# Passes for 2020 - 2021



## Harvey

What have you done this year? What are you thinking you will do?

I'm waiting on the extended deadline (9/2) for Gore and assuming I'll probably buy it. With Fiber optic going in on my road in the Adk, I'm hoping I can work from up there and maybe ski some weekdays.

Plattekill, I'm hoping to do what I always do, get it on opening day.


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## Milo Maltbie

I bought my Gore pass early this year, before I thought much about the virus. I was planning a lot of travel in March, and I didn't want to miss the early deadline. I get a senior pass but if it were a full price pass I would think about taking the credit on December 1. IT's a fair bet that I wouldn't spend $500 at Gore before March when the 2022 passes go on sale.

I passed on Ikon this year. I use that mostly early and late season or with my son in Colorado, so the December 10 deadline for taking a credit didn't really work for me. If I can travel next winter I'll just suck it up and pay window rates.

Overall, I'm pessimistic about next season.

mm


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## Campgottagopee

Bought my Greek Peak pass ---- I'll ski when I can't ride my sled. Hoping for a great snow year!


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## BRLKED

I'm thinking of buying a non holiday now so I can use it for biking then early season till surrender date, give it up with the intention of buying a senior pass on my birthday January 3. $599-$319=$280 -frequent skier card $109 =$171 = 4 weekdays.
Six days of skiing in December and an unlimited pass there after. Am I crazy? Hoping for good snow to add some XC and back country.


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## Tjf1967

I bought the ICON pass.  First time since 1999 I wont have a ORDA pass.


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## Milo Maltbie

BRLKED said:


> I'm thinking of buying a non holiday now so I can use it for biking then early season till surrender date, give it up with the intention of buying a senior pass on my birthday January 3. $599-$319=$280 -frequent skier card $109 =$171 = 4 weekdays.
> Six days of skiing in December and an unlimited pass there after. Am I crazy? Hoping for good snow to add some XC and back country.


That's not crazy, but the over 70 rate with a frequent skier card is only $22, so the over/under on a senior pass is 16 or 17 days. That might take you all the way to March when the 2022 passes go on sale.

mm


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## Campgottagopee

Tjf1967 said:


> I bought the ICON pass.  First time since 1999 I wont have a ORDA pass.



Damn. 1999 is a long time, wonder how they'll survive without you.

Tell that twerp Scotty he should come back now that we have a new start


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## x10003q

I bought the IKON base pass. If skiing is a no go, I can push the money into the next season.


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## The UNHOLY

Ideally, I would get myself an ORDA season pass, 1 Cloudsplitter Club and 2 Future Medalists but unsure.
As you know, in the spring due to COVID they reduced the seating capacity - which in theory I understood - but in execution was not good. I'm afraid if COVID hits hard again and they reduce seating after the Dec 1 deadline - it makes it hard to get the kids together.


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## Cork

The new forum calls for transparency, although most of the regulars already know me by sometimes snarky comments, so Shaman will only be out on the mountain

I'm all in on the usual for me, Full Ikon (instead of Base so that I can get unlimited at Sugarbush), K mid week, and Full ORDA. If the season is in the crapper, I'll decide which to move to 20-21. Hoping for the best


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## Peter Minde

Waiting for ORDA to start selling season passes for Mt van Ho.


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## wonderpony

I bought my GP pass last March.


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## Campgottagopee

wonderpony said:


> I bought my GP pass last March.



Same here. Skied once then they had to shut down, bummer.


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## MarzNC

Milo Maltbie said:


> I passed on Ikon this year. I use that mostly early and late season or with my son in Colorado, so the December 10 deadline for taking a credit didn't really work for me. If I can travel next winter I'll just suck it up and pay window rates.


If someone doesn't use a 2020-21 Ikon pass, can decide as late as April 2021 to defer to 2021-22. Can't remember when that change happened.

I went ahead and got Full Ikon using the $200 renewal discount. Have a couple trips out west planned enough to have lodging reservations. There are tentative plans for a trip in Dec but that won't get finalized until Nov. For me, driving out to CO/UT is not completely out of the question.

Also plan to get an Indy Pass when they go on sale in Sept. Probably will get a season pass to Massanutten too. Especially since that gives a discount on Indy this time.


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## marcski

Locked Ikon Base at cheapest rate with renewal discount. With being able to push it over to 21-22, it was a no-brainer. I also already renewed my locker at Platty and see no reason why I won't renew my pass by their COVID extended deadline.


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## Country Gun

Gonna get a ski3 for the third time ,just waiting till last minute deadline. Even with March 1st being my last Orda day , I got 18 days at Gore 4 at the Face and 5 at Belleayre.
Well worth the pass.


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## Scrundy

Got a Greek pass for first time in 4 years. Always had one in past and spent sometime at Elk for a few years. Glad to be back at Greek because they just have better terrain.


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## saratogahalfday

x10003q said:


> I bought the IKON base pass. If skiing is a no go, I can push the money into the next season.


Me too. If COVID is going strong late in the fall, I'll probably push it to next year and just ski locally, if that's possible. Right now we can't even cross the border, so Tremblant would not even be possible. 

Right now, until there's a viable vaccine, the ski season is going to be very thin.


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## BRLKED

Milo Maltbie said:


> That's not crazy, but the over 70 rate with a frequent skier card is only $22, so the over/under on a senior pass is 16 or 17 days. That might take you all the way to March when the 2022 passes go on sale.
> 
> mm


MM I'm 50+ days skier at Gore hence my thinking.


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## Milo Maltbie

BRLKED said:


> MM I'm 50+ days skier at Gore hence my thinking.


There's only 9 weeks or so after January 1 before they start selling passes in the spring. I'm thinking 15 days may be a lot more than we can do in 9 weeks next year. Gore skiing has become mostly social for me now, so maybe I won't even want to ski. If things return to somewhat normal, I'll head to Colorado and buy an A-Basin or Loveland pass, or use all my son's buddy tickets. YMMV.

In any event, it's way too early to make commitments for next winter.

mm


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## Joneski73

I haven’t bought a pass yet, mainly due to the Covid uncertainty. My plan now is to do a few midweek days at Greek and some Fridays at Platty. I’ll get a Greek pass when they go on sale and finish out this season on it, assuming it doesn’t end prematurely, and use it for 21/22 season.


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## Petronio

Harvey said:


> With Fiber optic going in on my road in the Adk, I'm hoping I can work from up there and maybe ski some weekdays.



Actually, the terrible cell and cable service in North Creek stopped me from buying a condo a few years ago. I need fast internet in order to work, even on weekends. Are they finally entering the 21st century?


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## Harvey

Petronio said:


> Actually, the terrible cell and cable service in North Creek stopped me from buying a condo a few years ago. I need fast internet in order to work, even on weekends. Are they finally entering the 21st century?



They. 

It takes a company with a long-term vision, and the willingness to invest a lot of money over an extended period of time.

I spoke to the rep, it was kind a a coincidence we are getting this now. SLIC has a lot of business in upstate NY but this piece, just North Creek and North River is isolated from the rest of their network.


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## NYSnowflake

I just bought a set of Line Pandora 84s and Marker Alpinist 8s. Husband bought Black Crows Camox and Salomon Shift bindings. We have a couple friends who are also on board with earning our turns this season. I am looking forward to being super fit this winter! Regarding passes- we will definitely be buying uphill passes. Not sure about the lifts.


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## riverc0il

I am back at Jay for 2020-2021 (it has been a few years...), along with a Mad Card and likely an Indy Pass.


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## Harvey

Nice River. Who do you have your eyes on Indy-wise?


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## Cornhead

Greek, for probably 25 consecutive years. Took advantage of it including downhill mountain biking Sunday, had a blast. Kudos to Greek for including it with your ski pass.


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## riverc0il

Harvey said:


> Nice River. Who do you have your eyes on Indy-wise?


Cannon and Magic for sure. Depending on snow conditions, Abram, Black, and Bolton are all options.


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## DMC_Hunter

Vail.. I live a mile from the Hunter Northface parking lot.. and can ride midweek... Not too worried.. But that can/will change...


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## Snowman

I bought a whiteface only instead of the 3 pass. I am thinking that skiing might be hyperlocal for awhile.


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## jamesdeluxe

A lot is up in the air: specifically, if Americans will be able to fly to Europe by ski season. I assume that a change of presidency would inspire the Euros to open their borders to us again. If not, I'll get a Loveland Pass, which I'd also use for three free days at Purgatory, Monarch, Powderhorn, Ski Cooper, and Sunlight in Colorado and Sipapu, Angel Fire, and Pajarito in New Mexico.


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## MC2

Leaning towards Ikon Base Pass and a big Spring Road Trip.


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## x10003q

I wonder if and when Vermont will turn off their Covid Travel Ban Map. Currently, most people from Philly to Boston are only allowed in VT if they quarantine for 14 days. This will demo the already shtty VT economy. If I cannot get to VT, my Ikon base will be pushed into the next season. 





Vermont Forward Plan | Agency of Commerce and Community Development







accd.vermont.gov


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## MarzNC

jamesdeluxe said:


> A lot is up in the air: specifically, if Americans will be able to fly to Europe by ski season. I assume that a change of presidency would inspire the Euros to open their borders to us again. If not, I'll get a Loveland Pass, which I'd also use for three free days at Purgatory, Monarch, Powderhorn, Ski Cooper, and Sunlight in Colorado and Sipapu, Angel Fire, and Pajarito in New Mexico.


Have you looked at the list of locations for the Indy Pass? Even if you only used it at 2-3 places, could be worth picking up for skiing outside Colorado.

A lot of things would have to change before flights between the U.S. and Europe re-open to the point of being worth the effort for a ski trip. Case counts in European countries are going up again too. Given limited capacity, I doubt ski resorts will be bothering to try to encourage overseas travelers. There are more than enough Europeans to support them who are relatively local.


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## MarzNC

x10003q said:


> I wonder if and when Vermont will turn off their Covid Travel Ban Map. Currently, most people from Philly to Boston are only allowed in VT if they quarantine for 14 days. This will demo the already shtty VT economy. If I cannot get to VT, my Ikon base will be pushed into the next season.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Vermont Forward Plan | Agency of Commerce and Community Development
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> accd.vermont.gov


Not anytime soon would be my guess. After all, VT depends on summer tourists as well from an economic standpoint. Even Vermont residents from counties with higher rates aren't supposed to travel.

Rhode Island residents now are supposed to quarantine if going to CT or NY or NJ because the trend of counts in RI is going up. Very small numbers, but perhaps getting back at RI for trying to keep NY residents out in the spring.

