The buzz is starting for multi-resort passes for 2021-22 already. Ikon will be available on March 11. Presumably Epic will be available in March as well.
Indy is changing this up for 2021-22. Instead of waiting until early September, it will go on sale some time in early summer.
Boyne Resorts is selling their New England pass (Loon, Sunday River, Sugarloaf) already. Then will pause after April 30. For most of 2020, Boyne only offered a Maine pass for 2020-21 after it was clear capacity limits would impact Loon more.
EDIT 5/4/21: Indy started sales in late April
Starting to get interesting for 2021-22 multi-resort passes.
The MCP will definitely exist. Price will be $499 initially with a bonus day at one pre-selected resort per usual. That's an increase of $30. A discounted rate is being offered to people who got the MCP for 2020-21 for about a week.
A friend with Epic said that the email today said that lift access reservations would be required for all Epic locations next season. More details are to be announced in late March.
EDIT: Epic completely changed the approach for 2021-22, no reservations and a 20% price drop from 2020-21.
RodneyBD wrote:
Any new resorts for MCP in 2021-22?
I'm not expecting any. But you never know with the MCP. Often announcements about additions are made in late summer or early fall.
The last addition was Grand Targhee. I have friends who got the MCP for 2020-21 because they were going to Jackson and included a day or two at GT as part of their trip. The MCP can be quite a good value for someone who flies into SLC and rents a car. Can get in quite a few days using the MCP at multiple destination resorts if it's possible to spend a week or so.
They use dynamic pricing so lift ticket prices can change daily.
As of right now, (3/11/21) an adult ticket for 3/12/21 is 119 and a 5-12 ticket is 100.
Mongo wrote:
In 2020, IIRC a weekend/holiday ticket at Snowshoe was $99 for adults and $82 for a kid 6-12. Was that what it was this year, too? Want to do the math on the season passes.
I deferred my IKON pass this year, so it will be IKON in 2022.
First thoughts are a trip to Vermont and Snowshoe, and then a bigger trip out west to Steamboat. Southwest flies into Steamboat now and I've got points to use.
itdoesntmatter wrote:
I deferred my IKON pass this year, so it will be IKON in 2022.
First thoughts are a trip to Vermont and Snowshoe, and then a bigger trip out west to Steamboat. Southwest flies into Steamboat now and I've got points to use.
That's good to know about Southwest!
I was thinking that next season we’d go up to VT the week after Christmas. That being the case, I’d want to get the “full” Ikon pass, because the base Ikon pass is blacked out for that week, and buying lift tickets in VT at the window is much more expensive than upgrading from base Ikon to full Ikon. Correct?
(And Ikon provides discount on lodging...)
Mongo wrote:
I was thinking that next season we’d go up to VT the week after Christmas. That being the case, I’d want to get the “full” Ikon pass, because the base Ikon pass is blacked out for that week, and buying lift tickets in VT at the window is much more expensive than upgrading from base Ikon to full Ikon. Correct?
(And Ikon provides discount on lodging...)
Absolutely.
The math will be straightforward. Check the new rates when they’re announced.
You should do well with the full Indies if the ski areas on the pass match your interests.
Woody (edited to clarify)
pagamony wrote:
Wintergreen has the oddest assortment of pass partners - Wisp, Powderhorn, Ragged, and Mt Washington BC. Anyway, their pass is $349 which is sorta ok considering their announced prices for next year are $109 (holiday)) and $99 (weekend) so I'd guess weekday is about $85. I'll use mine this coming weekend.
Those are not pass "partners" in the same sense as Ikon Partners or resorts on the MCP. That list are resorts operated by Pacific Group Resorts, Inc. Most are also owned by PGRI. Agree it's an odd collection.
The collection of resorts owned by Powdr also include some unexpected places. I keep forgetting that Copper and Eldora are owned by Powdr. They also bought Mt. Bachelor. Have owned Killington for a while.
I've been buying the Ikons since they came out. Riding SS(home owner), Steamboat,, Big Sky, Grand Targhee(2 day tickets) and then Jackson Hole.
