F Vail

[x10003q]

I don’t blame Val or ikon for this.

Epic/Ikon did this - nobody else. They set the season pass prices and they set the daily pass prices.

I blame skiers all the lemmings that go out and buy these mega passes.

Most people ski under 10 days/year. These season passes are a no brainer for cost and the ability to visit multiple areas. For many people it becomes a reason to ski more as they already own the pass. What about all the people who purchased season passes at the Epic/Ikon resorts before Epic/Ikon existed? Are they lemmings, too?

If they had the balls they would stop going to these resorts and just frequent local independent or state owned facilities.

Local independents are less reliable for providing decent skiing in crap weather like this season. State run ski areas are limited in number and there have been many discussions about ORDA's operational issues.

I refuse to ski at any of these resorts.

Suit yourself, but you are not tied to a ski area. Many people are tied to a ski area.
My Ikon base pass cost $769 and it includes Stratton. I guess I could have switched to Magic for $899, but then I would not have been able to ski yet this season. I could have switched to Bromley for $849, but then I wouldn't be visiting Killington and Sugarbush this season like I have for the last few seasons. I have also visited Jackson Hole on my Ikon pass. Jackson Hole day passes are $203 if you book 16 days in advance. A JH day pass is $255 tomorrow if you book today.

 

[Harvey]

Easier said than done when they acquire or make deals with the mountains that you like to visit.

Or own property.

But, I'm guessing that most of it is driven by pass math.

 

[TonyC]

Mega passes are great for the sport. Yeah right

Skiing a single day costs $300 this weekend at multiple Colorado resorts | OutThere Colorado

It's official – the cost to ski a single day on a peak weekend in Colorado has passed $300 for a single-day lift ticket plus taxes and fees for some

denvergazette.com

It's especially obnoxious to charge $300 for low tide, less than fully open mountains in a slow starting season like this one.

Western Weather 2017-18 and Later

Mammoth Snowman update after recent storm, which was 9 inches at Main Lodge. Those 9 inches had 2.36 inches water content. Maybe close to 2 feet up top since most of the chair 23 runs opened, though their upper entries are very sketchy per Snowman. I bet that 9" of snow absorbed some rain...

www.firsttracksonline.com

 

[DomB]

Pass math is real.

First, straw poll- probably 75 percent of us are on a non Indy multi mountain pass. I include ski3 - we can say the ny mountains have a different vibe - they do - but the difference there is even with lake placid the real estate around them is relatively affordable. Near the ten mile range prices at Xmas feel more like Montauk in august. Frisco, Breckenridge.

Second, we are just about to ski day 6 at copper. The basic math is one adult at the window prices is over 1,400. Because we knew we were planning to go out west and we had a connection at Copper, we got the ikon. I think even as a first time buyer with tax it was like 1,040. For Presidents we will go to Sugarbush and then we can grab 7 days at windham relatively locally.

And packed powder to marginal conditions (the transition during our stay) seems to be better than what is being posted back east. Yesterday was the first day that son and I passed on any runs due to snow conditions.

I am not a fan of Vail. I don’t know that ikon is any better, but it is way less crowded here than any of my beloved ski 3 mountains on a holiday week - probably a capacity issue as even with locals complaining about the snow here there is still 800 acres open and most lifts.

Pass math was real for me in 2016 or so when I first started getting ski 3. It allowed my kids to go thru different versions of seasonal or half season programs that helped them become relatively strong skiers. I don’t regret choosing the passes.

The two major problems of any of these passes is 1. Making local life unaffordable (our ski 3 passes don’t draw enough to do this. Lake placid seems to have this problem to some extent but I also think it is a bigger summer draw than winter) and 2. It bars so many families from skiing in that handful of days to 10 day range because of pass economics vs single day tickets.

 

[gregmarx]

2. It bars so many families from skiing in that handful of days to 10 day range because of pass economics vs single day tickets.

This is exactly who the Epic Day Pass is for. Just went with family to Mt Snow over the run-up to Christmas. For wife and I the total was $250 each for 3 days of skiing. Kids tickets without lessons were $40-50 daily.

The Ikon session pass is generally a terrible product but Killington and Sugarbush now both offer choose-your-number-of-days discount lift tickets in advance of season. Both quite a bit more expensive than Epic day pass but Ikon is more expensive across the board.

You do have to commit to your number of days and your mountain (or group of mountains) by late summer which I'm sure is very annoying for lots of people, and obviously a barrier for someone who gets the bug mid-winter, gets invited to tag along with friends at the last minute, etc. But for a family (or couple) who knows they plan to ski, is coming beyond day-trip distance around a holiday or just a mid-winter weekend, and wants to be at all choosy or value-conscious about lodging, that's getting to be the time to be booking anyway so I don't mind much.

 

[tirolski]

Pass math is real.
First, straw poll- probably 75 percent of us are on a non Indy multi mountain pass. I include ski3 - we can say the ny mountains have a different vibe - they do -
The two major problems of any of these passes is 1. Making local life unaffordable... and 2. It bars so many families from skiing in that handful of days to 10 day range because of pass economics vs single day tickets.

For NYS there’s Hunter (Fail’s) & Windham (I-Con’s) & WF, Gore, Belle (operated as a NYS Authority).
All the other bumps in NYS aren’t in a megapassopolis.

 

[Zykamps]

Those other bumps can be fun and often affordable day trips. I shifted to ski3 after a few years off. Belleayre for day trip, Gore slightly longer day trip, and Whiteface for overnights. If I had plans to go west I would buy an Epic or Ikon pass.

 

[DomB]

This is exactly who the Epic Day Pass is for. Just went with family to Mt Snow over the run-up to Christmas. For wife and I the total was $250 each for 3 days of skiing. Kids tickets without lessons were $40-50 daily.

The Ikon session pass is generally a terrible product but Killington and Sugarbush now both offer choose-your-number-of-days discount lift tickets in advance of season. Both quite a bit more expensive than Epic day pass but Ikon is more expensive across the board.

You do have to commit to your number of days and your mountain (or group of mountains) by late summer which I'm sure is very annoying for lots of people, and obviously a barrier for someone who gets the bug mid-winter, gets invited to tag along with friends at the last minute, etc. But for a family (or couple) who knows they plan to ski, is coming beyond day-trip distance around a holiday or just a mid-winter weekend, and wants to be at all choosy or value-conscious about lodging, that's getting to be the time to be booking anyway so I don't mind much.

Yeah I think epic introduced this a few years ago and it is a good idea.

I am (selfishly) focused on my family situation. We all ski at least 15-20 days since 2016.

Going out to cooler plus our ski day number made ikon a no brainer for us.

My daughter wants to go back to gore next Xmas mainly for family friends we vacay with when we go there.

 

[Campgottagopee]

I am (selfishly) focused on my family situation. We all ski at least 15-20 days since 2016.

As it should be. Skiing with a family is a different animal.

I give all of you schlepping your kids off to ski, major props! I'm way to selfish to want to do that!

 

[raisingarizona]

I'm there too, but for a different reason. At 57, heading towards my 3rd knee surgery ( first one not involving skiing), I really don't want to get hurt anymore. It takes too long to recover. Plus! It hurts like hell!

I know it! I may be 9 years younger but I’m feeling the same about injuries and pain.