Reason I didn't drive up to NY again this summer was because of the self-quarantine requirement. The list has over 25 states at the moment. But NY is a big state both geographically and population so different situation than RI or VT.


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## jamesdeluxe

MarzNC said:


> Have you looked at the list of locations for the Indy Pass? Even if you only used it at 2-3 places, could be worth picking up for skiing outside Colorado.


Being based out of Denver a third of the month during winter, I want to hit places within driving distance, i.e. Colorado and New Mexico. That's why the Loveland Pass, which includes Powder Alliance, is my preferred option.


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## SayvilleSteve

Planning on getting the Epic local because I like Hunter much better than Windham. The VT options seem like a push. Waiting until the Sept 7 deadline, however. I usually get a couple Ski3 4-packs (are they doing them this year?) as well as a day or two each at Plattekill and Magic. I am having a hard time being optimistic on the season.


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## NYSnowflake

We just bought uphill season passes for Catamount. It’s just an hour from home, in NY state, and they allow dawn to dusk uphill. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that the policy won’t change. I didn’t want to count on the free access at other mountains (Windham/Magic/Stratton/Bromley) because I think that might be dissolved because of Covid or VT quarantine rules might limit travel.


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## The UNHOLY

Part of an email from Whiteface:

*PURCHASE YOUR 2020-2021 SEASON PASS WITH CONFIDENCE!*

*1. 100% SKI3 Assurance:* For any reason, you may request a full purchase credit for your 2020-2021 season pass through December 1, 2020. You'll receive a 100% purchase credit on a Snow Guarantee Card valid toward season pass, lift ticket and/or lesson purchases through Closing Day, Spring 2022! That means your credit is valid for the remainder of the upcoming winter as well as all of next season.

*2. Closure Credits:* We are looking forward to a long season ahead that is full of great snow days! However, if Whiteface needs to fully close any day due to COVID-19 between December 1, 2020 and March 15, 2021, 2020-2021 passholders will receive a proportional purchase credit based on the total number of days that both Whiteface was closed and your pass was valid. This credit will be automatically issued to each passholder at the end of the season in the form of a Snow Guarantee Card valid through Closing Day, Spring 2022.


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## Benny Profane

Everyone has to consider reservation system limits. You may have to be lucky just to get a pass for the day, even if you have a season pass of some sort. ABasin did this in their short re-opening, and it was really hard to get a ticket, no matter who you were. So, travel looks like a bad idea, because, why rent a room with kitchen (because, no way restaurants are open) when you dont even know until probably the day before if you can ski. Magic has already stated that they will limit skiers this way, and I'll bet, everyone else will follow, because, if they don't, their mountain will look like Sturges.


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## Milo Maltbie

One of my ski industry finance friends told me that Alterra is near bankruptcy. According to him, they make 80% of their EBITA in March so they were hurt pretty badly by the early closure. Apparently American Express is looking at their exposure to Ikon refunds because an Alterra bankruptcy.
In other news, a friend who organizes group trips told me that Killington is planning NO indoor services except bathrooms, and NO cash sales at all. He’s thinking he’s out of business.
I think skiing will be the least of our problems this year.
mm


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## MarzNC

Benny Profane said:


> Everyone has to consider reservation system limits. You may have to be lucky just to get a pass for the day, even if you have a season pass of some sort. ABasin did this in their short re-opening, and it was really hard to get a ticket, no matter who you were. So, travel looks like a bad idea, because, why rent a room with kitchen (because, no way restaurants are open) when you dont even know until probably the day before if you can ski. Magic has already stated that they will limit skiers this way, and I'll bet, everyone else will follow, because, if they don't, their mountain will look like Sturges.


What happened in late season at ABasin is not really a good model for what's likely to happen during the upcoming season. Especially for destination resorts. They put together that "system" in weeks, not months.

I'm paying attention to how the ski resorts in Australia have handled day tickets, reservations for pass holders, as well as indoor spaces. Their season got started in late June and goes into September. By mid-July the issue was more lack of snow than capacity limits.

In particular for Perisher, which is owned by Vail Resorts, by mid-season when there was plenty of snow cover and lots of lifts running there were no capacity limits for Epic passholders midweek. People were able to get reservations or lift tickets for 1-5 days a few weeks in advance. The dates that were available were release in waves, with additional openings made available if there was a helpful snowstorm or cold enough temps for snowmaking. The situation at Perisher is much more like the northeast than the Rockies in terms of the reliance on snowmaking for the entire season and the length of runs.

The other risk is if there is a major spike in COVID-19 numbers in a particular state. The state of Victoria includes the city of Melbourne. All ski areas/resorts that were open in Victoria were forced to close recently because of a relatively large increase in detected community spread in Melbourne.


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## Benny Profane

Milo Maltbie said:


> One of my ski industry finance friends told me that Alterra is near bankruptcy. According to him, they make 80% of their EBITA in March so they were hurt pretty badly by the early closure. Apparently American Express is looking at their exposure to Ikon refunds because an Alterra bankruptcy.
> In other news, a friend who organizes group trips told me that Killington is planning NO indoor services except bathrooms, and NO cash sales at all. He’s thinking he’s out of business.
> I think skiing will be the least of our problems this year.
> mm



Another reason not to buy the Ikon pass. Many say, no whoop, I can carry it over to next season, but, who knows if Alterra will exist in it's present form in 21-22. Remember lifetime season passes at Killington? Yeah, right.

And the people at Killington have to be so depressed that they can't hype the new K1 base lodge they spent so much time and money building. There's a monument to the disruption from the virus.


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## Milo Maltbie

Benny Profane said:


> Another reason not to buy the Ikon pass. Many say, no whoop, I can carry it over to next season, but, who knows if Alterra will exist in it's present form in 21-22. Remember lifetime season passes at Killington? Yeah, right.


Or maybe buy an Ikon on your AMEX. Ikon is promising a rollover credit if your home mountain closes, so make Stratton your home (the mostly likely Alterra property to close), get an Ikon credit but still ski Killington, ABasin and Big Sky, or maybe get an AMEX refund.

mm


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## marcski

x10003q said:


> I wonder if and when Vermont will turn off their Covid Travel Ban Map. Currently, most people from Philly to Boston are only allowed in VT if they quarantine for 14 days. This will demo the already shtty VT economy. If I cannot get to VT, my Ikon base will be pushed into the next season.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Vermont Forward Plan | Agency of Commerce and Community Development
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> accd.vermont.gov



I can neither confirm nor deny that there are Many people with out of state plates traveling in and out of Vermont on a Very frequent basis.


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## x10003q

Milo Maltbie said:


> Or maybe buy an Ikon on your AMEX. Ikon is promising a rollover credit if your home mountain closes, so make Stratton your home (the mostly likely Alterra property to close), get an Ikon credit but still ski Killington, ABasin and Big Sky, or maybe get an AMEX refund.
> 
> mm


Why do you think Stratton will be the the mostly likely Alterra property to close?


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## Milo Maltbie

I talk to a former Intrawest manager. He thinks Stratton has no viable future, partly because of climate change.
FWIW he thinks climate change will ruin trout fishing in Colorado too. He’s even more pessimistic than me. He’s teaching his children to ski so that they can tell their children what snow was like.

mm


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## Benny Profane

Well, I guess that's why he's not in the biz anymore. He must have been fun at the Xmas party.


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## Harvey

I'm in for a full Gore pass, I just bought it.

IMO, pretty good terms really: 

• 4 monthly payments with no interest
• Fully cancellable until December 1
• Pro-rated refund if Gore shuts down before 3/15

The sales person told me there is a "working assumption, but nothing official" that passholders will be given priority on any capacity limits.

See you on the hill.


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## MarzNC

Harvey said:


> The sales person told me there is a "working assumption, but nothing official" that passholders will be given priority on any capacity limits.


Given when Vail Resorts did successfully for Perisher in Australia, I'm guessing that most ski areas/resorts will make sure their season passholders stay happy all season.

Boyne cut off season pass sales very early, both in the northeast and for Big Sky. They may or may not make passes available again in the fall.

Massanutten has added options, including a Family Pass that's never been offered before. What's also new is that there are multiple cutoff dates between now and the end of the year. The first cut off is August 31. Glad I got an email because normally I don't worry about getting a pass for Mnut until the fall.


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## Benny Profane

Harvey said:


> I'm in for a full Gore pass, I just bought it.
> 
> IMO, pretty good terms really:
> 
> • 4 monthly payments with no interest
> • Fully cancellable until December 1
> • Pro-rated refund if Gore shuts down before 3/15
> 
> The sales person told me there is a "working assumption, but nothing official" that passholders will be given priority on any capacity limits.
> 
> See you on the hill.



Tempting, but you're a lucky man to own a cottage up there. My problem, and many other's problem, is sleeping and eating. So, day trips. Sure hope the Catskills get some snow.


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## Harvey

I guesss there wasn't much suspense related to my Gore pass.

Hopefully we can get some Plattekill when it's all in. Have you skied in OZ on a great day?




OZ


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## MarzNC

Went ahead and bought a pass for Massanutten. This year August 31 is the deadline for the lowest price. A couple other deadlines before the end of the Feb. Can rollover to 2021-22 if not used at all so no real risk.

I'll be able to get an Indy Pass for a discounted pass based on having the Mnut pass.

I've heard that they've been busier than usual for lift-served mountain biking. But the waterpark had to stay closed. Mnut has pretty good hiking trails on property and is only 20 min from an entrance to Shenandoah National Park. Summer is usually busier than winter as a 4-season timeshare resort less than three hours from DC or Richmond.


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## DomB

MarzNC said:


> Went ahead and bought a pass for Massanutten. This year August 31 is the deadline for the lowest price. A couple other deadlines before the end of the Feb. Can rollover to 2021-22 if not used at all so no real risk.
> 
> I'll be able to get an Indy Pass for a discounted pass based on having the Mnut pass.
> 
> I've heard that they've been busier than usual for lift-served mountain biking. But the waterpark had to stay closed. Mnut has pretty good hiking trails on property and is only 20 min from an entrance to Shenandoah National Park. Summer is usually busier than winter as a 4-season timeshare resort less than three hours from DC or Richmond.



NYSkiBlog community -

Hope you are well. I haven't been lurking in a bit, and see I had to rejoin. 

Is there anyone that is taking a complete wait and see approach? We are leaning toward not buying passes at all for a few reasons:

1-I see what sellers are doing generally on the economic/deferral/return front. That sounds fair.
2-I don't really see what they are going to do about crowds. Lift lines being the big one for me (we all can avoid all other crowds, relatively speaking).
3-My wife doesn't love skiing, so there will be an added stress factor given everything else we will have to worry about if we are all out there.