I have been considering buying the MCP pass for next year since they added Grand Targhee(buddies new home mountain) but when looking at the numbers the Ikon has a better value(because it includes my home mountain.) If I didn't go to Snowshoe, the MCP would be my choice and yes it works great for a Utah trip, too.
MCP is now on sale.
This is a nice site to compare and research resorts.
https://www.zrankings.com/ski-resorts/season-passes
The Mountain Collective Pass (MCP) is on sale for 2021-22. Can change your mind before Aug. 31, 2021 and get a full refund. $499 with a bonus day at one pre-selected destination is the starting price. That's $30 more than a year ago.
What's new is the Teen (13-18) MCP for $399. That could change the calculations for some families. $129 for kids 12 and under.
The fact that there are no blackout dates for the MCP is another factor to consider.
There was a pre-sale $479 for past year's MCP passholders. If you did not select "opt out" when you created MCP account, you should get this pre-sale email. (I never got it because I selected "opt out" on their promo emails)
This $479 promo price is already passed.
I was told, however, you can still get this price within the next few days if you had MCP past season. But you need to call MCP (or via chat) and have them put in the price $479 for you.
I may get MCP + Epic next season. MCP works better for me because it has no blackout dates and I don't need to plan my trips around it. For my situation, I plan to do multi-week adult dev program at Liberty next season, usually programs are Jan and Feb weekends. There will be no class on MLK and President's day weekend. Therefore, these 2 weekends I can travel out west to ski (I prefer to go mid season). Ikon base will not work because of blackout dates. Full Ikon price point is too $$$ since I won't be able to use up that many days in a single resort. MCP price point is lower and I can get 3rd day bonus if purchase now. I had Ikon base for one year (last season) and I found it too troublesome to plan my destinations around blackouts. For Ikon destinations without blackouts, I don't have a strong desire to go...
I thought the Freedom Pass was history, but apparently not. Probably doesn't really make any difference for DCSki readers because it's a perk for season passholders for a short list of small mountains. Passholders get 3 free days at the other ski areas. Includes Greek Peak, which is also part of the Indy Pass.
https://skifreedompass.com
Lost Valley, ME
Yawgoo Valley, RI
Black Mountain, NH
McIntyre, NH
Whaleback, NH
Greek Peak, NY
Mont du Lac, WI
Ski Cooper, CO
Sunlight, CO
After a day's delay because of the killings in Boulder CO (where many of Epic's employees live), Epic/Vail has announced its season pass rates for 2021-22. All are reduced from 2020-21 prices by 20%. Epic Pass 2021-2022
For those of us who ski in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast only, Epic has the Epic Northeast Pass. Options include price reductions for midweek only, seniors, college, and so forth.
Epic/Vail ski resorts in the DCSki area include Liberty, Whitetail, Roundtop, Jack Frost, Big Boulder.
Woody
The Indy Pass has stepped up their game and added:
Powder Mountain, Utah Mt. Ashland, Oregon West Mountain, New York Laurel Hill Crazie wrote:
My wife and I just bought the Indy Pass for next season. It looks like a NE ski safari is in the works. If you think that the Indy just offers small vertical and small challenge hills think again. In northern New England, you can hit Vermont's Jay Peak 2000+vt.ft. New Hampshire's Cannon 2000+vt.ft. Waterville Valley 2000+vt.ft. Maine's Saddleback 2000 vt.ft. Heading through Vermont from the south you can snag Magic Mountain at 1500 vt.ft. and Bolton Valley at around 1700 vt.ft. That's a two-week circuit around the region and still, there are a few more gems along the way if you have the time. At this time I'm not sure if we are going to go with any nationwide ski passes.
Probably doesn't make too much difference for the DCSki folks likely to get Indy who planned to use it in New England, but Cannon and Saddleback are two of the four Indy locations that are limiting usage pretty much to midweek. Magic also has more blackout dates than just the most popular holiday periods.
https://www.indyskipass.com/season-blackout-dates/
Can get Indy without any blackout dates for an additional $100.
