty of guesses on the Indy FB page. Mostly the guesses include at least one NY ski area given that the announcement is happening on NYSkiBlog. Plattekill would be wonderful!
My hope is still for Timberline. CV, Tline, Bryce, and Mnut would make Indy almost irresistible for my friends in DC/NoVA who don't plan on flying to ski this winter. Blue Knob is also close enough to DC. Probably would pull in folks who read SkiSoutheast too.
I seriously doubt TM will join Indy; at least for several years.
They won’t be lacking for skier traffic and it makes sense for them to capture as much money for themselves. Don’t know how money is shared on the Indy Pass, but 200 does not go far when divided by several areas and issuer. They have to pay off 10+ million.
JohnL wrote:
marzNC wrote:
Plenty of guesses on the Indy FB page. Mostly the guesses include at least one NY ski area given that the announcement is happening on NYSkiBlog. Plattekill would be wonderful!
My hope is still for Timberline. CV, Tline, Bryce, and Mnut would make Indy almost irresistible for my friends in DC/NoVA who don't plan on flying to ski this winter. Blue Knob is also close enough to DC. Probably would pull in folks who read SkiSoutheast too.
I seriously doubt TM will join Indy; at least for several years.
They won’t be lacking for skier traffic and it makes sense for them to capture as much money for themselves. Don’t know how money is shared on the Indy Pass, but 200 does not go far when divided by several areas and issuer. They have to pay off 10+ million.
85% of the money taken in by Indy goes back to the participating members. So it's revenue positive. Might only be 40-50% of the day rate but still works out better than the Freedom Pass did. More importantly it brought in new people who might otherwise not bother to make the drive.
I went to Bryce because of Indy as a day trip from Massanutten. Had a very good time. Intend to go back. Last season I had a nice lunch in the sit down restaurant and the food was really good. So that added to the bottom line for Bryce too.
marzNC wrote:
JohnL wrote:
marzNC wrote:
Plenty of guesses on the Indy FB page. Mostly the guesses include at least one NY ski area given that the announcement is happening on NYSkiBlog. Plattekill would be wonderful!
My hope is still for Timberline. CV, Tline, Bryce, and Mnut would make Indy almost irresistible for my friends in DC/NoVA who don't plan on flying to ski this winter. Blue Knob is also close enough to DC. Probably would pull in folks who read SkiSoutheast too.
I seriously doubt TM will join Indy; at least for several years.
They won’t be lacking for skier traffic and it makes sense for them to capture as much money for themselves. Don’t know how money is shared on the Indy Pass, but 200 does not go far when divided by several areas and issuer. They have to pay off 10+ million.
85% of the money taken in by Indy goes back to the participating members. So it's revenue positive. Might only be 40-50% of the day rate but still works out better than the Freedom Pass did. More importantly it brought in new people who might otherwise not bother to make the drive.
I went to Bryce because of Indy as a day trip from Massanutten. Had a very good time. Intend to go back. Last season I had a nice lunch in the sit down restaurant and the food was really good. So that added to the bottom line for Bryce too.
TM >>> Bryce. It is much better known. And could get fairly crowded, even under previous mismanagement. It depends upon the reimbursement structure. 170 / 4 resorts for 1.5 days each = less than $30 per day. Depends upon how funds are distributed to areas that are visited. My gut reaction is that it makes sense for TM to try to capture the full 80 window rate. There will likely be enough people in the area who do so.
JohnL wrote:
If Indy expands the business model to mid-week only for select areas, then that is a no brainer. As discussed elsewhere, TM could be limited by parking on weekends. If that’s the case, could likely pull in more money from a non-Indy customer. I think the Perfects will have a lot of cross promotion to pull Ohio/Indy skiers to WV. They are smart business folks.
No doubt that the Perfect family will have no problem promoting Timberline. But a little national promotion can't hurt in the long run. The Indy Pass is geared to people who only ski 4-5 days a season, the folks that are considered "casual" skiers.
For those who haven't seen Doug Fish in action, here's a video conversation from early October. He was hoping to visit the mid-Atlantic this season but I would guess that won't happen. His first connection to the region's ski resorts was when his ad agency was working with Subaru to expand a program that was very successful in Oregon. Doug is based in Portland.
https://youtu.be/-LLlrmvrew0
JohnL wrote:
170 / 4 resorts for 1.5 days each = less than $30 per day. Depends upon how funds are distributed to areas that are visited. My gut reaction is that it makes sense for TM to try to capture the full 80 window rate. There will likely be enough people in the area who do so.