We may just cut back our skiing dramatically this year, going farther on one or two holidays for longer . . . .


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## Harvey

I guess people buying passes are more concerned about missing out on skiing than paying for something that might not materialize. I know it's a gamble.

Tougher call the bigger the ski family. Last few years I'm the only one who skis, mostly.


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## MarzNC

DomB said:


> 2-I don't really see what they are going to do about crowds. Lift lines being the big one for me (we all can avoid all other crowds, relatively speaking).


Since you haven't been thinking about skiing for a few months, I'm guessing you haven't heard what ski resorts have been doing over the summer to limit capacity for activities like mountain biking. The ideas that have been implemented are like golf tee times or having a cap on the number of day tickets sold. When a mountain has season passes, passholders are required to make a "reservation" to assure access for a given day. Like at Deer Valley, a reservation is usually not required for less busy times. For instance Mon-Thu might not require a reservation while Fri-Sun would.

My husband is a non-skier. I'm sure he'd be happy if I stopped skiing in general. But for me, that's not an option. We've been married close to 30 years. So he knows it's not worth asking.

Not getting a season pass is a perfectly reasonable choice. The option to ski a few days at smaller, less crowded, and less expensive independent mountain will still exist.

Do you know which ski areas are on the Indy Pass? It will be available next week. $199 for 2 days at several places in the northeast.


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## MarzNC

VR announced how their reservation system is going to work. Same for ALL locations. Clearly giving priority for Epic passholders, who can start getting advanced reservations for up to 7 days as early as Nov. 6. No day ticket sales until Dec. 8. 

Having paid attention to how early season went for Perisher in Australia, VR has clearly made adjustments for that period in particular. There were definitely glitches during the first two weeks that reservations were open, and that was for only the first 3-4 weeks of the Australian season.





__





Letter To Our Pass Holders | Epic Season Pass


19/20 Epic Pass Holders Are Eligible for 20/21 Pass Credit.




www.epicpass.com





Keystone opening day target is Nov. 6. Epic pass holder access only for the first month, including Thanksgiving week.


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## Benny Profane

So, that means they aren't making snow early. Why spend all that money for Epic pass holders, most of which don't live close. And the locals are probably getting screwed on this one in the regular season, because they are prioritizing families from afar in the reservation system, who spend far more on lodging and meals. And, don't get your hopes up on getting a spot. Remember that now famous picture of the traffic jam at chair 5 from last winter? Haha. That will be a visual metaphor for the hundreds of thousands sitting at their computers trying to get a reservation, especially the week long tickets. Good luck on that one.

Here's what's going to happen. The rich homeowners will be first in line, because they are the sort of entitled Aholes who always think they should be, and are going to bribe their way in. After them, the few remaining tickets will be "reserved". Country club.

As always, F Vail.


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## DMC_Hunter

From what I'm hearing from Hunter people - it's all about as much snow coverage as early as possible. 

This benefits me as a pass holder a mile from the Northface chair...


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## SIAWOL

wonder how Gore might want to consider incorporating Ski Bowl into possible reservation/capacity limits to help disperse crowds...maybe set aside a # of spots for ski bowl lift access from 8a-10a on weekends--you'd have to start your day down there, then make your way over as applicable to main mountain. Just thinking out loud here....


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## St. Jerry

SIAWOL said:


> wonder how Gore might want to consider incorporating Ski Bowl into possible reservation/capacity limits to help disperse crowds...maybe set aside a # of spots for ski bowl lift access from 8a-10a on weekends--you'd have to start your day down there, then make your way over as applicable to main mountain. Just thinking out loud here....



I like the idea but no way Gore is that forward thinking to do something like that.


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## Frk

SIAWOL said:


> wonder how Gore might want to consider incorporating Ski Bowl into possible reservation/capacity limits to help disperse crowds...maybe set aside a # of spots for ski bowl lift access from 8a-10a on weekends--you'd have to start your day down there, then make your way over as applicable to main mountain. Just thinking out loud here....


I was wondering if they might try to open burnt ridge early this year to help disperse the crowds.


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## Harvey

St. Jerry said:


> I like the idea but no way Gore is that forward thinking to do something like that.



I'll be surprised if they don't try to maximize the bowl. If so, would they blow on the interconnnect _earlier?_ Should they? Who knows.

Hard for me to imagine a world where they don't start on Sunway and work out from there.

I like Burnt too, but there's another connector you are blowing on early.


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## raisingarizona

Ski areas down here in the 4 Corners region rarely if ever hit maximum capacity numbers like the big players further up north.

Im feeling pretty good about making a quick trip up to Durango/Silverton or Santa Fe/Taos.

I purchased season passes at our home hill and I’m already big on tailgating. I doubt Coleman is going to restrict much but we’ll see.

luckily there’s so much cool shit to do around here in the winter other than skiing I’m more than happy to take a winter off if it’s necessary.

if any of you have been curious it’s probably going to be a good year to visit Silverton. There is that LaNina factor though.


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## DomB

raisingarizona said:


> Ski areas down here in the 4 Corners region rarely if ever hit maximum capacity numbers like the big players further up north.
> 
> Im feeling pretty good about making a quick trip up to Durango/Silverton or Santa Fe/Taos.
> 
> I purchased season passes at our home hill and I’m already big on tailgating. I doubt Coleman is going to restrict much but we’ll see.
> 
> luckily there’s so much cool shit to do around here in the winter other than skiing I’m more than happy to take a winter off if it’s necessary.
> 
> if any of you have been curious it’s probably going to be a good year to visit Silverton. There is that LaNina factor though.


Coolest profile pic/avatar award goes to RA


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## Harvey

DomB said:


> Coolest profile pic/avatar award goes to RA



It ain't over until you post yours Dom. ?


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## DomB

Will get to it, but it won't compete!

And to add some substance given my gratuitous post, here is detail on the reservation system - thanks for pointing that out Marz. Could it be that skiing at Hunter will be enjoyable : )

I am gonna call Belleayre to see what they will be doing, but I don't think they will tell me. 









Want to ski at a Vail Resorts mountain during coronavirus? You’ll need a reservation.


Forget the dreamy scene where you wake to a foot of fresh and race to the ski area




coloradosun.com




.


----------



## MarzNC

DomB said:


> I am gonna call Belleayre to see what they will be doing, but I don't think they will tell me.


They may not know yet.

Taos put out a general announcement this week. They will open but won't be giving any details for at least a few weeks. My experience is that TSV managers for winter activities don't get back into their offices until early Sept. Typically don't update their website until mid-September. Could well be late September or October this year. My travel plans for early Feb are set. Can be cancelled or changed before mid-December though.


----------



## raisingarizona

DomB said:


> Coolest profile pic/avatar award goes to RA



thanks Dom.

it’s a total poser shot! I’m pretty good at that one turn wonder thing.


----------



## TomCat

I am still hoping to be at Gore as an instructor, but they are still working out the procedures and it's impossible to know at this time whether or not I'll feel safe with what they come up with as well as what the state of the virus will be. So I'm going to buy a non holiday pass and use it mostly mid-week. I may ski a few weekends and just leave at lunch time to avoid any indoor crowds.

Stay safe everyone.

tom


----------



## Milo Maltbie

I bought a SKi3 pass before virus was a thing, but I get the old timers' cheap price. There's also some of peer pressure among my friends to get the full ORDA pass, which makes me a little more optimistic about the season. My son bought an ABasin pass, and I may do the same, more because I'm concerned that they'll limit day tickets than to save money. I might have renewed my Ikon pass if my son had renewed his, but he didn't.

mm


----------



## TheGreatAbyss

Harvey said:


> I actually got a normal amount of skiing in that newborn year.
> 
> Baby liked the car ride and wife liked the change of scenery. Wife didn't ski, and sadly doesn't ski often anymore.



Oh interesting! What month was your kid born though? We're expecting in the next couple of weeks and I worry about taking an infant to a place where it routinely is in the single digits. We also stay in rando places and don't own anything up there, so the prospect of schlepping the baby stuff on top of the ski stuff seems overwhelming.


----------



## Harvey

Good point.

We had a bit of kismet with ours.

Gore is one of the few mountains that will take a kid in diapers. Six months is the minimum age.

Opening day at Gore in 2006 was exactly six months after our daughters birth. My wife loved $200 for a season of babysitting and diaperin'. All that made her want to go to the mountains more.


----------



## raisingarizona

Endoftheline said:


> After a lot of thoughts on both sides, I am opting to forgo a WF pas for the season. Hope to maybe hit a few Coke Wednesdays and maybe a few mid week days and just bite the bullet and pay at the window if conditions warrant. Hopefully by March I'll be able to pick up a season pass for the following season and get some use of it before shut down. Also going to do more XC skiing, check out some new places, and even some back country tours.



coke Wednesday’s? Damn, I didn’t know you upstate folks liked to party like them Colorado ski town people.


----------



## Brownski

raisingarizona said:


> coke Wednesday’s? Damn, I didn’t know you upstate folks liked to party like them Colorado ski town people.


Oh yeah. Big time. Pretty much from Indian Lake north is my understanding


----------



## Endoftheline

raisingarizona said:


> coke Wednesday’s? Damn, I didn’t know you upstate folks liked to party like them Colorado ski town people.


Maybe it's because I graduated from CU boulder. A-Basin was my go to Mtn, big fun, wild west late 70's. Pally lift wasn't there at that time so you had to work to get to it.


----------



## TheGreatAbyss

Harvey said:


> My wife loved $200 for a season of babysitting and diaperin'. All that made her want to go to the mountains more.



Yeah I figured next year I'll get the kid the day care "season pass"


----------



## TomCat

TheGreatAbyss said:


> I'm hopeful that the new Dark Side quad will alleviate lift lines if the Gondola is limited.


I think that will be true once they get enough terrain open. We’ll also be able to use burnt ridge to make our way to the summit. 
early season and especially Christmas week are a concern.
Tom


----------



## Harvey

Has ORDA talked about limits or use of the gondi?

I like my gondola lines at the gondola.


----------



## The UNHOLY

Last I heard - is that you go on the Gondola with who you agree to. They won't pack you in or fill the cab. Same with chair lifts - you ride with family, friends, people you agree to. I would imagine this will lead to longer lines.


----------



## Harvey

Gore has a reasonably big base area so you could probably spread out the maze. Probably not enough to handle a normal holiday (?) but could help on many ski days.


----------



## Milo Maltbie

I'm hoping that they will use the new High Peaks chair with the AE2 more than they have recently. That makes an open-air route to the top and takes some traffic away from the gondola. It also means that Darkside would be skiable. A lot of weekdays last year they didn't run HP, which IMO deteriorates the Gore experience.

mm


----------



## Brownski

Harvey said:


> Gore has a reasonably big base area so you could probably spread out the maze. Probably not enough to handle a normal holiday (?) but could help on many ski days.