I liked Waterville Valley quite a bit. With the high speed lift that goes essentially to the summit, can get in a lot of skiing midweek. The slower triple on Green Mountain is worth the ride for narrow old style New England trails. On a nice day for the T-bar at the summit, those blue groomers are really fun and generally have very good snow.
Keith_Moon wrote:
The Indy Pass has stepped up their game and added:
Just don't plan on skiing PowMow on a weekend during mid-season. Also need to make a reservation in general because PowMow is limiting the number of Indy tickets, 100 on weekends and 250 midweek.
A good friend lives near Mt. Ashland. Have heard lots of stories of powder turns. May be thinking about a trip to Oregon. :-)
Alterra is throwing in a new wrinkle for their resorts for people who get Ikon. Going to provide First Tracks on a limited basis, meaning once a month on specific dates. Details won't be available until Nov. 1, 2021.
Wonder what that means for the Snowshoe add-on that gave early access?
marzNC wrote:
Alterra is throwing in a new wrinkle for their resorts for people who get Ikon. Going to provide First Tracks on a limited basis, meaning once a month on specific dates. Details won't be available until Nov. 1, 2021.
Wonder what that means for the Snowshoe add-on that gave early access?
If you're referring to the Primo pass it doesn't give early access, just access to restricted (short) lift lines.
Thanks for the clarification. I don't live close enough to want to make the drive to Snowshoe. But had done First Tracks at the SkiSouthest Summit a couple times a while back.
Bonzski wrote:
marzNC wrote:
Alterra is throwing in a new wrinkle for their resorts for people who get Ikon. Going to provide First Tracks on a limited basis, meaning once a month on specific dates. Details won't be available until Nov. 1, 2021.
Wonder what that means for the Snowshoe add-on that gave early access?
If you're referring to the Primo pass it doesn't give early access, just access to restricted (short) lift lines.
In case anyone else has been procrastinating like me and can get an Ikon renewal discount, the deadline is May 4.
I opted for Ikon Base plus the MCP to cover 7 days where I plan to ski out west next season. The 50% discount for additional days using the MCP gives more flexibility than Full Ikon. Especially since I typically ski more than 7 days at Alta in April. Also hoping to make it to Grand Targhee as part of a return to Big Sky. GT is the only resort on the MCP that isn't also an Ikon Partner.
For just skiing, flying into Manchester makes sense to me. I bet car rental rates are lower than for Boston airport.
When my daughter was in school near Boston, I did a few ski safaris in New England. It was before the Indy Pass existed but since I went mostly during early season and only skied midweek, getting discounted lift tickets was pretty easy back then. Found I had more fun exploring the little hills in NH than the resorts in VT.
I really liked Waterville Valley. Ended up there instead of Cannon the first time because it was frigid and Cannon upper lifts were likely to be on wind hold. Stayed overnight at an Inn at WV that was quite nice. Worried a bit about the drive up to the base because it was snow covered and I was in my NC minivan. There are a couple very short steeper sections. But made it up okay.
Cannon is a fun mountain but be prepared for icy conditions (New England icy, not MidA icy). I didn't bother to venture into tree terrain since snow conditions were "firm" that day. But there were folks heading in who were clearly having a good time. Pay attention to the tram schedule because it doesn't run all the time.
If Tenney Mountain in Plymouth, NH is open and has had snow recently, that's a great place on a weekend to avoid the crowds completely.
wgo wrote:
Any word on when prices for the Epic pass will go up?
Haven't been tracking Epic price changes that carefully since it's not of interest to me. Plus not enough experience yet since VR absorbed Peak Resorts in 2019. Between that transition and the pandemic, hard to know what's the standard these days.
My sense is that the spring price for Epic pass options holds until Labor Day. Had noticed a price increase later in the fall. Sales end in mid-December.