My understanding is that the fund distribution for Indy is based on usage. No question that people who know Timberline will probably not balk at spending $80 or several hundred dollars for the family to enjoy the new lifts. Someone who is wondering if the drive to WV is worth it might be more inclined to go take a look with Indy. This season there is a kid price.
Doesn't make much difference to me. I'm not likely to ski Timberline more than one day in a season with or without Indy. Plattekill has also decided they don't want to mess with the paperwork required to be part of Indy.
Probably won't make much difference to DCSki folks, but the Indy Pass just added two more locations. Both are in Idaho. As of Feb 2021 Pomerelle and Solidier Mountain are on Indy for 2020-21.
Of more interest perhaps is that Greek Peak in NY is no longer requiring reservations for Indy. Berkshire East still requires reservations but sounds like they are increasing the numbers for Indy.
At Massanutten, no reservations needed for Indy not only for the 2 included days but also for buying a 25% off lift today for a third day. That makes a difference for weekends. The last two weekends were sold out. Not a surprise for MLK weekend. The snowstorm brought out skiers who I don't normally see at Mnut. They clearly know how to drive in snow, have their own equipment, know how to alternate lifelines, and wanted to ski fresh snow in VA. There was a father and two tween kids using Indy at the ticket window early on Sat morning. I'd talked to them in the parking lot and it was clear they had never been there before.
Won't include any Mid-A or Southeast locations but a few Indy Pass ski areas are going to be featured in a TGR film that will be out in the fall. Here's the announcement that was sent out via email on Feb. 18, 2021. The upcoming addition of another ski area in the east is mentioned.
Short film featuring 12 Indy Pass resorts releasing fall 2021.
Jackson, WY February 18, 2021 – Teton Gravity Research, the global leader in action sports, adventure and outdoor media, is excited to announce a partnership with Indy Pass, the fastest-growing multi-mountain pass in North America, to explore the spirit of independent ski and snowboard areas around North America. Titled “In Pursuit of Soul”, this project will produce digital and social storytelling at twelve different independent resorts throughout the winter season, with a short film to be digitally released in Fall 2021.
“We are really excited about the opportunity to highlight some of the independent resorts that have rich histories, amazing characters and interesting stories that deserve to be told” said TGR co-founder Steve Jones. “While our annual films typically focus on big mountains and more exotic destinations, the exciting part of working on a project like In Pursuit of Soul is that it lets us showcase a different side of the industry that will still resonate with our core audience.”
Of the 61 independent and authentic resorts from the Indy Pass Coalition, the TGR crew will be heading to six locations on the east coast, including Berkshire East, Bolton Valley, Cannon Mountain, Jay Peak, and Magic Mountain - with the announcement of a sixth resort coming soon, as it gets added to the Indy Pass program. The team will then head west to hit six different independent ski areas in the Northern Rocky Mountains, including 49 Degrees North, Beaver Mountain, Brundage Mountain, Lost Trail Powder Mountain, Mission Ridge and Snow King Mountain.
“TGR is an action-sports powerhouse with the passion and experience to uncover the unique energy and culture of these independent resorts,” said Doug Fish, Indy Pass founder. “For so long, ski films have zoomed in on the biggest mountains and most outlandish tricks, and so it’s exciting to work with a company like TGR to showcase these places where we all learned to ski and that still mean so much to us today. The story of our partners - mom-and-pop ski areas with colorful histories, passionate staff, and deeply invested communities – is the collective story of skiing that we all share, and, like the Indy Pass itself, it’s time to bring that relatable and realistic story to a broader audience.
The In Pursuit of Soul project is being directed by Jeremy Grant, who most recently directed TGR’s latest mountain bike film, ACCOMPLICE. Content will be released across TGR’s multi-channel platform including social, web and on the new TGRtv (available for download on Apple TV, Roku, Amazon and most major streaming platforms).
Indy Pass adds Saddleback Maine and Waterville NH for the remainder of 2020-21 and for the 2-21-22 season.
Indy Announcements 23 February 2021
Whoohoo!
Woody
bousquet19 wrote:
Indy Pass adds Saddleback Maine and Waterville NH for the remainder of 2020-21 and for the 2-21-22 season.
Indy Announcements 23 February 2021
Whoohoo!
Woody
Pretty nice additions. I liked Waterville Valley the couple of times I stopped by to check it out when my daughter was in school near Boston.
Interesting that Saddleback is going to charge $10 per ticket for the rest of 2020-21.
According to the buzz on the Indy Passholders FB Group, it will be available for 2021-22 in June. Expecting to have all the same locations.
The Indy Spring Pass is $149 for adults, $69 for kids. Get 50% credit towards next season if not used at all. 25% credit if only get in 1 day.
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