Yeah
Ditto for the base lodge. They could remove half the tables easily


----------



## MarzNC

The UNHOLY said:


> Last I heard - is that you go on the Gondola with who you agree to. They won't pack you in or fill the cab. Same with chair lifts - you ride with family, friends, people you agree to. I would imagine this will lead to longer lines.


Lines will look longer with more spacing as well. That was clear in Australia after the first couple weeks of early season. But with the limited number of people, no one was waiting more than 10-15 minutes even during busier times. Like the northeast, Australian ski resorts traditionally get pretty packed on weekends and holidays. The mountains are relatively short on vertical and have short lifts. So base lifts are the issue but people can get spread out after a lift ride or two to a section away from the main bases.

I think the max capacity for the Snowbird tram this summer was 50, which is just under 50%. Even less for the Jay Peak tram, at the decision by resort management to be below VT rules.


----------



## MarzNC

Checking summer operations for ski resorts can be a good way to get some sense of how what changes will be noticeable during the winter.


----------



## x10003q

TomCat said:


> I think that will be true once they get enough terrain open. We’ll also be able to use burnt ridge to make our way to the summit.
> early season and especially Christmas week are a concern.
> Tom


Gore is never going to blow snow on the 7/10 mile Cedars Traverse to get access to the BR HSQ to get to the upper mountain.


----------



## MarzNC

The $469 price for the MCP is gone. Now $489 for adults and $149 for children. Probably will last until late October but very hard to predict in 2020. Final price for 2019-20 was $579/$199 in Jan.


----------



## TheGreatAbyss

Brownski said:


> Yeah
> Ditto for the base lodge. They could remove half the tables easily




I was at Gore the final weekend last season when they tried this. The problem was that removing half the tables didn't remove half the people, and more people ended up crowding around fewer tables.


----------



## The UNHOLY

TheGreatAbyss said:


> I was at Gore the final weekend last season when they tried this. The problem was that removing half the tables didn't remove half the people, and more people ended up crowding around fewer tables.



Yeah - same thing at Whiteface ....same people, less sitting spots ---like playing musical chairs.
If you are keeping with all the rules that apply to most everything else - you need to reduce capacity, reduce the amount of people at any given venue - you need to put cap on skiers. If the crowds are typical of past season - you are brewing a powder keg of pissed off people if chairs, tables, storage, rest rooms are in short supply.

Looking at the current situation - no sporting games have fans, no movie theaters, no entertainment venues and a reduced capacity at restaurants ...there's no way a ski resort in this current climate can operate. Bottom line - you need to reduce patrons.


----------



## MarzNC

The UNHOLY said:


> If you are keeping with all the rules that apply to most everything else - you need to reduce capacity, reduce the amount of people at any given venue - you need to put cap on skiers. If the crowds are typical of past season - you are brewing a powder keg of pissed off people if chairs, tables, storage, rest rooms are in short supply.


Hence the likelihood of requiring reservations, at least for traditionally busy days like weekends. Copper and Killington are using parking reservations as well as other approaches to limiting the number of people on the slopes.

This weekend was the first at Biltmore Estate (huge private mansion and park in Asheville, NC) this summer season with the playground open. They hired people to keep watch that the limit of 25 people was followed. They will have staff on hand every weekend through the fall color season.

My impression is that all ski resorts that had indoor buildings open during the summer had people making sure that capacity limits were followed. They can't afford to mess up. Any case of COVID-19 could result in a shut down for potentially two full weeks. If you read the statements coming out about the upcoming season from ski industry CEOs and GMs, they all make it very clear that people who don't want to follow the rules will be unwelcome.


----------



## Benny Profane

I fail to see how every mountain does not go reservation. A lot of people are cheering ABasin for today's announcement, but, every action has a reaction. If I lived in Denver, of course I'd but the ABasin pass over any other mountain. So, therefore, way too much and very unsafe demand. What about the parking? There's only so much at any mountain. Stay tuned. This will be a day to day evolution. In a sense, this is an ethical problem. ABasin takes your money, telling you, no reservations, no problem, then, come Xmas week, a powder dump, and half the front range shows up.


----------



## Brownski

Yeah, I’ve been pondering that myself. I guess as long as they’re up front about what the policy is going to be you can’t really complain but to me “season pass” should mean unlimited skiing any day the mountain is open for business. Anything less then that should be called something else.


----------



## MarzNC

Benny Profane said:


> I fail to see how every mountain does not go reservation. A lot of people are cheering ABasin for today's announcement, but, every action has a reaction. If I lived in Denver, of course I'd but the ABasin pass over any other mountain. So, therefore, way too much and very unsafe demand. What about the parking? There's only so much at any mountain. Stay tuned. This will be a day to day evolution. In a sense, this is an ethical problem. ABasin takes your money, telling you, no reservations, no problem, then, come Xmas week, a powder dump, and half the front range shows up.


Hmm, wonder if they will police the parking more. Meaning the folks who park along the road near the ABasin lots. Limits on season passes, limits on day tickets . . . when will the yelling start after the season pass limit is reached?

Al said "We may be making voluntary requests to have skiers and riders avoid peak visitation periods. If you can ski weekdays instead of weekends, please do so. If you can ski in the afternoon instead of the morning, please do so. We are all in this together." His request for people to be good about trying to get tickets via the lottery in the spring didn't go so well.

I have Ikon. Have a plan to ski ABasin for a day in Feb as part of a CO ski safari with my ski buddies to independent ski areas. We'll see how it works out.









						Season Passes and Lift Tickets - 2020-21 Season
					

It has been a wild and crazy six months since the March 14 ski area closure. Frankly, I never imagined our economy would get shut down the w...




					arapahoebasin.blogspot.com
				




_-Reservations will not be required for Arapahoe Basin Season Pass and Any Day Pass holders. The number of passes sold will be limited._​​_-Ikon and Mountain Collective Pass holders are welcome and are encouraged to ski and ride A-Basin. Access details are still to be determined._​​_-Lift tickets will be available every day. Arapahoe Basin will require all lift tickets to be purchased in advance, online through our website. The number of tickets sold each day will be variable to reduce peak visitation periods._​


----------



## moguljunkie

I thought this comment from Belleayre on Facebook the other day was surprising. Wonder if this plan applies to all ORDA mountains.


----------



## Harvey

Hey man! That's kind of what we are getting from Gore. No discussion of much restriction, yet.


----------



## MarzNC

moguljunkie said:


> I thought this comment from Belleayre on Facebook the other day was surprising. Wonder if this plan applies to all ORDA mountains.


Hmm, wonder if ORDA is thinking that NY will be a little like New Zealand. Meaning that the level of COVID-19 is so low that there won't be as much in the way of capacity limits by winter, especially outdoors.

There aren't that many people traveling from outside New England to ski at the ORDA mountains. With the ongoing travel restrictions, less incentive for people as far south as Washington to drive to upstate NY. Might as well fly out west.

Rather doubt the border with Canada will be open, so won't be Canadians coming south to Whiteface or Jay.


----------



## Harvey

Jackson Hole Suspends Season Pass Sales
					

“Season passes are currently off sale. We intend to resume selling public pass products on October 5, noting that 7- and 10-day pass products will no longer be offered.” In a move mirro…




					unofficialnetworks.com


----------



## MarzNC

Harvey said:


> Jackson Hole Suspends Season Pass Sales
> 
> 
> “Season passes are currently off sale. We intend to resume selling public pass products on October 5, noting that 7- and 10-day pass products will no longer be offered.” In a move mirro…
> 
> 
> 
> 
> unofficialnetworks.com


Very interesting.

Wonder if the 7-Day and 10-Day packages were mostly bought by travelers. Most have been some powder chasers who would add to the tram line on powder days.

At the same time, JH posted that MCP holders won't need to worry about reservations. The two friends I'm taking to Jackson in Dec have the MCP. Hopefully I won't have a problem using my Ikon since we'll be there during early season.


----------



## Benny Profane

MarzNC said:


> Hmm, wonder if ORDA is thinking that NY will be a little like New Zealand. Meaning that the level of COVID-19 is so low that there won't be as much in the way of capacity limits by winter, especially outdoors.
> 
> There aren't that many people traveling from outside New England to ski at the ORDA mountains. With the ongoing travel restrictions, less incentive for people as far south as Washington to drive to upstate NY. Might as well fly out west.
> 
> Rather doubt the border with Canada will be open, so won't be Canadians coming south to Whiteface or Jay.



Nobody is flying this winter. Well, a few, but, expect a ton more people staying within driving distance of home. NY and New England hills are going to see big crowds, and my guess is they will have to be controlled somehow.


----------



## MarzNC

Benny Profane said:


> Nobody is flying this winter. Well, a few, but, expect a ton more people staying within driving distance of home. NY and New England hills are going to see big crowds, and my guess is they will have to be controlled somehow.


Perhaps more true for people in New England than other states. I know how many of my friends are planning to fly for ski trips this winter. It's not really too many less than usual. However, I also know of people who don't plan to get on an airplane for at least a year if not 2-3.

If NY and New England and and enforce the travel restrictions that are in place against most states south and west of NJ, may well push some people who might otherwise drive north to ski to consider flying instead.

What is very unlikely is that any Americans will be flying to Canada, Europe, or Japan to ski this season.


----------



## Benny Profane

Well, you can't fly to Europe or Canada at the moment.


----------



## Milo Maltbie

I need to go to Denver to see my grandchildren, and I'll drive if I have to. I'm thinking of an ABasin senior pass, more to guarantee that I'l be able to ski than to save money.

mm


----------



## Benny Profane

I don't know. One wonders what ABasin pass sales have been since they announced this no reservations thing. My guess is up a lot. Hell, I even thought of buying one. But, don't forget, that place is a day trip for millions from the front range. Parking has been difficult before all this, and now they announce no overflow parking and no shuttles. It might work if you get there really early, like 7am, any day. Forget about Saturday.


----------



## Milo Maltbie

I think I'm gonna pull the trigger. It's only $200 and it might be my only chance to ski with my son this year. There's really no sure things anymore.

mm


----------



## MarzNC

Milo Maltbie said:


> I think I'm gonna pull the trigger. It's only $200 and it might be my only chance to ski with my son this year. There's really no sure things anymore.
> 
> mm


Would be pricey but if you got an Epic Day Pass for 2-3 days and your son had some sort of Epic pass, then could book days in advance the month before day tickets are sold. Of course, no way to predict weather in that scenario.