Just in case someone reading this thread is new to the concept of a multi-resort pass, here a couple of summaries that gear to people who are interested in exploring the idea of taking a ski vacation but have no experience picking a multi-resort pass. The websites are geared to people looking to travel comfortably while looking for deals, as opposed to skiers who have favorite resorts at big mountains. The Points Guy article includes Indy, along with the usual Ikon, Epic, Mountain Collective.
https://thepointsguy.com/guide/best-ski-pass-epic-ikon-mountain-collective/
https://upgradedpoints.com/travel/season-ski-passes-worldwide/
BUMP. Forgot about this thread.
The Indy Pass level of use is expected to explode for 2021-22, the third year. Up over 70 locations, although that includes a few in Japan.
https://www.travelweekly.com/North-America-Travel/Indy-Pass-sees-popularity-snowballing
I grew up skiing VT and NH and VT always seemed to have better snow conditions—especially Stowe because of all the lake effect snow it gets. Therefore I have always favored Vermont and have flown to Burlington to ski Stowe (60 minutes wheels up to wheels down and just 45 minutes drive from Stowe). Super convenient and a lovely little airport.
Logan isn’t too bad for a “small” major airport but traffic in the Boston area can be a nightmare—especially for anyone heading north or south (west is the best). Waterville is definitely the best mountain within 2 hours of Boston—skied it a lot as a kid but haven’t been back recently. My brother and his kids love it.
johnfmh wrote:
I grew up skiing VT and NH and VT always seemed to have better snow conditions—especially Stowe because of all the lake effect snow it gets. Therefore I have always favored Vermont and have flown to Burlington to ski Stowe (60 minutes wheels up to wheels down and just 45 minutes drive from Stowe). Super convenient and a lovely little airport.
Logan isn’t too bad for a “small” major airport but traffic in the Boston area can be a nightmare—especially for anyone heading north or south (west is the best). Waterville is definitely the best mountain within 2 hours of Boston—skied it a lot as a kid but haven’t been back recently. My brother and his kids love it.
I know all about traffic in Boston and dealing with getting to/from Logan. Used to fly there for work. My daughter was in boarding school near Boston for high school. Most of the time I would drive to MA, but there were a few times I flew to watch her in dance performances. One trip it was going to snow a lot. I changed my flight to go a day earlier. Drove to Jiminy Peak just before the storm started to stay in timeshare lodging slopeside. Had a ball skiing in fresh powder in the Berkshires the next day. I think the storm total was over 10 inches. The Mass pike was just cleared enough for me to get back to Boston for the performance.
I really like Waterville Valley. The high speed lift means it's easy to get it lots of skiing midweek. The T-bar at the summit is really fun on a clear day. I went back a second time to ride it and check out Green Mountain. Green has some classic New England style trails that are probably never busy. They chose to move an old triple so it's a slow ride so I would guess no lift line even on weekends.
I've got an Indy Pass ski safari with a couple friends planned for late Feb. We're going to have a homebase in the Berkshires. Catamount, Berkshire East, West Mountain, and Magic are all day trip distance from there. Might got to Montage on the way home.
johnfmh wrote:
Jiminy Peak is another good one. Haven’t skied there in years, nor Sunapee for that matter. My time in the Boston area is always very short and I tend to favor half day trips to Wachusett over longer trips further away. Wa Wa is less than 40 minutes away from many of Boston’s western suburbs and is one of the few resorts (maybe the only one) in the country accessible by commuter trains. One mountain I am less a fan of is Killington. I don’t like the mountain layout or the surrounding area much. If I am in that area again, I will ski Pico.
Did JP have the high-speed 6-pack yet when you were there? Since that accesses about 80% of the terrain, it makes for a very good time midweek or using the Night ticket, which starts at 3pm.
I really like Wawa. Also because of the high-speed lifts. I have a friend who lives in Quincy who has a season pass. JP is providing a free day ticket to Wawa pass holders for 2021-22. With BEast and Catamount on Indy, I think JP may be feeling the competition a bit more. Wawa pass holders could be a good fit for a weekend stay slopeside though.
During a Vermont ski safari when my daughter was in school in Lake Placid, I started with Pico and then headed to Sugarbush and Mad River Glen. Lucked out and was there midweek just after a powder storm that happened after the crowds left on Sunday afternoon. The Pico trees are great fun. There were just enough locals around I had somebody to follow. I've since skied a bit at Killington and Stratton using Ikon during early or late season, but not in any hurry to go back.