----------



## Benny Profane

And, IKON releases a very confusing list of which mountain wants reservations, but, most, we don't know. This is a real S show, and don't be surprised if it gets worse when the reality of a second wave bites.



https://www.ikonpass.com/en/reservations


----------



## Milo Maltbie

We're not doing Ikon this year, and we'll probably never do Epic. It's looking like Gore and ABasin for me this year, and maybe not even ABasin.

mm


----------



## Benny Profane

Ikon gets you a lot of quality days in Vermont. A lot.


----------



## MarzNC

Benny Profane said:


> And, IKON releases a very confusing list of which mountain wants reservations, but, most, we don't know. This is a real S show, and don't be surprised if it gets worse when the reality of a second wave bites.
> 
> 
> 
> https://www.ikonpass.com/en/reservations


It's not that confusing to me. What's confusing is listing resorts alphabetically.

Essentially all the Alterra destination resorts will not require reservations for Ikon holders. Copper, Killington/Pico and Eldora will require parking reservations, but not lift access reservations. The independent partners like Jackson Hole or Alta are making their own decisions. Alta and Aspen haven't made a decision yet, or at least not one they want to announce yet. Snowbird doesn't intend to require reservations for Ikon.

Pretty clear that Boyne Resorts will have a reservation system in place. The Ikon webpage mentions Big Sky, Brighton, and Loon will require reservations, but Sunday River and Sugarloaf will not.

Seems as if the other independent partners will require Ikon holders to make reservations including ABasin. JH and Taos also plan to require reservations. Windham will have a reservation system as well.


----------



## MarzNC

Here's how the announcement was viewed in Colorado.

Sept. 14, Colorado Public Radio








Most Ikon Pass Mountains Won't Require Reservations This Season


Denver-based Alterra plans to control mountain crowds by eliminating walk-up window sales, discontinuing most undated lift tickets and regulating the number of daily tickets available.



www.cpr.org




"_. . .
Alterra’s announcement applies only to the resorts it owns and operates – not to independently-owned partners on its Ikon Pass. In Colorado, the company owns Steamboat and runs Winter Park. Other mountains included on the Ikon Pass, such as Copper Mountain and Aspen Snowmass, are making their own plans for the upcoming season.
. . ."_


----------



## MarzNC

Here’s the Ikon list for the U.S. sorted geographically with Alterra resorts in bold. The locations that don't plan to require reservations of any kind are in italics. Boyne Resorts won't use reservations at Sunday River, Sugarloaf, Boyne Mountain, Boyne Highlands. Mt. Bachelor is owned by Powdr, as is Copper and Killington/Pico. Copper and Eldora in CO will require parking reservations. As announced earlier, Killington/Pico will require parking reservations.

Yeah, it's more complicated than usual. But the skiing for those who figure it out could be quite good even on weekends because there will be fewer people on the slopes and in lift lines. I know my friends who have the local season pass for Tremblant are looking forward to the season. Presumably most Ikon users last season were from the U.S. and that's not happening this winter.

Washington: *Crystal Mountain*, The Summit at Snoqualmie
Oregon: _Mt. Bachelor_
California: *Squaw/Alpine, Mammoth, June, Big Bear*

Montana: Big Sky
Wyoming: Jackson Hole
Utah: *Deer Valley, Solitude,* Brighton, Alta*, _Snowbird_
Colorado: Aspen/Snowmass*, *Steamboat, Winter Park,* Copper, Eldora, Arapahoe Basin
New Mexico: Taos Ski Valley

Michigan: _Boyne Highlands, Boyne Mountain_

Maine: _Sugarloaf, Sunday River_
New Hampshire: Loon Mountain
Vermont: *Stratton,* Killington/Pico, *Sugarbush*
New York: Windham
West Virginia: *Snowshoe*

* no announcement about reservations as of 9/15


----------



## Benny Profane

Listen, that's all fine and good, but it didn't exist a week ago, and I'll betcha in a month or maybe two all of that will be just another stage in all this. Remember last March? I do. I went from planning a cross country trip to nothing in a week. Like, no skiing anywhere. Just wait, when all these little kids get runny noses and sneeze a lot and wipe it all around in schools this thing will flare up when nobody can go outside and distance. We'll see, but, I'm planning on day trips, if anything this winter. Maybe the Ikon, at the last minute, but, I have other ways to drop 800 bucks right now.


----------



## MarzNC

Guess some folks think the MCP would be useful this season. Perhaps the fact that JH announced that MCP holders won't need a reservation, but Ikon holders will is a factor. Was enough for a couple of my friends headed to Jackson in Dec to go ahead and get the MCP when they already have Ikon. Both plan to ski enough days at JH/GT to do better than breakeven and have other ski trips planned for using Ikon.

Price went up $20 after Labor Day. That's also when the bonus day ended. Deadline to request a refund is Nov. 16, 2020.


----------



## NYSnowflake

There’s a very unusual Ikon discount opportunity on FB Mtn Biking Ladies group...


----------



## MarzNC

NYSnowflake said:


> There’s a very unusual Ikon discount opportunity on FB Mtn Biking Ladies group...


Why unusual?

The MCP gave people on their email list the opportunity to buy at the $469 price with a bonus day for a few days after the price went up for the general public. That's happened before.

As far as I can tell all the multi-resort passes are trying to sell as many as possible. If they have a cap in mind, it's not obvious.  The Epic reservation system means VR can limit numbers easily. I wonder about the Alterra resorts for which Ikon is the season pass for locals since there is no reservation system planned at all . . . at this time.


----------



## NYSnowflake

MarzNC said:


> Why unusual?
> 
> The MCP gave people on their email list the opportunity to buy at the $469 price with a bonus day for a few days after the price went up for the general public. That's happened before.
> 
> As far as I can tell all the multi-resort passes are trying to sell as many as possible. If they have a cap in mind, it's not obvious. The Epic reservation system means VR can limit numbers easily. I wonder about the Alterra resorts for which Ikon is the season pass for locals since there is no reservation system planned at all . . . at this time.


Well check it out and decide for yourself whether you think it’s unusual or not. It seems pretty unusual to me. I don’t wanna break the Internet by going into too much detail.


----------



## Benny Profane

I just fell into a pass I never thought I'd buy. On 9/17, the last day of lower pricing for Epic, I went to the site just to check out their products. I did not know they had a northeast local midweek pass, with a senior discount. So now I have a midweek pass to Hunter for 350 or whatever it was. Can even go up to Stowe for five weekdays. Whatever, day trips to Huntah and some other places like Catamount and Platteville to skin. It's a plan.


----------



## MarzNC

NYSnowflake said:


> Well check it out and decide for yourself whether you think it’s unusual or not. It seems pretty unusual to me. I don’t wanna break the Internet by going into too much detail.


I don't get into FB if I can help it. PM me if you like.


----------



## MarzNC

VR business report out today. Bottom line for Epic pass sales:

_“Given the challenging circumstances surrounding the impacts of COVID-19, we are very pleased with the results of our season pass sales to date,” Katz said. “Through September 18 we have sold a total of approximately 850,000 passes for the upcoming North American season, which compares to approximately 1,140,000 total passes sold for the North American season last year through December 2, 2019.”_​


----------



## tirolski

Last couple years I bought a Mon-Fri non-holiday pass for Gore. Used it enough both years to more than pay for itself but the late season bat-poo-flu shut down was a downer this past winter. Was planning doin the frequent skier card thingy for this year but now the web page says:


> Thank you for visiting our Frequent Skier Card page. We look forward to posting details about 20/21 products as they become available. Please check back for more information.


Anybody know anything bout their plans for their FSC?

Will get the Song-Lab season pass as well, 'cause skiing is fun.
Thanks.


----------



## tirolski

tirolski said:


> Last couple years I bought a Mon-Fri non-holiday pass for Gore. Used it enough both years to more than pay for itself but the late season bat-poo-flu shut down was a downer this past winter. Was planning doin the frequent skier card thingy for this year but now the web page says:
> 
> Anybody know anything bout their plans for their FSC?
> 
> Will get the Song-Lab season pass as well, 'cause skiing is fun.
> Thanks.


I just called them (Gore) and she said they’ll be having them similar to last year, but haven’t marketed it yet and didn’t know what the price will be.


----------



## JTG

Thinking of grabbing the Ikon base pass. If the season (including travel) ends up a go having a pass may make it easier to get on some hills, as opposed to needing a day pass reservation (where availability will likely be limited).

If comfortable traveling then I’ll focus on Ikon locals.

If the season goes in the shitter I could defer the pass to the 2021/2022 season, which can be done as late as April 11 (if no days have been used).

Other than that, usual day trips to WF, Platty, Magic, etc.


----------



## Benny Profane

JTG said:


> Thinking of grabbing the Ikon base pass. If the season (including travel) ends up a go having a pass may make it easier to get on some hills, as opposed to needing a day pass reservation (where availability will likely be limited).
> 
> If comfortable traveling then I’ll focus on Ikon locals.
> 
> If the season goes in the shitter I could defer the pass to the 2021/2022 season, which can be done as late as April 11 (if no days have been used).
> 
> Other than that, usual day trips to WF, Platty, Magic, etc.


Didn't want to do it, but, with the full "refund" if not used, I capitulated. What the hell. Trick is to not use it unless coast is very clear.


----------



## MC2

PSA: it is the last day for IKON passes before they go up in price. Just bought mine!


----------



## Brownski

Is The Freedom Pass officially defunct? Seems like the website disappeared


----------



## Epicone

Brownski said:


> Is The Freedom Pass officially defunct? Seems like the website disappeared


Killed by the Indy pass, rip freedom pass, long live the Indy pass,lol


----------



## NYSnowflake

What’s going on with the My Champlain Valley card this year?


----------



## MarzNC

Just in case anyone is still thinking about the MCP and isn't on the email list . . . the price goes up on Mon, Oct. 26. At $489 and usually goes up $20.

Most of the MCP locations are also Ikon Partners. Some are requiring Ikon lift access reservations but not for MCP holders. Jackson Hole is one of those. The Powdr resorts that are doing parking reservations are not distinguishing between different Ikon and MCP holders.


----------



## Brownski

NYSnowflake said:


> What’s going on with the My Champlain Valley card this year?


I’ve noticed in the past few years that it didn’t show up until after Nov 1.


----------



## ScottySkis

Platty most likely I had to talk to worried family member who is loving 2 nd mom who watch too much CNN.
No bus service so I be using cab / UBER service to get from Middletown where I live to Newburgh to meet my great friend Jim
Not sure how many days I be ski
Wish bus would come back


----------



## Brownski

The Storm Skiing Journal reporting that the Freedom Pass is officially defunct, which I think was expected


----------



## MarzNC

Brownski said:


> The Storm Skiing Journal reporting that the Freedom Pass is officially defunct, which I think was expected


Maybe not. Only 10 ski areas though. Greek Peak, Toggenburg, and a few little hills in NH/RI/ME for the northeast.









Home - Freedom Pass


New Partners Coming for 2022-23! Three (3) FREE Lift Tickets at Each Free with your season pass. Truly Independent. Truly Old School. As a valued season pass holder at one of our partner resorts, you’re automatically welcomed into the Freedom Pass family, opening up three (3) FREE days on the...




skifreedompass.com


----------



## MarzNC

The marketing Director at Sunlight is managing the Freedom Pass this season. Interesting that a couple places are in both Freedom and Indy. The difference is that Indy visits provide actual revenue to it's members. Freedom is a no-cost perk to encourage someone to buy a season pass. This season can get a discount on Indy if also get a season pass to one of the ski areas.









Freedom Pass Adapts to Changing Marketplace


SAM Magazine—Glenwood Springs, Colo., Oct. 30, 2020—The Freedom Pass, a reciprocal lift ticket partnership that grants passholders three free days at membe




www.saminfo.com




_" . . .
The group could add still others, said Troy Hawks, the sales and marketing director for Sunlight who is managing the program and maintaining its website (skifreedompass.com). Trading free days for other resorts' passholders is a simple, easy way for small ski areas to compete with the Epic, Ikon, and even Indy Passes.

The lineup changes reflect both the impact of COVID-19 on resorts' plans to manage capacity this winter and the growth of the Indy Pass. Some former Freedom Pass members have joined the Indy Pass and left the Freedom fold, including Bolton Valley and Magic Mountain, Vt. Black Mountain and Lost Valley are in both pass programs."_


----------



## Brownski

Hmm, I guess Stu got it wrong? I think somebody either from the Freedom Pass or one of the hills told him directly that it was dead for this season


----------



## MarzNC

Brownski said:


> Hmm, I guess Stu got it wrong? I think somebody either from the Freedom Pass or one of the hills told him directly that it was dead for this season


Could be one of the hills that isn't on Freedom any more. Pretty sure the Sunlight guy wasn't the one maintaining the website before.


----------



## tirolski

tirolski said:


> I just called them (Gore) and she said they’ll be having them similar to last year, but haven’t marketed it yet and didn’t know what the price will be.


Frequent skier cards on sale now and discounted till Nov. 11th. Here’s a link. https://goremountain.com/tickets-passes/frequent-skier-cards/


----------



## Harvey

tirolski said:


> Frequent skier cards on sale now and discounted till Nov. 11th. Here’s a link. https://goremountain.com/tickets-passes/frequent-skier-cards/


Going to need one of those cards for my daughter I think. RFID is very cool.


----------



## Stu

Yup, I got this one wrong. Apologies for being fake news. 

Updated post here: https://skiing.substack.com/p/freedom-pass-returns-with-10-partner


----------



## Capdistski

Harvey said:


> Going to need one of those cards for my daughter I think. RFID is very cool.


Why is ORDA’s online store always so bad? In the old system my son had the same photo from age 6-13. He was so embarrassed but every year it would crash when I tried to upload a new photo. Must be a state contract with a very knowledgeable HTML3 provider. The new one doesn’t seem any better - Here is the email I just sent to Gore:


Tried to reload my frequent skier cards tonight - you guys seem to have changed your webstore but it is no better than in the past. I’ve done this for several years now and it has literally never worked. I’m not a tech idiot - your interface is really bad.

First I tried to log into my acct. No luck - error message.

Then I put in my WTP number - success! I put my reload in my cart. I then clicked ‘keep shopping’ and put in my son’s WTP number. No luck - error message.

I then called tech support. While on the phone I saw the note on the login page saying you might need to reset your password, so I followed that, put in my email address, and it said Success and I got an email to reset my pass word.

I then tried four times to reset my pw and got errors saying ‘trouble looking up information please try again later’.

Tech support couldn’t help at all - said someone would call me back.

Pretty darn frustrating. Bright side is maybe it will discourage all those people who usually go to Vermont from going to Gore this year.


----------



## Harvey

Should be very interesting to see the impact on the Catskills and Gore especially.


----------



## Brownski

I agree.


----------



## MarzNC

To see how making an Epic reservation actually goes, take a look at the first article. The Points Guy gets advertising dollars from Epic, which is made clear. He went to Keystone on Opening Day, Nov. 6, and had a good time. Has booked days in Jan and Feb for himself and his girls.









Last call to pay less to ski this season with the Epic Pass: Lock in pricing by Sept. 6 - The Points Guy


Editor's note: This post has been updated with new information.




thepointsguy.com









__





Ski season starts now, here's what it was like on opening day







thepointsguy.com


----------



## Capdistski

Capdistski said:


> Why is ORDA’s online store always so bad? In the old system my son had the same photo from age 6-13. He was so embarrassed but every year it would crash when I tried to upload a new photo. Must be a state contract with a very knowledgeable HTML3 provider. The new one doesn’t seem any better - Here is the email I just sent to Gore:
> 
> 
> Tried to reload my frequent skier cards tonight - you guys seem to have changed your webstore but it is no better than in the past. I’ve done this for several years now and it has literally never worked. I’m not a tech idiot - your interface is really bad.
> 
> First I tried to log into my acct. No luck - error message.
> 
> Then I put in my WTP number - success! I put my reload in my cart. I then clicked ‘keep shopping’ and put in my son’s WTP number. No luck - error message.
> 
> I then called tech support. While on the phone I saw the note on the login page saying you might need to reset your password, so I followed that, put in my email address, and it said Success and I got an email to reset my pass word.
> 
> I then tried four times to reset my pw and got errors saying ‘trouble looking up information please try again later’.
> 
> Tech support couldn’t help at all - said someone would call me back.
> 
> Pretty darn frustrating. Bright side is maybe it will discourage all those people who usually go to Vermont from going to Gore this year.


Kudos to Gore who responded to my snarky email on a Saturday and loaded my two Frequent Skier cards from last year. Now I’m ready to go, except I’m in shorts and a tshirt on 11/8!


----------



## MarzNC

Easily got Ikon reservations for a couple of my planned trips out west that includes skiing at Ikon partner resorts. Had the Ikon app from last season, but I didn't use it much.

Got an extra reservation for one Saturday that I'll probably cancel. Idea is to show my friends GT that day, but if there is too much snow on the road across Teton Pass or limited visibility we might ski JH a third day instead. Although Snow King might be an option too since two of my friends have MCP, not Ikon.


----------



## gorgonzola

ordered a couple frequent skier cards before the price increase tomorrow


----------



## Milo Maltbie

My ski club source told me that Gore will be $105 every day this year. They must expect a big increase in visits due to Vermont travel restrictions. The frequent skier card with the first day free for $104 was a real bargain.

mm


----------



## jasonwx

Milo Maltbie said:


> My ski club source told me that Gore will be $105 every day this year. They must expect a big increase in visits due to Vermont travel restrictions. The frequent skier card with the first day free for $104 was a real bargain.
> 
> mm


Who has this kind of money?
$125 min for a day of skiing


----------



## Harvey

Milo Maltbie said:


> My ski club source told me that Gore will be $105 every day this year. They must expect a big increase in visits due to Vermont travel restrictions. The frequent skier card with the first day free for $104 was a real bargain.
> 
> mm


Probably should have bought one of those for our daughter. Too late?

If VT has 4 million skier visits in a normal year, and they are completely shut down, NY and NH could be really busy.

If they are open at all.


----------



## gorgonzola

Harvey said:


> Probably should have bought one of those for our daughter. Too late?
> 
> If VT has 4 million skier visits in a normal year, and they are completely shut down, NY and NH could be really busy.
> 
> If they are open at all.


price goes up 15 bucks tomorrow


----------



## riverc0il

Harvey said:


> If VT has 4 million skier visits in a normal year, and they are completely shut down, NY and NH could be really busy.
> 
> If they are open at all.


Sununu won't shut down NH. NH had some of the last resorts in the country to close last spring... including the state run area and an area owned by the Sununu family.

Between people being unwilling to fly and VT being essentially closed to most skiers, many northeastern ski areas could have a banner year.


----------



## Harvey

riverc0il said:


> Between people being unwilling to fly and VT being essentially closed to most skiers, many northeastern ski areas could have a banner year.


Riv you don't think capacity limits and especially lodge space limits will kill holidays and weekends? Haven't been following NH, but NY has a 25% cap on lodges, at this time.


----------



## riverc0il

I am not convinced anything will kill NH for winter sports given what we already endured this summer and fall. Tourism was WAY up in NH from what I noticed. NH's biggest areas are two hours from Boston, less than two hours from the northern Boston burbs, and many mid-sized areas are a lot closer than that. Lodging adjustments would just mean more day trippers.

The big issue is dining. Winter will force people indoors and NH is pretty lax on restaurant regulations. We just had a bunch of restaurants shut down for a bit in Plymouth due to a minor outbreak at the dining establishments in town. Rural parts of the state are deep red and many business owners are not taking precautions. The state's COVID-19 situation is going to be linked to how restaurants function (or don't) this winter, that is the weakest link.


----------



## tirolski

Just got a Gore frequent skier card. Been doing the M-F season pass last two years. It’ll snow, they’ll run the lifts and I’ll smile when I’m skiing even if it’s behind a mask.


----------



## The UNHOLY

Harvey said:


> Riv you don't think capacity limits and especially lodge space limits will kill holidays and weekends? Haven't been following NH, but NY has a 25% cap on lodges, at this time.


The 25% cap on lodges - in my mind- kills the season. If the winter is like the summer, where people are buying gear and doing all this outdoor stuff and now a ban of VT travel, NY skiing could be extremely busy and making it worse is not being able to go get ready in the lodge. I pretty sure I'm gonna hand in my season pass for a refund with the Dec 1 deadline. COVID is getting ramped up again, for better or worse Cuomo locks the state down and if the COVID increase continues, I can't even see how Cuomo would let the ski resorts open......on the other thread someone mentioned "first world problems" ...that is so true and funny ...funny being, I've been bell aching for the past 2 months about the ski season and what to do ...and routinely tell my wife ..."why I am I getting so stressed out over a luxury?"


----------



## The UNHOLY

I haven't seen this update before - https://whiteface.com/operational-updates/


----------



## The UNHOLY

Anyone that bought an ORDA Season Pass remember what the Dec 1 refund deadline means ?
I thought when I bought it in September - it said a full refund - meaning I get my money back in the form that I paid for it. Now it looks like you only get credit back to be used for another season. Did I miss interpret the money back ?