While I get Ikon for trips out west, it was nice to be able to use it to check out a few places in the northeast when I was driving up there any way.
Turns out there are a couple Ikon Partners that are requiring Ikon lift access reservations for 2021-22. Taos and Jackson Hole obviously found the Ikon reservation system useful last season. Presumably mostly for holiday periods and perhaps a few weekends depending on the timing of snowstorms.
Ikon reservation system set to open in late October.
Got a teaser email from the Indy Pass today. Going to make it an even 80 locations shortly before the end of September. The payment plan ends on Sept. 30, 2021 for 2021-22.
I vaguely remember that 80 was the target for the number of locations. I would guess that during the first season that Indy existed most people thought Doug Fish was crazy to think he could get that many. Of course, the four ski resorts in Japan are a bit of padding for the target audience. But it turns out that a quarter of Indy passholders have it as an add-on to either a season pass or another multi-resort pass.
wfyurasko wrote:
They better hurry up and announce the others. If they get Elk, I sign up.
Announcement planned for Sept. 28.
Probably doesn't make too much difference to folks on DCSki, but Doug Fish is clearly happy to have reached his goal of 80 locations. That seemed like a tall order when he first announced the Indy Pass a few years ago.
Indy Pass Reaches 80-Resort Milestone Two Years After Launch
Canadian resorts Manning Park and Sovereign Lake join Midwest areas Seven Oaks and The Rock Snowpark for 21-22
PORTLAND, Ore. (September 28, 2021) – Two years after its launch, the Indy Pass has added four new resorts bringing its worldwide total to 80. Manning Park and Sovereign Lake in British Columbia, Seven Oaks in Iowa, and The Rock Snow Park in Wisconsin round out the coalition that has been steadily growing since the Pass was first announced in September of 2019.
Manning Park Resort, Manning Park, British Columbia - With an average of 74 days of powder and some of the best snow in British Columbia, Manning Park is conveniently located 2.5 hrs east of Vancouver. Featuring 1417’ of vertical, onsite lodging and a charming, laid-back atmosphere, Manning Park is the quintessential Indy resort. https://www.manningpark.com/
Sovereign Lake Nordic Club, Vernon, British Columbia - The first all-nordic resort to join the Indy Pass is a not-for-profit ski club with nearly 3200 members operating within Silver Star Provincial Park. In conjunction with neighboring Silver Star Resort, the resort features 158km of groomed trails plus backcountry and snowshoe terrain making it the largest in North America. https://www.sovereignlake.com/
Seven Oaks Recreation, Boone, Iowa - Seven Oaks Recreation is family-owned and operated and offers year-round outdoor recreation less than one hour from Des Moines, Iowa. Skiing, snowboarding, and snow tubing take place on 11 ski runs and complement an extensive rental and learning program that includes free beginner mini-lessons every day. https://sevenoaksrec.com/
The Rock Snowpark, Franklin, Wisconsin - The Rock Snowpark is a classic, Midwest urban ski area catering to beginners and snow park enthusiasts. Located 15 minutes from downtown Milwaukee The Rock is one of several small but busy hills that provide easy access to winter recreation and learning opportunities for skiers and riders. https://www.rocksnowpark.com/
“We are very pleased to welcome this outstanding group of new resorts to the Indy coalition,'' said Indy Pass president Doug Fish. “It’s exciting to offer our first nordic resort in Sovereign Lake and along with Manning Park, we now have six great mountains in Western Canada. Seven Oaks and The Rock are also key pickups for us in Iowa and Wisconsin and we look forward to welcoming their passholders to our Great Lakes and Western resorts as they explore beyond their home mountains.”
RodneyBD wrote:
Indy is great and my family is signed up, but they need to get something halfway decent in Colorado onboard... I'm sure they have been pursuing Sunlight, Wolf, Cooper, Powderhorn and the owners of Purgatory (own 5 other resorts) but so far a big goose egg!