----------



## The UNHOLY

Post #4 in a row !! I've had too much caffeine ...i'm cranky, irritable and bloated and the kids being home are getting on my nerves ! ?


----------



## Campgottagopee

The UNHOLY said:


> COVID is getting ramped up again, for better or worse Cuomo locks the state down and if the COVID increase continues, I can't even see how Cuomo would let the ski resorts open.



So it begins









Bars, restaurants and gyms in NY must close at 10 p.m.; private gatherings capped at 10


ALBANY, N. Y. (WHAM) – Gov. Andrew Cuomo says New York is taking actions to address rises in COVID-19 cases, and the new rules impact bars, restaurants, gyms and private gatherings. During a conference call Wednesday, the governor said SLA-licensed establishments must close at 10 p. m. Curbside...




cnycentral.com





I'm agreeing with you UNHOLY


----------



## Harvey

The UNHOLY said:


> Anyone that bought an ORDA Season Pass remember what the Dec 1 refund deadline means ?



I didn't really read the fine print. 

I do remember thinking that 12/1 wasn't really early enough to make the call.

It looks like it is going to be about as bad as it has been on 12/1.

What I don't know is:

Will Gore stay open
Will weekdays be reasonable
Will I be able to ski weekdays

I'm keeping my pass. We'll see if it pays.

??


----------



## Campgottagopee

I'm with ya, Harv
Spent my $$$$ last year on my GP pass, water under the bridge so I'm keeping it. 
Trying to remain positive


----------



## ScottySkis

Campgottagopee said:


> So it begins
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Bars, restaurants and gyms in NY must close at 10 p.m.; private gatherings capped at 10
> 
> 
> ALBANY, N. Y. (WHAM) – Gov. Andrew Cuomo says New York is taking actions to address rises in COVID-19 cases, and the new rules impact bars, restaurants, gyms and private gatherings. During a conference call Wednesday, the governor said SLA-licensed establishments must close at 10 p. m. Curbside...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> cnycentral.com
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I'm agreeing with you UNHOLY


The scientific evidence suggests the virus is difficult to “control” after 10 pm. Before then there are no worries as Cuomo has already trapped the virus in the walkways between restaurant tables & at the hostess podiums. After 10 pm, the virus undergoes a metamorphosis akin to the Incredible Hulk. At that point you don’t want to see the virus get angry; you wouldn’t like it when it’s angry hence the need for the arbitrary regulation. We are fine until December when rona season really accelerates. That’s when science suggests the need for using double masks and holding your breadth when within 6 feet of others.


----------



## Stan_dupp

ScottySkis said:


> The scientific evidence suggests the virus is difficult to “control” after 10 pm. Before then there are no worries as Cuomo has already trapped the virus in the walkways between restaurant tables & at the hostess podiums. After 10 pm, the virus undergoes a metamorphosis akin to the Incredible Hulk. At that point you don’t want to see the virus get angry; you wouldn’t like it when it’s angry hence the need for the arbitrary regulation. We are fine until December when rona season really accelerates. That’s when science suggests the need for using double masks and holding your breadth when within 6 feet of others.


This is quite possibly the funniest thing I have ever read. Unfortunately


----------



## Thacheronix

ScottySkis said:


> holding your breadth


I struggle with this too


----------



## Milo Maltbie

ScottySkis said:


> The scientific evidence suggests the virus is difficult to “control” after 10 pm. Before then there are no worries as Cuomo has already trapped the virus in the walkways between restaurant tables & at the hostess podiums. After 10 pm, the virus undergoes a metamorphosis akin to the Incredible Hulk. At that point you don’t want to see the virus get angry; you wouldn’t like it when it’s angry hence the need for the arbitrary regulation. We are fine until December when rona season really accelerates. That’s when science suggests the need for using double masks and holding your breadth when within 6 feet of others.


 
That's funny but it really is true that the virus is more difficult to control in a rowdy late night drinking crowd than it is when people are sitting for dinner. That's the reason for the food requirement and for the 10pm curfew. Rona is a public health and economic disaster and it isn't helpful to ridicule measures to control it. Restrictions on socializing are among the most difficult to accept, but discouraging public drinking seems necessary.

mm


----------



## marcski

Milo Maltbie said:


> That's funny but it really is true that the virus is more difficult to control in a rowdy late night drinking crowd than it is when people are sitting for dinner. That's the reason for the food requirement and for the 10pm curfew. Rona is a public health and economic disaster and it isn't helpful to ridicule measures to control it. Restrictions on socializing are among the most difficult to accept, but discouraging public drinking seems necessary.
> 
> mm



Agreed. I also have no issues drinking alone.


----------



## ScottySkis

marcski said:


> Agreed. I also have no issues drinking alone.


For me and Mary j was my best friend 
Now I don't care so much to


----------



## Harvey

Looks like MCV is nordic only:









Nordic Ski Pass


Visit the post for more.




www.mychamplainvalley.com


----------



## The UNHOLY

ScottySkis said:


> For me and Mary j was my best friend
> Now I don't care so much to


----------



## marcski

The UNHOLY said:


> View attachment 6770


CBD enriched eggs?


----------



## The UNHOLY

marcski said:


> CBD enriched eggs?


hahaha....80's PSA


----------



## ScottySkis

The UNHOLY said:


> hahaha....80's PSA


I Remember those shows


----------



## rfreeman

Being based in NJ I am currently on the fence as to whether to keep my Epic Pass (in light of Covid restrictions in PA VT NH) or seek a refund and get an ORDA pass again (as I know I can get to the 3 NY areas legally, but the lack of a PA option makes day trips arduous - Belleayre is an extra 2 hrs round trip compared to the closest Epic options for me).

Wondering how strictly all those states will enforce their rules. I do work from home so I am pretty close to quarantining at home full time - other than when I will be going out to ski. 

If I go to Hunter Friday I will have made my decision by doing so - not sure if conditions and lines will warrant the combination of the drive and advancing the decision making.


----------



## MarzNC

rfreeman said:


> Being based in NJ I am currently on the fence as to whether to keep my Epic Pass (in light of Covid restrictions in PA VT NH) or seek a refund and get an ORDA pass again (as I know I can get to the 3 NY areas legally, but the lack of a PA option makes day trips arduous - Belleayre is an extra 2 hrs round trip compared to the closest Epic options for me).
> 
> Wondering how strictly all those states will enforce their rules. I do work from home so I am pretty close to quarantining at home full time - other than when I will be going out to ski.
> 
> If I go to Hunter Friday I will have made my decision by doing so - not sure if conditions and lines will warrant the combination of the drive and advancing the decision making.


The other question for which there is no answer right now is how long travel restrictions will remain in place. Enforcement is more or less impossible when driving and not staying overnight. Even if staying overnight, most motels and hotels are not interested in grilling potential customers before taking money for a room.

What Ikon holders who want to ski Vermont have been told is that they can "attest" to following VT travel restrictions once online and then it's up to them. Meaning Killington isn't going to be asking skiers every time they show up from out of state if they are following the rules regarding quarantine or whatever.

Not an easy decision in terms of an Epic Pass for sure. I'm very unlikely to ski north of Washington DC this winter. Pretty sure that Massanutten, Indy, and Ikon out west should work out.


----------



## JTG

Sooo....with the deadline today I picked up an Ikon Session Pass. At $499 for 4 days ($125 a day) it’s a premium over single day tickets most places out west, but in the COVID ski world everything is more expensive, as we’ve already talked about. That, and I won’t have to worry about availability of day tickets. So 4 days gets me two trips out west, where a typical 3 day weekend includes 2 lift tickets and a day in the backcountry. If I end up not traveling and using the Session Pass this season I can roll the $499 into a Base pass next season.


----------



## Milo Maltbie

I got an ABasin pass for $200 (I'm old). I did it more so I wouldn't need reservations to ski with my Denver family if I get out there this year more than to save money. It was more of a risk than other passes because there's no refund or rollover, but...

mm


----------



## tirolski

Golf set recent records for rounds played this season even dealing with Covid restrictions. 
Courses use tee times allowing for controlled access. 
Have ski mountains thought of (or implemented) a similar access system for managing masses? 
The state runs many great golf courses at reasonable prices.


----------



## MarzNC

tirolski said:


> Have ski mountains thought of (or implemented) a similar access system for managing masses?


Yes. But I can't think of one that is using that approach for the season. Was used in CA in late season for a week or two.

What I've seen is various ways to encourage people to ski in the afternoons, especially on weekends. Mt. Hood Meadows came up with different pass options that made it very enticing to have a pass that was good starting mid-afternoon. Meadows has night skiing and is mainly for locals doing day trips, so can still get quite a few hours to balance against the driving time. Massanutten has a late afternoon ticket for $20, 3:00-5:00 since night skiing isn't open yet.


----------



## x10003q

tirolski said:


> Golf set recent records for rounds played this season even dealing with Covid restrictions.
> Courses use tee times allowing for controlled access.
> Have ski mountains thought of (or implemented) a similar access system for managing masses?
> The state runs many great golf courses at reasonable prices.


Apples and oranges. A Golf course rarely sees more than 250 people/day on an 18 hole course. There could be that many people in the lift corral waiting for a six pack at a major area with another 600 people on the six pack.


----------



## sig

x10003q said:


> Apples and oranges. A Golf course rarely sees more than 250 people/day on an 18 hole course. There could be that many people in the lift corral waiting for a six pack at a major area with another 600 people on the six pack.


agree. with golf once you pay and start playing you rarely interact with anyone outside the other 3 in your group. you wait behind the players in front of you no matter how slow they are. if you staggered ski times we would still all eventually gather at the lift based on different abilities and terrain skied. golf tends to be closer to home. i usually only ski 3-4 hours but most people drive to mountain expecting full day.


----------



## tirolski

x10003q said:


> Apples and oranges. Agree both outsports A Golf course rarely sees more than 250 people/day on an 18 hole course. There could be that many people in the lift corral waiting for a six pack at a major area with another 600 people on the six pack.


Apples and oranges.
_Agree...but both outdoor sports require lots of space_
A Golf course rarely sees more than 250 people/day on an 18 hole course.
_Agree... that’s why they use tee times to manage the masses all wanting to play._
There could be that many people in the lift corral waiting for a six pack at a major area with another 600 people on the six pack. 

_Disagree...Not in 2020 due to Covid. 
However, I will share a six pack in the parking lot if ya want a cold one as long as ya don’t get too close._


----------



## marcski

sig said:


> agree. with golf once you pay and start playing you rarely interact with anyone outside the other 3 in your group. you wait behind the players in front of you no matter how slow they are. if you staggered ski times we would still all eventually gather at the lift based on different abilities and terrain skied. golf tends to be closer to home. i usually only ski 3-4 hours but most people drive to mountain expecting full day.



^^^
This.

Just totally impractible for skiing and could actually make things worse by causing an increase congestion at the btm waiting for your next "lift time."


----------



## Campgottagopee

2 of our local golf courses have reported having best years in their history this year. Greek Peak is mobbed today, hoping the same for them.?


----------



## JTG

So, with a third of the ski season in the books.....evaluate your pass purchases for the year.

I’ll go first. My pass choices have been for shit.

ORDA FSC remains unused to date, will use first day this coming weekend. Given the need to secure tickets in advance (not being able to load days yet) I had to pay out of pocket for MLK and Prez weekend tickets. I’ll probably just break even on the FSC.

IKON Session Pass. Bust. Looks like I’ll be rolling over that purchase price next year. I can only really consider half a dozen of the 30 available resorts on that pass (logistics and such for a long weekend) and I can’t get any weekend reservations at any of them.

How are your pass purchases working out?


----------



## Harvey

Ski3 and Plattekill combo has worked for me so far. I mean you know.


----------



## rfreeman

No problem getting reservations for days I want with Epic Local. Crowds have been large in peak periods though, and efforts Vail has made in snowmaking and getting terrain open seem shaky however, compared to when areas were controlled by Peak.


----------



## MarzNC

Just spent my usual timeshare week at my home hill, Massanutten, so better than break even for that season pass. My friend who got the Special Value Pass (good Sun-Fri and Sat after 4pm) also past break even. Also her son who has a Student pass. We're going back for MLK week.

Used Ikon for a couple days at JH. Expect to get in enough days in Colorado in Feb to break even. My friends and I already made reservations already made for either lift access or parking, as needed. Only skiing at Ikon locations midweek. Since I cancelled Taos, won't be quite as good as usual on a per day basis.

Also started using my Alta Midweek pass in Dec. Booked for Alta Lodge in April so that should work out.


----------



## Milo Maltbie

My ORDA SKi3 will work out. I expect I'll only ski Gore and Whiteface this year. I also have an ABasin pass, but it doesn't look like I'll get out there until June or so. I didn't expect to be in the money on that one, but I wanted to be sure I could ski with my son if I got out to Denver. 

mm


----------



## gefiltephish

Questionable whether I will use my Ikon- tempting to break into the 5 days at Windham, only doing that if I commit plans for Utah in Feb and/or Sugarbush in March. Either way the ORDA FSC will get used at Belle and Gore... Possible that'll be my only chairlift skiing this season :/ Tempting to use the Indy Pass for Catamount, but likely will hold off also, because primo Indy areas like Berkshire East, Magic, Cannon, Bolton aren't feasible for me as a 'rule follower' in NY. Oy vey... At least the Ikon and Indy are straightforward--> no use means rollover credit for 21/22


----------



## 3dogs

Got 9 days on my orda ski3 pass at whiteface, couple more days I'll break even. May have to make 3 hour trip south to gore if whiteface doesn't get shit together and improve terrain.


----------



## DomB

I got Belle only because Gore is not really day tripable at about 4 hours each way. I have only skied two days, but for my mental health I am glad I got the pass. With how ORDA is treating season passes, I view it as an expensive option, which had value to me, given the combination of my low risk tolerance but love of skiing. I expect that instead of my relative norm of about 20 days, I will get 5-10 this season. I am good with that this year. 
I thought about Vail for the first time year, but (1) I don't really know Vail and their rep is not great (2) given how ORDA gives basically an open option to passholders, it made more sense to stick with a pass for me. 
This will be the first time since my son (10 soon) hasn't been on skis in I think 7 years. My 7 yo was on skis at 2. They and my wife very likely won't ski at all.


----------



## Ripitz

DomB said:


> given how ORDA gives basically an open option to passholders, it made more sense to stick with a pass for me.


We went for season passes for that reason too even though we might not break even. Didn’t want to bother with reservations or selling out


----------



## tirolski

New article about passes. Some for remainder of this year. Also gives a bump to Greek Peak. https://www.stormskiing.com/p/the-five-types-of-northeast-ski-season


----------



## Tjf1967

I just bumped my Ikon to next year.


----------



## Milo Maltbie

Ripitz said:


> We went for season passes for that reason too even though we might not break even. Didn’t want to bother with reservations or selling out


That’s why I got an ABasin pass this year. I figured it might be the only way to ski with my son this year. ABasin didn’t have cheap senior day tickets this year so I’m in the money after only 2 days. 

mm


----------



## x10003q

Tjf1967 said:


> I just bumped my Ikon to next year.


I also bumped my Ikon pass.


----------



## Campgottagopee

x10003q said:


> I also bumped my Ikon pass.



Bumped my Greek pass

I think I may be able to use it starting on the 22nd of this month. I need to look into that. Maybe I'll get some corn on boards this spring.


----------



## Tjf1967

Milo Maltbie said:


> That’s why I got an ABasin pass this year. I figured it might be the only way to ski with my son this year. ABasin didn’t have cheap senior day tickets this year so I’m in the money after only 2 days.
> 
> mm


The man that was critical now the hypocrite.


----------



## x10003q

Campgottagopee said:


> Bumped my Greek pass
> 
> I think I may be able to use it starting on the 22nd of this month. I need to look into that. Maybe I'll get some corn on boards this spring.


They put the credit in my Ikon account on April 19. If I buy the pass today, the credit is gone.


----------



## Brownski

Campgottagopee said:


> Bumped my Greek pass
> 
> I think I may be able to use it starting on the 22nd of this month. I need to look into that. Maybe I'll get some corn on boards this spring.


Update me on this. I have another Greek day on the Indy passes still


----------



## Tjf1967

Brownski said:


> Update me on this. I have another Greek day on the Indy passes still


Yeah camp chop chop


----------



## Milo Maltbie

Tjf1967 said:


> The man that was critical now the hypocrite.


WTF? What’s that about?

mm


----------



## Campgottagopee

Brownski said:


> Update me on this. I have another Greek day on the Indy passes still



I will


----------



## Campgottagopee

Tjf1967 said:


> Yeah camp chop chop



We'll make 5 runs then hit the deck   ?


----------



## lukoson

Where do folks with Ikon typically ski on their day trips? Is it Stratton, Windham, and Killington? Where else do you go w/ the pass?


----------



## Tjf1967

I was going to use it for K, Sugarbush, Sugarloaf and Big Sky.


----------



## x10003q

lukoson said:


> Where do folks with Ikon typically ski on their day trips? Is it Stratton, Windham, and Killington? Where else do you go w/ the pass?


Stratton, Killington/Pico, Sugarbush and some place out West. Last year I used it at Jackson Hole. I have also used it for spring skiing up at Mt Tremblant.


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## Brownski

Tjf1967 said:


> Yeah camp chop chop


I guess I should have said please?


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## JTG

It would seem to make sense that if Camp hadn’t used his Greek pass, and was able to push it to the 2021/2022 season......and 2021/2022 passes are available for purchase and use on March 22, 2021.....that he could start using that 2021/2022 pass this year, like everyone else who purchases a 2021/2022 pass now, no?


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## MarzNC

lukoson said:


> Where do folks with Ikon typically ski on their day trips? Is it Stratton, Windham, and Killington? Where else do you go w/ the pass?


The people I know who use Ikon and live in the northeast all have at least one trip out west planned. Essentially going to any of the Ikon resorts for 5 days of skiing makes it pretty easy to justify the cost of Ikon Base. Those who want to ski JH or Aspen have to decide if another $150 is worth it, or if they should just go for Full Ikon. Can upgrade from Ikon Base later on.

I've been using Ikon at Alta in April, a full week for a Taos Ski Week mid-season, and some other Ikon resort out west for a least a few days. Big Sky is in my Top Five resorts for return trips.


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## JTG

Haven’t done it yet, but I’m going to roll my Ikon Session pass. Still can’t get any weekend days this season on the Session Pass. Thought about A Basin this weekend, but no Fri/Sat/Sun. No weekend days at Crystal or Alpental, either. I’ll roll the money from the Session Pass into an Ikon Base next year, probably.


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## Campgottagopee

JTG said:


> It would seem to make sense that if Camp hadn’t used his Greek pass, and was able to push it to the 2021/2022 season......and 2021/2022 passes are available for purchase and use on March 22, 2021.....that he could start using that 2021/2022 pass this year, like everyone else who purchases a 2021/2022 pass now, no?



That's what I'm hoping for. I sent them an email asking for clarification. Now that we'll be shut down (soon) on sleds I have the itch to make a few turns in the sun.


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## tirolski

JTG said:


> It would seem to make sense that if Camp hadn’t used his Greek pass, and was able to push it to the 2021/2022 season......and 2021/2022 passes are available for purchase and use on March 22, 2021.....that he could start using that 2021/2022 pass this year, like everyone else who purchases a 2021/2022 pass now, no?


Pitter patter let’s let Camp get at er.


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## tirolski

They’re giving $25 in Song’s New Bar and grill and a buddy pass if ya buy now. 
Looks like they may have named the New Bar and gill. Mustn’t have won the guessing it’s name game. Never would’ve thought of Huega’s.








Season Passes - Spring Rates | SkiCNY


(Scroll Down) INFLATION STAGNATION THROUGH FRIDAY, APRIL 8th 2 MOUNTAINS : 1 PRICE REASONS TO BUY IN THE SPRING 1. Beat ANY 2022-23 Price Increase 2. Buddy* Pass Included For 2022-23 3. $25 Voucher**




www.skicny.com


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## Campgottagopee

tirolski said:


> Pitter patter let’s let Camp get at er.



As usual a quick response from Greek Peak:

"Absolutely you can use your pass."

Turn and burn baby  it's corn season


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## tirolski

Campgottagopee said:


> As usual a quick response from Greek Peak:
> 
> "Absolutely you can use your pass."
> 
> Turn and burn baby  it's corn season


Pace yourself Camper. Good news. Will try to get to Greek sometime before the end of season. Friend's bother lives near Greek and skis it often.


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## Peter Minde

Even the Ho is getting into the act.... Mt van Hoevenberg 2021-2022 season passes go on sale next week.


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## MarzNC

Peter Minde said:


> Even the Ho is getting into the act.... Mt van Hoevenberg 2021-2022 season passes go on sale next week.


Is that unusual?


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## Peter Minde

MarzNC said:


> Is that unusual?


Yes, it's earlier than they've offered passes in the past. Now, if only ORDA would offer a "Big 2" so I can ski at both the Ho and Gore Nordic.


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