Pretty tough in Colorado given the history of places like Cooper putting together their own little network. For instance, a season pass holder for Cooper gets a few days at 48 partner ski areas. It's a multi-regional list that competes reasonably with Indy.
We Bet You’ve Never Even Heard of This Super-Cheap Multi-Resort Season Pass
Similar situation for Purgatory and Powderhorn.
You can ski Powderhorn using a Wintergreen or Wisp season pass because they are operated by PGRI. ;-)
Just to echo marzNC comments about Cooper's program, if you are a passholder to any or all of Seven Springs resorts (including Laurel Mountain and Hidden Valley) you get 3 days of skiing at Cooper, no black-out dates. Seven Springs website says that if you are a Seven Springs Highlands Passholder you get 2 days of skiing with blackout dates at Homewood Mountain Resort in the Tahoe region. Also, Springs passholders are a part of the Mountains of Distinction program which offers discounts and includes Massachusetts: Jiminy Peak, Wachusett; New Hampshire: Cranmore; New York: Bristol Mountain, Holiday Valley, Ski Windham Vermont: Bromley. In addition there is their regional resort swap with Wisp and Wintergreen. Details can be found here: https://www.7springs.com/tickets-passes-rentals/season-passes/. Scroll down to Passholders Perks and Offers.
There will be at least two Ikon Partners that will require lift access reservations for 2021-22. Jackson Hole and Taos reservations will open up on Oct. 21. Presumably will only be an issue for people who are planning to go during holiday periods. Since Ikon Base has blackout dates, it's mostly people who got Full Ikon who might need to be on the ball to avoid disappointment.
Ikon prices go up after Oct. 15. There is a push on to get people who got Ikon Base to upgrade.
Dec. 9, 2021 is the deadline for deciding to defer Ikon for 2021-22. Here are some of the Ikon resorts that typically open by Thanksgiving.
** owned by Alterra, *** independent Partner
***Arapahoe Basin, CO
**Mammoth, CA
***Killington
**Crystal, WA
***Brighton, UT
***Jackson Hole, WY
***Alta, UT
***Sunday River, ME
**Palisades Tahoe, CA
**Stratton, VT
**Winter Park, CO
***Eldora, CO
**Sugarbush, VT
marzNC do you or anyone know if you have to show up at Cooper to pick up your pass if you purchase one? Didn't see it on the website but is probably required.
marzNC wrote:
RodneyBD wrote:
Indy is great and my family is signed up, but they need to get something halfway decent in Colorado onboard... I'm sure they have been pursuing Sunlight, Wolf, Cooper, Powderhorn and the owners of Purgatory (own 5 other resorts) but so far a big goose egg!Pretty tough in Colorado given the history of places like Cooper putting together their own little network. For instance, a season pass holder for Cooper gets a few days at 48 partner ski areas. It's a multi-regional list that competes reasonably with Indy.
We Bet You’ve Never Even Heard of This Super-Cheap Multi-Resort Season Pass
Similar situation for Purgatory and Powderhorn.
You can ski Powderhorn using a Wintergreen or Wisp season pass because they are operated by PGRI. ;-)
My sense of Wolf Creek is that they are perfectly happy with the crowd level as it is. There are some days sprinkled all season that anyone can get a deal on a day ticket for $60 Adult, $41 Senior, $31 Child. As a traveler, while it would be nice to have two days at Wolf on Indy, it's far enough away from anything else that I'm only interested in going a bit longer. Headed back in mid-Dec.
Ski Cooper doesn't sell any season passes in person. Only online or by phone. You can call and ask.
ottoparts wrote:
marzNC do you or anyone know if you have to show up at Cooper to pick up your pass if you purchase one? Didn't see it on the website but is probably required.
marzNC wrote:
RodneyBD wrote:
Indy is great and my family is signed up, but they need to get something halfway decent in Colorado onboard... I'm sure they have been pursuing Sunlight, Wolf, Cooper, Powderhorn and the owners of Purgatory (own 5 other resorts) but so far a big goose egg!Pretty tough in Colorado given the history of places like Cooper putting together their own little network. For instance, a season pass holder for Cooper gets a few days at 48 partner ski areas. It's a multi-regional list that competes reasonably with Indy.
We Bet You’ve Never Even Heard of This Super-Cheap Multi-Resort Season Pass
Similar situation for Purgatory and Powderhorn.
You can ski Powderhorn using a Wintergreen or Wisp season pass because they are operated by PGRI. ;-)
My sense of Wolf Creek is that they are perfectly happy with the crowd level as it is. There are some days sprinkled all season that anyone can get a deal on a day ticket for $60 Adult, $41 Senior, $31 Child. As a traveler, while it would be nice to have two days at Wolf on Indy, it's far enough away from anything else that I'm only interested in going a bit longer. Headed back in mid-Dec.
Push is on for the MCP for people on the email mailing list. Price may go up after late Oct. As of mid-Oct the prices are $589 Adult, $489 Teen (13-18), $169 Child 12 and under.
I decided to combine the MCP with Ikon Base for 2020-21. Given that I tend to ski Alta more than 7 days in April, the flexibility of being able to get day tickets at 50% for the extra days works out well for my trips out west. Did that in 2018-19 when Ikon was new and it worked out reasonably well. I started getting the MCP in 2013-14. When the MCP went to 2 days at Alta and 2 days at Snowbird, instead of 2 days combined, that actually makes having MCP and Ikon Base a good combination for LCC. Ikon is a combined Alta/Bird pass for 5/7 days. In theory, I can ski 9 days in LCC without buying a day ticket. Since I got the MCP early, I get an extra day at Alta as well, so that brings the total to 10 days.
I was originally planning on using the MCP at another destination resort but decided against that trip. It was nice that I could change the bonus day location, as long as I did it before the Aug. 31 deadline. One of those tricks I learned from ski forums. :-)
Keith_Moon wrote:
Holy cow, that Cooper Pass is a ridiculously good deal!
Ski Cooper is pretty unique. It's publicly owned and run as a non-profit. It has no debt. There is no snowmaking. But they are getting enough snow to keep season pass holders and locals happy. As well as travelers who like "old school" ski areas. The last new lift installed was a T-bar.
Recently Ski Cooper announced the minimum wage would be $15.25. The destination resorts seem to be going for $15 as the minimum for this season. Apparently Cooper is not having as much trouble finding and keeping staff is the multi-resort companies.
My son and I did a day at Chicago Ridge snowcat skiing a long time ago. It was when fat skis were a new thing and we rented Atomic Fat Boys for the day. I have done some searching and can’t find much beyond this, which is an accurate description of our experience too.
We had a great day and it was surprisingly economical. Chicago ridge is the site of Camp Hale, where the 10th mountain division trained in WW2. We had a lead guide and a tail gunner, a ski patroller who always went last in case of emergency or need for help. He was a 10th mountain WW2 veteran who claimed to be the oldest ski patroller in Colorado. Each time when we got in the cat for the next ride up his chin would be on his chest as he took a power nap. But he was always ready to go when the cat stopped.
Denis wrote:
My son and I did a day at Chicago Ridge snowcat skiing a long time ago. It was when fat skis were a new thing and we rented Atomic Fat Boys for the day. I have done some searching and can’t find much beyond this, which is an accurate description of our experience too.
We had a great day and it was surprisingly economical. Chicago ridge is the site of Camp Hale, where the 10th mountain division trained in WW2. We had a lead guide and a tail gunner, a ski patroller who always went last in case of emergency or need for help. He was a 10th mountain WW2 veteran who claimed to be the oldest ski patroller in Colorado. Each time when we got in the cat for the next ride up his chin would be on his chest as he took a power nap. But he was always ready to go when the cat stopped.
That sounds very fun! Chicago Ridge probably won't be open when I'm driving back from Colorado in Dec, but I'm going to keep it in mind.
There is a video on the Cooper website.
There are a couple more days to buy Ikon for 2021-22. Need to commit before Dec. 10.
Dec. 9 is the last day to defer an Ikon pass to next season.
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